Because finishing ACOTAR does not mean you’re suddenly ready to date fictional men with healthy communication skills.
Hey bestie, let me tell you what I found while searching for books to fill the ACOTAR-shaped hole in our lives: we’re asking the wrong question.
We keep searching “books like ACOTAR”, but what exactly does that mean?
Do you want fae? Enemies-to-lovers? Found family? Spice? Magical politics? Powerful women? A man with wings who desperately needs several years of therapy?
Because no book is going to recreate ACOTAR exactly, and honestly, I don’t want one to.
I want the feeling again.
So let’s find that.
If You Want Fae and Dangerous Attraction
If the fae were your favourite part of ACOTAR, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black belongs on your list.
This isn’t ACOTAR with different character names. Jude is human, ambitious and trying to survive in a faerie world that doesn’t particularly want her there. Cardan is… Cardan.
Their dynamic is sharp, complicated and considerably less “please communicate your feelings” and more “perhaps stop threatening each other for five minutes.”
For something more romance-forward, Quicksilver by Callie Hart brings fae, enemies-to-lovers energy, danger and considerably more heat.
Basically, we’re not rehabilitating our fictional taste today.
If You Want Dragons, War and Romantic Tension
Try Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
No fae, but if what you loved was a powerful fantasy world combined with danger, romance, friendships and a relationship developing while everyone has considerably more urgent survival problems, this scratches a similar itch.
Also: dragons.
I feel that should require no further sales pitch.
If You Want Beautiful Magic and Pain
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig is a gorgeous choice if your favourite ACOTAR ingredient was atmosphere.
It’s darker, gothic and built around a distinctive magic system, with romance woven through a story that feels wonderfully strange.
This is less “sparkling magical court” and more “something unsettling is definitely happening in this forest.”
September approves.
If You Actually Want Witches
Now we arrive at my favourite problem.
Sometimes you finish ACOTAR and realise the thing you’re craving isn’t specifically fae at all.
It’s magic + romance + danger + found family + supernatural people making deeply questionable emotional decisions.
Bestie.
May I introduce you to Rowan Grove?
My Untamed Hearts of Rowan Grove series begins with Witch, Unleashed, and this is where I’d send you if you want to leave the fae courts for a while but aren’t remotely ready to return to ordinary human romance.
There are witches. Supernatural danger. Complicated relationships. Powerful women. Desire interfering with sensible judgement.
You know.
Healthy fictional entertainment.
And because Rowan Grove is a series, you don’t have to immediately experience the horror of falling in love with a world only to discover there’s one book.
I wouldn’t do that to you.
If Found Family Was Your Favourite Part
This one matters because ACOTAR isn’t loved purely because Rhys has wings.
The Inner Circle is a huge part of why readers stay.
If that’s your thing, look for fantasy where relationships beyond the central romance actually matter.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna is much cozier than ACOTAR, but its magical found-family heart is wonderful.
For something more adventurous, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo gives you a crew of beautifully dysfunctional people attempting something wildly dangerous together.
Romance matters in both, but so do friendships, loyalty and belonging.
Sometimes that’s the actual ACOTAR itch we’ve been trying to scratch.
Stop Looking for Another Rhysand
I know.
Controversial.
But hear me out.
The best book to read after ACOTAR probably isn’t the book trying hardest to be ACOTAR.
Find the ingredient you miss.
If it’s fae, read fae.
If it’s enemies-to-lovers, chase that trope shamelessly.
If it’s magical politics, find another enormous fantasy world.
If it’s found family, follow that.
And if what you really want is another supernatural romance where you become emotionally invested in people who consistently ignore the sensible option…
Well.
FAQ: What to Read After ACOTAR
What should I read immediately after ACOTAR?
It depends on what you loved. Try Fourth Wing for fantasy romance and danger, The Cruel Prince for fae politics, One Dark Window for darker atmospheric fantasy, or Witch, Unleashed if you want witches and supernatural romance.
What books are most similar to ACOTAR?
There isn’t a perfect duplicate, but romantasy series featuring fae, enemies-to-lovers relationships, magical worlds, found family and high-stakes romance often appeal to ACOTAR readers.
What should I read after ACOTAR if I want more spice?
Look toward adult romantasy rather than YA fantasy, particularly books where romance is a major part of the story rather than a subplot.
What should I read after ACOTAR if I prefer witches to fae?
Start exploring witch romance and paranormal romance. My Untamed Hearts of Rowan Grove series begins with Witch, Unleashed and combines witchcraft, supernatural danger and romance.
Where can I find the Untamed Hearts of Rowan Grove books?
You can explore Witch, Unleashed and the rest of my romance and witchcraft books at SoniaMRompoti.com.
Your ACOTAR hangover is therefore officially diagnosed, bestie.
The treatment is another book.
Possibly five.
I’m an author, not your financial adviser.
Love my writing? You can grab my books directly from my website or through my Amazon author page. When you purchase from my website, a larger portion of the sale goes directly to supporting my writing, allowing me to create more stories, mental health resources, and magical guides without relying on algorithms or advertising. You’ll also find exclusive bonuses, free reader gifts, and occasional special offers that aren’t always available elsewhere. If Amazon is your preferred bookstore, that’s perfectly fine too. Either way, thank you for supporting an independent author who spends an unreasonable amount of time talking to fictional people and turning it into books.
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Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, Bsc 
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