Books Like Throne of Glass: 15 Fantasy Series to Read Next

Finishing Throne of Glass leaves you in a weird spot. You want more books like Throne of Glass, but you don’t just want “popular fantasy.” You want something with a fierce heroine, dangerous magic, court politics, brutal choices, slow-burn romance, emotional damage, and a story that keeps getting bigger the longer you read.

I call it MWS: Maas Withdrawal Syndrome.

The hard part is that very few series are a perfect match. Some books match the assassin angle. Some have the fae politics. Some bring the romance. And some deliver the found family, rebellion, and war-story payoff. So this list is ranked by how well each series matches the feeling of Throne of Glass, not by popularity or Goodreads rating alone.

If you’re still sorting out the main series itself, I also have a full Throne of Glass books in order guide and a Throne of Glass Tandem Read Chapter Guide.

Jump to:

• Quick Picks Based on What You Loved
• Best Books Like Throne of Glass Ranked
• Books That Almost Made the List
• Looking for More Books in Order?

Quick Picks Based on What You Loved

Already know what part of Throne of Glass you’re trying to replace? Start here.

• Closest overall match: An Ember in the Ashes
• Best if you want more Sarah J. Maas: A Court of Thorns and Roses
• Best modern romantasy pick: Fourth Wing
• Best for fae court politics: The Cruel Prince
• Best for assassins: Grave Mercy
• Best for political romance: The Bridge Kingdom
• Best for a deadly tournament: The Serpent and the Wings of Night
• Best completed adult fantasy romance trilogy: Daughter of No Worlds
• Best gothic fantasy detour: One Dark Window
• Best underrated elemental magic series: Air Awakens

Best Books Like Throne of Glass Ranked

These are the fantasy books and series I’d recommend first if you’re trying to find your next read after Throne of Glass. Some are YA fantasy. Some are adult romantasy. A few lean darker or more political. But every book here gives you at least one strong piece of what makes Sarah J. Maas’s series so addictive.

1. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Best for: rebellion, empire politics, brutal stakes, and characters who suffer beautifully

Series status: 4 books, complete

Start with: An Ember in the Ashes

If I had to pick one series for someone who just finished Throne of Glass, I’d probably hand them An Ember in the Ashes. It doesn’t have the same assassin setup, but it has the same sense that every choice matters and every victory costs something.

Laia is trying to save her brother. Elias is trapped inside a brutal military system he wants to escape. Helene is the one who absolutely stole my heart. The series starts with a sharp, readable hook, then expands into rebellion, war, sacrifice, and all the painful loyalty conflicts I want from this kind of fantasy.

This is the safest first stop if you want a complete series that can hit emotionally after Kingdom of Ash.

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2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Best for: more Sarah J. Maas, fae courts, romance, and big emotional swings

Series status: 5 books published, with more announced

Start with: A Court of Thorns and Roses

This is the obvious pick, but it still belongs near the top. If what you want after Throne of Glass is more Maas, then A Court of Thorns and Roses is the next stop.

It’s more romance-forward than Throne of Glass, especially as the series goes on, but the ingredients are familiar: dangerous fae, magical courts, powerful love interests, hidden threats, and a heroine who changes a lot from the person she is in the first book.

Already read ACOTAR? I also have a full guide to A Court of Thorns and Roses books in order if you want the clean reading path before the next books arrive.

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3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Best for: dragon riders, deadly training, romance, and high-stakes fantasy chaos

Series status: Ongoing, with 3 books published

Start with: Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing is the modern romantasy answer to the “what do I read after Throne of Glass?” question. It’s not the same style of fantasy, but it absolutely understands the appeal of danger, training, power, romance, and a heroine who has to become much harder to survive.

Violet Sorrengail is forced into Basgiath War College, where dragon riders train, students die, and almost everyone has an agenda. The school setting makes the early book easy to get into, while the war and political secrets give the series room to grow beyond the romance.

Read this if you want something newer, bigger, and very bingeable.

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4. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Best for: fae politics, sharp heroines, court games, and enemies with teeth

Series status: Main trilogy complete, with more Elfhame books available

Start with: The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince is a strong pick if your favorite parts of Throne of Glass were the court intrigue, power plays, and dangerous fae. Jude Duarte isn’t Celaena, but she has that same stubborn refusal to be crushed by people who think they’re stronger than her.

