Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
This week, the topic is Books I Recommend to Others the Most, and I’m going to focus on fantasies and romantiasies. These are two of my favorite genres, and I tend to recommend them the most. Here are ten 5-star fantasies that I totally recommend!
1. The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Page Length: 352
Publication Date: Sept. 20, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Synopsis: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Favorite Quotes
2. Beneath Cruel Fathoms
Series: The Bitter Sea Trilogy (Book 1)
Page Length: 386
Publication Date: May 2019
Publisher: Fine Fables Press
Synopsis: After a violent storm destroys her ship, Isaura Johansdottir knows better than to hope she’ll be rescued from Eisland’s vast Failock Sea. Adrift and alone, her plans to start over lost, it’s a tragic conclusion after the disastrous end of her marriage—until she’s saved by Leonel, one of the merfolk, a creature long believed extinct. In repayment for her life, Leonel enlists her help to investigate the Failock’s mysterious and deadly plague of squalls. But when Isaura discovers Eisland’s ruthless new Lord commands the storms, her life will be in more danger on land than it ever was at sea.
As guardian of the Fathoms, Leonel must find the cause of unnatural storms ravaging the tidal currents and destroying the sea life. There are rumors of dark magic stirring in the Orom Abyss, the resting place of old, vanquished gods who tried to submerge the land millennia ago. Yet without proof, no one in King Ægir’s court will listen to him. And if it’s discovered he broke the Blue Laws to save a shipwrecked landweller, he might not survive the consequences.
As storms spread, Leonel and Isaura uncover secrets as forbidden as the bond that grows between them. Betrayal lurks in the restless sea, and when ancient powers lay siege to Eisland’s coast, the truth may be drowned along with everything else.
LINKS: My Review | Goodreads | Amazon
3. Six of Crows
Series: Six of Crows – Book 1
Page Length: 465
Publication Date: Sept. 29, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .
A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes
Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
4. Once Upon a Broken Heart
Title: Once upon a Broken Heart
Author: Stephanie Garber
Series: Once Upon a Broken Heart #1
Page Length: 416
Publication Date: Sept. 28, 2021
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Synopsis: A new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after.
Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop, where she grew up on legends about immortals, like the tragic Prince of Hearts. She knows his powers are mythic, his kiss is worth dying for, and that bargains with him rarely end well.
But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding. The prince only asks for three kisses. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’s pledged. And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy…
5. Royal Decoy
Title: Royal Decoy
Author: Heather Frost
Series: Fate of Eyrinthia #1
Page Length: 370
Publication Date: June 18, 2020
Synopsis: A SERVANT blackmailed into becoming a princess’s decoy.
A BODYGUARD determined to keep her alive.
A PRINCE forced to execute his father’s brutal laws.
A PRISONER used to keep him compliant.
A WORLD on the brink of war.
In one horrible night, Clare goes from kitchen maid to royal decoy. She has three months to become the princess’s perfect double so she can ensure her betrothal to an enemy prince. Desperate to survive, Clare throws herself into self-defense training, taught by her distractingly attractive bodyguard. The danger increases when a ruthless assassin begins stalking her, intent on ending the tenuous peace.
Across the northern mountains, Prince Grayson is his father’s ultimate weapon. He carries out the king’s harsh orders because the one person he cares about is his father’s prisoner. Grayson’s silent obedience is tested when his father plans to exploit the marriage alliance between two of their greatest enemies. If Grayson submits, the blood of thousands will spill. If he resists, the girl who means everything to him will die.
The fate of Eyrinthia hangs in the balance. Some want peace. Some want war. All will be thrown into chaos.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
6. Thorn
Series: The Dauntless Path
Page Length: 512
Publication Date: May 15, 2002
Publisher: Harper Teen
Synopsis: A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own.
Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.
When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.
But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.
With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.
7. The Bridge Kingdom
Title: The Bridge Kingdom
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #1
Page Length: 356
Publication Date: Oct. 16, 2018
Publisher: CLA
Synopsis: A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees.
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara’s homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.
Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save… and which kingdom she’ll destroy.
Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
8. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Page Length: 432
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Synopsis: Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
9. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
Title: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
Author: Megan Bannen
Page Length: 336
Publication Date: Aug. 23, 2022
Publisher: Orbit Books
Synopsis: Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.
Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.
After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.
If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most – Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares – each other?
10. The Bone Shard Daughter
Title: The Bone Shard Daughter
Author: Andrea Stewart
Series: The Drowning Empire #1
Page Length: 449
Publication Date: Sept. 8, 2020
Publisher: Orbit
Synopsis: The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.
Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognize her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.
Have you read any of these? What fantasies and romantasies would you recommend? Comment below!!
ACOTAR and Hart + Mercy made my list, too. SOA SHOULD have made my list, but I completely forgot about it. Whoops. Great choices. I really need to get to Bridge Kingdom — it’s on my kindle!!
Oooooh, The Bridge Kingdom is excellent. I love that whole series. I hope you get to read it soon. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I read The Song of Achilles a couple of weeks ago (for a reading challenge). I loved it!!! I am wanting to read ACOTAR and SOA too.
Yay! It’s such a wonderful story, and the writing is perfection! ACOTAR and SOC ore both fantastic too, though I admit, I think ACOMAF was my favorite in the ACOTAR series.
Beneath Cruel Fathoms has been on my list forever. I just need to get to it! Great picks!
Thank you! I LOVE Beneath Cruel Fathoms. Hopefully, you’ll get a chance to pick it up soon!
I have also recommended Hart and Mercy. It’s such a great book.
It really is. I thought it was a really unique story.
You’ve absolutely nailed it, and I love that you included Beneath Cruel Fathoms on this list – I read it and it was so good!
Thanks, Leah! I loved that one too! The author had mentioned a sequel following the brother, but I don’t believe it released yet.
Song of Achilles- I loved did; helps when you read Greek Mythology
Definitely!
I can’t wait to read The Bone Shard Daughter. I was thrilled to finally knock Beneath Cruel Fathoms off my TBR.
OMG it’s so good!! I loved the whole trilogy!
I have seen The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy on a few lists today, I definitely need to add it. One of these days, I will read Six of Crows. Nice list, Julie.
Thanks, Carla! They’re both great reads!
I’ve read 5 of these and loved them! I still need to read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy!
Oh, it’s wonderful – such an original story, and the enemies-to-lovers romance is amazing!
I think you’d love it, Yolanda!
Great list! The Song of Achilles, Six of Crows, and ACOTAR are some of my all-time favorite reads!
Yes!!!! You have great taste! lol
Brilliant list, Julie! The Bone Shard series is one I will always recommend & I also loved The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy… can’t wait for her next book 😊
Thanks, Becky! I knew nothing about The Bone Shard series when I started it, and it was one of my favorite reads of the year. And Hart & Mercy was fantastic too! Such a unique story.
Omg, YAS amazing list! 😍 I’ve loved so many of these! I can’t wait to read the ones that are still on my TBR, too.
Thanks, Dini! 🙂
This is such a good list!! I totally forgot about Hart and Mercy! lol.
Thanks, Leslie! It was tough to narrow down! lol
You recommended 3 of these books to me, and I read another one around the same time as you!
Nice!! I hope you liked them all!