32 romantasy books with trials, competitions, and magical challenges

In the kingdom of Ilya, power means everything and those without it don't deserve to exist. Paedyn Gray has lived her whole life pretending to be something she's not. Born Ordinary in a society that reveres the magically gifted Elites, she survives by posing as a Psychic and hiding in plain sight. But everything changes when she saves a prince and is suddenly thrust into the Purging Trials, a deadly competition designed to test the strongest Elites. The problem? Paedyn doesn't have any powers. And now, she's expected to compete against the very people who've hunted her kind into extinction, including the prince she's starting to fall for.

Why you should read this: 

If you love a good "pretend to be powerful while falling for your biggest threat" story, this one's for you. Packed with tension, forbidden romance, and a deadly game of survival, Powerless is everything I love about underdog heroines and high stakes trials rolled into one addicting read.

The Powerless Trilogy reading order:

1. Powerless
2. Reckless
3. Fearless

Feyre is just trying to survive when she kills a wolf in the woods and ends up dragged into the magical lands of Prythian as punishment. But her captor isn't a beast, he's a powerful fae lord cursed by a wicked magic. As Feyre adjusts to life in his court, her hatred begins to unravel, and unexpected feelings start to bloom. But danger is never far in Prythian, and soon Feyre must face ancient and deadly trials that could break her body and her heart. Her choices will determine not just her fate, but the fate of all she's come to love.

Why you should read this: 

Part swoony slow burn, part survival challenge, part magical court intrigue, this book has it all. With trials that test love, loyalty, and strength, it's no wonder ACOTAR launched a full on romantasy obsession.

A Court of Thorns and Roses 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

After spending twelve brutal years imprisoned by the Aurora King, Lor is given a strange new chance at freedom to compete in the Sun Queen Trials and win the Sun King's heart. But this is no fairy tale. Lor doesn't understand why she was released or why she's been chosen, and the other Tributes would love nothing more than to eliminate her for good. Forced to play a game she never agreed to, Lor must survive deadly challenges, court politics, vicious rivals, and a fae king whose motives, and heart, are just as dangerous as the Trials themselves.

Why you should read this: 

A deadly competition for the crown, a mysterious and broody fae ruler, and a heroine with serious vengeance vibes? Yes, please. Trial of the Sun Queen is the perfect blend of spicy slow burn and survival fantasy.

Artefacts of Ouranos reading order:

1. Trial of the Sun Queen
2. Rule of the Aurora King
3. Fate of the Sun King
4. Tale of the Heart Queen

Oraya has spent her entire life surviving in a world that views her as prey. The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, she knows her only chance at freedom lies in the Kejari, a ruthless tournament hosted by the goddess of death. But to win, she must fight the most powerful and bloodthirsty vampires across the realm. As if that weren't hard enough, her fiercest rival is a dangerously charming vampire named Raihn, who just might understand her better than anyone or destroy her completely. With war brewing and ancient secrets unraveling, Oraya will have to decide if love is worth risking everything.

Why you should read this: 

If you love slow burn enemies to lovers, deadly trials, and morally gray love interests with bite, this book is for you. Think The Hunger Games, but darker, bloodier, and full of vampire tension.

Crowns of Nyaxia reading order:

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

When Ophelia's sister vanishes, the only way to save her is to enter Phantasma, a magical, deadly competition inside a haunted mansion where contestants face a series of dangerous challenges for the chance at one wish. As she battles illusions, monsters, and rival competitors, Ophelia finds herself reluctantly allied with Blackwell, a seductive stranger offering to guide her through the Trials in exchange for ten years of her life. But Phantasma's magic is as manipulative as it is lethal, and Ophelia quickly learns that surviving the Trials may come at the cost of her heart and her soul.

Why you should read this: 

This one delivers big Caraval energy with a twist of darkness. It's lush, steamy, and full of high stakes magical trials. If you love a morally gray guide who's dangerously charming, Blackwell will ruin you in the best way.

Wicked Games reading order:

1. Phantasma
2. Enchantra

Celaena Sardothien is the most notorious assassin in Adarlan, until she's betrayed and sentenced to the brutal salt mines of Endovier. But when the Crown Prince offers her a deal to compete to become the King's Champion in exchange for her freedom, she can't refuse. The competition pits her against thieves, warriors, and killers, all vying for the same deadly prize. But there's more lurking in the castle than political schemes. As her rivals begin to turn up dead, Celaena must not only survive the trials but unravel a dark and ancient evil that could destroy everything.

