There’s no hotter genre in publishing right now than romantasy. The fusion of fantasy worldbuilding with swoon-worthy romance and familiar storytelling tropes has captured the imagination of readers all over the world, and 2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for the genre.
Yes, yes, everyone is already on the edge of their seats waiting for the latest installment in Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing saga. But whether you’re looking for dragon riders, death magic, vampires, arranged marriages, competitions with a kingdom at stake, or witches and the witch hunters who are obsessed with them, you’ll find something in the romantasy section for you this year.
Here are our most anticipated romantasy books of 2025.
The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard
Release Date: January 7 from Avon
Why We’re Excited: The adult fantasy romance debut from popular author Amalie Howard—her Bridgerton-esque Regency tale for young adults is in our YA version of this list—-The Starlight Heir is inspired by Persian and Indian mythology. The achingly romantic story of a young bladesmith whose life is turned upside down when she’s unexpectedly embroiled in the king’s hunt for the mysterious Starkeeper and ends up on the run with an illegitimate prince, its detailed mythology and rich worldbuilding stands out.
Publisher’s Description: “His Imperial Majesty King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.”
When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith, but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.
But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who captures her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the Starkeeper—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.
When the rebels attack, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the Starkeeper. But Roshan is guarding secrets of his own. And with no control over the power stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of a dark god, an immortal whose interest might be the biggest threat of all.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Release Date: January 21 from Entangled/Red Tower Books
Why We’re Excited: Anyone who reads any sort of fantasy—or, heck, has entered a bookstore in the last year—is undoubtedly aware of the phenomenon that is Fourth Wing, a high stakes romantasy about students at a war college for dragon riders. The second installment Iron Flame concluded with a massive (and emotionally devastating) cliffhanger, and readers have been counting the days to the release of the third book, Onyx Storm, ever since. It hits shelves in January, it’s probably the biggest romantasy release of the year, and it’s unlikely that any of us are prepared for what awaits Violet Sorrengail and her friends. Just block the weekend off to read now.
Publisher’s Description: After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.
Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves―her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find―the truth.
But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.
The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor
Release Date: February 4 from Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Why We’re Excited: The debut with potentially the most gruesome premise of the year has to be D.L. Taylor’s The Beasts We Bury, a story whose uniquely dark magical system involves summoning animals—but only after they’ve been ritualistically killed first. It’s not for the faint of heart in many ways, but its story of a young heir whose magical abilities are a constant reminder of the horrors inflicted on her by her father, the Prime who finds herself drawn to a young thief plotting rebellion features complicated political intrigue and a compelling central romance.
Publisher’s Descriiption: Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them first. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.
Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he’ll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.
As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she’s been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he’ll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
Release Date: February 18 from Wednesday Books
Why We’re Excited: This highly anticipated sequel to the (excellent) Heartless Hunter, brings Kristen Ciccarelli’s Crimson Moth duology to a thrilling conclusion. Two months after the dramatic betrayals and world-changing revelations at the end of the first book, witch Rune and witch hunter Gideon find themselves on opposite sides of a war for the future of their republic, with their positions complicated by their genuine, conflicting feelings for one another. Enemies to lovers perfection with a breakneck narrative pace.
Publisher’s Description: A WITCH…Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.
A WITCH HUNTER…Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by joining forces with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.
AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE… When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.
Nightweaver by R.M. Gray
Release Date: March 4 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: This propulsive story about a flawed heroine desperate to avenge her brother’s death who must become a servant of one of the very beings that she believes killed him is full of surprises and twists you really won’t expect.
Publisher’s Description: Six hundred years ago, Nightweavers, cursed beings with untamed power, claimed the continents for their own. The ocean was meant to be a safe haven for humanity, including seventeen-year-old Aster Oberon and her pirate family. But after Aster’s brother is killed in an epic battle at sea against Nightweavers, Aster and her family are thrust into a new life on land.
When a handsome Nightweaver named Will offers the Oberons protection and work at his opulent estate, Aster is suspicious. As the arrogant and entitled right hand to the wicked prince, Will is everything that she has been taught to hate. But as he shows empathy and kindness, Aster can’t ignore a blooming attraction. And even more, Will opens her eyes to a new reality: There are monsters worse than Nightweavers, monsters who may be behind her brother’s death.
As Aster hunts the creatures responsible, dark secrets threaten to unravel everything she once believed about her family, herself, and her world.
Blood Beneath the Snow by Alexandra Kennington
Release Date: March 11 from Ace
Why We’re Excited: A romantasy debut that mixes thrilling political intrigue, deadly competition, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, this story of a rebellious princess born without magic in a kingdom obsessed with power, is full of the sort of classic tropes that will appeal to every kind of reader—and keep you turning pages well into the night.
