30 must read romantasy books with shadow magic

In a world forgotten by the gods, the Fae are forced to serve the powerful Legacy, descendants of divine bloodlines. Every five years, a brutal Selection binds Fae to kingdom heirs, and Tessalyn Asura finds herself unwillingly chosen by the Heir of Endings, ruler of the darkest realm. As Tessalyn uncovers the secrets buried in the shadows of the Arius Kingdom, she must decide whether to escape her new fate or embrace the power growing inside her.

Why you should read this: 

If you love intricate world building, slow burn temptation, and morally grey heirs who radiate "touch her and die" energy, this one's for you. Dark kingdoms, reluctant bonds, and a heroine finding her place in a forgotten world. It's pure romantasy magic.

Series reading order:

1. Rain of Shadows and Endings
2. Storm of Secrets and Sorrow
3. Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance
4. Dawn of Chaos and Fury

The King has enacted a deadly tradition. Eight powerful Fae will compete in brutal trials to win the Princess's hand in marriage. Kade Blackthorn, a shadow wielding contender with secrets of his own, is among them and the only one who sees through her carefully guarded lies. But the Princess carries a dangerous secret. She has no magic. If anyone finds out, it could mean death for them all.

Why you should read this: 

It's The Bachelorette, but make it deadly, magical, and full of enemies to lovers tension with a shadow daddy at the center of it all. If you like high stakes romance and secret identities, this one will have you hooked.

Series reading order:

1. Blooms of Darkness
2. Shadows of Ruin
3. Crowns of Fate

When huntress Feyre kills a fae wolf, she's dragged across the wall into a cursed fae realm. There, she finds herself entangled in politics, danger, and a growing attraction to the High Fae who took her captive. But a dark magic is rising, and Feyre might be the only one who can stop it, if she can survive the shadows closing in.

Why you should read this: 

It's the romantasy gateway drug for a reason. Court intrigue, forbidden love, and a fae world full of shadows, secrets, and sultry tension? Don't walk. Run to this series.

Series reading order:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
2. A Court of Mist and Fury
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin
4. A Court of Frost and Starlight
5. A Court of Silver Flames

Saeris Fane is a thief with secrets, including a dangerous kind of magic. When she accidentally tears open a gate between realms, she ends up bound to a grumpy, shadow wielding Fae warrior named Kingfisher. With war looming and their destinies entangled, they'll have to survive betrayal, battles, and the kind of banter that cuts deeper than a blade.

Why you should read this: 

Shadow daddy alert! Kingfisher is the definition of dark, dangerous, and 100% unbothered until her. With epic world building, sizzling tension, and a morally grey love interest who might just steal your heart (and soul), this romantasy delivers.

Series reading order:

1. Quicksilver
2. Brimstone

Kat is a noblewoman on the brink of losing everything when she's hired to spy on Bastian Marwood, a powerful, mysterious fae known as the Night Queen's Shadow. But court life is a deadly game, and Kat must play it well or lose more than her heart. Secrets, deception, and slow burn tension unfold as shadows tighten around them both.

Why you should read this: 

If you love slow burn enemies to lovers, court intrigue, and powerful men who hide their obsession behind razor sharp banter, Bastian will absolutely ruin you in the best way.

Series reading order:

1. A Kiss of Iron
2. A Touch of Poison
3. A Promise of Lies

Violet Sorrengail never wanted to be a dragon rider, but her general mother gives her no choice. At Basgiath War College, everything is life or death, and surviving means bonding with a dragon or getting incinerated. Enter Xaden Riorson, the powerful, brooding wingleader who's as deadly as he is magnetic and might be hiding more than just scars.

Why you should read this: 

Xaden Riorson is the blueprint. If you like forced proximity, brutal war school settings, and broody men with shadows (literally and emotionally), you already know why this series is taking over BookTok.

Series reading order:

1. Fourth Wing
2. Iron Flame
3. Onyx Storm

Diem Bellator has spent her life trying to keep her head down and protect what little family she has left until the sudden disappearance of her mother changes everything. With the world ruled by the Descended, powerful, god-touched beings, Diem is thrust into a deadly game of power, rebellion, and prophecy. When she uncovers a dangerous secret about her past, she's forced into the royal court, caught between the scheming king, his hauntingly enigmatic heir, and a growing civil war. As she navigates deadly court politics and ancient magic, Diem must decide how far she's willing to go to protect her people and whether her heart can survive the flames.

