Welcome to my small corner where the romances are questionable and the list of books we need to read grow ever longer.
Most of the popular romantasy books are great, but they follow a lot of the same white, straight romances. So, today I will be giving 5 recommendations specifically of romantasy that is written by minority authors. These will be spoiler-free, and they are not ranked in any particular order like the last post.
Number 1
Number 1 is The Darkening.
This is a young adult completed duology. We are following Vesper, who has grown up in a war-torn city surrounded by a storm that is growing more powerful by the day. She infiltrates the sorcerer army to learn more about the disappearance of her mother, who went into the storm.
It has a unique magic system similar to the wyrdmarks in Throne of Glass. The romance is not at the forefront of the story. This one is heavier on the fantasy side. I really enjoy some of the side characters and the more abstract settings we get into later in the book.
I would also recommend reading Embrace the Serpent, a standalone romantasy by the same author! We have jinn and an arranged marriage in this one.
Number 2
Number 2 is This Woven Kingdom.
This a young adult series of five books, and only four are currently out. These books are such fast reads and easy to get into. The first book is slow to start, but I really enjoyed the ride. There is a love triangle and found family.
We are following Alizeh, a servant who is secretly the heir to the jinn kingdom, when she runs into the crown prince who can’t stop thinking about her, causing her to become embroiled in politics while trying to keep her true identity a secret.
This is one of the slowest burns I have ever read; be warned! We are in book 4, and they have not even kissed yet! However, this does make for good yearning. I was getting annoyed with one particular character throughout the books because they were being very mean to our main character.
Number 3
Number 3 is Six Crimson Cranes.
This is a completed young adult East Asian inspired duology. We are following Shiori, a princess, who has forbidden magic that spirals out of control on her wedding day. As a result, her stepmother curses her to wear a bowl on her head and banishes her. She also turns all six of her brothers into cranes, and if Shiori speaks any words, the stepmother will kill her brothers.
The twist at the end did catch me off guard!
There is a love triangle which at times felt unnecessary but did not overshadow the story. I am also addicted to the way Elizabeth Lim writes. There is something so digestible about the way she writes her stories. The imagery is impeccable, and it really reads like a fairy tale.
I would also recommend her standalone book A Forgery of Fate. It takes place in the same world but can be read separately.
Number 4
Number 4 is A Tempest of Tea.
This is a young adult completed duology. This one had me very emotional; I literally cried at the end of the second book.
We are following Arthie Casimir, a girl, running a teahouse during the day that turns into an illegal bloodhouse at night for vampires. Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate a vampire society called the Athereum to conduct a heist when her establishment gets threatened.
This story covers a lot of themes relating to colonization as well as racism and the exploitation of minority groups for resources, which I found to be very refreshing.
We also have a great found family with multiple couples. I loved all the characters. We get a little bit of enemies to lovers, and I really enjoyed the tension. The ending of the first book does feel rushed, but trust the process. It reminded me a lot of Six of Crows, which, if you have not read. DO!
Number 5
Number 5 is The Jasad Heir.
This is an adult Egyptian-inspired completed duology.
We are following a girl named Sylvia who is the heir to a fallen kingdom, and she has forbidden magic. Sylvia’s magic is exposed during a tragedy in her village, capturing the attention of a rival kingdom’s heir named Arin.
This has one of the most accurate enemies-to-lovers I have read. These two characters actually hate and attempt to kill one another multiple times. This did have me giggling and kicking my feet. I loved both of these books. The world-building is intense. I do have to say the second book does feel rushed at the end. I only wish we could have had more story.
And there are so many more out there than just these five. These are simply ones I have read that I enjoyed. I recommend seeking out minority authors and supporting them! There are so many great stories out there. Check out this video!
My next post will be about everyone’s favorite book boyfriends!
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