If you've devoured Rebecca Yarros's Onyx Storm, these are the "romantasy" books to read next
The Empyrean series has garnered a legion of loyal fans on BookTok (a community within TikTok where people share book recommendations), rivalling Sarah J Maas's A Court of Thorn and Roses and Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Set in a fantasy world complete with dragons, the series centres on cadets in military training. A blend of the best romantasy themes, fans love the tomes for their enemies-to-lovers storylines, depictions of otherworlds, brutal war and found-family themes.
In the weeks since its release, Onyx Storm has garnered a 4.39 rating on Goodreads, surprising acclaim from literary critics and completely dominated social media feeds with commentary about that ending.
If you're ready to return or enter Yarros's world for the very first time, you can shop the whole series below. Or, if you're one of the millions who devoured her third novel in days, these are the 'romantasy' books to read next.
The first installment of The Empyrean series, Fourth Wing follows protagonist Violet, who was supposed to embark on a quiet life as a scribe among books. Instead, her mother (a commander general in the army) has insisted she join the hundreds of candidates striking to become an elite dragon rider. Suffering from a condition that makes her more fragile than other students, she must use her wits to succeed. Fans liken it to Harry Potter, Divergent and The Hunger Games, with slow burn romance, magic and dragons keeping you hooked.
The second title in Yarros's series sees Violet Sorrengail returning to Basgiath War College for her second year. Now, the real training begins and the stakes are higher, with a powerful new enemy threatening everything she cares about, including her new lover. As the risk of war grows, Violet must negotiate her loyalty to the college with her growing involvement with the burgeoning rebellion.
Offering pure escapism, the third instalment in the Empyrean series returns to Basgiath War College. It follows protagonist Violet Sorrengail as she ventures beyond the walls of Basgiath to seek allies to join the revolution. But the enemies are closing in fast while infiltration into their ranks makes it impossible to know who to trust.
Pushing her to her limits, the trip will test how far Violet will go to defend everything she loves, from her dragons and family to her home and her lover. Immersing the reader in steamy romance, brutal battle and the mythical world of dragons, the book already has a 4.47 rating on Goodreads.
We'd suggest savouring every moment of Onyx Storm because Yarros has confirmed she hasn't even started writing the next book yet. Thanks to Amazon, you can get your hands on the new title for half price.
Earning more than 3.3 million ratings on Goodreads (averaging 4.8 stars), A Court of Thorns and Roses is a phenomenon of the romantasy genre. In the first novel of the six-part series, we meet Feyre, a human huntress who kills a wolf that is not all it appears to be. Feyre is soon taken prisoner in the faerie realm, as revenge for the murder of a fellow faerie.
As she discovers more about her captor, the high lord of the spring court Tamlin, Feyre develops feelings for her enemy (in true 'romantasy' style). Meanwhile, a war is brewing, thanks to Amarantha, the evil and vindictive high queen of Prythian. The first book busies itself with world building, with the romance, drama and fantasy elements getting better and better as the series goes on.
Loved by fans of Fourth Wing, Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyaxia series swaps dragons for vampires. The first book in the six part series, The Serpent and the Wings of Night follows the adopted human daughter of a vampire king, Oraya. Her only chance to become more than prey is entering the Kejari, a legendary tournament held to prove a warrior's strength. To survive, she must form alliances and she finds herself drawn to mysterious rival Raihn, a dangerous and ruthless vampire. Expect an enemies-to-lovers storyline, dark magic and bloodthirsty battle.
Lauded by those on TikTok as being addictive and immersive, Callie Hart's Quicksilver is set in a realm of ice and snow, where a century-long conflict is ongoing. Saeris is a pick-pocket from a desert realm, who inadvertently reopens a gateway between the realms and is transported to the land of ice. Fae have always been the stuff of nightmares, but then she comes face to face with a a handsome Fae warrior who may be her only ticket home. The second book in the Fae and Alchemy series is set to be published in late 2025.
Sarah J Maas is a titan of the genre, with her latest series Crescent City proving just as popular as A Court of Thorns and Roses. The first installment in the three-book series introduces us to Bryce Quinlan. The life of the party, she takes advantage of all that Crescent City has to offer, until a brutal murder shakes her to her core. Two years later, another murder is committed and Bryce sets about trying to unravel the mystery, her own dark past and the secret underbelly of the city. With more than 10 million views on Tiktok and a 4.6 star rating on Goodreads, fans praise the urban, high fantasy setting of the book.