Why you should read this: 

If you love reluctant heroines with hidden power, dangerously attractive heirs who see too much, and high stakes magic rooted in ancient prophecy, this book will suck you in. It's slow burn romantasy with a side of shadowy secrets and enemies hiding in plain sight.

Series reading order:

1. Spark of the Everflame
2. Glow of the Everflame
3. Heat of the Everflame

Aurora "Rory" Raven has spent years hunting monsters in the name of vengeance but now she's the one in chains. Sentenced to 500 years in Vincula, the realm of the damned, she expects torment. What she doesn't expect is the Umbra King, Caius, a terrifying and magnetic ruler exiled for a crime he didn't commit. He rules his kingdom of monsters with cold fury, and Rory is everything he hates. As their twisted game of power, secrets, and grudging respect turns into something far more dangerous, both Rory and Caius must decide what they're willing to sacrifice and who they're willing to destroy.

Why you should read this: 

Caius is the ultimate shadow daddy, brooding, bitter, and cursed, but somehow soft when it comes to her. If you love forced proximity, slow burn chemistry, and morally grey leads with trauma, this one will consume you.

Series reading order:

1. The Umbra King
2. Aeternum

Oli thought that finding her fated bonds would be the end of her loneliness, but instead it marked the beginning of her greatest heartbreak. When tragedy and fear sent her into hiding, she disappeared for five years, leaving behind the five powerful men she was meant to be tied to forever. Now caught and dragged back into their orbit, Oli must face the mates she left behind, a shattered warrior, a sharp tongued protector, a ruthless mind reader, and a deadly shadow wielder who might never forgive her. The world is falling apart, war is brewing, and their bond may be the key to saving it all, if it doesn't destroy them first.

Why you should read this: 

Reverse harem? Check. Grumpy, possessive shadow wielder? Check. Found family, angst, and a heroine caught between loyalty and survival? Check. You'll be hooked from page one.

Series reading order:

1. Broken Bonds
2. Savage Bonds
3. Blood Bonds
4. Forced Bonds
5. Tragic Bonds
6. Unbroken Bonds

Adara has always known her destiny to marry the crowned prince and unite the kingdoms. But from the moment she steps into the royal court, it's not her betrothed who captivates her, it's his illegitimate half brother. Bastien is dangerous, half fae, and everything Adara should avoid. As tension brews between kingdoms and ancient magic begins to unravel, Adara must navigate the treacherous waters of duty and desire, lies and loyalty. The truth buried in the shadows could destroy everything or awaken a power long forgotten.

Why you should read this: 

Forbidden love, simmering chemistry, and a broody bastard prince who radiates "I want to ruin her life and then worship her" energy? Yes, please. If you're craving political intrigue, emotional angst, and a swoony half fae with dark secrets, this one delivers.

Series reading order:

1. A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows
2. A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal
3. A Kingdom of Venom and Vows
4. A Kingdom of Fire and Fate

In the supernatural city of Angelthene, humans like Loren Calla do whatever it takes to survive. When she's nearly abducted by a group of supernatural bounty hunters, Loren finds herself entangled in a world she never wanted to be part of. To save her kidnapped friend, she has no choice but to team up with Darien Cassel, the ruthless, shadow wielding leader of the Seven Devils, the most feared Darkslayer circle in the city. But the deeper they dig into Angelthene's underworld, the more Loren realizes the shadows hold secrets that could tear their world apart and that the monster everyone fears might be the one man she can't resist.

Why you should read this: 

Urban fantasy vibes, an emotionally guarded shadow daddy with a kill count, and a human heroine who refuses to back down? It's a dangerously addictive combo. Expect action, tension, and top tier slow burn.

Series reading order:

1. City of Gods and Monsters
2. City of Souls and Sinners
3. City of Lies and Legends
4. City of Smoke and Brimstone

Emelin never meant to use her forbidden magic, but when she's caught, she's taken captive by the Silent Death, the empire's most feared assassin and the right hand of the fae Queen. But instead of killing her, he whisks her away into the heart of the Fae Isles, a land filled with danger, cruelty, and secrets. The Silent Death isn't the mindless killer he seems. He's playing a dangerous game of rebellion, and he needs Emelin's help to win. As their partnership grows into something more, Emelin must decide whether she's willing to risk her heart for the man covered in shadows and soaked in blood.

