We're passionate about young adult fiction here at Hodderscape and with such a wealth of books to explore, it's a difficult genre to navigate. So we've pulled together a list of our favourite YA Fantasy Romance titles, because no love ever feels like the first love. And for further help, don't miss our separate YA Fantasy list!
The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow
The perfect blend of royal court drama and spine-chilling horror, The Girl With No Reflection is a lush romantic fantasy.
Ying Yue believed in love . . . once. Yet when she's chosen to wed the Crown Prince, Ying's dreams of a fairy tale marriage fall apart. Her husband-to-be is cold and indifferent, confining Ying to her room for reasons he won't explain.
Left alone with only her reflection for company, Ying begins to see strange things in her mirror, and her world is shaken when she discovers the dark truth the royal family has been hiding for centuries. Two worlds with a blood-soaked history, and Ying has a part to play in both. And the brides who came before her? By the time they discovered their roles, it was already too late . . .
The Girl With No Reflection is an ornate fairytale filled with sharp edges. It will grip you, break your heart, and slowly piece it back together.
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These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
An instant BookTok sensation, These Hollow Vows is the first book in an action-packed fantasy romance duology about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.
Brie would do anything before making a deal with the Fae; death is better than their vicious schemes. But when her sister is taken by the sadistic king of the Unseelie court, there is nothing Brie wouldn't do to get her back.
Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done and Brie's must pose as a potential bride for the Seelie Prince, Ronan – a prince who's not quite as wicked as she once thought. But when Brie accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits she finds herself struggling to resist the seductive charm time of their mysterious leader, Finn. Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty . . . and with her heart.
These Hollow Vows is a dark and brooding young adult fantasy that will keep you guessing every step of the way. And you can lose yourself in this beautiful world for even longer with the spellbinding conclusion, These Twisted Vows.
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These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
A fierce, heart-pounding and achingly romantic fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet.
The Scarlets and the White Flowers are two rival gangs who run 1920s Shanghai. Juliette Cai is about to fulfil her role as the heir of the Scarlet Gang, opposing her counterpart Roma Montagov, the heir to the White Flowers – and her first love who broke her heart.
A fever-inducing contagion is sweeping the streets of Shanghai, disrupting both gangs. Rumours are rife of a monster in the shadows. The gangs, and Shanghai itself, are threatened, and Juliette must learn to trust Roma again in order to save everyone.
These Violent Delights is an unputdownable, political yet beautiful retelling of an infamous story.
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Daughter of the Drowned Empire by Frankie Diane Mallis
Looking for some forbidden love and courtly drama? Look no further than Daughter of the Drowned Empire.
Lady Lyr is third in line to the Seat of Power in Bamaria, a kingdom under the Emperor who controls what magic is allowed and what is illegal. Her betrothed is master mage Lord Tristan. When Lyr discovers she has no power, she must instead accept a deadly offer: she can train to become a brutal warrior, a Sotrui – if she survives training at the academy. Lyr must train with Lord Rhyan – who she has been in love with since she was a girl – but he is absolutely forbidden to her. Surviving training may mean sacrificing her own heart.
Book one in the Drowned Empire series, Daughter of the Drowned Empire is mesmerising and heart-wrenching.
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The Order of Masks by Alina Bellchambers
The first in a seductive, glittering and dangerous fantasy duology, steeped in deadly court politics, magic and forbidden romance.
Mira dreams of a glittering future in the Ravalian Court. Training in secret, she intends to compete in the Trials: a deadly competition to join one of three magical Orders. But when her candidacy exposes her mother's dangerous past, they become her only salvation.
Princess Scarlett has spent her life on a knife edge: fighting to survive the deadly politics of court. When she meets Mira, she sees an opportunity to alter the balance of power . . . but only if she can keep her alive. Caught between warring royal heirs, Mira's success depends on backing the right victor in a bloody bid for the throne.
The Order of Masks will pull you in and never let go, with high-stakes plots, seductive court politics, forbidden romance, and confident, morally grey heroines, what more could you want? Plus the heart-pounding conclusion, The Weight of Crowns is out in September.
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The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix
Starting off with a bang The Ones We Burn is an ultra-sapphic mix of magic, witches, princesses and enemies-to-lovers . . .
Ranka, a blood-witch tired of death, seeks peace with her coven, hoping to forget her dark past. But when she's named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to the kingdom of Isodal, her coven sends her with one task: kill the prince. Yet, the prince is kind and terrified of her, and his sister, the beautiful but cunning Princess Aramis, is the true threat. As witches are killed by a magical plague, Aramis offers Ranka a deal: help find a cure, and she'll teach Ranka to control her deadly magic. But loyalty and trust are harder than they seem, and Ranka is soon forced to make a choice between what she knows and what she wants.
We think you’ll fall in love with Ranka, Aramis and The Ones We Burn.
Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton
In the mood for another dark fantasy romance in a world filled with fae? Look no further than Sing Me to Sleep.
Saoirse Sorkova is a Siren, which is illegal in her kingdom. She passes as a fae but at night works as an assassin. Nobody knows she is a Siren, or that, sometimes, she isn’t in control of her deadly powers. When someone threatens her sister, Saoirse must infiltrate the palace and pass as the Prince’s bodyguard. As Saoirse works to help her sister, she and the Prince become closer and closer until the Prince tasks her with finding a notorious killer. Except, the killer is Saoirse.
Featuring an all Black and Brown cast of characters and a forbidden romance, Sing Me to Sleep is seductive and captivating.
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Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim
Spice Road is set in an Arabic-inspired world with a strong FMC and a healthy dose of magic!
Imani is highly skilled with a dagger and is on her way to becoming a legendary Shield, able to fight all desert monsters. Her brother was found stealing the magic spice and escaped into the Forbidden Wastes. Discovering that her brother may have survived, Imani joins a mission sent to recapture him, but she secretly aims to protect him. On this mission is an enigmatic and annoying beastseer named Taha. On the journey to find her brother, Imani must decide where her loyalties lie.
Adventurous and epic, Spice Road is the gripping beginning in a magical series.
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Court of the Undying Seasons by A.M. Strickland
Court of the Undying Seasons is deliciously dark, romantic and a pitch perfect modern take on the classic vampire tale.
When Fin takes her secret lover’s place in the village’s Finding, she’s whisked away to Castle Courtsheart, a notorious vampire school, where human students either become powerful vampires or spend the rest of their lives as a lowly human. But Fin has no intention of becoming a vampire – she intends to kill them.
Fin is quickly swept up in her new world and its inhabitants – particularly Gavron, her handsome and hostile vampire maker, whose blood is nothing short of intoxicating. As she uncovers a string of murders and a deadly ritual that threatens both vampires and humans.
A lush, queer YA dark fantasy novel to sink your teeth into.
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Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
Set in the same world as Six Crimson Cranes, Lim brings us a story of courage, loyalty and the deep bonds of sisterhood.
Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent's face, Vanna, her beautiful sister is the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn't see a monster.
Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off. Only Channi, who's had to rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath - launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi's heart to its breaking point.
Brilliantly written, gorgeous world-building and heart-wrenching characters.