Described as Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games, Lauren Roberts' Powerless is set in the fantasy kingdom of Ilya. In the divided society, Elites possess powers gifted to them decades before by the plague, while the Ordinary have been banished from the kingdom and shunned. Bridging the divided, Paedyn Gray is an ordinary posing as an elite, who unbeknownst to herself, saves one of the kingdom's princes and is thrown into the purging trials, where she's meant to showcase her elite powers. The first book in a trilogy, it became an instant New York Times bestseller.
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BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Tan lines are back in fashion. But can you get the look safely?
"I am literally going to apply this fake tan all over my bikini top," Jemma Violet says, as she smears chocolate brown mousse over her chest, neck and halter-neck bikini.I'm watching a TikTok video in which the beauty influencer is explaining how to develop a vibrant set of tan lines - without sunbathing."Make sure you do your arms and everything... and then wait a couple of hours before washing it off."A flash frame later and Jemma is showing off two very visible white stripes connected to two white triangles poking out of the top of her boob tube. Tan lines glowing, job done. Back in the 90s, I remember the abject horror of having tan lines on display and doing all I could to even mine out - with limited success. Fast forward to the mid 2020s and tan lines have become a fashion statement to be shown off."When they were out of style they were seen as an imperfection, now they're associated with the summer and an active lifestyle - they've become desirable," Jemma says. "This year it's risen to a whole other level - they're even on the catwalk."Some fake tanners are even using masking tape - the type I use on my skirting boards - to create that crisp line across their skin."My videos are about getting that tan line safely," Jemma says. "I feel pretty captivating, the look is eye-catching - especially the contrast between the darker skin and the white tan lines."Jemma is one of thousands extolling the virtues of tan lines, with posts notching up more than 200m views on alongside fake tanners like Jemma, there are just as many heading outdoors and under the hot sun, determined to create real tan lines - even if that means burning themselves and suffering the painful such as #sunburntanlines, #sunpoisoning and #sunstroke are popping up alongside videos of young men and women - some in tears - revealing deep red, almost purple, often puckered skin. Some are asking for help and advice, others actually want to show off their badly sunburned bodies. I've even seen one young woman proudly stating, "No pain no gain". Having a visible tan in Victorian times was a clear sign you were poor working class and probably spent most of your time hawking barrels of hay for very little the 1920s, a few freckles and a well-placed tan line would probably mean you had moved up a social class or two, and suggested health, wealth and luxurious the 1960s and 70s sun lovers were using cooking oil and reflective blankets to deepen their tans. But the links between ultraviolet (UV) radiation and skin cancer were becoming more widely known - and marked the beginning of a complex relationship with the desire to change our skin colour - and while tans are still sought after by millions of us, there is now little doubt a natural one carries with it a hefty element of risk. If someone had lectured Jak Howells about the risks of sunburn a few years ago those warnings would likely have fallen on deaf - and probably sunburnt - ears."I know it seems strange to be addicted to lying on a sunbed," the 26-year-old from Swansea says, "but I was."It began when Jak was 15, with a few of his older mates in school using them. By the time he was 19 Jak was on sunbeds five times a week, for 18-20 minutes at a time."My skin was so burned - my face looked like a beetroot. But I kept on going back for more," he says. "I knew in the back of my mind that there was a risk - I wasn't oblivious - but I didn't take it says he used to enjoy when people complimented him on how he looked and remarked on his tan."It gave me such a buzz, I loved it," he it was seeing the look of horror on his mum's face, as she examined a bleeding mole on his back, that made Jak realise his love of sunbeds had gone too far. Just before Christmas 2021, Jak was diagnosed with melanoma, one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer, which can spread to other parts of the followed, he says, were two years of "hell and horror". Jak had a complicated operation that involved surgeons cutting away two inches of skin from his lower back, chest and groin. But three months later the cancer was back. Jak then had immunotherapy - which uses the body's own immune system to fight the cancer - and was told if that didn't work, he had only a year to live."The sickness was horrific - I would lie in bed for days," Jak says. "It felt like I had been hit by a bus. I had such a damaged body, I was a shell of a human. I lived for the next scan, the next treatment." 