Why you should read this: 

Assassins, secret magic, deadly trials, and a love triangle that launched a thousand fanfics. This is SJM's OG series for a reason. If you love books where the stakes keep climbing, and the heroine is as deadly as she is glamorous, you'll be obsessed.

Throne of Glass reading order:

1. Throne of Glass
2. Crown of Midnight
3. Heir of Fire
4. The Assassin's Blade
5. Queen of Shadows
6. Empire of Storms
7. Tower of Dawn
8. Kingdom of Ash

Althea Zoltaire has three years to live, at least, that's what the prophecy says. Determined to make her mark, she defies a kingdom where women are banned from wielding blades and trains in secret to become a warrior. When she earns a spot in Thezmarr's elite guild, she's thrust into brutal initiation trials, cutthroat sparring, and magical threats. Alongside her broody chaperone Wilder, Althea faces sabotage, dark magic, and the pressure to survive long enough to protect the realm and her own heart.

Why you should read this: 

This one's got The Witcher vibes, secret training montages, and a slow burn romance that'll have you screaming "just kiss already!" Althea is fierce, Wilder is brooding perfection, and the trials will leave you breathless.

The Legends of Thezmarr reading order:

1. Blood and Steel
2. Vow and Ruins
3. Fate and Furies
4. Shadow and Storms

Six years ago, she woke up in a cage with no memory and no name. Sold to a brutal training camp, she became a weapon, a blade slave forced to fight or die. Now, eight deadly assassin Orders are coming to claim new recruits, and she's for sale to the highest bidder. Enter the Order of Scorpions, deadly, dominant, and determined to own her. But she's not just a pawn in their game. She's venomous, unpredictable, and out for blood.

Why you should read this: 

If you like gritty, dark fantasy with why choose romance and serious gladiator energy, this standalone will sink its claws into you. It's got training sequences, enemies to lovers fire, and a heroine who refuses to be caged.

Reyna has spent her life as a prized prisoner in the gilded cage of the Gold Court. When the palace is raided, she escapes only to be captured by the Shadow Court's terrifying Prince. Announcing her as his betrothed, he binds her into a political power play she never agreed to. But the prince isn't what he seems, and as secrets unravel and tensions rise, Reyna must decide if her growing attraction is worth the danger or if she'll become a pawn in a game bigger than she could've imagined.

Why you should read this: 

Sexy fae Vikings, marriage of convenience tension, and court intrigue? Yes, yes, and yes. This one is full of delicious slow burn, magical danger, and Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone vibes.

The Shadow Bound Queen reading order:

1. Court of Ravens and Ruin
2. Court of Green and Gold
3. Court of Monsters and Malice
4. Court of Serpents and Secrets

Rorax Greywood was forged in violence, trained as a deadly weapon in the House of Ice's elite forces. Her darkest stain? The Siege of Surmalinn, a blood soaked mission that left her soul in shambles. Now, the gods have summoned her to compete in the Choosing, a savage contest to select the next Guardian of the Realms. The only problem? She doesn't want the role and she'll do anything to get out of it. That includes working with the dangerously alluring lieutenant from the House of Death and navigating a contest where failure means death.

Why you should read this: 

This book is bloody, brutal, and beautifully written. With a morally gray heroine, a high stakes divine competition, and enemies to lovers heat, it's got major dark fantasy meets gladiator trial energy.

As a gifted healer with water magic, she's drafted into the palace during the Calling of the Favored, a deadly, high profile competition to win the hand of the Ash King. But she's not here to find love. Her heart belongs to the resistance. With the weight of rebellion on her shoulders and her own magic barely under control, she must navigate court politics, dangerous trials, and a fire wielding king who's far too tempting for his own good. When sparks fly, both literally and emotionally, she'll have to decide if her loyalty lies with her cause or her heart.

Why you should read this: 

If The Selection had sharp teeth and a rebel uprising simmering just beneath the surface, this would be it. Come for the enemies to lovers fire and courtly competition. Stay for the steamy tension and subversive twists.

