The Short Version
If you just closed A Court of Mist and Fury and you are staring at the wall wondering what on earth to read next, this video is for you. Six books, all spoiler free, with a quick note on how spicy each one is.
A quick note first. A few of these also appeared on my list for A Court of Thorns and Roses. This time I picked them for different reasons, so even if you have seen that one, you might find a new favorite here.
What Makes It Special
What is it about this book that people crave once it is over? I think there are three things. First, a heroine who has been hurt and has to heal on the page. Second, a found family that teases, fights and grows. Third, a slow burn romance with banter and real emotional stakes.
Every book here hits at least two of those, and I tried to cover a wide range, from sharp court politics to sweeping romance. Some of them also scratch the itch for a big magical war, or a city with its own mythology. A few also bring a strong magic system or a big war. And since people ask: yes, there is a range of spice, from none at all to very explicit.
Throne Of Glass
Number one is Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas herself, from twenty twelve. Celaena is a teenage assassin dragged out of a prison mine to compete to become the king’s champion. It starts as a tournament story and slowly grows into a huge, epic series with a lot of heart.
Pick it if you want more Maas and more found family. It is young adult at the start, so it is lighter on spice, but the later books grow darker and bigger. Content notes: violence and war. It shares the court politics, the sharp banter and a heroine who learns to value her own strength. It differs by starting smaller and quieter, so be patient with the first book.
From Blood And Ash
Number two is From Blood and Ash, by Jennifer L. Armentrout, from twenty twenty. Poppy is the Maiden, veiled and protected, chosen by the gods for a great purpose. Her new guard is cocky, deadly and clearly hiding something, and the banter between them crackles.
Pick it if you want the closest thing to the slow burn, the secrets and the romance of this series. It is very explicit and fairly violent, with some torture, so it is firmly for adults. What it shares with Mist and Fury is the slow burn and the sense of a world that keeps revealing secrets. What it does differently is keep its heroine sheltered for a long time, so the pace is slower.
Fourth Wing
Number three is Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros, from twenty twenty three. Violet is forced into a brutal war college where cadets bond with dragons, or die trying. It has danger on every page, rivalry that turns into something else, and a punishing training school.
Pick it if you want fast, funny and action packed. It is explicit, with a lot of death and a cliffhanger ending. If you love the training chapters in Mist and Fury, this is your book. The punishing chapters, the rivalries and the sense of a family forming under pressure all echo the best parts of book two. It is lighter on healing and heavier on adrenaline.
The Cruel Prince
Number four is The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black, from twenty eighteen. Jude is a human girl raised in the High Court of Faerie by the man who murdered her parents. The faeries are glamorous and vicious, and the politics are sharp.
Pick it if you enjoy court intrigue, treachery and a heroine who fights with her wits. It is young adult, so there are no explicit scenes, but there is bullying and violence. It is also the start of a trilogy. What it shares is the fae setting and the mean, glittering court. It differs because the heroine is not healing, she is scheming, and the book is far colder.
Six Of Crows
Number five is Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo, from twenty fifteen. Six outcasts attempt an impossible heist in a city of canals and crime. Each of them carries pain, and each one has a voice you will love.
Pick it if the Inner Circle was your favorite part. It has the closest thing to that tight, bickering family. It is young adult with no explicit sex, but it has violence, trauma and some dark themes. What it shares is the sharp humor and the sense of belonging. It differs because the romance is understated and the tone is more heist than epic.
Daughter Of Smoke And Bone
Number six is Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor, from twenty eleven. Karou is an art student in Prague, with blue hair, a sketchbook full of monsters and a mysterious family. Then she meets an angel, and her world cracks open.
Pick it for lush, poetic writing, an artist heroine and an epic romance that grows into a war between two worlds. It is young adult, with violence and some very sad scenes. What it shares is the artist’s eye, with painting at the heart of the story. It differs because it is more lyrical than sharp, and the worldbuilding is dreamier.
A Quick Spice Guide
Since A Court of Mist and Fury is so explicit, here is a quick guide to the heat. The two most explicit picks are From Blood and Ash and Fourth Wing, with frequent, detailed scenes. Throne of Glass has a little romance early and more heat in later books.
The Cruel Prince, Six of Crows and Daughter of Smoke and Bone are young adult, so they keep things mostly off the page. If you want all of the tension and none of the steam, those three are your safest bets. This is my assessment, not an official rating, so always check a summary if content matters to you.
How To Choose
So how do you choose? For more Maas and a big saga, Throne of Glass. For the closest romance, From Blood and Ash. For dragons and speed, Fourth Wing.
For court politics, The Cruel Prince. For a found family and a heist, Six of Crows. And for beautiful prose and an artist at the center, Daughter of Smoke and Bone. If spice is your concern, remember that only two of these are truly explicit.
If I could only pick one for a reader who adored Mist and Fury, I would hand them From Blood and Ash, because the slow burn is the nearest match. If they wanted a series that feels like coming home, I would give them Throne of Glass, since it comes from the same author and has the same heart.
One more tip. Several of these are the start of a long series, so check how many books there are before you commit. Nothing is worse than falling in love and finding out the next installment is two years away.
Your Turn
Which one are you picking up first, and which book do you think I missed? Tell me in the comments, because I read every one and I love adding to the list. My spoiler free review of A Court of Mist and Fury, my ending explained and my book club questions are linked below, plus my videos on A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Silver Flames. Thanks for watching, and I will see you next time.
