February sees the first instalment of Helen Scheuerer’s new spicy romantasy series brimming with assassins, alchemy, warriors and lush world building – alongside sizzling chemistry between the two leads. Already known for taking TikTok by storm with The Oremere Chronicles series, we can’t wait to get stuck into Iron & Embers. Ahead of the release, Helen broke down seven of her must-read romantasy books that are in her TBR pile.
To me, romantasy is an escape in its purest form. Whether it’s an epic quest, a world of mesmerising magic or a hot, brooding warrior hero, it’s a genre that you can sink into and forget whatever chaos is happening in your own life. What I love is that it gives women a safe space to explore deeper themes in a fantastical setting – sexism, misogyny, gender roles and biases, the confines of being brought up in a patriarchal society, all the while having fun with magic, swords and sweeping love stories.
It’s been an incredible few years in the genre, with so many amazing releases… So when I’m done with deadlines and drafting, here’s what I’ve got lined up on my TBR…
Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli
I read the first two books in Nisha J. Tuli’s Artefacts of Ouranos quartet earlier this year and found the world so easy to fall into, and the characters easy to love. Described as “The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games”, Tuli’s work is utterly binge-able, and her sense of humour made me cackle – you only need to see the opening line of Book 1 to see why. So naturally, The Fate of the Sun King is on my kindle calling my name…
Buy a copy of Fate of the Sun King here.
Master of Crows by Grace Draven
I absolutely adored Radiance by Grace Draven and I instantly put her entire backlist on my TBR. The one at the top of the list is Master of Crows which promises bargains, sorcerers and falling in love with the man you’re meant to turn over to the conclave of justice. Draven is known for her beautiful prose, unique worlds and sweeping love stories, so I’m just itching to get my hands on a copy of this!
Buy a copy of Master of Crows here.
Architecti by Ruby Roe
The premise “Never make a deal with the devil, and if you do, don’t fall in love with his daughter” had me gleeful and giddy. Dubbed a dark, gothic (and sapphic) romantasy with plenty of spice and banter, it’s the first book in Ruby Roe’s upcoming Deals of Dark Descent duet.
I was lucky enough to read Roe’s first romantasy series, Girl Games, in its early form (also addictive by the way) and I’m so excited to see how her third series unfolds.
Buy a copy of Architecti here.
Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
Um… an enchanted library? Not one, but two handsome fae? Count me in. I love an ambitious heroine and Lore Alemeyu sounds like my kind of leading lady with her thirst for power and magic.
The reviews I’ve read praise Sbrana for her immersive worldbuilding, and let me tell you, I’m a sucker for feasts, taverns and castles to say the least!
Buy a copy of Lore of the Wilds here.
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
I’ve been following Elise Kova’s career for years, and I find her incredibly inspiring as an author as she continues to go from strength to strength. When she announced Arcana Academy with its unique magic system of inking tarot cards and a heart-stopping romance, I added it to my pre-order list immediately.
Buy a copy of Arcana Academy here.
Heir by Sabaa Tahir
I absolutely adored Tahir’s series, An Ember in the Ashes and when I found out Heir takes place 20 years after those events, I added Heir to my TBR instantly. When the blurb starts with “An orphan. An outcast. A prince. And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees”, how could you not? And what about that cover?? It’s stunning!
Buy a copy of Heir here.
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
With a few exceptions, I don’t generally read much historical fiction, but when I saw that What the River Knows had been described as “The Mummy meets Death on the Nile” and “an immersive historical romantasy”, I was sold.
Ibañez has been praised for her laugh out loud banter and masterful chemistry, which is exactly the sort of reading experience I want in my life.
Buy a copy of What The River Knows here.
Helen’s latest release Iron & Embers is released on February 6th, you can grab a copy here.