Kiva Meridan has survived ten brutal years in Zalindov, a death prison no one escapes. As the prison's healer, she's learned to keep her head down until the arrival of the Rebel Queen. When Kiva receives a secret message from her family telling her to keep the queen alive, she volunteers to undergo the queen's deadly Trial by Ordeal in her place. Air, fire, water, and earth stand between her and freedom, and the only guarantee is pain. But when a mysterious new prisoner with secrets of his own enters her life, Kiva realizes the trials may not be her only challenge.

Why you should read this: 

This book kills in the best way. Harsh prison setting? Check. Elemental trials? Check. Slow burn romance with a mysterious hottie? Absolutely. It's a survival story with layers of rebellion and heart.

The Prison Healer reading order:

1. The Prison Healer
2. The Gilded Cage
3. The Blood Traitor

Rowan is having a birthday to remember. Dragged to the demon city of Thorn in a case of mistaken identity, she's forced to pretend she's a seductive succubus to survive. Her captor? Orion, the Lord of Chaos, who's hunting a murderer and thinks she's his best lead. When Rowan discovers their goals might align, they strike a deal. She'll help him get his revenge, and he'll let her stay. But as their seductive game intensifies, so does the danger, especially when the biggest threat might just be her own heart.

Why you should read this: 

It's flirty, deadly, and packed with chaotic demon energy. You get mystery, forced proximity, spicy banter, and a heroine who's faking it 'til she makes it through seduction and survival.

The Demon Queen Trials reading order:

1. City of Thorns
2. Lord of Embers
3. Garden of Serpents

In a world divided by blood, Silvers with magic and Reds without, Mare Barrow is just trying to survive. But when her latent powers are revealed in front of the Silver court, she becomes a political pawn overnight. Forced to pose as a lost Silver princess and betrothed to a prince, Mare finds herself in the middle of a rebellion she didn't choose and a deadly game of betrayal, secrets, and power. With everything to lose, she has one mission. Don't trust anyone.

Why you should read this: 

If you're into deadly palace games, rebellions hidden behind royal masks, and betrayals that'll punch you in the gut, this is your jam. Bonus, the love triangle is absolutely unhinged.

Red Queen reading order:

1. Red Queen
2. Glass Sword
3. King's Cage
4. War Storm

Leith came to the Kingdom of Arrow to fight in its infamous gladiator arena, hoping to win enough gold to save his sister. But the fights aren't just sport, they're savage, cruel, and designed to break a man. When he's stripped of everything, including his freedom, Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal with an offer he can't refuse. Enter the competition for the title of Bloodguard and earn back his life. But with betrayals, brutal trials, and a kingdom built on lies, the arena may not be his biggest threat.

Why you should read this:

Gladiator style combat, brutal world building, and a swoony but deadly dynamic between a broken warrior and a powerful royal? This book is blood, heat, and emotional stakes all the way.

Every hundred years, the gods hold the Crucible, a deadly competition where mortals fight in their name for control of Olympus. The contestants are pawns, chosen by the gods to battle, bleed, and survive for their divine sponsors. This time, Hades throws a curveball. Instead of a warrior, he selects a cursed office clerk named Kerri. She's sarcastic, scrappy, and totally unqualified. But as the games begin, so does something else, an undeniable chemistry between her and the god of the Underworld himself. As Kerri navigates lethal challenges, divine politics, and the confusing pull toward her divine employer, she realizes the gods aren't just playing games. They're playing dirty.

Why you should read this: 

This book is an absolute blast. Think Percy Jackson meets spicy romantasy, but the main character is a grumpy, cursed adult woman who wants no part of any of this. The dynamic between Kerri and Hades is pure slow burn tension with sharp dialogue, irresistible angst, and a whole lot of chaos. Add in deadly games, god tier stakes (literally), and a heroine you'll root for with your whole soul, and you've got a new obsession.

The Crucible reading order:

1. The Games Gods Play
2. The Things Gods Break

She was never meant to survive. Raised in a world ruled by nobles, Synali has lived her life scraping by in the shadows until she kills the Duke of Hauteclare with a dagger to the back and sparks a revolution. Now, armed with nothing but rage and a monstrous war machine called Heavenbreaker, she enters a deadly tournament where nobles battle for power, pride, and domination. Each victory brings her closer to vengeance. But Heavenbreaker isn't just metal and gears, it holds something ancient, something powerful, something alive. And it may not be the only thing she's losing control of.