This series is less epic-war fantasy and more focused on fae court manipulation, ambition, and betrayal. The romance is there, but it’s wrapped in politics and power plays.

For more detail, I also have a full guide to The Cruel Prince series in order.

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5. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

Best for: political marriage, betrayal, romance, and kingdom-level stakes

Series status: 6 books, complete

Start with: The Bridge Kingdom

The Bridge Kingdom is one of the better picks if you want the romance and political stakes without losing the fantasy-kingdom feel. Lara is trained as a weapon and sent into an enemy kingdom through marriage, which gives the book a very clear hook from the start.

This is less “assassin competition” and more “what happens when the person raised to destroy a kingdom starts questioning everything she was taught.” That puts it in the right emotional lane for Throne of Glass readers.

It’s a great pick if you want romance, strategy, secrets, and a heroine with a lot to unlearn.

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6. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

Best for: deadly trials, vampires, enemies-to-lovers tension, and darker romantasy

Series status: Connected series, with the first duet complete

Start with: The Serpent and the Wings of Night

If you liked the competition angle in Throne of Glass but want something darker and more adult, The Serpent and the Wings of Night is an easy recommendation. It has a deadly tournament, a human heroine surviving among vampires, and romance that grows in the middle of danger.

Oraya is not physically dominant in the way Celaena is, but she’s sharp, careful, and stubborn enough to survive in a world that should crush her. That makes her easy to root for.

This is the pick for readers who want the stakes high, the romance intense, and the world a little bloodier.

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7. Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

Best for: emotional fantasy, slow-burn romance, healing, magic, and war

Series status: 3 books, complete

Start with: Daughter of No Worlds

Daughter of No Worlds is the better Carissa Broadbent pick if you want something closer to the emotional fantasy side of Throne of Glass. It has magic, trauma, rebellion, found strength, and a romance that builds through trust instead of instant heat.

Tisaanah escapes slavery and fights her way toward power, justice, and freedom. Max, the reclusive magic wielder pulled into her orbit, gives the series a quieter center without making the story feel small.

This one works especially well if you want a complete trilogy that gives its characters room to hurt, heal, and fight back.

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8. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

Best for: gothic fantasy, cursed magic, atmosphere, and a tight two-book story

Series status: 2 books, complete

Start with: One Dark Window

One Dark Window isn’t the closest plot match to Throne of Glass, but it’s a strong pick if you want fantasy with a darker edge. It’s tighter and more gothic, with a magic system that actually feels fresh.

Elspeth carries a monster in her mind, and that one sentence should tell you whether this book is for you. The story has court intrigue, secrets, romance, and a creeping sense that every bargain has a cost.

Read this if you want something shorter than another eight-book commitment, but still rich enough to sink into.

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9. Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

Best for: slow-burn romantasy, hidden power, rebellion, and heroine growth

Series status: 3 books published, with the final book scheduled

Start with: Spark of the Everflame

Spark of the Everflame is a good fit for readers who want the newer romantasy lane but still care about the fantasy plot. It has a mortal world ruled by powerful Descended, a heroine pulled into bigger secrets, and the kind of slow-burn tension that keeps readers yelling at their Kindles.

Diem Bellator starts in a much smaller life than the one she’s eventually forced into, which gives the series that “watch her become more than anyone expected” feeling. That’s a big part of why it belongs on this list.

It’s not as polished as every traditionally published fantasy series here, but it understands the emotional shape romantasy readers want.

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10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Best for: strong heroines, dangerous abilities, and classic YA fantasy

Series status: 5 books published

Start with: Graceling

Graceling is one of the older recommendations on this list, but it still makes sense. Katsa is a heroine with an extreme ability, a reputation that scares people, and a life shaped by other people trying to use her.

That alone makes it an easy fit for Throne of Glass readers. It doesn’t have the same romance-heavy pull as the newer romantasy picks, but it has the female-power fantasy and dangerous court backdrop that a lot of readers are looking for.

I’d start with the first book and see how you feel before committing to the whole Graceling Realm.

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11. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Best for: hidden magic, dark power, training, and a larger fantasy universe

Series status: Original trilogy complete, with more Grishaverse books available

Start with: Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone is another classic YA fantasy pick that still fits the search. Alina Starkov discovers a power she didn’t know she had and gets pulled into a world of magical elites, political danger, and a very questionable dark figure with way too much influence.

