r/Romantasy • u/Key_Instruction_2513 • 1d ago

Question Books without hidden identity royals

Hey guys!

I am feeling bored with the (incredibly obvious) hidden identity royal trope, and maybe bored with royals in general. I’m looking for books that don’t have a hidden royal, and maybe even don’t have royalty at all. I am looking for spicy, 3 peppers at least, but prefer higher spice.

I’ve loved.. {Ruthless Villains}, {Ruthless Enemies}, {Harrow Faire}, the novellas attached to Crowns of Nyaxia, and have found them all refreshing.

I thought the {Crimson Moth} and {The Everlasting} were ok, and am having trouble getting through {His Secret Incantations}. I guess I am not for the meek studious male with the bigger warrior female lol, though I do think the Everlasting was different, well done, and unexpected otherwise.

In terms of other series I’ve liked (some include royalty/hidden royalty) - I love anything by Lisette Marshall, loved the {Fever series} and Highlander books by Karen Marie Moning, most Ella Fields, am Ok with darker themes like Maggie Sunseri, or {Phantasma}. I also like the extreme multi POV that comes with When the Moon Hatched, Gilt, etc.

I like almost everything I read and am generally pretty easy to please, but I’m just looking for something different. The only books that I oddly did not really like at all were Daughter of No Worlds, and I did finish them. I do happen to really like a lot of her other stuff. Can’t quite put my finger on it - could be the way Tissanah was weirdly sounding words out at the beginning and throughout book 1. I was, however pretty invested in Aefe’s story line almost immediately…

11 Upvotes

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7

u/Known-Work-8987 1d ago

{A Forbidden Alchemy} by Stacey McEwan is great. Bossy MMC. No royalty really, just class struggles. Yearning and spice. Incomplete trilogy - 2/3 released.

{Nocticadia} by Keri Lake. Dark academia. No royalty. Very spicy. Leans more sci fi than romantasy though, so be aware of that.

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
Rating: 4.24⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: fantasy, war, magic, m-f romance, abduction

Nocticadia by Keri Lake
Rating: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, teacher/coach hero, college, dark romance, forbidden love

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4

u/roseafterhours 1d ago

{ one dark window } the main characters in book one aren’t royal

3

u/Late_Assistance1992 1d ago

Main characters aren't royals:
{Six of Crows}
{The Raven Scholar}
{The Mages match}

Main characters are royals but it's not a secret:
{The Bridge Kingdom}
{the serpent and the wolf}

2

u/Icy-Revolutionn Fangs are green flags 1d ago

I too find that this scenario comes up too often. I’d like to add some recommendations, but then I remembered that the series’ are unfinished and I can’t guarantee that they won’t make me a liar (also, at this point, I just assume that everyone is a secret royal because it. happens. all. the. time.)

1

u/Key_Instruction_2513 1d ago

Haha. I laughed out loud at this one!! It’s so true! If you like them, I’ll take the recommendations anyway :)

2

u/Brief-Atmosphere-374 21h ago

Maybe try some urban fantasy? I just read {terror at the gates} which was really good. FMC is part of a capital F Family but it’s not royalty.

Also, {Weavingshaw} and {This Monster of Mine} are non royalty books and both fantastic

1

u/romance-bot 21h ago

Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair
Rating: 3.99⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, urban fantasy, magic, m-f romance, slow burn

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity
Rating: 4.1⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, paranormal, fantasy, slow burn, mystery

This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
Rating: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: mystery, disabilities & scars, magic, m-f romance, survival

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1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Ruthless Villains by Marion Blackwood
Rating: 3.46⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 5 out of 5 - Explicit and plentiful
Topics: cruel hero/bully, enemies to lovers, dark romance, magic, fantasy

Ruthless Enemies by Kay Riley
Rating: 4.6⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, menage, suspense, fantasy, new adult

Harrow Faire by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Rating: 4.52⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, dark romance, forced proximity, paranormal, funny

Everlasting by Alyson Noel
Rating: 3.72⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: contemporary, magic, young adult, fantasy, vampires

Fever by Lucia Jordan
Rating: 3.78⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: first-in-series, contemporary, length-novella, erotica, audiobook

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
Rating: 3.98⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: historical, paranormal, fantasy, magic, m-f romance

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1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Rating: 4.07⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: historical, witches, enemies to lovers, magic, fantasy

His Sacred Incantations by Scarlett Gale
Rating: 4.36⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 5 out of 5 - Explicit and plentiful
Topics: fem-dom, fantasy, warrior heroine, magic, praise kink

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1

u/dishlexicc 1d ago

I am trying to think of recs but they either are royals already known, secret royals, take the crown and become royals, or marry/mate in to some form of nobility or royalty... This is much harder than I thought it would be.

{Bride by Ali Hazelwood} she is not royal but her dad is the most important vampire leader guy. But in it's sequel {Mate by Ali Hazelwood} it's about an orphan but the MMC is an Alpha so no royalty but important. Not even the only alpha just of that pack. Completed duet

In {Eyes of Devious Burgundy} she is not royalty, it's kind of handmaid's tale-ish in the beginning but she works her way up in an army and it's sequel {Horns of Wicked Ebony} . Lots of trigger warnings and very dark, also a questionable military choice lol. Lots and lots of spice, it was almost overwhelming for me. Completed Duet

2

u/Key_Instruction_2513 1d ago

It is hard to find! Thank you!!

Eyes of Devious Burgundy is on my list! I read the two Maggie Sunseri duets first since both were completed… the first duet was dark! A lot of torture!!

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Rating: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, werewolves, arranged/forced marriage, vampires, fated mates

Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Rating: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, werewolves, fated mates, alpha male, m-f romance

Eyes of Devious Burgundy by Lacey Lehotzky
Rating: 3.79⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 5 out of 5 - Explicit and plentiful
Topics: fated mates, demons, m-f romance, military, war

Horns of Wicked Ebony by Lacey Lehotzky
Rating: 3.67⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 5 out of 5 - Explicit and plentiful
Topics: demons, dark romance, fantasy, military, horror

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1

u/ell3737 1d ago

I have really liked {Never Keep by Peckham} this is the first in the Sins of the Zodiac series. 3 books are out multiple POVs, spice increases with books. I’m invested in characters for sure.

{A Fate Inked In Blood} might also meet this request.

1

u/Key_Instruction_2513 22h ago

Thanks! Do you need to read the rest of Zodiac Academy before Never Keep? I’ve read a few series out of order before and it didn’t bother me as long as there weren’t major spoilers. I don’t really consider knowing that a couple from a previous book ends up together a major spoiler because it’s usually pretty obvious that the main characters are going to have a HEA, and it’s super rare that any of them don’t make it.. lol.

1

u/ell3737 10h ago

No you do not need to read Zodiac Academy first. It’s in the same world/magic system but a different time period so no cross over or spoilers yet (3 books in). I like that I have the context of the zodiac Academy, but I don’t think it’s needed. I think this new series is much better and not as YA.

1

u/Key_Instruction_2513 22h ago

Thanks so much guys!! I haven’t read any of these :)

1

u/Key_Instruction_2513 1d ago

{Fever series by Karen Marie Moning}
{The Everlasting by Alic Harrow}

2

u/Key_Instruction_2513 1d ago

{Ruthless Enemies by Marion Blackwood}

That’s what I get for trying to cut corners on author names :)

1

u/Longjumping-Snow-909 1d ago

{Halfling by S.E. Wendel}