Why you should read this:

This book is gritty, heart pounding, and beautifully written with a heroine who's sharp edged and driven by righteous fury. The battles are brutal, but the emotional undercurrent is what really hits. If you love reluctant allies, dangerous tech magic blends, and watching a fierce, flawed heroine grow into her power while barely holding her heart together, you're in for a ride.

Nizzara has one goal, survive the deadly tournament that offers her a chance at freedom and escape from an unwanted marriage. Channeling spirit magic is risky, especially when it's tied to a seductive, half ghost enemy who was once a king. Dagen's been sent to claim her soul in exchange for his own freedom. But there's a catch, she has to give it willingly by the time the tournament ends. As they fight side by side against impossible odds and monstrous competitors, the line between enemy and ally begins to blur. And what starts as a bargain might end in something neither of them can walk away from.

Why you should read this:

This book is for fans of complicated bargains, slow burn tension, and enemies who get far too close. The world building is hauntingly beautiful, the magic system is unique, and the tournament has real stakes, both magical and emotional. You'll fall hard for Dagen and root for Nizzara as she battles through the trials and her own growing feelings.

Sellah made a vow to serve the goddess, but when her forbidden love, Kaid, is brutally killed and his bones scattered across the realm, she makes a different vow to bring him back. Her quest is far from simple. The goddess has set cruel trials in her path, monsters, mazes, and impossible tasks meant to break her spirit. But Sellah won't stop until she finds every piece of Kaid and uncovers the truth behind his punishment. As the journey wears on and her faith is tested, the one thing that remains unshaken is her love. Eternal, unyielding, and burning through even death itself.

Why you should read this: 

If you're craving a quest filled with heartbreak, grit, and a love story that refuses to die, The Scattered Bones delivers. We have a fierce female lead, impossible tasks, and found family moments that make you sob. Emotional and mythic in scope, this one's for readers who want a romantasy that hits in the heart and the gut.

Zylar of Kith B'alak is a gentle hearted alien who just wants a mate. But when a matchmaking mishap lands him with Beryl, a totally unprepared human daycare worker from St. Louis, things get very weird very fast. Now stranded on an alien planet, Beryl has to compete in a bizarre series of challenges called the Choosing, where interspecies dating gets wild. Zylar may be awkward and adorably clueless, but he's kind and Beryl is starting to realize that maybe love doesn't look the way she expected. It might look a little more tentacled.

Why you should read this: 

This one is laugh out loud funny, delightfully weird, and unexpectedly tender. If you like cinnamon roll heroes, fish out of water comedy, and a competition that includes everything from mating rituals to emotional bonding, you'll have a blast. It's sci-fi romantasy at its quirkiest and most charming.

Galactic Love reading order:

1. Strange Love
2. Love Code
3. Renegade Love

Eira Landan lives in the shadow of her famous brother and a tragic accident that haunts her magic. But when the Tournament of Five Kingdoms comes to town, a high stakes competition for sorcerers, she steps into the spotlight for the first time. Competing could mean honor, danger, and even death, but Eira is determined to prove she's more than her past. As she begins to unlock rare and forbidden magic, she must navigate deadly trials, political games, and a complicated slow burn romance with a rival she should avoid at all costs.

Why you should read this: 

If you love a magical competition with elemental trials, an underdog heroine trying to define herself, and that forbidden but we keep locking eyes in a torchlit hallway romance tension, this series has your name all over it. 

A Trial of Sorcerers reading order:

1. A Trial of Sorcerers
2. A Hunt of Shadows
3. A Tournament of Crowns
4. An Heir of Frost
5. A Queen of Ice

Ten years ago, Ayc survived a massacre and became a prisoner in the Everadyn fae court. He's stayed alive by baking, yes, baking, and hiding his trauma behind cinnamon rolls and sarcasm. But now, everything changes. The Sovereign has triggered the ancient Sovereignty Trials, a brutal race where only one team can survive and claim the throne. Ayc is magically bound to serve the Sovereign's daughter, Loraphne, a vicious and wicked villainess who may not be as heartless as she seems. Together with an unlikely crew (including a gryphon), they must survive dragons, sabotage, and six rival teams and maybe discover that love and villainy aren't mutually exclusive.

Why you should read this: 

This book is chaotic, clever, and so much fun. It's got trials, tension, a cinnamon roll hero (literally), and a fae villainess with layers. If you want something spicy, emotionally rich, and wildly original, this one belongs on your TBR yesterday.

