12 books to read instead of acotar and fourth wing
literally.
Let’s face it: these two fantasy series are everywhere. I can’t escape it because it’s always being recommended, and their fan arts do a lot of numbers online. But every time I see these books get recommended, I get iffy because readers talk about them all the time and act as if they’re life-changing.
But in reality, they’re just mediocre in my eyes, and I wish people stopped supporting the authors because they’re problematic.
So instead of those books, why not read these fantasy reads instead?
1. The Jasmine Throne, Tasha Suri
The Jasmine Throne is a part of The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy, which is a fantasy series set in a world inspired by ancient India. It follows the story of Priya and Malini — a captive princess and a maidservant.
“You are like ink, Malini thought helplessly. Ink, and all I want is to make poetry of you.”
While I found the pacing too slow, I still recommended it because it’s a fantasy series worth reading. I read the trilogy's first two books last year, and I was intrigued by the world it was set in. I also liked the concept of morally grey protagonists and their relationship with one another. There were so many devastating quotes for them in The Oleander Sword (Book 2), and I think writing this blog is a sign for me to pick up The Lotus Empire.
2. These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong will always have a place in my heart as the book that got me back into reading in 2018. At the time, I was hooked. I loved exploring a glittering Shanghai in the 1920s through a Romeo and Juliette retelling and falling in love with its cast.
After the duology ended, I was eager to hop into the world of Foul Lady Fortune — spies, a marriage of convenience, chaos, a lethal assassin, and an amazing friend group. Last Violent Call (the novella) was heartwarming and nostalgic as we revisit the characters of Chloe’s first duology.
3. Jade City, Fonda Lee
This is another sci-fi/fantasy kick-ass book you should pick up, especially if you like films like The Godfather.
Jade City is the first book in the Green Bone Saga — a trilogy about kung-fu, rival clans, a powerful family (the Kauls), betrayal, and revenge. I pictured an epic Wong Kar-Wai movie in my head the whole time when I was reading this book, and the series is an exhilarating experience. There’s a lot of action, ass-kicking, and drama to fill up the time, so why not pick this one up too?
Side note: I know I rated Jade War and Jade Legacy low but I’ll still recommend it because I know a lot of people who love the series.
4. We Hunt The Flame, Hafsah Faizal
I have already talked about Hafsah’s fantasy duology a couple of times now on my Substack, but let me do it again. The slow burn is worth the journey of starting We Hunt The Flame for the first time, and the chapters are short. The tension between Zafira and Nasir is intoxicating, and it’s also enemies to lovers. Still no? Well, what if I shared the first lines of their first introductory chapters?
“People lived because she killed.” — Zafira
“People died because he lived.” — Nasir
*mic drop*
5. This Woven Kingdom, Tahereh Mafi
If you’re still up for another fantasy series where a male character’s words make you almost faint or break down (or both), try the This Woven Kingdom Series by Tahereh Mafi. You might know the author for the Shatter Me series, but I really think you should check out Tahereh’s other works.
I enjoyed the first book — even though Kamran became a nuisance eventually — but book 2, These Infinite Threads, really takes the cake. To this day, I think about some of the things he said, which are literal poetry.
“You have no idea what I want. I have been in agony for eight months, Alizeh. Do you know how hard it’s been to pretend I don’t know you? To pretend I don’t want you? To act as if I haven’t known every inch of your body in my dreams? To learn that your heart has been entangled elsewhere? I look at you and I can’t breathe. In my mind, you are already mine.”
Now *that* is a man who is in pure anguish because he yearns for another. Poor Cyrus.
6. The Wrath & The Dawn, Renee Ahdieh
I’ve also reviewed this book in a different post so I’ll keep this part short. This duology is one of the underrated fantasy reads out there and you should read it because of the writing. The first book has so many good quotes I can think of, including this one:
Khalid’s features smoothed knowingly. “How right you are. You are not mine.” He dropped his palm from the door. “I am yours.”
7. An Ember in the Ashes, Sabaa Tahir
*Also another series I’ve already talked about on my blog, oops.
Although this series brought a lot of pain and suffering to me, I’ll still recommend it anyway. It’s just an incredible page-turner with brilliant character arcs and great world-building.
P.S. If you have Twitter, watch this incredible trailer for the series.
8. The Lady or the Lion, Aamna Qureshi
It’s been a year since I first read the book, and I’m still yapping about it. Durre and Asfi drive me insane, and they’re both very dear to me. I’m proud to say that I own a physical copy of the duology on my shelf that I’ll be annotating soon!
I did a Twitter thread of quotes to convince my followers to start The Marghazar Trials but let me share a quote here for you guys:
“Asfandyar turned to look at her, and when he smiled a soft smile, her heart felt full like she had just drunk the sweetest cup of chai on a cold afternoon.”
9. The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang
You know that moment when you read a book or series that is so good that it ruined all the books you read next?
Yep, that’s what happened to me when I finished The Poppy War Trilogy last November. I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since then, and besides a couple of 4-star reads, I’ve been finding a lot of 3-star reads and a couple of DNFs. Not that I care, though, because R.F. Kuang’s fantasy series is a literal masterpiece that is worth the hype.
10. Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao
If you asked me a fun fact about this book, I’d tell you that it was inspired by anime (Darling in the Franxx plus a few more) and Chinese history.
I honestly think there’s nothing like this book, and Iron Widow is one of the three books that form my all-time favourite fantasy reads. It’s fast-paced, epic, a little insane (affectionate), and I love the dystopian setting of it all. I did read the second book, Heavenly Tyrant, earlier this month but I think I’ll save my review for my January reading wrap-up.
11. Legendborn
Another fantasy series that felt like fresh air after reading so many too-similar fantasy books was Legendborn. I first picked it up in 2023 but put it down, but I made the right choice of continuing it in 2024 because it turned out to be so amazing. Maybe I’m on the wrong timeline for Twitter and BookTok, but I wish more people talked about this book. I couldn’t put it down, and I love reading about Bree learning about the extent of her strength and powers.
12. The Sword of Kaigen
The Sword of Kaigen is another brilliant fantasy read that I read this month. I’m also saving my review for my January wrap-up post later, but I do want to say that it was so heartbreaking. This Japanese-inspired story mainly talks about a legendary family — the Matsudas — but it also talks about motherhood, war, grief and loss, and family.
If you liked this post, let’s connect!
Instagram: @intj.reads
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Goodreads: @piperstaggart
The StoryGraph: @piperstaggart
Thank you so much for this list, I am currently reading The Greenbone Saga, and I LOVED the Poppy War series.
TASTE >>>>>