Why you should read this: 

Enemies to lovers with delicious tension, a shadow winged assassin who will ruin you emotionally, and a heroine who refuses to bow? This one has everything. Come for the romance, stay for the rebellion.

Series reading order:

1. Court of Blood and Bindings
2. Lord of Gold and Glory
3. Ruins of Sea and Souls
4. Queens of Mist and Madness

Born under a prophecy and raised in secrecy, Seraphena Mierel has always known her life isn't her own. Promised to the Primal of Death as part of an ancient deal to protect her kingdom, she's been trained for one purpose to make him fall in love with her and destroy him. But Nyktos, the terrifying god cloaked in shadow and power, isn't the monster she expected. As feelings grow and truths unravel, Sera finds herself caught between duty and desire and the fate of the realms may rest on her decision.

Why you should read this: 

Nyktos is the ultimate shadow daddy. He’s ancient, lethal, and utterly undone by the one woman he wasn't supposed to love. If you enjoy epic gods, primal power, and slow burn seduction with major "I'll destroy the world for her" energy, this series is for you.

Series reading order:

1. A Shadow in the Ember
2. A Light in the Flame
3. A Fire in the Flesh
4. Born of Blood and Ash

Two raven shifters. One captive girl. No heroes in sight. When a war scarred kingdom teeters on the edge of destruction, a young woman becomes the pawn and obsession of two dark winged monsters who rule the shadows. One wants redemption. The other wants revenge. Trapped between cruelty and seduction, secrets and blood, she must choose whether to fight for her freedom or surrender to the darkness and the monsters who would kill for her.

Why you should read this: 

If your love language is feral possessiveness, bird themed villains, and chaos in the form of morally grey, shadow winged men, welcome home. It's twisted, steamy, and deliciously unhinged in all the right ways.

Series reading order:

1. Feathers so Vicious
2. Shadows so Cruel

In a kingdom where magic is outlawed and a deadly illness rips through the land, Azalea's search for a cure takes a dangerous turn when she's captured by the enemy. Imprisoned in the Black King's castle, she's forced to navigate the cruel politics of a court built on secrets and blood. Under the watchful eye of the Black King's cold and shadowy commander, Azalea finds herself drawn to the very threat she should fear most. But as the truth about her powers and her captor unravels, she may be the key to saving them all.

Why you should read this: 

It's the perfect blend of slow burn, forbidden attraction, and forced proximity with a commanding shadow daddy who is equal parts deadly and irresistible. Bonus, there's only one bed.

Series reading order:

1. A Wildflower in the Wind
2. A Sun Scorched Bloom
3. A Petal in the Crown

Rorax Greywood is a battle hardened warrior with blood on her hands and a past soaked in violence. Trained as a killer since childhood, she's now been chosen by the gods to compete for the title of Guardian, a role she doesn't want, in a trial she might not survive. Her only chance of making it out alive lies with the most feared of all houses, the House of Death, and its lethal, darkly magnetic lieutenant. As they navigate deadly politics and divine tests, Rorax must confront her demons and maybe find salvation in the shadows.

Why you should read this: 

Come for the badass FMC with trauma and a blade, stay for the silent, deadly lieutenant with shadowy vibes and morally grey edges. This is violent, sexy, and packed with emotional depth.

All Tisania wanted was a quiet life in her village but when her forbidden magic is exposed, she's forced to flee and make a desperate bargain with a ruthless mercenary. He'll help her learn to wield her dark powers but only if she helps him sneak into a fae ruled city brimming with danger. The problem? He's the man who once left her for dead. As secrets unravel and their enemies close in, Tisania must decide whether the mysterious mercenary is her salvation or her doom.

Why you should read this: 

It's slow burn, enemies to lovers excellence with a shadow-touched mercenary who's broody, untrustworthy, and deeply, deeply hot. This book scratches that romantasy itch for danger, banter, and betrayals you didn't see coming.

Series reading order:

1. A Court This Cruel and Lovely
2. A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty
3. A Crown This Cold and Heavy
4. A Queen This  Fierce and Deadly

Violet Archer is running from something dark, something inside her. But when a violent storm leads her to a mysterious cabin in the woods, she finds herself face to face with Elijah Stone, a deadly immortal who sees the shadow within her and is prepared to kill her for it. Instead, he spares her, bound by a supernatural force neither of them understands. As their journey unfolds across a brutal, war torn world, Violet and Elijah are hunted by monsters, gods, and something worse, the truth.

