70 books like Kiss the Fae

House of Earth and Blood was the first new adult fantasy book that I read that made me fall back in love with the fantasy genre. I had rediscovered my love for reading in my late teens after not reading much for a few years. Bryce Quinlan reminded me a lot of myself. In that, she was the first lead female character who isn’t thin and petite. Rather, Bryce is curvy and different from other women that Sarah J. Maas has written. I instantly felt drawn in by Bryce and her carefree attitude in the first half of the book. Her strength is admirable and authentic. Her story and struggles captured me much like many readers.

Though Bryce does have her struggles as being defined as a “party girl,” she is so much more than the label. Beneath it all, Bryce is someone you can’t help but to root for,… show more.

Petra’s journey is riddled in tragedy, yet with each devastating blow, Petra refuses to break. The Sins of Saints is another refreshing, powerful new adult fantasy with a strong female main character that you can’t help to root for. Not only that, but Lauren M. Leasure doesn’t shy away from the harsh brutal truth of Petra’s life. The Eserene slums that Petra lives in is so detailed that I can picture myself there. The story unfolds in a clever duality, with portions highlighting her troubled past while meshing with Petra’s troubling present. I find that because Petra isn’t portrayed as perfect, and that she has flaws makes her that much more relatable. Prepare for this story to sink its claws into you as you read Petra’s story!  

This epic fantasy romance will sweep you off your feet with all the deceit, betrayal, twists, and turns. I devoured this book and fell in love with Fallon. Not only did I laugh with her, but I found her personality to be charming and endearing. Her personal growth in the book is what makes you cheer her on as she learns more and more about herself and the journey she takes. The worldbuilding sucked me right in, and I found myself enraptured by the serpent charmer. Olivia Wildenstein’s House of Beating Wings has all the things I gravitate towards when it comes to fantasy: magic, fae, curious creatures, wondrous worldbuilding, multiple potential love interests to keep you guessing, and snarky humor. 

I don’t know where to start. I read all three books back to back.

It was too hard to back away from Tisaanah and Max’s story spanning all three books. I had to know what happened next to them and what choices they were going to make.

The world-building is amazing and all I could hope was that Tisaanah would make it to the next obstacle in her way to free her people along with the best friend she left behind when she fled slavery. Now she needs to learn magic and hopefully lead a rebellion before it is too late.

A more recent read for me was The Wicked Woods Chronicles by Indie author L. V. Russell.

Russell weaves a tale of faeries and love in this dark fantasy that is wickedly satisfying. Teya stumbles into the forest of the faerie and finds herself entangled with creatures ranging from monstrous to beautiful.

When she meets Laphaniel, it is not love at first sight, but as her journey into the land of the faeries continues, love blooms in unexpected ways. This love story is set in a world that is mystical and enchanting while horrifying at the same time.

The romance is prevalent throughout the series, beckoning us to read further to discover Teya and Laphaniel’s fate.

Mysterious victorian missionaries with dark secrets in the land of the fae. I truly do not know how to sell this book any better. I tend to recommend gothic literature for historical fiction newbies, since the emotional stakes are always so high and the plots often bend close to horror or fantasy, and this one is no different. The worldbuilding is spectacular, and it plays on the tropes of classic gothic novels in a way that’s knowing, clever, and never dry or stilted. No wonder Ng won the Hugo for best new author when she released this book—it deserves it.

I love children’s series that encourage young readers to keep track of what their favorite character is up to in the next book…and the next. Pixie Tricks is an early chapter book series that does just that. In the first book, the main character finds a portal to the fairy world right in her own backyard. In the following books, she must deal with baffling situations such as mysteriously leaking faucets and figuring out a way to rescue her cousin who is somehow trapped inside a video game. There are 5 books in this series and children ages 6 to 8 love to collect them all.

The first chapter is titled "Butt Cobras". That was enough of a recommendation for me! I loved the sense of humor throughout this book, including the over-the-top Jewish mother and the fact that our heroine, Talia, is a tattoo artist who’s afraid of needles and has no tattoos of her own. Add in magical tattoos that come to life—including the titular butt cobra and a rainbow-colored bird named Biscuit—a trek through the fae lands where carnivorous magical plants try to eat her, vampires are real, and a siren saves her life in exchange for a vial of her blood... and well, you have an action-packed adventure that’s nearly impossible to put down.

I would classify this book as mainly fantasy, but it has a strong romantic subplot, so I’m counting it for this list! It is book 5 in the ACOTAR series and while it is told from a new character's POV it would definitely help in understanding the world to start at the beginning (you won’t regret it). Nesta, our heroine, starts this book broken and alone. She has pushed away everyone who loves her. Nesta’s character arc in this book is one of the best I’ve ever read. It is slow and painful, but watching her overcome her past trauma and emerge triumphant is amazing. In the end, Nesta saves herself by finally accepting help from her friends and family and especially the sexy warrior who loves her, Cassian. It would be a mistake to think a heroine needs to stand alone to save herself. Sometimes real strength means knowing… show more.

Sophie tries to hide the fact that she’s a witch, but when one of her spells goes wrong she finds herself shipped off to reform school for witches and shifters. She didn’t grow up in this life which means she has a lot of catching up to do. She has no intention of letting the other mean girl witches tell her what to do. Too bad her roommate is suspected of killing off their classmates.