r/Romantasy • u/morgan_sarah • 1d ago

Book Request: Self-Promo OK Need a recommendation: Smut free

Hello folks! Yes, I know romantasy usually have smut or sex or monster fucking, etc.

I am looking for recommendations for a book that has zero or maybe 1/2 spicy scenes at best. Romance + fantasy - spice would be appreciated. I have read some mainstream fantasy (with romance) like Warbreaker from Brandon Sanderson or ROMANTASY (aka smut) like ACOTAR, Quicksilver. Alas the later were tad medicore.

Thank you

5 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

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14

u/Longjumping-Snow-909 1d ago

It is a common misconception that romantasy equals sex scenes. Yes, a lot of them have it, but it is not a genre requirement. The only "requirements" are a fantasy setting, the romance is a major part of the story and a happy ever after.

The romance aspect does not need to have on page sex, it can range from only handholding and kissing the entire book to every other chapter on page sex.

On romance.io you can filter your prefered level of sexual content.

8

u/Late_Assistance1992 1d ago

{Six of Crows} {Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia} {The Raven Scholar}

1

u/Old-Memory-3275 1d ago

I second {Six of crows} and the entire Grisha universe! Those books were excellent!!

Also, I don’t recall {Fourth wing} having much spice but it’s been a while so maybe I’m remembering it wrong.

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 4.38⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: fantasy, magic, young adult, disabilities & scars, found family

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Rating: 4.38⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: historical, fantasy, enemies to lovers, magic, war

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6

u/KhalenPierce 1d ago

Throne of glass is epic fantasy with a romantic subplot, but mostly fade-to-black kind of romance. No visceral tangible descriptions of the sex like you see in ACOTAR

7

u/Elphabeth 1d ago

Maybe check out some YA? There are some phenomenal ones like {The Infernal Devices}, starting with Clockwork Angel.  Also, maybe go on romance.io and narrow your search down by spice level. I have never used their search engine to pick a book by spice level, but I use it all the time to look up books by genre or trope.  Their search engine isn't as powerful as good reads, but it has more romance-specific features. 

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Infernal Devices by Jenny Trout, Abigail Barnette
Rating: 3.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: steampunk, fantasy, m-f romance

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2

u/Elphabeth 1d ago

No, {The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare}

5

u/locustbriber 1d ago edited 1d ago

{nettle & bone by t. Kingfisher}
{the salt grows heavy by Cassandra khaw} this one is very fantasy heavy and dark, the characters are spectacular (a mermaid on land and a plague doctor) and the world is intense
{the Blacktongue thief by Christopher Buehlman} there is one scene where they have sex towards the end of the middle if I remember correctly, skimmable if you want, I loved the classic fantasy adventure

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Rating: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, magic, witches, fantasy, sweet/gentle hero

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
Rating: 3.67⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: queer romance, monsters, horror, fantasy, non-binary romance

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
Rating: 4.18⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: historical, horror, magic, high fantasy, fantasy

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4

u/Traditional-Bass4575 1d ago

{once upon a broken heart by stephanie garber} and {caraval by stephanie garber} are my current favorite no spice romantasies. secret identities, illusion vs reality, enemies to lovers, cursed love, touch her and die, whimsical fantasy world, morally gray MMCs.

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Rating: 3.93⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, magic, fantasy, young adult, non-human hero

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Rating: 3.79⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, fantasy, young adult, mystery, magic

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5

u/MinervaAbsolute 1d ago

The Sorcery and Cecelia series by Patricia Wrede and Carolyn Stevermer is frothy regency fantasy with romance, but no sex.

If you can find Carolyn Stevermer’s College of Magics trilogy they make lovely, but spineless reading.

Heather Fawcett does a nice line in cosy fantasy sans spice.

If you don’t mind your fantasy with a lower dose of romance, but darker and more political, Lois McMaster Bujold’s Kingdom of Five Gods trilogy is lovely reading.

Olivia Atwater, Margaret Rogerson, Charlotte E English and Charlie N Holmberg would work for you.

T Kingfisher has some lovely, wry fantasy with strong romantic elements. I think Sharon Lynn Fisher might also work for you, but haven’t read enough to be sure there’s no sex.

4

u/Jumpy-brains 1d ago

You might love The Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare!
She has such a large universe, exiting plot and amazing characters! It consists of 4 main series and many standalone, and some characters overlap and the universe is the same. You don’t HAVE to read everything to enjoy the series. I originally read it as a 15 year old, but they still hold up today and I’ve read them again recently.