Why you should read this: 

Think enemies to soulmates with a dose of "I hate you but I'll die for you" tension. Elijah is dark, deadly, and everything a tortured shadow daddy should be. This completed series is intense, emotional, and completely addictive.

Series reading order:

1. Shadow's Kiss
2. Shadow's Touch
3. Shadow's Due
4. Shadow's Fall

Every Darling girl disappears on her 18th birthday and now it's Vane's turn. She's stolen away to Neverland, but this isn't the fairytale she grew up with. Here, Peter Pan is the one doing the taking, and the Lost Boys are brutal, possessive, and obsessed. Caught in a twisted game of magic, secrets, and lust, Vane must uncover the truth behind her family's legacy and survive the boys who may never let her go.

Why you should read this: 

This Peter Pan retelling is dark, spicy, and absolutely feral. If you love possessive men, twisted fae magic, and a heroine caught in a why choose romance with shadows and sharp teeth, welcome to Neverland. You're not getting out unscathed.

Series reading order:

1. The Never King
2. The Dark One
3. Their Vicious Darling
4. The Fae Princes

As a fox shifter with no magic, Amara never expected to be accepted into Fate Hollow Academy, the elite school where supernatural beings train for war. But something inside her is waking up. With students disappearing and her ex-mate gunning for revenge, she finds protection in the most unexpected place, a group of seven powerful supernaturals who claim her as their own. Magic, murder, and secrets unravel as Amara begins to uncover who and what she truly is.

Why you should read this: 

A morally grey harem, shadowy magic, and an underdog FMC discovering her power? Yes, yes, and yes. This series is packed with protective mates, magical chaos, and addicting academy drama.

Series reading order:

1. Fate Hollow Academy: Term 1
2. Fate Hollow Academy: Term 2
3. Fate Hollow Academy: Term 3
4. Fate Hollow Academy: Term 4

Oraya is human in a world of vampires, raised by the Nightborn king himself. Her only chance to claim power for herself? Win the Kejari, a brutal tournament of champions, held by the goddess of death. But to survive, she must team up with her greatest rival, Raihn, a deadly vampire warrior with secrets of his own. As the tournament grows bloodier, Oraya's alliances blur, and the line between enemy and lover begins to disappear.

Why you should read this: 

Raihn is the soft hearted, dagger wielding vampire you didn't know you needed. This book has it all, enemies to lovers, shadowy courts, god tier stakes, and a romance that will rip your heart out and kiss it better.

Series reading order:

1. The Serpent and the Wings of Night
2. The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King
3. The Songbird and the Heart of Stone
4. The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk

After a brutal mistake lands her in the fae run prison known as Terrorhaz, human girl Brexley is forced to fight, scheme, and survive. Her only shot at staying alive? Making an alliance with the most feared fae in the prison, Warwick Farkas. Vicious, deadly, and impossible to read, Warwick is a legend wrapped in shadows and he's taken an interest in Brexley. Whether it will save her or ruin her? That's another story entirely.

Why you should read this: 

If you want your romance gritty, brutal, and bursting with tension, look no further. Warwick is the textbook definition of a shadow daddy, brutal on the outside, secretly unhinged for her. This series doesn't hold back.

Series reading order:

1. Savage Lands
2. Wild Lands
3. Dead Lands
4. Bad Lands
5. Blood Lands
6. Shadow Lands
7. Land of Ashes
8. Land of Monsters

Princess Iskvien is sent as a hostage to the court of her mother's enemy, the cursed Prince of Evernight. But what starts as a political game turns into something far more dangerous as Vi uncovers truths about her mother, her past, and the prince whose shadows hide more than curses. With war on the horizon and a romance that could burn the world down, Vi must decide where her loyalty lies and what she's willing to sacrifice.

Why you should read this: 

A cursed prince, an assassin princess, and a fae court dripping with secrets and desire? Yes. If you love slow burn longing, clever heroines, and broody shadow wielders who fall hard and fast, this one's a must read.

Series reading order:

1. Promise of Darkness
2. Crown of Darkness
3. Curse of Darkness

Auren is the prized possession of King Midas, a woman he's turned to gold, locked in a gilded cage, and displayed like treasure. But behind the golden facade lies a girl with secrets, power, and a desperate desire for freedom. When war arrives and Auren is torn from the king's grasp, she'll have to confront the monsters outside her cage and the ones within herself.