Cinnamon Rolls and Villainy reading order:

1. Cinnamon Rolls and Villainy
2. Chocolate Pudding and Wicked Queens

In a world ruled by the elite Spartans, immortals descended from gods, one orphan girl is about to shake the foundations of everything. When a blood test reveals she's one of them, she's whisked away to the terrifying Spartan War Academy. There, she must survive grueling combat, shadowy professors, and classmates who'd rather see her bleed than rise. With enemies lurking everywhere (and maybe some obsessive crushes too), she must prove her worth in the elite Bonding Trials or die trying.

Why you should read this: 

This is Zodiac Academy energy on steroids, brutal training, found family, twisted romance, secret powers, and elite school chaos. If you love the bullied until I rise trope with a mythological twist and a heroine who refuses to be broken, this one will take over your life.

Villains of Lore reading order:

1. Blood of Hercules
2. Bonds of Hercules

Kenna is a scrappy human forced into servitude in the underground fae kingdom of Mistei. Her only way out? Survive six treacherous magical trials alongside her cruel mistress. Each trial, one for every magical element, could kill her, but failure means death anyway. Armed with nothing but raw grit, a sentient dagger, and a burning desire for freedom, Kenna finds herself entangled in a brewing rebellion and a forbidden romance that could change the fate of the fae realm forever.

Why you should read this: 

This one's for fans of brutal fae magic, forced proximity, and badass underdog energy. The elemental trials are intense, the world is lush and cruel, and Kenna is a heroine you'll root for from page one. If you loved The Prison Healer or Throne of Glass, you'll eat this up.

The Shards of Magic reading order:

1. Servant of Earth
2. Princess of Blood

Ten years ago, Sylvia watched her kingdom burn. Now she hides in plain sight, burying her magic and her identity as the last living heir of Jasad. But when a burst of power exposes her to Arin, the heir of the empire that destroyed her home, she's forced into a dangerous bargain. Help him track down rebels or die. As the two heirs fight, flirt, and form an uneasy alliance, the stakes rise, not just for their countries, but for their hearts. And Sylvia must decide if she'll let the kingdom she lost stay dead or rise.

Why you should read this: 

Enemies to lovers, political tension, secret magic, and sizzling slow burn? Yes, yes, yes, and YES. The Jasad Heir gives off The Wrath and the Dawn meets The Poppy War energy with gorgeous prose, high stakes, and a heroine fighting for more than just survival. She's fighting for legacy.

The Scorched Throne reading order:

1. The Jasad Heir
2. The Jasad Crown

Ilara has always been considered defective, wingless, magicless, and dismissed by her powerful fae peers. But when the ruthless Crown Prince of the Winter Court storms into her village and abducts her, she's thrust into a web of royal intrigue and deadly expectations. The prince has plans for her, none of which involve letting her go. With war looming and dark magic stirring, Ilara must decide if she'll stand beside the prince as his reluctant ally or escape before she loses her heart to the very enemy who shattered her world.

Why you should read this: 

Packed with enemies to lovers tension, courtly danger, and a heroine with everything to prove, Court of Winter hits the sweet spot between emotional stakes and political fantasy. While the first book introduces the slow burn romance and political intrigue, it's in book two, Thorns of Frost, where the deadly trials begin, so you'll want to keep reading for the full impact of this intense competition arc.

Fae of Snow & Ice reading order:

1. Court of Winter
2. Thorns of Frost (this is the book where the trials begin)
3. Wings of Snow
4. Crowns of Ice

Meryn doesn't care about fame, power, or elite status. She just wants to save her kidnapped sister. But the only way to cross enemy lines is to survive the Bonding Trials, a brutal training competition where humans are mentally bound to wild, deadly direwolves. Thrust into a castle full of hostility, Meryn must train harder, fight smarter, and survive the whispers of her own insecurities all while catching the eye of a cold, lethal instructor and a crown prince with secrets of his own. The bond she forms may save her life or unravel everything she thought she knew.

Why you should read this: 

Dire Bound is intense, emotional, and addictive. It's got found family vibes, a fierce female lead, animal bonding (Fourth Wing fans, this is your jam), and so much delicious tension. With survival on the line and a romance that slow burns and smolders, it's one of those books you'll finish in one sitting and immediately want more.

