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Romantasy is taking the book world—and my TikTok FYP—by storm. But, as is all too often the case, so many of the books being touted are very heterosexual. That is not for lack of LGBTQ romantasy books, though. In fact, several of my favorite romantasy books are queer. But wait, back up a moment, you may be thinking. What even is romantasy?
Romantasy (a portmanteau of romance and fantasy) is a new label for a genre of books that mix together romance storylines with fantasy worlds. These sorts of books existed long before the term was popularized by social media, but publishing thrives on trends. So, the viral craze over romantasy books is also prompting more publishers to publish books like this. Essentially the popularization of romantasy = more romantasy. That’s just publishing for you.
Much like the advent of cozy fantasy, romantasy has really blown up because of social media platforms like TikTok. Cozy fantasy has become a fount for LGBTQ stories with books like Legends and Lattes becoming bestsellers. And with its focus on romance, I don’t see any reason romantasy can’t do the same! These nine LGBTQ romantasy books are the perfect place to start, whether you’re a newcomer to the romantasy genre or looking to find more queer romantasy stories. So let’s get started with one of my absolute romantasy books, which also just so happens to feature gay and sapphic characters.
9 LGBTQ Romantasy Books
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
This is one of my all-time favorite romantasy books—and it’s queer! In a magical version of Edwardian England, an administrative mistake pushes an ordinary man into the magical world. Now, working as a liaison to the magical government and cursed for something his predecessor did, Robin must work together with a man who seemingly hates him before a magical conspiracy delves Britain into darkness. A Marvellous Light is the first book in a trilogy. Each book focuses on different characters to tell one continuous story, and each story features a beautiful queer romance.
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
An elf colonel banished from the army by her lover, the commander, soon finds herself in even worse straits when she unknowingly kills the prince of the fae—who are not even supposed to exist. Now, she’s a prisoner alongside her sister and best friend, facing the prospect of a swift execution. But when an obeah, a creature sacred to the fae, bonds with her, Yeeran’s life is saved. Still trapped in the land of the fae, and facing their ever-present loathing, will Yeeran and the others be able to escape before it’s too late? Or will they learn there’s more to the fae than they realized?
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
In this fantasy romance novella, a princess returns to court after years away as a hostage to a faraway land and finds her heart torn between duty to her imperial mother and her feelings for the first woman she ever loved. Complicating her choice, even more, is the fear that the magical fire that burned down Ephteria’s royal palace may have followed her home. The fire is more than just a danger…it’s a temptation.
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
This dreamy historical romance is light on the fantasy but heavy on the feels. An anxious prince and his stoic bodyguard are thrust together when Kadou finds himself on his sister, the sultan’s, bad side. Evemer blames Kadou for the death of his friend and colleague, so he’s predisposed to disdain the prince. But Kadou isn’t who he thinks, and as they’re forced to save each other’s lives in turns, they begin to realize there’s more than just hate and duty between them.
Rowland’s new LGBTQ romantasy book set in the same world, Running Close to the Wind, is another must-read. It’s more humorous in tone, with major Our Flag Means Death vibes. Need I say more?
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Following her sapphic Snow White reimagining, I would read anything Melissa Bashardoust wrote. And this LGBTQ romantasy novel is a perfect example of why. Girl, Serpent, Thorn follows a cursed princess kept secluded in her family’s royal palace. But when a chance encounter with a beguiling solider and a deal with a demon to uncover the secrets of her curse help her break free from the palace grounds, she learns that the truth about her family, her curse, and her feelings are much harder to untangle than she first thought.
The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai
A waterweaver and an earthweaver from very different backgrounds are brought together by a radical women’s rights group fighting to give women a say in their own lives. Though Nehal was married to a man to pay off her father’s gambling debts and Giorgina is a bookseller with no prospects, it’s with this group and with each other that they find their true calling. Growing tensions with a neighboring country that wants to put an end to all weaving and weavers, however, may ruin their hopes for the future before they can even begin.
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
Cozy fantasy meets romantasy in this novel about a solitary young woman who begins training under her grandmother to become the next Honey Witch. But when a skeptic who doesn’t believe in magic shows up on her doorstep, Marigold finds for the first time that she doesn’t mind the company of another person so much. Instead, she delights in trying to prove to Lottie that magic is real. When darker magics begin to awaken, though, Marigold will have to fight for her home and her heart.
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (July 16, 2024)
Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lost Story follows two boys who once went missing in the West Virginia woods. Now, 15 years later, one lives as an artist with no memory of what happened in the six months they were gone, while the other works as a missing persons investigator to help other lost children. Rafe has kept Jeremy in the dark for all these years about what happened to them all those years ago, in a magical land full of wonder and danger. But now that another girl has gone missing, the two will have to reconnect and face their shared past as they venture into a magical land once again.
Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy (October 15, 2024)
When a sorcerer who is a master of small magics accidentally binds himself to obey the commands of his rival, Sebastian Grimm, they both agree that it’s in their best interests to keep this a secret. After all, a mishap like this could ruin both of their careers. But as they chase after a counterspell in a forest full of monsters and outlaws, they realize their longstanding rivalry might just be standing in the way of something even better.