Why you should read this: 

Come for the myth-inspired fantasy, stay for the dark, slow burn unraveling of a woman discovering her power. And when he finally arrives? You'll know. And you'll never be the same.

Series reading order:

1. Gild
2. Glint
3. Gleam
4. Glow
5. Gold
6. Goldfinch

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, a bracelet full of magical beads, each one representing a favor owed to the mysterious Bargainer. For years, she's avoided repayment. But now the Bargainer is back, and he's ready to collect. Their shared past is filled with secrets, longing, and unfinished business, but something darker is rising in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing and only their children return, each with a glass casket and a chilling story. The Bargainer needs Callie's help, and she might just need his love to survive.

Why you should read this: 

Desmond the Bargainer is the ultimate patient, possessive shadow daddy. This series brings the vibes. Sirens, fae courts, sexual tension for days, and a romance that spans years and across realms.

Series reading order:

1. Rhapsodic
2. A Strange Hymn
3. The Emperor of Evening Stars
4. Dark Harmony

Every 100 years, Lightlark appears for one reason, to host the deadly Centennial, a competition where the rulers of six cursed realms must fight and maybe die for a chance to break their curse. Isla Crown, ruler of Wildling, is hiding secrets that could get her killed. But to win, she'll have to lie, betray, and seduce her enemies, especially the mysterious ruler who seems to see right through her.

Why you should read this: 

Filled with deadly games, forbidden magic, and enemies to something more tension, Lightlark is perfect if you love high stakes fantasy and shadowy rulers with charm and danger in equal measure.

Series reading order:

1. Lightlark
2. Nightbane
3. Skyshade

Alora thought she had escaped her fate when Lord Kaine took her as his lady. But the torment she faces inside his manor leaves scars deeper than any blade. When the Savage Prince sets his sights on her next, she's not sure if she's traded one monster for another. With shadows closing in and power awakening within her, Alora must decide whether to fight, flee, or lean into the darkness calling her name.

Why you should read this: 

Dark romance meets epic rebellion in a world where masks hide monsters and shadows carry truth. The Savage Prince is all brooding threats and whispered promises. The kind of hero who breaks you open and then guards the pieces.

Series reading order:

1. What Lies Within Masks & Shadows
2. What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Fallon is a halfling, magicless and unloved in a world where full blooded fae rule. But when an oracle names her queen, her life flips upside down. Desperate to prove herself, Fallon sets out on a quest to collect magical relics, only to accidentally release a winged demon with shadow magic and an obsession with her soul. As political unrest and ancient secrets bubble to the surface, Fallon must choose who she can trust and whether she can survive the monster who wants her for himself.

Why you should read this: 

Shadow obsessed villain meets girl who just wants to survive in this addicting romantasy full of betrayals, lust, and fae court drama. If you love your monsters feral and your romances twisted, grab this now.

Series reading order:

1. House of Beating Wings
2. House of Pounding Hearts
3. House of Striking Oaths
4. House of Shifting Tides
5. House of Burning Frost

Scarlett is used to being desired. Her siren magic makes sure of it. But when she enters a vampire run city to rescue her sister, she catches the attention of Rune, the ruling vampire lord and king of shadows. Obsessed, ruthless, and ancient, Rune isn't just watching, he's hunting. As secrets unfold and war brews, Scarlett finds herself drawn deeper into Rune's darkness and into a love that might consume them both.

Why you should read this: 

Rune is the kind of vampire who will burn cities for you but also probably has you on a tracker spell. Obsessive, powerful, and 100% unhinged for his girl, this is dark romantasy at its spicy, shadowy best.

Series reading order:

1. Stalked by Seduction and Shadows
2. Taken by Touch and Torment

Silla Nordvig is fleeing for her life, hunted by the queen's most ruthless assassin. Her only hope? Survive the treacherous Road of Bones and reach a hidden shield house in the north. Along the way, she joins a crew of mercenaries led by Axe Eyes, a brooding, mysterious leader, and his equally dangerous second, the Wolf. But secrets swirl around the crew, and Silla's enemies are never far behind. The question isn't just whether she'll survive. It's whether her heart will.

Why you should read this: 

Set in a Viking inspired world with icy stakes and slow burn romance, this one brings serious danger + tension. If you love grumpy mercenaries with tragic backstories and women who refuse to quit, this is your next binge.

Series reading order:

1. The Road of Bones
2. Kingdom of Claw