13 Best Romantasy Books of 2026 (So Far)
We here at Swooon like our fantasy with a very healthy dose of romance. There’s nothing better than being swept away into a high fantasy universe, full of magic, political intrigue, and two people who must find a way for their love to surmount the trials ahead of them (and it’s sometimes even better when they can’t. Oh, the heartbreak!)
The year 2026 sees an intriguing blend of fantasy novels that romance readers are sure to eat up. There’s something for the monster lovers, fans of cozy fantasy, those who enjoy indulging in YA stories full of heart, those who love a story of cutthroat enemies to lovers, and more. Many of the best romantasy books of 2026 have already hit bookshelves, but there are plenty more headed your way.
Swooon has compiled our picks of the 13 best romantasy books of 2026 — so far. (Don’t worry, romantasy lovers, this is only the first round.)
Her Hidden Fire
Cliodhna O'Sullivan
Cliodhna O’Sullivan asks the damning question: What if the world were forced to acknowledge the woman behind a man’s assumed power? Orphaned Éadha dreads the Reckoning, the ceremony that every teen must go through to showcase whether or not they have manifested powers. When Éadha surprisingly showcases an ability, and her best friend Ionáin, expected to manifest because of his wealthy family’s ancestry, does not, Éadha uses her magic to fake Ionáin having his own. Sent away to train, Éadha struggles to navigate suddenly coming into power she never expected, while passing her own powers off as Ionáin’s, too. Can the world handle power when it’s in the hands of a young woman, or must it be shrouded by the face of a man?
Throne of Nightmares
Kerri Maniscalco
Kerri Maniscalco turns up the heat in the third installment of her Prince of Sin series, centering around Prince Sloth and a sweet novelist. Lore Brimstone knows nothing of the chaos of deity wars, though she’s about to get dragged into it. When Prince Sloth is in a rush to find the Book of Nightmares before another deity, he’s in desperate need of powerful magic. The last person expected to have the Phoenix Tear, a portal stone with power like no other, is sweet-faced and bookish Lore. Teaming up to find the artifact before someone more sinister does, Prince Sloth discovers that he can, in fact, be quite motivated with the right person at his side. And Lore? Lore has always been ready to stop reading about heroes and finally try to become one.
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days
Jessie Sylva
Jessie Sylva puts a romantasy spin on the rom-com classic How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days with this laugh-out-loud debut. Halflings and goblins have never gotten along, which leaves halfling Pansy in quite the predicament. Her late grandmother has left her a cottage, but goblin Ren has been the cottage’s steward for the past 20 years. To settle the dispute, the two make a deal: They’ll live together in the house, and whoever lasts the longest can keep the property. Like the movie of the book’s namesake, the pair are disarmingly well-suited for one another, even if they don’t quite know it from the start. As they sabotage each other’s chances of staying in the cottage, they soon discover that winning this bet isn’t really what their hearts want.
The Trident and the Pearl
Sarah K. L. Wilson
There’s a storm coming, and Queen Coralys of the Crocus Isles vows to do what she must to protect her people. That vow means a bargain with the God of the Sea: In exchange for protection, Coralys will marry the first man to walk on her pier. The man who arrives, Coralys quickly discovers, is closer to the deities than to humans, and it’s no coincidence that he happened upon her pier. Sucked into a battle beyond her depth, Coralys questions her husband’s loyalties and makes alliances of her own to keep herself and her kingdom alive.
The Swan’s Daughter
Roshani Chokshi
Don’t underestimate the power of YA works. Roshani Chokshi’s latest YA novel brings together dark fairytale and whimsy. Teen Demelza is known as a veritas swans, one whose song can reveal truth about others. Her talents prove useful when she enters a competition against other young maidens for the chance to marry Prince Arris. Arris, however, knows that any of these women could be looking to just steal the throne — should a woman carve out his heart, she would be able to claim it. The two make for an unlikely alliance as Arris needs Demelza’s power to sift through maidens with foul intentions and Demelza aims to stay alive during the competition. But as they stray further away from their goals and closer to one another, their happily ever afters may be in conflict with one another.
Deathly Fates
Tesia Tsai
Release Date: April 14
A young woman on a quest to return a soldier’s body discovers his legendary past in this YA debut. Kang Siying is willing to do what she must to help her father. That’s why she’s agreed to bring a soldier’s body back from an enemy territory in exchange for money for her father’s treatment. Kang, who has magic, accidentally brings the body back to life, only to learn that her charge is a late prince determined to stay alive. In exchange for more money, Kang must help the prince find more life force in order to stay alive on his own and without Kang’s magic. Along their journey, Kang learns that the prince has plenty of enemies in the living realm who are determined to make sure he remains dead.
