Romantic fantasy is even better when the magic feels fresh and a little unexpected. Unusual magic systems can raise the stakes, add tension, and make the romance hit harder, especially when the rules of power directly affect the characters and their relationships. When magic is not easy or predictable, neither is falling in love.
In this list, we are sharing five romantic fantasy books that combine swoony romance with creative, standout magic systems. These stories keep things fun, emotional, and engaging, proving that a great love story and inventive magic are an unbeatable combination.
1. The Lies of Lena by Kylie Snow
Passionate and Dark. Forbidden Romance. Forced Proximity. Angst.
The Otacian Chronicles is a Dark Romantasy that will progressively get darker as the series continues. Please be mindful of the content warnings.
Lena Daelyra has always lived in fear, as do most Mages in Tovagoth. Mages are discriminated against, hunted for sport, and have no laws that provide them protection. She has kept to herself her entire life, even after she and her mother found a permanent residence in the kingdom of Otacia. That is until she meets Quill Callon, a handsome resident of the Inner Ring, who agrees to train her in weaponry—a safe way of defending herself. As her feelings for Quill develop, she is taunted by the reminder that she can never show her true self, show what she really is. Not even to him.
Silas La’Rune, Crown Prince of Otacia, has been kept inside the castle walls since he was five years old, since the kidnapping and murder of his younger sister, the Princess. He hasn’t known freedom. Hasn’t even seen his kingdom, except from the castle windows. It isn’t until the Queen allows him one day outside the walls that he sees Otacia for himself. One day that changes everything.
When something devastating separates Lena from the man she grows to love, things are not the same when they find each other five years later. Not at all.
And when Lena and Silas’s story finally becomes intertwined, it is clear the fate of Magekind rests on both of their shoulders.
2. When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.
They certainly did not expect them to fall.
As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.
Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.
The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …
They’re too poisonous to swallow.
When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.
3. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.
But nothing comes for free, especially magic.
When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.
Together they must gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.
4. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
A gifted tailor in disguise.
Three legendary dresses.
The competition of a lifetime.
On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, once a tailor of renown. She dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well.
When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
The competition is cutthroat, and Maia’s job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them . . .
5. A Magic Steeped In Poison by Judy I. Lin
For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.
When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.
But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.
Which one is your favourite?
Books are always a very personal choice and we try our best to make sure our lists are a accurate as possible. But, maybe you have a different opinion, or want to add something to this post.
We’d love to hear it!
Comment below and share your favourite book that we missed on this list.
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