Publisher’s Description: Revna is no stranger to struggle. As the only member of the royal family without a magical ability, she is seen as an embarrassing mistake by her kingdom and a blight on her bloodline. Luckily, Revna has found family in other outcasts in her kingdom. But when her two closest friends’ lives are put in danger, she is determined to save them by any means necessary, no matter the cost. The Bloodshed Trials—a competition where the last sibling in the royal family standing takes the throne—might just be the ultimate price.
Revna turns down her arranged marriage and commits to competing for the throne only to be kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the general of her country’s greatest enemy. He has the ability to rend souls with the flick of his wrist and is every inch as intimidating as the war stories say he is. But Revna wonders if there may be some humanity left in him—especially when he reveals there are other parties who want her on the throne for their own secret reasons.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent
Release Date: March 25 from Bramble
Why We’re Excited: This standalone story set in author Carissa Broadbent’s wildly popular Crowns of Nyaxia universe follows the story of Sylina, an Arachessen sister sworn to ill in service of her goddess. Her latest mission: infiltrate his court and kill the Atrius, the vampire who conquered her country. But she finds herself undeniably drawn to him, she begins to question everything she once thought she believed.
(Fun fact: For those who are fans of Broadbent’s larger Nyaxia universe—Atrius is Septimus’s cousin, and if his story starts to sound familiar to you, it’s because it’s the same one he told Orya in the second book.)
Publisher’s Description: Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king.
But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust…and kill him.
Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget.
Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.
Fearless by Lauren Roberts
Release Date: April 8 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: The highly anticipated conclusion to Lauren Roberts’s wildly popular Powerless trilogy sees Paedyn and Kai return to the kingdom of Ilya. Kitt is newly king, grieving the death of his father, and planning to marry Paedyn despite his brother’s obvious feelings for her. How this will all end is a question we’re all desperate to know the answer to.
Publisher’s Description: Paedyn Gray and Kai Azer return to the Kingdom of Ilya… And Paedyn has a life-altering choice to make. Whatever she decides will determine her fate – and the fate of those around her – forever.
In the ultimate battle of love and loyalty, who wins?
The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson
Release Date: April 8 from Ace
Why We’re Excited: The first installment of the debut romantasy series from contemporary romance writer Julie Johnson, The Wind Weaver is inspired by Welsh mythology and follows the story of a halfing who reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm—-or might doom them all.
Publisher’s Description: Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems—not her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.
For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.
But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.
A Cursed Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen
Release Date: May 13 from Del Ray
Why We’re Excited: The highly anticipated conclusion to Danielle Jensen’s Saga of the Unfated duology, A Cursed Carved in Bones sees Norse heroine Freya attempt to avert the prophesied war that says she’ll be the cause of death for thousands, even as she’s haunted by Bjorn’s betrayal.
Publisher’s Description: The secret of her divine heritage revealed, Freya finds herself on a path that will see thousands of lives lost to the magic in her blood. Desperate to avoid this dark fate, she risks an alliance with Skaland’s greatest enemy to seek answers from the seer who foretold her future—the same seer who sent Bjorn to kill her.
While Freya still seethes with rage over Bjorn’s betrayal, the blood oaths that bind her demand that she keep him close as she hunts for a way to avert the looming war. Her magic draws her to the front lines of an old enmity, embroiling her with Nordeland’s Unfated—children of the gods who serve the king she was raised to fear. The same king who, unlike Bjorn, is now willing to fight at her back. For despite the desire that burns hot between Bjorn and Freya, his growing distrust of her chosen path threatens to drag them further apart.
As war approaches, gods and mortals must choose their weapons. Yet the fiercest battle will be the one Freya wages within herself. With the magic of two goddesses burning in her veins, she must weave the threads of destiny to decide her own fate: Will she be the shield that protects her people or the curse that destroys them?
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
Release Date: May 20 from Orbit
Why We’re Excited: Even if I knew absolutely nothing about this book, that cover would make me scoop it up immediately. (Wow!) But The Knight and the Moth is the highly anticipated new novel from Rachel Gillig, author of the popular Shepherd King duology, and promises to give readers even more of her signature lyrical prose and haunting storytelling.
Publisher’s Description: Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum’s windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil’s visions. But when Sybil’s fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she’d rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
Behooved by M. Stevenson
Release Date: May 20 from Bramble
Why We’re Excited: Maybe it’s just that I’m really missing My Lady Jane, but this story about a noblewoman who accidentally turns her new husband into a horse on her wedding night, is framed for his murder, and then must join forces with him to solve the case could not possibly sound more perfect.
Publisher’s Description: Bianca knows her duty comes before her heart. So when the threat of war looms, she agrees to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir. But not all royal weddings are a fairytale, and Prince Aric, Bianca’s betrothed, is cold, aloof, and seems to hate her on sight.