Death Meets Cute
J. Penner
Release Date: April 28
A witch determined to be evil has her heart melted by a kind orc in this cozy fantasy sure to warm any reader’s heart. Witch Iris Weyward isn’t satisfied with the chaos she and her sisters recently unleashed on their town, and so Iris strikes off on her own to see what destruction she can make of her own. She’s in need of a creature that will back her up, and orc Talon looks like he’s made for the job, but his sweet nature doesn’t seem ready for the kind of trouble Iris intends to sow. When her sisters turn to Iris for help, expecting their deviously minded sister to be ready for a fight of any kind, Iris is surprised to find that Talon is rubbing off on her…and she might like it.
Our Rogue Fates
Sarah Glenn Marsh
Release Date: April 28
The past comes creeping up on two aptly described rogues on a quest for an ancient artifact in Sarah Glenn Marsh’s titillating novel. There was once a time when Griff and Mal knew everything about one another, but today is not that time. Griff is training to follow in his father’s footsteps to be a worthy Warden, while Mal is still playing fast and loose with his life, doing whatever dirty work he needs to for cash. But when a hit Mal planned goes wrong, and almost ends Griff’s life, the two have no choice but to stop avoiding one another and figure out how to avoid the wrath of Mal’s boss after his failed job. Together, they must find the treasure that many men have died searching for in a dangerous swamp if they want to live in peace in their town. But history is hard to avoid on the journey for Griff and Mal, and if they ever want a chance to see what they could be, they’ll have to overcome whatever danger awaits them at the swamp.
Death’s Daughter
S.A. Barnes
Release Date: May 5
S.A Barnes is pulling no punches with this title: It’s about university student Jocasta, literally the only child of Death. She keeps her identity a secret, not fulfilling her need to feed on the dead, and instead subsumes their grief, sadness, and disappointment. Filled with shame over her double life, the last thing Jocasta needs is attention, which is exactly what she gets when her father names her his successor. Now, a descendant of Lust has arrived on campus, and Jo can’t tell if they’re friend or foe, but she is determined to keep her identity a secret from the people she’s grown to love in her college life. Except it seems that Lust has other plans, and Jo questions if she’ll be strong enough to resist the temptation to find out what they are.
Seek the Traitor’s Son
Veronica Roth
Release Date: May 12
Two women on opposing sides of a political war are promised victory over the other, but the journey to determine who will truly triumph is Veronica Roth’s devastating dystopian fantasy. The Talusar empire rules most of Earth, accepting that the Fever will kill many, but those who survive come back with incredible powers. The Cedre won’t accept the loss of life, and live in small sectors, where they avoid contracting the Fever, regardless of the potential gain of power. Elegy, the second in line for the Cedre throne, and Rava Vidar, the feared Talusar general, are summoned to a meeting with “augurs,” who have gained the ability to see in the future. Here is their prediction: Both of them hold the power to defeat the other and claim victory for their empires. Both given hints on how to claim success in their prophecy, the women take off in search of what could lead to the official takeover of the Talusar for Rava or the Cedre’s unexpected comeback for Elegy. Even as they begin to fall for one another, only one will fulfill their glorious future.
Bromantasy
Máire Roche
Release Date: May 26
What are two bro besties to do when on a quest that could end their lives? Well, confess their long-held feelings for each other, of course! Juniper and Mo have been best friends for practically their entire lives, until Mo accepted a quest that took him away for 10 years, leaving aspects of their friendship fractured. Regardless, Juniper stands by his friend Mo when Mo’s reckless behavior lands them in a fight and subsequent jailing. Their consequence is they must head off on a dragon hunt, a journey to unveil the cracks in the foundation of their friendship, along with the buried feelings neither has been willing to acknowledge. This one is full of fun and hijinks, and sure to leave you rooting for these bros to become something more.
Endless Blue Beneath
Shannon K. English
Release Date: June 9
For anyone else, being kidnapped from the world above would be a nightmare. But for Eppie, whose reputation has been ruined by the gossip about her kissing another girl, life under the sea is a second chance. Down here, Eppie comes into a reckless power and strength that sets her apart, and draws her closer to Marie, a fellow mermaid who makes her feel secure rather than ashamed for her desires. But when mermaid hunters arrive on shore, their intentions to destroy this family Eppie has just found have her facing a harrowing choice: the chance to go back to the life she once knew, or to fight for the one she has just earned.
Heir of Prophecy
Analeigh Sbrana
Release Date: August 25
What if the Chosen One had their choice of prophecy: happily ever after or burning it all down? Human Audra has never had her life affected by magic until she’s kidnapped by the Priestesses, Faes who are in search of a prophesied heir meant to save them. Audra and her fellow prisoners are sent to training to sniff out whose powers most align with the Heir of Prophecy, but Audra has a sneaking suspicion it might be her, and she is terrified of being found out. Enter: otherworldly dreams featuring a creature who whispers a different outcome to her. Who to trust? Audra can’t be sure, but she knows that the choice will mark the beginning or end of the world as she knows it.