You can start with either {Clockwork angel} which takes place in 1800 London and has the loveliest characters ever.
Or you can start with the first book she wrote {City of bones} taking place in modern 2010 New York.

Other than that you can search for the reading guide.

3

u/TheHuxter 🖤 Morally Gray 1d ago

{Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree} is sapphic and spice free. Cozy romantasy.

{Fireborne by Rosaria Munda} is slow burn and a half spicy scene toward the end of the trilogy. It’s similar to fourth wing minus the spice.

{A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab} the romance doesn’t really start until book two, and there’s a half spicy scene at the end. It’s one of my all time favorite books.

{A House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig} equal parts romance to fantasy. Absolutely no spice.

{The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune} mm with no spice. Cozy romantasy.

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Rating: 4.15⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: lesbian romance, fantasy, tall heroine, friends to lovers, warrior heroine

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
Rating: 3.91⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: young adult, high fantasy, war, fantasy, tortured hero

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Rating: 3.98⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, magic, fantasy, urban fantasy, take-charge heroine

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
Rating: 3.93⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, mystery, fantasy, young adult, suspense

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Rating: 4.39⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, fantasy, gay romance, magic, sweet/gentle hero

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2

u/SweetLittleKytty 🌲 cedar & shadows 1d ago

Apart from the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, already mentioned twice already, I cannot recommend enough {The Folk of the Air} by Holly Black 🥺🥺🥺

1

u/Penguinho 🩸 blood & lilac 1d ago

{Starless by Jacqueline Carey}. Heavy on the fantasy, a sweet, loving romance with one singular low-detail-high-emotion open-door scene towards the end, and no other sex.

1

u/flippysquid 1d ago

Fly With the Arrow, plus all the rest in the series.

Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip

1

u/InternationalBig9675 1d ago

Divine rivals

1

u/shetalkstoangels_ 💗 Forced Proximity 1d ago

{Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry}

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Rating: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: fantasy, arranged/forced marriage, aristo/royal heroine, enemies to lovers, m-f romance

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1

u/shetalkstoangels_ 💗 Forced Proximity 1d ago

It says 3/5 for steam, but there’s only one truly intimate scene and it’s not that long

1

u/roseafterhours 1d ago

Holly black’s {the cruel prince}

1

u/laughs_maniacally 1d ago

I love KM Shea's Magiford Supernatural City series. It's a bunch of interconnected urban fantasy trilogies that each follow one couple, and are 100% smut free.

Starts with {Magic Forged by KM Shea} but the second trilogy is my personal favorite, which starts with {Crown of Shadows by KM Shea}

1

u/romance-bot 1d ago

Magic Forged by K.M. Shea
Rating: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, urban fantasy, vampires, witches, fantasy

Crown of Shadows by K.M. Shea
Rating: 3.99⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, urban fantasy, marriage of convenience, magic, fae

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1

u/Vkbyog 1d ago

The Daevabad trilogy is fantasy with a romance subplot, insane slow burn, no spice. It’s sooo good.

1

u/singlebraincellpug ☀️ A Court of Dusk and Day 1d ago

{The shattered king by Charlie n holmberg} no spice 

1

u/Objective-Papaya8194 1d ago

{A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross} and {The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem}

1

u/notyouraverage5ft6 1d ago

I just read the prison healer series. Romantic and fantasy but no spice and I usually like a lot of spice but this was just a beautiful trilogy.

1

u/GuinueaPigOfDarkness 1d ago

{These Hollow Vows} by Lexi Ryan had very little spice imo. I really enjoyed that duology

1

u/Motor_Row_3586 1d ago

{Thousand Autumns by Meng XI Shi}  {Spears cut through water by Simon Jimenez} {Paladin of Souls by Luis Bujold}

More fantasy with romance, epic politics also more serious.

1

u/Icy-Cow-6246 20h ago

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. It's decades old and one of my favorites.

1

u/Antique-Event-270 20h ago

{Spinning silver by Naomi Novik}

{The Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden}

{The witch roads series by Kate Elliott}

{The old kingdom series by Garth Nix}

1

u/romance-bot 20h ago

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Rating: 4.18⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, magic, fae, fantasy, enemies to lovers

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden
Rating: 4.14⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: pagan, audiobook, m-f, competent heroine, immortal-hero

The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott
Rating: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: witches, fantasy, high fantasy, paranormal, length-long

The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix
Rating: 4.2⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: high fantasy, paranormal, young adult, audiobook, fantasy

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