'Massive backwards step' Melanoma skin cancer rates in the UK have increased by almost a third over the past decade. I asked Megan Fisher from Cancer Research UK why this is happening in an era where the risks posed by harmful rays from the sun and the links to skin cancer are now well known."It's partly down to those people who may have burnt several decades ago," she explains. "You only need to get sunburnt once every two years to triple your risk of getting skin cancer."As a population, we are growing older, so are "more likely to see more cancers" and "we are spotting them more quickly", she there are also concerns part of the increase could be down to the volume of misinformation doing the rounds online."We've taken a massive backwards step," says Dr Kate McCann, a preventative health specialist. "The message that the sun is good and sunscreen causes cancer is a complete loss of health literacy." She says the current trend to create tan lines by burning in the sun, coupled with false claims that suntan lotion is responsible for the very cancer it's trying to prevent is a "perfect storm"."If I see a child or a young person with sunburn now, I know they have an increased risk of cancer in 20 or 30 years."While there are some ingredients in suntan lotions - like oxybenzone - that can cause environmental damage to coral reefs, there is not evidence to suggest it poses a risk to humans, Dr McCann says."If you don't want to use a suntan lotion with certain chemicals there are plenty of more natural ones on the market - zinc and mineral based ones - but you can't just stop wearing sunscreen." As a young man Jak relished his tan lines. Now he says he's frightened by the sun and lathers himself up in SPF before even thinking about stepping the all clear from cancer in December 2022, he now has a career he loves making content and talking about his experiences to raise back he says he realises what happened to him was "probably self inflicted". "For a long time I blamed myself and I beat myself up about it," he says. "But I have been lucky enough to live through the consequences - and they were horrendous. So maybe now I feel like I've done my time."Back on TikTok, in her own way, beauty influencer and fake tanner Jemma is also trying to prevent others from going through what Jak did."Skin damage is real," she says. "We're not doing that." A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I've read hundreds of books — this is easily my favourite fantasy novel of the year so far'
Whatever your favourite genre, it's hard to argue with the fact that fantasy, or to be more specific, romantasy, is the genre of the moment. I really got back into reading last year and, like many others, I largely have romantasy books to thank for that. They're so readable and with a seemingly endless supply of fantastical worlds ready to step into, you'll never be short of ideas on what to read next. But over time, the problem for me has been I feel like a lot of people have seen the huge successes of popular books like Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses and Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing, and just decided to just give us more of the same. Think BookTok -friendly stories, full of copy-paste love interests and a selection of the classic tropes thrown in for good measure. But I'm pleased to report that after months and months spent trying to find my next five-star fantasy, I've finally done it. Enter: Silvercloak by L. K. Steven. Silvercloak is the debut adult novel from the acclaimed author behind young adult books like Our Infinite Fates and Society for Soulless Girls. It follows Saffron, an obsessive detective who is forced to go undercover to infiltrate a brutal underground mafia of dark magicians after her biggest secret is exposed on the eve of her graduation from the elite Silvercloak Academy. In a world where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain, Saff must contend with curious prophecies, rival gangs and the rather inconvenient problem of her growing feelings for the kingpin's tortured son. I really enjoyed Our Infinite Fates when I first read it earlier this year, so I went into Silvercloak feeling optimistic. But this book absolutely blew me away; I was hooked from the very first chapter. The world of Ascenfall feels truly original and the romance in this book is also a breath of fresh air. As anyone who read Our Infinite Fates will already know, Steven is a master of the enemies to friends to lovers to enemies dynamic, and Saff and Levan's relationship, from its beginning to its prophesised end and beyond, is such a highlight of this book. I'm a bit of a chaotic reader and tend to always have a physical book or two on the go at the same time as well as an audiobook for when I'm cooking or walking my dog. I found it impossible to put Silvercloak down, however, even purchasing the audiobook so I could go between the two. I was fully immersed in the story all the way through to the final page, and cannot wait to see where the series goes next. If you're going to read one fantasy novel this summer, make it this one. You can buy Silvercloak now from Waterstones. Alternatively, you can order your copy from Amazon.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair names her 5 favourite romantasy books
