If you loved
Books like The Cruel Prince
You want a mortal who refuses to be anyone's pawn, a beautiful, awful prince and a court where every smile hides a knife. These nine get closest, mostly young adult with little or no spice and a couple of adult fae books for when you're ready. The spice and warnings are listed for each.
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1. An Enchantment of Ravens
Margaret Rogerson · 2017
SweetYoung adultIsobel paints portraits for the fair folk, who pay in enchantments, and she makes the mistake of painting real human sorrow into the eyes of Rook, the autumn prince. He hauls her off to his court to answer for it, and falling for each other breaks their law. No spice, happy ending.
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2. The Shadows Between Us
Tricia Levenseller · 2020
MildYoung adultAlessandra means to become queen the efficient way: seduce the new Shadow King, marry him, get rid of him, keep the throne. Then someone else tries to kill him first, and he wants her help finding out who. Two schemers falling for each other, mild spice, happy ending.
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3. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas · 2015
SteamyAdultThe gateway drug for half the romantasy readers you know. Feyre kills a wolf in the woods to feed her family, and a fae lord comes to collect the debt by dragging her across the wall to his cursed court. A Beauty and the Beast retelling with medium spice that gets far better in book two, so don't stop here.
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Kindle Unlimited and Audible both start with a free trial, and a lot of romantasy and dark romance is included. Check whether a book is in before you buy it.
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4. Shadow and Bone
Leigh Bardugo · 2012
SweetYoung adultAlina is an orphaned army mapmaker until a monster attack in the Shadow Fold drags out of her a power nobody has seen in centuries. Taken to the Little Palace to train under the Darkling, she's pulled between him and Mal, the boy she grew up with. No spice, happy for now.
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5. Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard · 2015
SweetYoung adultMare is a Red, born to serve the Silvers and their powers, until she shows a power of her own in front of the whole court. Now she's hidden as a lost Silver princess and engaged to a prince. Palace intrigue, a love triangle, no spice, and a twist you will not see coming.
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6. Serpent & Dove
Shelby Mahurin · 2019
MildYoung adultLou is a witch hiding as a thief in Cesarine, and Reid is the captain of the Church's witch hunters. One public scandal later they're married, and she's living among the men who burn her kind. Enemies to lovers with banter, mild spice, happy for now.
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7. Powerless
Lauren Roberts · 2023
SweetYoung adultPaedyn is an Ordinary pretending to have powers in a kingdom that kills people like her, and saving the prince lands her in the deadly trials. Enemies to lovers with the man trained to hunt her kind, no spice, fast, and a cliffhanger.
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8. Caraval
Stephanie Garber · 2017
SweetYoung adultScarlett has written to the master of a legendary game for years. When the invitation finally comes, her sister is taken inside the game. Five nights of illusions where nothing is quite what it seems, a sailor she can't read, and a twist every chapter. Lush, dreamy, no spice.
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9. Lightlark
Alex Aster · 2022
SweetYoung adultEvery hundred years an island appears and six rulers play a deadly game to break their curses. Isla's realm is cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with, which makes the two men circling her a problem. Young adult, twisty, no spice, cliffhanger.