The best fantasy books to break your heart with forbidden romance

By Aamna Qureshi

Who am I?

I’ve always loved reading young adult fantasy books with forbidden romance and lush worldbuilding and classic fairytale elements like princesses, dancing, pretty clothes, and delicious food spreads. All these books offer fresh takes and twists, and tug at your heartstrings with the angst, the betrayals, the secrets, and the love. These are all immersive stories that transport you far away, to a different time, to a different land, which is exactly what you need sometimes to get away from this world and its craziness.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

The Winner's Curse

By Marie Rutkoski,

Why did I love this book?

Kestrel is a pampered society girl hoping for her father’s approval. While she doesn't know how to fight well, she can still protect herself with her wits. She is pretty and clever but also terribly lonely and a bit stifled in her life. She finds herself befriending and then falling in love with Arin, a man who is secretly plotting the demise of Kestrel’s people. The angst in this story is unparalleled, and coupled with gorgeous outfits, glittering ballrooms, and stunning prose, this book is bound to break your heart.

The Winner's Curse

By Marie Rutkoski,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Winner's Curse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE HEART-STOPPING WINNER'S TRILOGY: an irresistible story of forbidden romance and class warfare 'Every line in The Winner's Curse is beautifully written. The story is masterfully plotted. The characters' dilemmas fascinated me and tore at my heart... I loved it. I want more.' Kristin Cashore, author of the Graceling Realm books Winning what you want may cost you everything you love. As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. Kestrel has other ideas. One day,…

Explore

Topics

Genres

Cruel Beauty

By Rosamund Hodge,

Why did I love this book?

Nyx will do anything to save her people, including marrying the terrible Ignifex, the evil ruler of her kingdom. But there is more to Ignifex than she initially imagined, and as Nyx falls in love with him, she fights to find a way to save both her people and her love. This book portrays such fun banter between Nyx and Ignifex and poses a truly difficult riddle that is bound to break your heart.

Cruel Beauty

By Rosamund Hodge,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Cruel Beauty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you're excited about the upcoming Disney film Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, don't miss Cruel Beauty. The romance of Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of Graceling in this dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Perfect for fans of bestselling An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a romance sure to take your breath away. Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known…

Explore

Topics

Genres

To Kill a Kingdom

By Alexandra Christo,

Why did I love this book?

When Lira is banished by her mother, she will do anything to win back her mother’s favor, including killing Elian. She doesn’t expect them to become reluctant allies and friends, nor does she expect to fall in love with him against the backdrop of a story with high stakes, lush world-building, and action-packed sea adventures. With a siren princess and a human pirate prince who wishes to slay her, this book brings forth a forbidden romance that is bound to break your heart.

To Kill a Kingdom

By Alexandra Christo,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked To Kill a Kingdom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A TIKTOK sensation!

An unforgettable dark romantic YA fantasy about the siren with a taste for royal blood and the prince who has sworn to destroy her.

"Stellar world building and nonstop action will keep readers hooked on this twisted reimagining of 'The Little Mermaid'." Booklist Online

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing…

Explore

Topics

Genres

Fantasy

The Wrath & the Dawn

By Renée Ahdieh,

Why did I love this book?

Shazi is a headstrong, stubborn girl who marries the ruthless caliph of her kingdom with the intention of killing him. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with him, which thwarts all of her plans. This book easily transports you to an Arabian caliphate with the gorgeous descriptions of setting, food, and clothes, and the relationship between Shazi and Khalid is wonderful to witness blossoming. This book keeps you at the edge of your seat and gives you an ending that is bound to break your heart.

The Wrath & the Dawn

By Renée Ahdieh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Wrath & the Dawn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of TIME magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

A #1 New York Times bestseller and a sumptuous, epic tale inspired by A Thousand and One Nights.

'A riveting Game of Thrones meets Arabian Nights love story' US Weekly

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a terrible surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and…

Explore

Topics

Genres

These Violent Delights

By Chloe Gong,

Why did I love this book?

Juliette has just returned to Shanghai and there she is met with complicated politics, a strange mystery, and a forbidden romance she cannot forget. She is forced to work with her enemy, Roma, and their relationship goes from enemies to reluctant allies to friends to lovers and shifts back and forth in a truly angst-ridden novel. Juliette and Roma both are trying to solidify their standing as prince and princess of their gangs, but to do so might mean forsaking one another, the aftermath of which will break your heart.

These Violent Delights

By Chloe Gong,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked These Violent Delights as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A deliciously dark twist on Romeo and Juliet' Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire

In glittering Shanghai, a monster awakens . . .

