It's not hard to see why Rebecca Yarros' spectacular fantasy novel Fourth Wing has become such a phenomenal word-of-mouth success on BookTok and other online literature communities. Featuring dragons, elite - yet shadowy - organisations, thrilling adventure and pulse-quickening romance, it really does have it all. If you are one of the millions of readers who has already devoured not only the first part of Violet Sorrengail's story but also the scintillating sequel Iron Flame, we have selected some page-turning fantasy reads with similar themes and tones to the bestseller on everybody's lips.
First things first - dragons. Fourth Wing is packed with them and it is great credit to Rebecca Yarros' world-building skills that she makes them such a completely credible and vivid part of the narrative. Our scaly friends have been well served in fantasy fiction, from Naomi Novik's Napoleonic fire-breathers to the formidable High-Westerns of Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree, and there have even been brilliantly drawn dragon riders before as well, as evidenced by Christopher Paolini's Eragon.
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Set in an impeccably realised world of dragons, warring factions and underground rebellion, The Priory of the Orange Tree has all the hallmarks of a fantasy classic.
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Brilliantly reimagining the Napoleonic Wars with added dragons, Novik's captivating historical fantasy finds a swashbuckling naval captain bonded to a freshly hatched dragon bound for Napoleon.
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The pulsating first instalment of Lam's epic fantasy finds the last male dragon summoned in human form and forced to kill a thief to secure his destiny.
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The opening novel in Paolini’s bestselling The Inheritance Cycle, Eragon is a superbly crafted story of destiny, magic and affection between a boy and a dragon.
Crucial to that remarkable world-building mentioned earlier is the creation of a social system, elite establishment and - with alarming frequency - deadly tournament that grounds the more phantasmagorical elements in a semblance of recognisable reality. In Fourth Wing it's the brutal, survival-of-the-fittest ethos of Basgiath War College; in Jay Kristoff's Nevernight it's the chilling Red Church of Itreya and in Veronica Roth's classic Divergent it's the all-consuming Five Factions.
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The seminal YA fantasy that spawned a legion of imitators, Divergent follows Beatrice Prior as she undergoes initiation into one of the five factions that will decide her fate for the rest of her life.
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With stark, profound things to say about media exploitation and teen disaffection, Suzanne Collins’ now-iconic YA work is a hard-edged, relentlessly thrilling triumph that continues to hold readers entranced.
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Gloriously gory and addictive, the first volume in Kristoff's bestselling Nevernight Chronicles finds the gifted assassin Mia enrolling at the mysterious Red Church of Itreya to hone her deadly craft.
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The Hunger Games meets Antony and Cleopatra in this blistering opening instalment of Gong's Flesh and False Gods series, where an avenging princess and a debt-ridden fighter join forces to win a set of deadly contests.
Mind you, dragons and world-building are all very well but, let's be honest, romantasy wouldn't be romantasy without a bit of spice. Whilst the love story between Violet and Xander Riorson in Fourth Wing certainly has its steamy moments, it never feels gratuitous and makes brilliant use of the enemies-to-lovers and love triangle tropes - as do the seriously sexy books below.
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Dripping with passion and danger, this tantalising opening to the bestselling fantasy romance series (inspired by Beauty and the Beast) from Sarah J Maas follows mortal Feyre who, after accidentally killing a faerie, finds herself hostage in the mystical lands of Prythian.
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The bestselling author of the Blood and Ash series weaves another saga of addictive fantasy romance as a baron, a prince and a girl whose intuition never fails find themselves at the mercy of dark forces massing outside the city gates.
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The scintillating opening instalment of Tucker's Fate and Flame series weaves elven societies and elemental magic into the enchanting story of a jewel thief transformed into a princess at the mercy of a prince who detests her.
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Thrilling and romantic, An Ember in the Ashes kickstarts Tahir's blazing fantasy quartet in fine style as Laia is forced to spy on the ruthless commandant of a military academy in order to save her brother.
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Perfect reading for fans of Fourth Wing, Hashem's blazing fantasy debut finds a fugitive queen playing a deadly game with both her kingdom and her heart as a formidable opponent threatens all she holds dear.
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Brie must choose between her head and heart when she finds herself caught between two rival faerie courts in this mesmerising slice of fantasy romance.
Finally, Fourth Wing is part of a very welcome trend of positive disability representation in modern fantasy literature. Violet's Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (which mirrors Yarros' own) affects the connective tissues in her body and is handled with great sensitivity and empathy. In this respect, Fourth Wing takes its place alongside Hannah Kaner's Godkiller and Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows as excellent examples of stories where disability is woven credibly into the main narrative and primary characterisation.
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A slayer of gods and a disillusioned knight must join forces in a perilous quest to defeat an indestructible deity in Kaner's breathtaking fantasy debut.
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Combining an intricate heist narrative with some truly breathtaking world-building, Bardugo's modern classic YA fantasy boasts unforgettable characters, jaw-dropping action and rich, immersive prose aplenty.
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