The Wolves of Ruin reading order:

1. Dire Bound
2. Fury Bound

Raven was born unmarked in a kingdom where magical tattoos define your worth. Despite her power, she's spent her life hiding in plain sight. But when the Dark King launches the infamous Witch Trials, she's forced into a competition meant to weed out the unworthy. Raven will have to battle other witches, survive deadly magical challenges, and resist the pull of a darkly alluring man with secrets of his own. And if she fails? She'll burn.

Why you should read this: 

Witchy trials, fierce competition, and a slow burn romance with forbidden magic at its core? The Unmarked Witch is an underdog story with teeth. It's perfect for readers who love morally gray magic systems, court betrayal, and heroines who rise from the ashes (sometimes literally).

Unmarked reading order:

1. The Unmarked Witch
2. The Unbound Witch
3. The Unblessed Witch

Malik enters the Solstasia competition with one mission, win and kill the crown princess to save his sister from a vengeful spirit. Karina, grieving her mother's murder, seeks to resurrect her with ancient magic, but she needs the heart of a king to do it. When Karina declares she'll marry the victor of Solstasia, their fates collide in a web of deadly magic, secret agendas, and forbidden attraction. As the tournament unfolds, both must decide what they're willing to sacrifice for family, for love, and for the future of their fractured world.

Why you should read this: 

This is the kind of romantasy that hurts so good. It's rich with West African folklore, dual POV angst, and a romance where both leads are literally supposed to kill each other. The stakes are high, the world building is lush, and the emotional tension? Chef's kiss.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin reading order:

1. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
2. A Psalm of Storms and Silence

Two queens. A thousand years apart. One destined to destroy the world, one to save it. Rielle must endure seven elemental trials to prove she's the prophesied Sun Queen or die trying. Centuries later, Eliana is a bounty hunter in an empire built on lies, forced to work with rebels when her mother vanishes. As their stories unfold across time, dark secrets emerge about the connection between them and the fate of their world may depend on who survives their trials and who doesn't.

Why you should read this: 

With dual timelines, deadly elemental trials, and a prophecy that will mess with your heart and head, Furyborn delivers on all fronts. It's epic, ambitious, and filled with magic, moral complexity, and one of the most badass opening chapters in YA fantasy.

The Empirium Trilogy reading order:

1. Furyborn
2. Kingsbane
3. Lightbringer

Scarlett Monrhoe was raised as a weapon. Trained by a ruthless Assassin Lord alongside her two sisters, she's known only blood, betrayal, and brutality. But after a failed mission and years locked away in a noble household, she's given a second chance to complete one final job, and earn her revenge against the fae Fire Prince who killed her mother. As Scarlett delves into a dangerous mystery involving missing children, old enemies, and ancient magic, she's pulled into a world darker and more twisted than she imagined, one that may require her to give up everything, even her heart, to survive.

Why you should read this: 

Dark, emotionally charged, and utterly addictive, Lady of Darkness is for fans of morally gray heroines with sharp tongues and sharper blades. There's romance, yes, but there's also trauma, sisterhood, mystery, and a slow burn payoff that makes every page worth the pain. If you like your romantasy with depth, don't skip this one.

Lady of Darkness reading order:

1. Lady of Darkness
2. Lady of Shadows
3. Lady of Ashes
4. Lady of Embers
5. Lady of Starfire

Lady Lyriana Batavia is third in line for power, but in the empire of Lumeria, status means nothing when you wield forbidden magic. After her dangerous power is revealed during a coming of age ceremony, she's banished and given a choice to face execution or train for seven brutal months to pass the Emperor's warrior trial without the use of magic. Assigned to train with Rhyan, a disgraced warrior she's secretly loved since childhood, Lyr is drawn into a political firestorm of rebellion, betrayal, and empire shaking secrets. And this time, failure isn't just about death, it's about losing everything she loves.

Why you should read this: 

This is slow burn excellence wrapped in political intrigue and layered world building. Lyr's journey from royal outcast to potential savior is full of tension, longing, and resilience. If you loved the grit of Fourth Wing, the emotion of From Blood and Ash, and the forbidden love of The Bridge Kingdom, Daughter of the Drowned Empire belongs at the top of your list.

Drowned Empire reading order:

1. Daughter of the Drowned Empire
2. Guardian of the Drowned Empire
3. Solstice of the Drowned Empire
4. Lady of the Drowned Empire
5. Son of the Drowned Empire
6. Warrior of the Drowned Empire
7. Traitor of the Drowned Empire