Asking this ask there are 3 flies zooming around my apartment because I had the gall to use my balcony last weekend. 😒
Winner of Round 7 (Lawful Evil) is Grand Vizier Behram Kadir from {Mages of the Wheel series by J.D. Evans}! The artwork is by Tatiana Anor (https://www.instagram.com/justanor_art/).
This round, please discuss who you think is the most Neutral Evil character in all of fantasy romance. Please state the character and what book they're from, and discuss in the comments below!
The most upvoted character will win the spot, and we will move onto the other character alignments every few days.
Prior winners:
Here are the links to the prior rounds in case you missed the discussions:
Winner of Round 6 (Chaotic Neutral) is The Suriel from {A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas}! The artwork is by Briana Mora (https://brianamora.com/).
This round, please discuss who you think is the most Lawful Evil character in all of fantasy romance. Please state the character and what book they're from, and discuss in the comments below!
The most upvoted character will win the spot, and we will move onto the other character alignments every few days.
Prior winners:
Here are the links to the prior rounds in case you missed the discussions:
The Shepherd King is a completed duology consisting of {One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig} and {Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig}.
What is your favorite fan art from this series? Share them below and remember to credit the artist!
Check out our Fan Art Index for more fan art from the sub's favorite books!
We finally get an FF romance in The World of the White Rat!
{Swordheart by T. Kingfisher} was the first book on this series set in the same world as {The Saint of Steel by T. Kingfisher} and {The Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher}.
Book 2 {Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher} is coming out this month on August 25, 2026.
T. Kingfisher will be joining us for an AMA on September 8, 2026! Hope you all can join us to discuss her books with her!
Book Details from the Publisher’s Website:
“Find out if love can conquer steel once and for all in this thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling** **Swordheart series.
“DELUXE EDITION—a beautiful hardcover edition featuring sprayed edges, a foil case stamp, and custom endpapers.
“When you have a two-handed warhammer, everything looks like a nail. This has been Angharad Shieldborn's philosophy ever since she was trapped in a cursed sword, destined to guard wielder after wielder down through the centuries.
“Her latest wielder, Cinder, is unlike any Angharad has served before though. Raised in a vicious, immortality-obsessed cult, Cinder should be the enemy, but beneath the prickly, hard exterior she wears like steel, Cinder is kind and vulnerable, and more attractive than any daughter of a crazed zealot has the right to be.
“But the cult would kill to get their hands on Angharad’s sword and take her power for their own. If Angharad hopes to save herself and Cinder—the woman she’s starting to fall for—she must shield them from attacks on all sides. But will she be able to shield her own heart?”
Winner of Round 5 (True Neutral) is Emily from {Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett}! The artwork is by morwenaert (https://www.instagram.com/morwenaert).
This round, please discuss who you think is the most Chaotic Neutral character in all of fantasy romance. Please state the character and what book they're from, and discuss in the comments below!
The most upvoted character will win the spot, and we will move onto the other character alignments every few days.
Prior winners:
Here are the links to the prior rounds in case you missed the discussions:
Winner of Round 4 (Lawful Neutral) is Chaol from {Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas}! The artwork is by Charlie Bowater (https://www.charliebowater.net/).
This round, please discuss who you think is the most True Neutral character in all of fantasy romance. Please state the character and what book they're from, and discuss in the comments below!
The most upvoted character will win the spot, and we will move onto the other character alignments every few days.
Prior winners:
Here are the links to the prior rounds in case you missed the discussions:
All books listed should be free to “buy” today! If you prefer to read ebooks on another platform, there are also pages for some of the same free deals at the following retailers as well: Google Play, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Nook, or Kobo.
The event has also asked all participating authors to affirm that their books are not written with AI assistance, and do not have AI cover art.
Villains and Virtues series by A.K. Caggiano was ranked Number 1 on our sub's most recent Top Books list! It consists of a main trilogy (Throne in the Dark, Summoned to the Wilds, and Eclipse of the Crown) and two spin-offs (Bound & Tide and Bound to Fall).
Check out r/FantasyRomance Top Books List! (2026 Edition) here!
Winner of Round 2 (Neutral Good) goes to Maggie from {This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews}! The artwork is by Luisa Preissler (https://luisapreissler.de/).
Winner of Round 1 (Lawful Good) was Stephen from {Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher}. The artwork is from the UK cover for the book by Anna Moshak (https://aizelkonart.com/).
This round, please discuss who you think is the most Chaotic Good character in all of fantasy romance. Please state the character and what book they're from, and discuss in the comments below!
The most upvoted character will win the spot, and we will move onto the other character alignments every few days.
Here are the links to the prior rounds in case you missed the discussions:
Welcome to Round 1 of building our own Fantasy Romance Character Alignment Chart! Which character in all of fantasy romance is the most lawful good? Please state the character and what book they're from, and discuss in the comments below!
The most upvoted character will win the spot, and we will move onto the other character alignments every few days.
From the author’s newsletter:
“Wishspun is a cozy cottagecore romantasy featuring a shy, soft-hearted village librarian and a battle mage from the rival kingdom who must work together to translate a cantakerous spellbook and save the delicate peace between their realms. (Plus there’s a tiny mischievous dragon and a surly cat!)”
