Kill the King: Regicides in Fantasy Books

The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

Dimitri’s dead husband, Alexey, resurrected and overthrew him. Now, a regicide is the only thing that will save his people from following an undead tyrant. Among his court of exiled friends, Vasily knows he can infiltrate Alexey’s court as a master spymaster. However, if he is caught, even he cannot outrun Alexey’s demon armies. To help him succeed, Dimitri will bargain with dark magic to give them all an edge in this queer Jewish folklore-inspired fantasy duology.

Her Soul for a Crown by Alysha Rameera

Anula Ramanayake was an orphan raised to avenge her village by marrying the raja, poisoning him, and taking his throne. All her sacrifice and training were going to plan before a coup interrupts her marriage. In a last-ditch effort to secure the throne, she offers her soul in exchange for the crown, and the gods accept her bargain. Now she is in the middle of two battles for power. The throne of the gods is also in flux, and she is the key to their plan in this stand-alone fantasy novel inspired by the first queen of Sri Lanka, Anula, as well as Buddhist, Hindu, and the oral recitation of Sinhalese mythology.

Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

Tisaanah worked for years to buy her freedom from enslavement, but the night she intends to do so, their deal goes sour, and she ends up killing the most powerful Lord in the city. She manages to escape alone, but her only hope of saving the best friend she left behind is becoming a magic-wielding member of the powerful Order. Tisaanah just has to survive an apprenticeship with the stoic but intriguing Maxantarius Farlione first. In this epic romantasy series, dark magic, a bloody past, and a looming war stand between them and safety.

Our Vicious Oaths by N. E. Davenport

A regicide on a wedding day is not the best way to start a political or romantic relationship, but King Malachi and his rival warrior-princess, Kadeesha, manage to make it work. Malachi tried to kill two rulers on Kadeesha’s wedding day, but only managed to injure the High King and kill Kadeesha’s father. Taking the princess hostage gives Malachi an edge, especially since Kadeesha would love to kill her fiancée and keep her people safe. All’s fair in love and war as these two rulers fight for a place of power.

Something Wicked by Falon Ballard (December 2, 2025)

In Avon, the Uprising has finally overthrown the monarchy and declared a deadly competition: presidential candidates will have to kill the monarch of their home province to run. Prince Callum knows his father wants him to be the next candidate, but Callum doesn’t want to kill him to do it. Courtesan Lady Caterine’s magical ability to manipulate the emotions of orgasming people around her could be Callum’s saving grace, securing the safe futures of everyone she loves. In a romantasy reimagining of Macbeth and Moulin Rouge!, a prince and a courtesan will have to learn how to listen, trust, and love if they want to survive a regicide.

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

The sequel in the sapphic South Asian-inspired The Burning Kingdoms series follows Princess Malini as she attempts to dethrone her brother, Emperor Chandra, in a messy struggle for the throne. Meanwhile, Priya is one of the new magic-wielding leaders of a resistance movement in her recently liberated country. Both women have a chance to lead and change their people, but as their paths collide, Malini and Priya will have to determine what is more important: love or power.

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

With one failed regicide under their belt, one unlikely crew has a second and final chance at the crown. After attempting to kill him, King Joon gave the crew one month to steal the Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord from a foreign Queen. Just one problem: they trust each other even less than they did the first time they tried to kill the king. But, they will have to pull off the heist and beat the god king at his own game if they want to secure the throne for good this time in book two of the Korean-inspired fantasy trilogy, The Broken Blades.

The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem

The Egyptian-inspired Scorched Throne duology concludes with a world-changing struggle for power. Sylvia, the Jasad heir, may be trapped in the mountains right now, but she knows that if she can win this group over, she will be able to rule their former homeland from a place of power. Arin, the opposing Nizahl Heir, is managing the balance between his father’s brutal expectations and his love and respect for Sylvia. War may be Arin and Sylvia’s fate, but their connection might just change the world first.

The Faithless by C.L. Clark

A soldier and a princess must return to Balladaire to retake a throne if they want to unite an empire before it crumbles. Luca knows plotting her uncle’s regicide and becoming Queen would be hard, but as her competence is put into question, she starts to lose ground with important allies. If she wants to succeed, she will need Touraine’s help, but the soldier is having her own problems back in her newly freed home country. Although the mounting threats feel impossible to surmount, Luca and Touraine may just have a chance at power and freedom if they stand alongside each other in book two of the Magic of the Lost trilogy.

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