What Makes Sarah J. Maas’ Books So Popular
Sarah J. Maas has become one of the defining authors of the romantasy genre, a blend of fantasy and romance that has surged in popularity over the past decade, driven substantially by BookTok. Her series, including A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City, combine detailed world-building, strong female protagonists, court politics, and slow-burn romantic tension, a formula that’s inspired a large and growing wave of readalike recommendations from readers who finish her backlist wanting more of the same feeling.
Authors Who Deliver Similar Fae and Court Politics
- Holly Black, known for The Cruel Prince and the broader Folk of the Air series, offers dark, immersive faerie court stories with morally complex characters and high-stakes political intrigue.
- Jennifer L. Armentrout blends fantasy, romance, and fast-paced drama across her Blood and Ash series and its Flesh and Fire prequel, delivering the same forbidden-romance tension Maas fans tend to love.
- Carissa Broadbent is frequently cited for dark, deliberately paced world-building and courts, appealing to readers who want the political complexity of Maas’ work alongside strong romantic chemistry.
- Lexi Ryan’s These Hollow Vows duology follows a mortal girl infiltrating rival faerie courts, offering similar fae-court drama in a format appropriate for slightly younger readers.
For Fans of Throne of Glass’s Action and Politics
Readers who gravitated more toward Throne of Glass’s action, political intrigue, and epic-fantasy scale than ACOTAR’s romance-forward tone may enjoy Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series, which centers on power struggles, betrayal, and a heroine navigating a brutal social hierarchy. Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes offers a darker tone and higher emotional stakes, delivering the kind of momentum that makes it difficult to put down without being a direct Maas clone.
For Fans of the Crescent City Series
Readers drawn specifically to Crescent City’s modern fantasy setting, which blends contemporary technology with a fae-populated world, may find similar appeal in urban fantasy series that combine magical politics with a recognizably modern backdrop. When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker has also been frequently recommended for readers who enjoyed both Throne of Glass and ACOTAR, offering slow-burn romance, witty banter, and dragon-focused world-building.
Standalone Romantasy Picks
For readers who prefer a complete story without committing to a multi-book series, standalone or shorter romantasy titles like Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana offer similar fae-focused world-building and romantic tension in a more contained format, following a heroine who must strike a deal with a fae lord to venture beyond her imprisoned village. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, a Beauty and the Beast-inspired retelling, has also drawn comparisons to the Tamlin storyline in ACOTAR.
How to Choose Where to Start
For readers who loved ACOTAR’s romance-forward tone, Holly Black and Jennifer L. Armentrout are typically the strongest starting points. For readers who preferred Throne of Glass’s political scale and action, Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir tend to be better matches. Since romantasy readers don’t all want the exact same blend of romance versus action, narrowing down which specific Maas series resonated most is usually the fastest way to find the next great match.
Final Thoughts
With romantasy continuing to grow as a genre, readers who’ve finished Sarah J. Maas’ backlist have no shortage of strong readalikes to explore, from Holly Black’s dark faerie courts to Jennifer L. Armentrout’s fast-paced forbidden romances. Matching the specific elements that resonated most, whether that’s political intrigue, slow-burn romance, or immersive world-building, remains the most reliable way to find a genuinely satisfying next series.