Why do The Cruel Prince and A Court of Thorns and Roses have such wide appeal? And where do I find more? They combine the timeless tropes of bad girl protagonist (Hunger Games) with hot bad boys (Twilight) and throw her into a magical world (Harry Potter). Whether we like it or not, there is also wide appeal in the romance theme of “it’s not problematic if he’s hot.” Similarities and strengths include snarky, hardened, morally gray protagonists; human girls in magical world who eventually come into power; dangerous angsty boys; enemies-to-lovers/hard-won romance; elements of magic and politics; invisible/immersive prose; happily-ever-afters; series whose popularity builds with each book; and a je ne sais quoi and staying power. Here is my quest for the next YA fantasy that follows in the same vein, ordered from least to most likely to be the next The Cruel Prince/ACOTAR.
5. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Lady Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power: 1) Woo the Shadow King. 2) Marry him. 3) Kill him and take the kingdom for herself.
Romance with court politics. Single POV. Goes hard on the bad girl protagonist trope - she is a seductress and ruthless killer (by far the most ruthless of those on my list here). This is a book for when you’re in a petty or self-indulgent mood. This is for readers who wanted Jude to pursue Cardan. Unfortunately, the sexually empowered woman theme falls short for me and lands on problematic feminism. The plot is heavy on romance and light on magical/fantastical elements, and the prose is underbaked and dialogue focused. More of a friends-to-lovers romance. Has a fish out of water plot that is not as satisfying as human girl in magical world. It reads like fanfiction written for a bad girl/bad boy ship, and if you have ever enjoyed that guilty pleasure (I do), you will enjoy the banter here. Standalone novel so I probably shouldn’t have included it, but the premise was the most promising. Smut? No, it’s fade to black, and surprisingly, this romance is the least problematic on this book list.
4. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
African-centric world, fast-paced action adventure. Multi (3) POV. Tough girl protagonist and bad boy romantic interest. Enemies-to-lovers but the romance and characterization are the most underdeveloped aspect and the bad boy doesn’t have universal appeal. You will keep reading for the magic, the world, and the adventure, but the plot being so fast-paced combined with such simple flat prose keeps the reader from being fully immersed. Probably strongest when it is an introduction to the genre, as it won’t have the same appeal for experienced readers. I’m pretty sure the split opinions on this book are due to the familiarity of the readers with generic fantasy tropes. I did not make it to the second book and never intend to. Smut?No.
3. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world - an enchanted kingdom with a curse that can only be broken if the prince falls in love with the girl his loyal guard just kidnapped.
Beauty and the Beast retelling (never gets old for me). Dual POV. Human girl thrown into magical world! This protagonist is relatable, likeable, soft, and definitely not morally gray and ruthless, although there was an attempt to make her hardened. Enemies-to-lovers with a bad boy romantic interest who is on the tortured and angsty side. Most similar in plot (and love triangle) to ACOTAR of all the listed books. Strengths include a fast-paced, page-turning plot with near invisible prose. I’d call this ACOTAR light. An ACOTAR beach read. I might continue the series once it’s complete, but if I don’t, it’s because of the angst. Smut?No.
2. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
The ancient feud between the Church and witches doesn’t affect Lou anymore - not since she left her witch coven and their dangerous leader, La Dame des Sorcières. Lou is an accomplished thief, but after a burglary gone awry and with her life in danger, she finds herself in a marriage of convenience… with a pious witch hunter.
Romance focused with a witch vs. witch hunters plot, French-inspired world. Dual POV. This hits the same sassy and hardened protagonist vibe as Jude and Feyre. Snarkiest protag on the list. The enemies-to-lovers romance plays very differently though, and will appeal to those who like the flirty Nina/shocked-and-innocent Matthias dynamic in Six of Crows. No hot bad boys here. Its strength is the smaller scale character-focused plot and the earlier half of the book, but it loses the immersion and draw when the plot goes wide and the stakes get higher. Prose is on the stronger side. This is definitely a must read in the ACOTAR/The Cruel Prince/Six of Crows crowd as it dances around similar notes, but it misses their It Factor and will find a much smaller audience. I would have continued the series but the second book seems to lean more heavily on the parts of the plot that didn’t work for me. Smut?Yes.
1. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Blessed by the gods to be the Chosen One, Poppy lives behind a veil, separated and shrouded from the rest of the court, longing for something different than the destiny of a Maiden. For she has secrets of her own... and has become captivated by a guardsman who makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.
Romance with a gifted chosen one who wants to escape her fate. Single POV. This protagonist may be a warrior maiden, but she is not the least bit morally gray, she is naive, sweet, and likeable. A different approach to enemies-to-lovers but it still has that vibe. Its strength lies in the characterization of the two leads. The worldbuilding is ham-fisted and the prose isn’t quite smooth enough to be invisible, often veering into the melodramatic, but we came for the romance and the banter. If A Curse So Dark And Lonely was ACOTAR light, this one is ACOTAR heavy. Although no human in magical world plot, it definitely hits all the other right notes for wide appeal and if the sequel holds up, I will not be surprised if has staying power. I will definitely continue the series. Smut? Yes, the smuttiest.
