“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”
Did you just finish reading Fourth Wing, and now you want, no, need something similar? Something with magic and adventure, enemies-to-lovers romance, high stakes and adrenaline-inducing fight scenes and epic quests? Maybe even some sassy dragons, and perhaps a few more shadow daddies? I’m here to give you some recommendations for books like Fourth Wing, so saddle up your dragons; we’re going flying.
So is Violence hot?
Dragon sass is EVERYTHING
Enemies throughout
- Fourth Wing haiku by Raigan Mao
If You Love Reading Books Like Fourth Wing These Will Be Your Next Obsession
A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J. Maas
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Abandonment, Abduction, Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Claustrophobia, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of a parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drugging, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Manipulation, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual abuse, Sexual aggression, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, War, Xenophobia.(Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
“Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.”
I'm sure you've heard of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas at least once in your life, if you haven't already read it.
Rude gesturing, fighting, biting, hunting, romance, and stabbing get spicier and better as you read the series.
Note to self: if you want to find the Fae love of your life, go out to the woods and hunt an animal.
Kingdom of the Wicked By Kerri Maniscalco
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gambling, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Mutilation, Non-Consensual touching, Religious bigotry, Self-harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit. (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
“Nonna said you could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I figured a cannoli would help me catch a prince of Hell just fine.”
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco is full of Italian cooking, witches, a murder, demons, the Princes of Hell, summoning said demons and Princes of Hell, and a little bit of spice, in that exact order, making this an unforgettable read which is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing.
A Shadow in the Ember By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Abandonment, Amputation, Animal abuse, Animal death, Anxiety, Arranged marriage, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of a parent, Decapitation, Depression, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Imprisonment, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks, Physical abuse, Self-mutilation, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal ideation, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, War. (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
“I wasn’t sure how one could seduce another into falling in love with them after stabbing them in the chest.”
A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout is a great next read for anyone who loves Fourth Wing with its sassy dragons, a shadow daddy, a strong female protagonist, an amazing revenge scene, and lots of entertaining banter.
This book series has become my current bookish obsession, and best believe I'll be rereading it over and over again for years to come!
The Serpent and the Wings of Night By Carissa Broadbent
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Anxiety attacks, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of a parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, War, Xenophobia. (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
“This was the stare of a creature who understood she was confronting death itself, and still chose to spit in its face.”
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent is full of vampires. Hot ones, murderous ones, winged ones, the list goes on.
This book features a competition in which the little serpent bites, and the contenders fight to the death for a favor or wish from their goddess. Doesn’t that sound amazing!?
If you want a book with similar vibes to Fourth Wing, this is the one!
The Hurricane Wars By Thea Guanzon
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of a parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Xenophobia. (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
“Do you make it a habit to compliment everyone who's trying to kill you?" "Not everyone." His eyes flashed with a hint of amusement. "Just you.”
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon features a nation at war, a reluctant prince, an orphaned soldier, and an extremely slow-burn romance (you have been warned!)
This book gave me Shadow and Bone vibes in all the best ways possible, and I couldn't get enough of it right until the last page.
Iron Flame & Onyx Storm By Rebecca Yarros
Books 2 & 3 In The Empyrean Series
Published: 2023 & 2025
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Hot)
“I could torch him if you would like,” Tairn offers. “But you do seem attached.”
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of a parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Xenophobia (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
If you enjoyed reading Fourth Wing and are looking for something similar but haven't yet read Iron Flame and Onyx Storm, what are you waiting for?!
Dragons, plenty of spicy romance and more heartache (IYKYK) await you in the action-packed books 2 and 3 of The Empyrean series.
If, for whatever reason, you aren't sure whether or not you want to continue the Fourth Wing ride, at least read it to experience the dragon sass.
Want to read more books in this genre? Join the waitlist for OwlCrate’s quarterly Romantasy subscription!
Every 3 months, subscribers will get an OwlCrate exclusive edition of a signed, newly released hardcover Romantasy novel with incredible design elements.
Plus, as a subscriber, you will get first access to beautiful limited editions of popular Romantasy books.
Other Articles You'll Enjoy
The Nest App
⚪️ The app is 100% free and all are welcome!
⚪️ Created for the bookish community and powered by OwlCrate!
⚪️ We have exclusive live events always happening in The Nest, so download the app and join the community today!