The bestselling A Touch of Darkness and Terror at the Gates author has named her five favourite romantasy books, perfect for anyone looking for something new to read this summer. There's nothing better than sitting back after a long day and unwinding with a good book. But choosing your next read is sometimes easier said than done; do you opt for the latest big release everyone's talking about online, try something recommended to you by a friend or just pick something at random? If you like reading fantasy or romantasy books, it can be even harder to choose, thanks to a never-ending supply of recommendations on TikTok. Luckily, number one New York Times bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair is on hand with five of her own favourites, perfect for any romantasy fan. Scarlett's own books include the Hades X Persephone Saga, the Hades Saga and the Adrian X Isolde series. Her latest book, Terror at the Gates, is a feminist retelling of Lilith's story, marking the start of an all-new fantasy series, Blood of Lilith. Without further ado, here are Scarlett's top five romantasy recommendations. And for more book reviews and news, click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack. 1. Master of Crows by Grace Draven "Grace Draven was writing romantasy before it had a name and let me tell you, she is a QUEEN. I was honestly torn between Master of Crows and Radiance for this list, but Master of Crows was my first romantasy and is, therefore, sentimental. "The book follows Martise, a woman with an orgasmic voice (my words but we all know the MC is thinking it), who is sent to spy on Silhara of Neith. Silhara, Master of Crows, is under attack from Corruption, a god with immense power who wishes to use Silhara as a vessel to take over the world. "I think I loved this book so much because there is nothing extraordinary about these two main characters. Despite magic, they feel like normal people struggling with everyday challenges. Silhara is grumpy... and Martise has the patience of a saint. Watching them fall for each other is frustratingly entertaining." You can buy Master of Crows on Amazon. 2. The Winter King by C.L. Wilson "The Winter King by C.L. Wilson is the first in the Weathermages of Mystral Series. It's unfinished, but each book can be read as a standalone. "In The Winter King, we are introduced to Wynter Atrialan who has just conquered the land of Summerlea and is tricked into marrying one of its princesses, the fierce Khamsin Coruscate whose storm magic makes for some tense scenes and passionate encounters. At its heart, this book is a romance set in a vibrant and chilly fantasy world—and, yes, the puns are intended." 3. Her Soul for a Crown by Alysha Rameera "Her Soul for a Crown is a debut romantasy by Alysha Rameera. Inspired by Sri Lankan mythology, this tale follows Anula, a fierce and determined heroine who has every intention of marrying the raja who destroyed her kingdom—all so she can poison him and take this throne. "When things don't exactly go as planned, she's forced to make an offering to Reeri, the Blood Yakka, a divine being who has goals of his own. Her Soul for a Crown was inspired by one line Alysha read in a book about a Sri Lankan queen who poisons six of her husbands for the throne. "Unlike my previous two recommendations, I'd say Her Soul for a Crown leans heavier on fantasy than romance, though the slow burn is burning for sure. My favourite thing about Alysha's writing is her vibrant and meticulous world-building. This one is a must read and out August 12!" You can pre-order Her Soul for a Crown from Waterstones or Amazon. 4. The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard "Amalie Howard wrote one of my favourite regency romances, The Beast of Beswick, so when she announced a romantasy inspired by Persian and Indian mythology, I said gimme! The Starlight Heir follows Suraya Saab, a bladesmith with dreams bigger than her small forge. When she receives an invitation to participate in a set of trials to become the prince's bride, she sees it as a chance at adventure. The only issue is the prince isn't actually looking for a bride, he's looking for the Starkeeper, a girl with the magic of stars in her blood. "Amalie manages to weave a fast-paced plot with a slow burn romance that leaves you breathless and yearning for more. If you are looking for something familiar and fantastical, this one is for you!" 5. For Ever by Jenny Hickman "Jenny Hickman is in her cosy fantasy era and I am obsessed. For Ever is about a young woman named Kerris who is on the hunt for a husband, but most importantly, love. "She has no lack of potential suitors—among them, the Prince of Rosehill—but all of these handsome Seelie men are sidelined when Kerris lays eyes on Everett Gathin, a brutally sweet Unseelie warrior. What follows is a whimsical tale of forbidden love best enjoyed with a cup of tea, a soft blanket, and a roaring fire."
