10 best books like ‘Fourth Wing’

Fourth Wing took the so-called BookTok community by storm when it came out early last year, but after finishing the rather chunky young adult fantasy novel by Rebecca Yarros, many fans found themselves aching for something similar. As ever, we’ve got you covered.

The novel takes place in a sort of military school set in a fictional world, and a fictional country called Navarre. You follow the tale of a young girl called Violet, who is the daughter of an accomplished general. Violet has trained her whole life to become a scribe, but at her mother’s behest, she enrolls in the Rider Quadrant to learn to become a dragon rider. 

The trials Violet goes through to achieve this despite her incongruous background form the plot of Fourth Wing, but we couldn’t begin to address the complex worldbuilding through that simple premise alone. Fourth Wing was one of the best-selling novels last year, and its success has prompted Hollywood to look into adaptations, with Variety reporting that Amazon is already planning to develop a TV series.

That could unfortunately be years away, so if you’re hungry for more stories and more fictional worlds in the vein of Rebecca Yarros’ new series, then be sure to check out these 10 fantasy books.

Graceling (2008)

The Graceling series by Kristin Cashore takes place in a fictional world where a select few individuals can perform terrible feats of skill and power. These people are Graced, and they’re known as Gracelings. Our titular heroine, Katsa, is one such person, and she has to live a life of uncertainty as the king’s niece, forced to function as his thug and assassin.

The Cruel Prince (2018)

Written by Holly Black as the debut novel of the Folk of the Air trilogy, The Cruel Prince tells the tale of Jude, whose parents are murdered when she is seven years old. Jude and her two sisters are then abducted and taken to the High Court of Faerie, where they live at their forbearance. Jude struggles to belong despite being mortal, but the Fae who despise humans, including Prince Cardan, the king’s youngest son, will thrust her into a world of intrigue.

Outlander (1991)

The best-selling Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon has already spawned a highly successful TV show, but its most ardent fans will never fail to recommend the books due to their sheer brilliance. The series centers around a 20th-century nurse called Claire Randall, who travels through time to 18th-century and meets Jamie Fraser, a Highland fighter on the run from British rule. If it’s romance that you’re looking for first and foremost, then do yourself a favor and read Outlander.

City of Bones (2007)

The first book in Cassandra Clare’s best-selling Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones introduces readers to Clary Fray, who gets embroiled in the world of the Shadowhunters, a secret warrior society dedicated to ridding the world of demons and monsters. Clary’s life gets even more complicated when he meets Jace, another Shadowhunter with a somewhat mean streak.

From Blood and Ash (2020)

Written by Jennifer L. Armentrout and published in 2020, From Blood and Ash tells the story of Poppy, a Maiden, who is destined for greatness. Poppy waits for the day of Ascension, resenting the limitations that the kingdom has put on her life, compelling her to live in solitude, never to be touched, never to be spoken to, and never to experience the simple pleasures that many of her age indulge in. All of that changes, however, when a guard named Hawke enters Poppy’s life.

The Priory of the Orange Tree (2019)

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon takes place in a fictional world divided between two hegemonies, the East and the West. It tells the tale of Queen Sabran as she tries to conceive an heir and protect her realm, while a threat looms over the world in the form of a dragon known as the Nameless One, capable of wringing destruction on an apocalyptic and world-ending level.

Throne of Glass (2012)

Taking place in the fictional Kingdom of Adarlan, Throne of Glass is the first book in a series of eight centering around an 18-year-old assassin named Celaena Sardothien. The book starts with Celaena laboring in a slave camp for her crimes, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she accepts an offer from the king’s son, Prince Dorian, to compete with other assassins for a chance to become the king’s champion. And as you’d have it in a young adult series, Celaena ends up in a strange love triangle involving Prince Dorian.

An Ember in the Ashes (2015)

Laia is a scholarly girl by nature, but living in the Martial Empire with her grandparents and brother Darin as second-class citizens makes for a very difficult time. When Laia’s brother is arrested on charges of insurrection, Laia vows to help him out, seeking the rebel group known as the Resistance. The rebels ask Laia to infiltrate a military school, where she has to undergo a grueling training process. An Ember in the Ash is a fantasy novel, and the setting is reminiscent of the ancient Roman Empire.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night (2022)

A story of love and courage in a world riddled with vampires. Oraya is the adopted human daughter of a vampire king, but to survive a world hell-bent on her destruction, she has to enter a tournament and compete with the rest of the ruthless vampires from other houses. Oraya ends up in an uneasy alliance with a rival called Raihn, but things get complicated when she realizes that this partnership means more to her than the sum of its parts.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)

Another hit by Sarah J. Maas following Throne of Glass, this series starting with 2015’s A Court of Thorns and Roses has repeatedly won several awards over the years, most notably the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2016, 2017, and 2021. This book has everything you’d want from a classic young adult fantasy tale. There’s action and romance. There’s intrigue and mystery. There’s even a love triangle later on in the series. But most importantly of all, J. Maas’ writing style and prose will keep the story fresh, the characterization compelling, and the worldbuilding suspensefully rich. It all starts when Feyre the huntress kills a wolf only to realize that it is a faerie in disguise. Feyre is soon taken to Fae to suffer punishment for her crime, and that’s where her relationship with Tamlin, a High Fae and her captor, grows complicated.