The best fantasy novels to make you swoon

Why are we passionate about this?

As co-authors of cross-over romantic fantasy, best friends, and soon-to-be sisters-in-law, Katie and I share a great love of all things fantasy romance. Our favourite novel, The Princess Bride, was a huge inspiration for our own book, Twin Crowns, which aims to capture the swoony romance, laugh-out-loud humour and rollicking adventure found in so many of the novels that we love. 


We wrote...

Book cover of Twin Crowns

What is our book about?

Bestselling authors Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber join forces on an utterly compelling YA romantic fantasy bursting with high-stakes adventure.

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister's place in the palace. Trained from birth to avenge her parents' murder and usurp the princess, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility including marriage into a brutal kingdom. Life outside the palace walls is a place to be feared and she is soon to discover that it's wilder than she ever imagined. Twin sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other's lives a whole lot better. 

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The books we picked & why

Book cover of The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure

Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Why did I love this book?

A perfect swashbuckling fairytale, full of sweeping romance, dastardly villains and epic adventure, The Princess Bride has everything we love in a classic fantasy novel. With great wit and aplomb, this literary treasure tells the story of beautiful, kidnapped princess Buttercup and her runaway farm-boy-turned-pirate paramour, Wesley, and the love story that brings them back together again. This novel is just pure fun from the first page to the last!

By William Goldman,

Why should I read it?

18 authors picked The Princess Bride as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

William Goldman’s beloved story of Buttercup, Westley, and their fellow adventurers.

This tale of true love, high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts was unforgettably depicted in the 1987 film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Fred Savage, Robin Wright, and others. But, rich in character and satire, the novel boasts even more layers of ingenious storytelling. Set in 1941 and framed cleverly as an “abridged” retelling of a centuries-old tale set in the fabled country of Florin, home to “Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest…


Book cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses

Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Why did I love this book?

Inspired by Beauty and the BeastA Court of Thorns and Roses has all the ingredients we look for in YA fantasy — a tantalising enemies-to-lovers plot, lots of courtly intrigues, fae mythology, a mile-a-minute plot, heaps of sizzling sexual tension, and an incredible twist that leaves you desperate for more. However, in order to fully appreciate the magic of A Court of Thorns and Roses we recommend you read the whole trilogy, which just gets better and better! 

By Sarah J. Maas,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked A Court of Thorns and Roses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Experience Feyre Archeron's journey all over again with the beautiful collector's edition of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the seductive first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series by Sarah J. Maas, featuring a deluxe new package, an updated map, ribbon pull, and more! When nineteen-year-old Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin-one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she…


Book cover of Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Why did I love this book?

This is a brilliant urban fantasy about 17-year-old Karou, a spunky blue-haired teenager who lives with a foot in two worlds – our own, and one inhabited by all manner of monsters, good and mad. Amidst the wreckage of an ongoing war, Karou finds love with the angelic Akiva, the two fast becoming a kind of Romeo & Juliet in this sophisticated tale full of mythology and magic, which moves seamlessly from the streets of Prague to an intricate otherworld of the author’s own creation, without missing a step. It’s epic and swoony, and utterly unputdownable! 

By Laini Taylor,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Daughter of Smoke & Bone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

The 10th anniversary edition of the first in Laini Taylor's breathtaking fantasy trilogy

'Remarkable and beautifully written . . . The opening volume of a truly original trilogy.' GUARDIAN

Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.

When Brimstone called, she always came.

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a…


Book cover of Outlander

Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Why did I love this book?

The Outlander books have taken the fantasy world by storm and with good reason – there is something truly riveting about the enduring love story between time-travelling nurse, Claire Beauchamp Randall (formerly of the year 1945), and her highlander beau Jamie Fraser, who resides in war-torn Scotland in 1743. The novel seamlessly combines rich historical fiction with a sweeping love story that is so convincing, it makes the aspect of time travel seem just as believable as the wild and rugged landscape wherein it happens. This is one to savour, and re-read as often as you like! 

By Diana Gabaldon,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first book in Diana Gabaldon’s acclaimed Outlander saga, the basis for the Starz original series.

One of the top ten best-loved novels in America, as seen on PBS’s The Great American Read!
 
Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and…


Book cover of This Woven Kingdom

Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Why did I love this book?

Mafi weaves her story with such poetry and lyricism that it’s impossible not to pause for a moment and take stock of how expertly a character or setting is introduced every couple of chapters. The romance here is a slow, aching burn, but the pay-off is certainly worth it. Inspired by lush Persian mythology, the chance meeting between Alizeh, a magical Jinn masquerading as a lower servant, and Prince Kamran, the king’s grandson, makes for a compelling forbidden romance that anchors the wider plot of political intrigue and betrayal, which is in some ways reminiscent of Game of Thrones.

By Tahereh Mafi,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Instant New York Times bestseller
Instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller
Instant Indie bestseller
Instant USA Today bestseller

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people-New York Times bestselling author Tahereh Mafi's first novel in this epic, romantic fantasy series inspired by Persian mythology.

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant…


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Ferry to Cooperation Island

By Carol Newman Cronin,

Book cover of Ferry to Cooperation Island

Carol Newman Cronin Author Of Ferry to Cooperation Island

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Sailor Olympian Editor New Englander Rum drinker

Carol's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

James Malloy is a ferry captain--or used to be, until he was unceremoniously fired and replaced by a "girl" named Courtney Farris. Now, instead of piloting Brenton Island’s daily lifeline to the glitzy docks of Newport, Rhode Island, James spends his days beached, bitter, and bored.

When he discovers a plan for a private golf course on wilderness sacred to his dying best friend, James is determined to stop such "improvements." But despite Brenton's nickname as "Cooperation Island," he's used to working solo. To keep historic trees and ocean shoreline open to all, he'll have to learn to cooperate with other islanders--including Captain Courtney, who might just morph from irritant to irresistible once James learns a secret that's been kept from him for years.

Ferry to Cooperation Island

By Carol Newman Cronin,

What is this book about?

Loner James Malloy is a ferry captain-or used to be, until he was unceremoniously fired and replaced by a girl named Courtney Farris. Now, instead of piloting Brenton Island's daily lifeline to the glitzy docks of Newport, Rhode Island, James spends his days beached, bitter, and bored.

When he discovers a private golf course staked out across wilderness sacred to his dying best friend, a Narragansett Indian, James is determined to stop such "improvements." But despite Brenton's nickname as "Cooperation Island," he's used to working solo. To keep rocky bluffs, historic trees, and ocean shoreline open to all, he'll have…


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