To make matters worse, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt goes awry―leaving Aric magically transformed into a horse. Bianca does what any bride in this situation would do: she mounts her new husband and rides away to safety.
Sunset returns Aric to human form, but they soon discover the assassination attempt is part of a larger plot against the throne. Worse, Bianca has been framed for Aric’s murder, and she’s now saddled with a husband who is a horse by day and a frustratingly attractive man by night.
As an unexpected romance begins galloping away with their hearts, Bianca and Aric must rely on each other to unravel the curse and save the throne.
A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride
Release Date: May 27 from Dell
Why We’re Excited: This story of a powerful, fire-wielding blacksmith looking to reclaim her kingdom’s formerly matriarchal throne that also features a scorching (literally) enemies-to-lovers romance, political betrayal, and dragon-riding is like a Venn diagram of what’s hot right now. Let’s go
Publisher’s Description: Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tìr Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings, the most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.
Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current king’s death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled, and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots.
Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy alliance—one that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected.
Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.
The Primal of Blood and Bone by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: June 10 from Blue Box Press
Why We’re Excited: If you’re any kind of regular romantasy reader you’re probably already chomping at the bit to read this penultimate installment of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash series.
Publisher’s Description: In the thrilling penultimate chapter of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Blood and Ash series, Poppy and Casteel face their most perilous challenges yet as old enemies rise and ancient powers stir from their slumber.
Bound by love but driven by destiny, they must navigate a world on the brink of devastation—where every choice has deadly consequences. With their bond tested and their future hanging in the balance, the fate of the realm rests on the strength of their hearts and the power of the Deminyen. Don’t miss the final book starring your favorite Maiden and her heartmate.
The Robin on the Oak Throne by K.A. Linde
Release Date: June 17 from Entangled: Red Tower Books
Why We’re Excited: K.A. Linde’s The Wren in the Holly Library was one of 2024’s most original romantasy offerings, trading in the high fantasy worldbuilding of most stories in this subgenre for a more urban and contemporary style of storytelling. Its sequel, The Robin on the Oak Throne, will continue the series’ story of monsters and magic, and the relationship between a thief and a mysterious (and ancient) monster.
Publisher’s Description: The follow-up novel to instant New York Times bestseller The Wren in the Holly Library.
Never the Roses by Jennifer K. Lambert
Release Date: July 8 from Bramble
Why We’re Excited: A deeply emotional romantic fantasy that’s described as Genevieve Gornichec’s The Witch’s Heart meets Madeline Miller’s Circe is pretty much a perfect Venn diagram of my interests. Bonus: This book is by best-selling romance author Jeffe Kennedy, who is being published by Bramble Books under the pseudonym Jennifer K. Lambert for the first time for this romantasy debut.
Publisher’s Description: The Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. She’s exhausted from fighting the endless wars of kings and queens, and has long accepted that her death is near. Alone at last but for a few uninvited companions—a near-mythical wolf, a goddess’s avatar, and a feline that embodies magic itself—Oneira realizes that she’s bored. On a whim, or perhaps at the behest of fate, she makes an unlikely trip to the most extensive library in existence: the home of her most powerful rival, the sorcerer Stearanos.
By recklessly stealing a book from him, Oneira inadvertently initiates a forbidden correspondence. Taunting notes and clever retorts reveal a connection neither has found—nor could ever find—in any other.
But Oneira soon learns that Stearanos, bound to a vile king, is tasked with waging war on the queen she once served. A relationship with him is far too dangerous to pursue despite their mutual desire—and yet, Oneira can’t seem to stay away.
A bond with Stearanos could alight the long-extinct flame of life within her… or it could destroy her entirely.
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
Release Date: July 22 from Del Ray
Why We’re Excited: Arcana Academy is one of two new romantasy series arriving in 2025 from author Elise Kova, best known for her Married to Magic and Air Awakens books. (The other is called Dragon Cursed and we’ve got a sneak peek at that, too.) And this one has a little bit of everything that’s hot in this genre right now: An elite magical school, dark academia vibes, a feisty heroine with a unique ability who finds herself in a fake engagement to a powerful man with his own goals. Shorter version: Let’s go.
Publisher’s Description: Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards—a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.
Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape—for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.
In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.
Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world—and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?
The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah M. Parker
Release Date: October 7 from Avon
Why We’re Excited: Look, I know I cannot be the only person literally counting down the days until the sequel to the excellent character drive high fantasy romance When the Moon Hatched hits shelves.
Publisher’s Description: Raeve and Kaan will return in the highly anticipated sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling phenomenon When The Moon Hatched. Prepare for more danger, magic, romance, and dragons!
Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB