Last year, J. Elle dazzled romantasy readers with her gorgeous House of Marionne. In those pages, we met Quell. She and her mother have lived her entire life on the run, hiding the deadly magic that lives in Quell’s blood. When her secret is discovered, Quell has no choice but to enter the Order, a debutante society of magical social elites. But when she realizes the Order is only interested in protecting their wealth and power, she’s forced to choose between embracing the dark magic she’s run from her entire life and losing everything she loves.
It was a dark and brooding story, brimming with forbidden love and dark magic. It all came to an explosive head, splitting the world and fracturing the source of all magic. The story continues in Shadows of Perl, where war brews and Quell once again finds herself on the run while buried in secrets and lies. As the future of magic brinks on destruction, Quell and Jordan have to decide what lengths they’ll go to save the world. Even if it means they both have to die.
Each book escalates the tension, ending in a cliffhanger that left readers reeling with a book hangover. The third installment promises to be a devastating ride, but it will be at least another year before readers can see if these lovers will stay enemies or somehow find their happily-ever-after. While you wait, here are seven romantasy books by BIPOC authors that will have you swooning.
Lore of the Tides
Trapped in a forest that might as well be a prison, Lore Alemeyu wears the scars of her past failure to escape. The ruthless fae rule with an iron fist, but when her village is threatened, she has no choice but to ask them for help. In exchange for their help, Lore will organize an enchanted library that hasn’t been catalogued in a thousand years because the Fae cannot enter. They hope that perhaps a human can. As Lore travels through the hostile world, she has to rely on two Fae warriors.
They’re dangerous. They’re attractive. And Lore realizes it isn’t just her life that’s in danger, but her heart.
The Dividing Sky
Liv Newman survives as a Proxy in 2460 Metro by using a neurochip to sell memories to wealthy clients. If some of them aren’t always legal … well, money buys freedom. That’s why she accepts a job to go to no-man’s-land for an outrageous sum.
Meanwhile, rookie Forceman Adrian Rao discovers that she shady deals renegade Proxy’s are engaging in are messing with the citizen’s brain chemistry, he’s tasked with hunting down Liv. As the two navigate a world away from Metro, their growing feelings are impossible to ignore. He’s supposed to bring her in, but she doesn’t have memories of her alleged crime.
But can they overcome who they are and embrace who they could be? Or are they destined to return to the only life they know?
The Hurricane Wars
Talasyn is an orphan who has grown up under the relentless attacks of the ruthless Night Emperor. She’s found her home among the soldiers fighting in the endless Hurricane Wars. If only they knew that she was hiding a secret. In her veins is the might magic that could end the Night Emperor’s shadows.
On the battlefield, when facing the deadly Prince Alaric and his unstoppable shadow magic, her powers burn bright. Their magic merges to create a force no one has ever seen before. Rooted in distrust, the two are forced to work together. After all, if their combined powers created this force, maybe they can stop it. But as they get to know each other, their passion also grows. The only question is whether giving into their desires will save the world—or destroy it.
Immortal Dark (Immortal Dark Trilogy Book 1)
In an arcane society, vampire bonds help human bloodlines gain power. Kidan Adane was once from one of those families, but she grew up orphaned and far away. But when her sister, June, disappears, she’s convinced the vampire bound to their family took her. Susenyos Sagad is as cruel as he is captivating, but to find him, Kidan has to infiltrate the elite Exlay University where she has to endure living with Susenyos even as he tries to drive her away.
After a murder that feels too close to June’s disappearance ripples through Uxlay’s placid student body, Kidan forges deeper into the vampire underworld, risking her soul. It’s there she discovers that June might be at the center of an ancient threat. To save her sister, she has to break Uxlay.
But can she let go of her own dark impulses? Or will she embrace the dark seduction of love—and the blood it demands.
Fledgling: The Keeper's Records of Revolution
Earth is fractured. Raisa had a privileged life in Upper Earth. When he father arranges her marriage to the Crown Prince, Lein, of Lower Earth, she accepts her role in bringing peace between the two realms. But his cousin, Nada, has other plans. Newly released from prison, she has one goal: stop the wedding. She’s convinced the marriage will usher in unprecedented tyranny and sets out to spark a revolution.
When Raisa goes missing a week before the nuptials, one rebel in particular is suspected. Nada’s twin brother, Nayf, has disappeared. The more time Nayf and Raisa spend together, the hate turns into something else. Only, Lein isn’t willing to give up his bride or his future, and there’s nowhere on Earth he won’t go to get them both back.
Faebound: A Novel (The Faebound Trilogy Book 1)
Being a warrior in the elven army means that Yeeran’s life is violence. The only exception is her sister, Lettle, who is a diviner, always listening for prophecies of a brighter future … only, that prophecy never appears.
Yeeran makes a fatal mistake, and both sisters are forced to leave Elven lands and survive in the wilds beyond the borders. But that’s where the unexpected happens. They stumble on the Fae court, a people who haven’t been seen in over a millennium. It’s a seductive world, filled with secrets and seduction.
As the sisters try to navigate their new reality, they find themselves torn by conflicting loyalties. Can they stay true to each other, their home, and their hearts all at the same time? And if they can’t, which will win?
A Song to Drown Rivers: A Novel
Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing. Her village believes it will mean she marries well, but military advisor Fanli sees a different future for her. One where she can topple a neighboring kingdom and avenge her sister’s death. Fanli trains her until she is a sharpened blade, their hunger for each other only growing stronger.
Xishi never forgets her mission, and when she infiltrates the Wu kingdom’s palace, she works to seduce their immoral king. As his hungry advisors try to win her attention, the king lavishes her with attention. Only beneath his gentle exterior is a brutal violence lying in wait. The higher she climbs, the more dangerous her position becomes. Because if she and Fanli are discovered, both kingdom’s could come crashing down.