I’ve read all of India Holton’s books and love them. Can’t wait for Wishspun! Releasing in March 2027.
Rebecca Yarros has announced that the secret Fourth Wing project will be 13 short stories about Threshing Day. All posts regarding this announcement will be redirected here for the time being.
Another contemporary romance author dipping their toes into paranormal romance!
From Kyra Parsi’s newsletter:
PARANORMAL, BABY.
(Shoutout to Ali Hazelwood for breaking my brain with Bride. This is all your doing, queen.)
I'm talking witches. I'm talking werewolves. I'm talking vampires and biting and the knives-out type of enemies to lovers where she stabs him a little and he pretends like it doesn't turn him on.
AND WHEN I TELL YOU IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE BLAST SO FAR!!
It's a touch too early for me to share any specifics, but what I can promise is that it'll still have all the elements that you told me you loved in the last series, plus so much more. I'm making sure there's humor, and banter, and a ton of ooey gooey enemies to lovers goodness for you to gobble up, but dial it up a notch because the addition of magic makes anything possible.
I'm a kid again, bouncing around an endless playground, and the world is my oyster.
As of this second, it's looking like the series will be a duology, with each book following one of two sisters. They'll still be interconnected standalones, but with the way the story is looking, they'll best be enjoyed if read in order.
That's all I can share for now, but stay tuned for more info in the coming months!! 🥰🥰🥰
What diverse reads have you read that you think need more hype? Feel free to add your recommendations below or create your own post using the new flair!
Are there any diverse reads on your TBR that you're excited to read? Please share those, too!
Recommendations for this month:
This is a great high fantasy duology by a Ghanaian-American writer set in a world inspired by Ghanaian and West African folklore and culture. The books follow Malik, a refugee from a war-torn region seeking opportunity in the prosperous city of Ziran, and Karina, the princess of Ziran. Malik struggles with his responsibility with taking care of his sisters and trying to find a way to get his mother and grandmother back home to join them. Karina struggles under the weight of expectations to become the future queen after the death of her father and older sister.
The first book is structured in a way that the two main characters are pitted against each other in a zero sum game where they cannot both succeed. There’s a lot of dramatic irony in their competing motivations that kept me on the edge of my seat. For most of the book, I could not see how the ending would allow both characters to “win,” because I was rooting for both of them. But the ending was really satisfying.
The second book is even better because it expands the world as the characters travel beyond Ziran and meet more interesting characters. It also provides even more insight into the villains of the story–no one is just “good guy bad.” They all have shifting motivations that the book explores pretty deeply.
The inner turmoil of both of the main characters is also complex and layered. Even though they’re both 17, the books don’t shy away from themes of death, grief, abuse, and sex. The characters are also very imperfect. Malik makes a lot of stupid decisions, and Karina is hot headed. But the teenage angst feels real and rooted in meaningful stakes.
The magic system, food, clothes, and music all feel lived in and vibrant. The story doesn’t hold your hand with worldbuilding, and there isn’t any info dumping. It all just exists and plops you straight into the action. I loved the mysticism, legend, and unseen forces that appear to be pulling the strings on the characters.
I loved this book. One of the top books I read this year. The fantasy worldbuilding is grounded in Latinx culture and gender identity. The primary theme is about the main character Yadriel struggling with being a trans boy in a culture (and magic system) that is ingrained in the men-women dichotomy. The men in his family are brujos who shepherd spirits into the afterlife. The women are brujas who are healers. Yadriel is trans and wants more than anything to be a brujos, but his father will not allow him to go through the brujos rite to passage because he does not think him being trans would qualify.
The main story is a bit of missing persons/murder mystery. Yadriel meets Julian, the spirit of a boy who recently died under mysterious circumstances. I’m a little biased because its East LA setting is very close to home for me, but it was very vividly and faithfully portrayed. The romance is super cute and sweet. I loved how it portrayed young first love. And there was a lot of great yearning and pining.
The book is YA, so the themes are pretty straightforward, but the story was still told in a very heartfelt way and still gave me all the feels. I loved that Yadriel's family isn't necessarily vilified; rather, there's a lesson that they all have to learn. The author is also a Latinx trans man, so I felt like he wrote a lot of his own experiences into the book.
I get it that for scheduling reasons, they can’t always book contestants from any specific fandom, but I don’t really enjoy watching episodes where the contestants all just buzz in to guess at answers. My favorite episode was the Broadway one with Rachel Bloom, Siobhan, and Grant because they all knew their shit and were fighting to buzz in. It was fun to watch even though I know jack shit about Broadway. What are other similar episodes where it’s not just a guessing game?
It's almost halfway through the year! How is everyone doing on their Book Bingo card? Share your progress, what you've liked or disliked about the books you've read so far, and any requests for books you still need to read to complete the card!
It's not too late to start now! Book Bingo runs from January 1 to December 31.
Here's the announcement post with details on all the categories: Announcing r/FantasyRomance's 2026 Book Bingo! 🎉
Check out the 2026 Book Bingo Recommendation Thread! for recommendations for each category. Also drop your recs in this thread below!
More useful links:
