r/fantasyromance

I’m really tired of castles and fae books at the moment, and really need something different like some epic sci-fi books with a romantic subplot! i’ve tried asking on the r/ScienceFictionRomance sub, but i mostly get recommended alien smut, which i do not like. So i hope it’s okay to ask here.

I need books with a serious tone and atmosphere + good writing. And absolute none of that humorous witty banter stuff. It also doesn't need to be a space opera btw! Just apart of the sci-fi genre. Just please no alien smut, fated mates and insta love.

I’ll even take oldie books as well! I have Shards of Honor on my TBR!

EDIT: Thanks guys for the recs!

Yes, I am looking for Thane Krios from Mass Effect in another font.

I'm surprised that I wasn't able to find any previous requests for this trope in the sub!

If you're not familiar with Thane, he is a contract assassin who is also deeply romantic and spiritual. His story is tragic from start to finish, but its also beautiful and moving (trained to be a killer from a young age, fell in love, had a kid, wife was killed as revenge for one of his jobs, and he is struggling to re-connect with his son, who is also a mercenary). You can romance him in the game, but, as if all his previous backstory wasn't enough, he also has a terminal illness and dies after the final mission.​

I would LOVE it if I could find a happier ending for this story. Would also be great if the main characters were older (>30), and if the writing style is not too contemporary/modern sounding.​

I've seen so many MMCs as fae and so on (I mean, most often they are supernatural beings), but I'd love to read something where FMC is one! It would be funny if she could actually change her body size and fly around as a little fairy so that no one would hardly notice her. And then, there's MMC who finds her. But of course the plot may be different!

I don't read dark fantasy/romance and don't like gore, so keep that in mind! Basically I want some sweet romance between a human guy and a cute fairy. Both adults, of course (although the fairy may be several hundred years old haha I don't mind)

Life has been kicking my ass lately, and I've completely fallen out of reading. Now that I'm trying to get back into it, I feel like I've missed so many releases over the last few months that I don't even know where to start. So what's the best book you've read recently? I enjoy reading pretty much anything, so I'd love to hear your recommendations! Thanks.

I’m reading {This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews} at the moment and I’m really enjoying it, but it’s made me realize it’s not giving me the vibe I’m actually craving.
I want banter so good it makes me gasp and kick my feet. The kind where every conversation is a battle of witty comebacks, shameless flirting disguised as insults, and so much chemistry you can practically feel the tension through the page.
Bonus points if they genuinely hate each other at first. Not just rivals or people who get over a misunderstanding after three chapters, but actual enemies whose banter somehow makes all that hostility even hotter (slow burn).
To give an idea of the vibe, I saw a TikTok talking about {Storm Breaker by Nisha J. Tuli} and it described a scene where the FMC gets the upper hand while they’re sparring, looks down at him and says, “Now who’s the princess?” He smiles and replies, “Sit a little higher and you’ll be a Queen.” I GASPED. That is exactly the energy I want. Then I found out the FMC is 19 and I immediately lost interest. Please give me that exact vibe, but with actual adults.
Spice is very, very welcome. I just want a couple with insane chemistry and banter that makes you giggle and kick your feet before they inevitably fall for each other.
Please help a girl out 😭

Y'all remember Charmed? I watched it as a preteen and I remember Pheobe's and Cole's chemistry was through the roof and I loved that it wasn't just bad guy turns good for the love of his life. I would love to read something like that. MMC is meant to kill or somehow harm FMC but falls for her but remains a bad guy and becomes totally obsessed with her... Does anyone know anything like that? 😊

I finished reading {Kushiel’s Dart} last night and I had really mixed feelings.

On one hand, the world building and character development were good. On the other hand, it was over written, slow paced and frustrating to read.

I liked Phedre, but loved Josceline and Hyacinthe. I could not stand Melisande, and WHY Phedre was so intrigued by her.

Despite it being over 900 pages, I felt like I knew very little about the personality of Phedre. The romance between her and Josceline kept me going but I was pulling my hair out because she BARELY thinks about him. Instead we get paragraphs and paragraphs saying the same stuff like how beautiful D’Angelines are and food on the table at a wedding.

Should I read the next two books? Does the writing get better or does it continue to meander?

The reason I want to keep reading is because I want to see what comes of Phedre and Josceline, and if they rescue Hyacinthe.

Hi everyone! 😊

I'm on the hunt for an amazing standalone fantasy novel. I've been reading a lot of series lately, and I think it's time for a break—I just want to dive into one unforgettable book.

I don't mind if it's 900+ pages as long as it has incredible world-building, a compelling story, and characters I can really get invested in.

One thing that's important to me is that the main character has a romance subplot. I don't want the romance to be the main focus of the book, but I'd love it to be a meaningful part of the story. I'm also not looking for anything too smut-heavy—a well-developed romance or a slow burn would be perfect. I especially love romances where the emotional connection and the characters' love for each other take center stage, rather than the physical aspect.

I'd also prefer the main character to be at least 21 years old.

I'm open to all kinds of fantasy, so if you have a favorite standalone that completely captivated you, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks so much in advance! ❤️

Exactly as the title says. I'd LOVE a more adult {Howl's Moving Castle} with a similar MMC especially. Anything open-door and above is fine. I just like my romance to have a smidge of smut.

I just finished {The Instruments of Revival by Cate Corvin}. This book was fantastic, strong FMC and a great MMC solving a mystery of a creepy underground city together while falling in love.

I didn't realize Explore Creepy Derelict Underground Cities In Places They Should Not Be With A Nice Love Interest Who Is Kind And Respects Boundaries is a trope I'm obsessed with, but here we are.

I read {Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon} and that also met my criteria. I realize this is an incredibly weirdly specific request, and I'm hoping there are books I haven't dug up yet!

I Am looking for a book series I read more than 7 to 10 years ago. It was about a woman who was the last of her tribe(or thought she was). She is an incredible fighter. She is rescued or picked up when injured (maybe)by the ruler of a kingdom where women are considered fragile and definitely don't fight. She eventually seeks revenge. That is about all i can remember. His name may start with a C. Some of the first book is desert based or in a hot climate

Hi ya'll,

I just rewatched the first half of House of the Dragon season 1 and damn, the tension between Daemon and Rhaenyra is just soooo good!

I'm looking for something in that vein: totally forbidden (by society, by families, by their situation, whatever) and completely irresistible. Though techincally enemies-to-lovers falls into this, I'm looking for the forbidenn-ness to be dialed up a notch. Bonus points if the MMC is Daemon-level unhinged.

Not looking for:

- Inc*st (step-siblings are fine). HOTD only gets a pass because there's worldbuilding reasons for why Targaryens are the way they are and it's not genre romance.

- Whimpy, brainless, useless FMC's

- Giving in to the attraction in the first half of the book (I need them to suffer)

In this vein I've read: {The Cruel Prince by Holly Black} , {The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem}, {Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare}, {The Inadequate Heir by Danielle L. Jensen} {For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale} {Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey} {To Poison a King by S.G. Prince}

Thanks in advance!

Does anyone else just fast forward through the spicy scenes in these books? It’s not that I mind them. It’s just that I find them so boring. I’m a 30+ woman and find the sex scenes to be the most tedious parts of these books. Instead, I love the intrigue, the build-up, the after. Everything else is wonderful.

{Iron and Embers Helen Scheuerer}

I need a rant. I Loved Legends of Thezmarr books 1, 3 and 4 and loved Slaying the Shadow Prince. (I try to forget book 2, nearly dnf'd)

I always loved Wren, liked her more than Thea most of the time and I still feel like that.

Im only on Chapter 23 of Iron and Embers and I'm raging with Thea.

What do you mean she allowed her sister to completely isolate herself after the war.

What do you mean Thea, after being convinced she was going to die at 27 and wished she could spend more time with Wren after wasting so much time in their childhood bickering and warring with one another.

What do you mean Thea watched their eldest sister die and saw hers but mostly Wren's friends heads on spikes and she just left her with no support system to live her best life.

When Wren goes to Thezmarr to ge told to go to Naarva she says shes only seen Thea a handful of times since the end of the war... WHAT DO YOU MEAN! Thea has Wilder and all the other Warswords, she was born for war, fought in multiple battles... but she just left Wren alone to process her trauma and grief alone?

And everyone knew Wren was the poisoner, Thea must have and just thought, this is totally healthy. I've lost one sister, who cares if the other is destroying herself bit by bit, who cares if she is tried and executed for all the poisonings. No, I'll enjoy being a warsword with my warsword husband/would be husband and my warsword friends and strategists who all survived the war.

Thea was all Wren had after the war and she just left to catch a horse.

Anyway, other than that, really enjoying this book. Love Wren, I've been in the pit of grief, unable to pull myself out. It took my whole family to drag me out of it after two years. Maybe that's why I'm so angry with Thea.

Thank you for your time 😅

I NEED someone to talk to about this book, holy crap. I thought it was pretty good and does anyone else 1000% >!not trust Julian whatsoever? Especially at that ending? Because damn, I did not trust him at all!<

I'm also curious to see what will happen between Tor and Kera when >!Tor learns the truth about Kera and her blood!<