8 Lush New YA Romantasy Reads

Fei is prophesied to become the most powerful empress one day. She’s separated from her family to live as a royal in the palace, waiting for the prophecy to come true and marry a prince. To escape her loneliness, she sneaks away to hunt a fabled tiger. Instead, she meets Yexue, a runaway prince from a rival kingdom who enchants her with his powerful magic.

She’s close to breaking free from the life she has always known, but this liberty comes at a high cost: she must bring about drastic changes in the world around her, a task made all the more difficult by her inability to decide between these two charming princes.

Talents, or gems that grant magical abilities to their owners, are common in 19th-century Lutece. Elite Talents, which are reserved for royalty, are passed down through generations.

Cleodora wants to inherit her father’s Tailoring Talent, but the magic is gone forever when he passes. She’s left with a failing business, a sick younger sister to care for, and no way to support herself. When she meets Lady Dahlia, she feels a spark of hope that her fate will change. The lady offers Cleodora a Singing Talent in exchange for an Elite Talent she must steal from the Lenoir family.

As she attends a ball to fulfill her mission, she meets the handsome Vicomte. Cleodora is captivated and torn between being loyal to Dahlia, to whom she owes her life, and to the handsome lad who has the potential to change her life for the better.

When her uncle dies, Yining becomes a thief and a liar to survive. When she gets a magical ring with the potential to improve her life, her evil step-aunt takes it. To get it back, Yining must go to the kingdom’s capital.

In the palace, she meets a prince who allows her to live a lavish lifestyle. But that’s only the beginning, as she’s soon entangled in thorny court politics. To become free and reclaim her former self, she must return to her past.

A devastating war between two kingdoms affected many families nine years ago, including Àn’yīng’s mother, who is on the brink of death. Armed with her blades, Àn’yīng joins the Immortality Trials, a competition for anyone who can endure the trip to the immortal realm. If she wins the competition, she gets an eternal pill that can cure her mother.

Very few survive the Trials, but she meets someone along the way who helps her on her journey: Yù’chén, a rival who keeps his own secrets. But can he trust him to keep her safe in the immortal realm?

In England, everyone gets to have one bargain from the immortal fae queen, in which they can barter some parts or aspects of themselves. Women in higher social classes frequently bargain for qualities that will attract suitors.

Then there’s a competition to win the heart of the queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. Ivy sees an opportunity to improve her future if she participates. But not everything is as it seems, as this competition entails a slew of demands that could destroy her life further.

Teen witch Sage must do everything she can to keep the family business afloat, especially since their rival is stealing customers. Her grandmother hires Ximena to work in the shop, Sage’s ex-best friend who often disagrees with Sage. When a thief breaks into the shop and steals a potent potion, Sage feels defeated.

The shop is now on the verge of closing. With so much at stake, including the family business, Sage must learn to deal with Ximena. The more they are forced to work together, the more undeniable Sage’s feelings for Ximena become.

Ofelia fancies entering the Le Château Enchanté, King Léo’s court, where shadow monsters never attempt to cross. Lope, a knight, defends Ofelia from these monsters, keeping them at bay from her home.

As the shadows become more aggressive in invading Ofelia’s property, she and Lope seek refuge in the Le Château Enchanté, possibly a dream come true for Ofelia.

Sascia is strangely drawn to darkness. When she turns 18, she explores an area closely related to the Darkworld and comes across someone in the pit of darkness.

As part of their mission, a genderfluid prince named Nugau shows up to kill her. Sascia is initially perplexed as Nugau appears to be innocent and even declares their love for her. Then she realizes that their world’s timeline doesn’t coincide with hers. As elf and human fall in love, she’s caught between two worlds.