The first trilogy is not as emotionally huge as Throne of Glass, but the Grishaverse gets stronger as it expands. If you like magic systems, war, chosen-one pressure, and morally complicated power, it’s worth reading.

I have a separate guide to the Shadow and Bone series order if you want the broader Grishaverse path.

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12. Air Awakens by Elise Kova

Best for: elemental magic, a sorcerer prince, and underrated indie fantasy romance

Series status: 5-book main series complete, with spin-offs

Start with: Air Awakens

Air Awakens deserves to stay on the list because it hits a lot of the same YA fantasy pleasure points: hidden magic, royal tension, danger, romance, and a heroine discovering she’s much more powerful than she thought.

Vhalla is a library apprentice who has been taught to fear magic. Then she discovers she has it. Add in a sorcerer prince and an unbreakable magical bond, and you can see why this one works for readers who want something close to the older YA fantasy feel of Throne of Glass.

I also have a guide to the Air Awakens series order if you want the full reading path.

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13. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Best for: female assassins, court danger, convent training, and historical fantasy

Series status: Main trilogy complete, with follow-up books

Start with: Grave Mercy

If you came to Throne of Glass for the assassin angle, Grave Mercy is one of the cleanest matches. It follows girls trained in a convent to serve as assassins, with each book focusing on a different heroine.

This is more historical fantasy than epic fantasy, so don’t expect the same magic-heavy sprawl. But the assassin training, court danger, and female-led structure make it worth including.

It’s also a good pick if you want something with danger and romance, but you don’t want another giant romantasy commitment right away.

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14. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Best for: runaway princesses, secrets, romance, and political fantasy

Series status: Trilogy complete, with a follow-up duology

Start with: The Kiss of Deception

The Kiss of Deception has a princess trying to outrun the life planned for her, which already puts it close enough to the Throne of Glass reader zone. It also has romance, deception, danger, and a twisty setup that makes the first book easy to burn through.

This is one of those series that doesn’t always get as much attention as the obvious big names, but it’s a strong fit if you want YA fantasy with political stakes and a heroine who refuses to be moved around like a chess piece.

Read it when you want something romantic, readable, and complete.

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15. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Best for: class conflict, hidden power, rebellion, and twisty YA fantasy

Series status: 4-book main series complete

Start with: Red Queen

Red Queen used to be one of my all-time favorite YA fantasy series. I’ve found a lot of newer fantasy and romantasy since then, but this one still belongs on the list because the core appeal is very similar: an underestimated girl, a dangerous court, hidden power, rebellion, and a world built on cruelty.

Mare Barrow is a Red in a world ruled by Silver-blooded elites with godlike abilities. Then everyone discovers she has a power she shouldn’t have, and the whole system starts to crack around her.

I’ll be honest: the final book is not my favorite. But the first book is still an extremely strong “read after Throne of Glass” pick, especially if you want a YA fantasy series with rebellion and court tension.

Books That Almost Made the List

There are a few popular fantasy books I considered, but I wouldn’t put them in the main ranked list anymore. Some are great books. They just don’t match the Throne of Glass reader as cleanly as the picks above.

• The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni: This is a solid fit for trials, prison danger, and a resilient heroine, but I’d still start with An Ember in the Ashes or Fourth Wing first.
• The Young Elites by Marie Lu: Adelina is a fascinating anti-hero, but the series goes darker and more morally warped than what many Throne of Glass readers are asking for.
• Truthwitch by Susan Dennard: I still love this one, but it’s a slower, denser recommendation. It’s better for readers who specifically want complex magic and friendship bonds.
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi: This belongs in the broader YA fantasy conversation, but it’s not the strongest direct match for this particular list.
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer: I love the Cinderella-retelling connection, especially since Throne of Glass started with Cinderella DNA, but the sci-fi setting makes it a side recommendation.
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Great dragon fantasy, but it skews more classic adventure and doesn’t match the heroine, romance, or court-politics angle as well.
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman: Fantastic series. Wrong list. It’s dystopian, closer to The Hunger Games than Throne of Glass.

Looking for More Books in Order?

If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• Sarah J. Maas Books in Order
• A Court of Thorns and Roses Books in Order
• Shatter Me Books in Order