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city in chaos.

Juliette Cai is the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang - a network of criminals far above the law.

Roma Montagov is the prodigal son of her greatest rivals, the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. He is also Juliette's…

Explore

Topics

Genres

5 book lists we think you will like!

The best young adult books on retellings that capture the imagination

The best young adult fantasy/sci fi novels about female characters who don't care if you like them or not

The best urban fantasy books with diverse characters

The best young adult fantasy books with pirates and magic

The best young adult fairytale retellings

Interested in romantic love, murder, and murder mystery?

9,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about romantic love, murder, and murder mystery.

Romantic Love Explore 654 books about romantic love

Murder Explore 727 books about murder

Murder Mystery Explore 384 books about murder mystery

And, 3 books we think you will enjoy!

We think you will like Entwined, East, and Gideon the Ninth if you like this list.

Entwined

By Heather Dixon,

From the list on adult fairytale retellings.

By Joanna Ruth Meyer Author

Why did Joanna love this book?

This is my favorite The Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling! Heather Dixon includes all twelve princesses, named after various plants, and gives them distinct enough personalities that not only can you keep them straight, you care about each one. This story follows Azalea, the eldest of the twelve sisters, and the mysterious Keeper, who invites the princesses to dance every night in his silver forest. But the Keeper likes to keep things, and can Azalea bear to pay the cost? Eerie and gorgeous, romantic and masterful!

Entwined

By Heather Dixon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Entwined as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Come and mend your broken hearts here. In this retelling of the classic tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," the eldest princess must fight to save her family—and her heart—from an ancient dark magic within the palace walls. "Full of mystery, lush settings, and fully orbed characters, Dixon's debut is both suspenseful and rewarding."—ALA Booklist

Just when Azalea should feel that everything is before her—beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing—it's taken away. All of it. And Azalea is trapped. The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. So he extends an invitation.…

Explore

Topics

Genres

Fantasy

East

By Edith Pattou,

From the list on fantasy to reignite your sense of wonder.

By Alexandria Miracola Author

Why did Alexandria love this book?

This is a retelling of the classic fairy tale, and it’s a world that I love to disappear into year after year. East challenged me to see beyond the surface of my circumstances and gave a glimpse of the treasure that was only waiting for me to have the eyes to see it. It’s the book that convinced me that the reality of grief wasn’t the end of my family’s story.

East

By Edith Pattou,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked East as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Full of fear and excitement, Rose, a young woman, journeys to a distant castle on the back of a great white bear, only to find that her journey has just begun, in a retelling of the classic tale, "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." Jr. Lib Guild. An ALA Notable Book & Top Ten Best Books for Young Readers. Reprint.

Explore

Topics

Genres

Gideon the Ninth

By Tamsyn Muir,

From the list on queer stories about time and space travel.

By Hannah Fergesen Author

Why did Hannah love this book?

Okay I’m fibbing a bit again with this one, but the books in this series are unabashedly queer and weird, and the method of space travel is like nothing you’ve ever seen.

These books fall much more clearly on the line of space fantasy than straight-up sci-fi, but they are wild and unforgettable reads. Gideon Nav is the titular character of Gideon the Ninth. She’s hilarious, goofy, loyal to an absolute fault, and utterly filthy. The other characters will break your heart and patch it up multiple times over the course of this book and the others.

Thankfully, most of them are necromancers and the scars will be seamlessly healed each time, even though the memory of them will be seared on your heart.

Gideon the Ninth

By Tamsyn Muir,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked Gideon the Ninth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

15+ pages of new, original content, including a glossary of terms, in-universe writings, and more!

A USA Today Best-Selling Novel!

"Unlike anything I've ever read. " --V.E. Schwab

"Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!" --Charles Stross

"Brilliantly original, messy and weird straight through." --NPR

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.

Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth, first in The Locked Tomb Trilogy, unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as…

Explore

Topics

Lesbian topics and characters

Genres

The best fantasy books to break your heart with forbidden romance

Who am I?

I wrote...

The Lady or the Lion

What is my book about?

The books I picked & why

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

Why did I love this book?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in romantic love, murder, and murder mystery?

And, 3 books we think you will enjoy!

Who am I?

Joanna's book list on adult fairytale retellings

Why did Joanna love this book?

Who am I?

Alexandria's book list on fantasy to reignite your sense of wonder

Why did Alexandria love this book?

Who am I?

Hannah's book list on queer stories about time and space travel

Why did Hannah love this book?