Hi! In my adult reading career I've mostly only stuck to romance as I read for escapism and that's what makes me happy. It's practically been a requirement in any book I've read — however my genres have spanned fantasy, contemporary, horror/thrillers/crime, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, etc. When I was a kid I adored Percy Jackson & Harry Potter. I'm looking to branch out a bit now and read more books/series that aren't solely labelled as romances but are interesting enough to where I probably wouldn't care. Books where the friendships, world building, politics etc. are so engaging that you're as invested in the characters and world without missing the intimacy from a romantic relationship in these.
For fantasy books I've already read, I really enjoy Sarah J. Maas' works (ToG, ACOTAR, CC)
I own and know I'm going to love Priory of the Orange Tree, The Locked Tomb series, and the Burning Kingdoms series.
I'm currently reading Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series, so I'm not looking for his recs, but honestly I don't think they're doing for me what they do for others. I'm not really attached to the characters so far, although they're clearly very well written.
by Eliciosity
4 Comments
If you want non-romantic Fantasy, it’s R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars. Incredible wordbuilding, a captivating plotline across all three books and minimal romance without every character falling flat without it. Honestly, it simply doesn’t need it
Especially if you’re also interested in (vaguely) accurate historical events of the Opium Wars being referenced within the Fantasy world, it’s a must!
The Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. Science fiction, but romance is a significant subgenre. For one thing, the first 2 books (Shards of Honor and Barrayar) are about the series’ main character’s parents meeting and the backstory to his birth. For another, a later book in the series (A Civil Campaign) is a deliberate homage to Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Georgette Heyer, and Dorothy L. Sayers.
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey.
Recently read and enjoyed it more than I expected to! Has some bdsm, erotica and romance (which I’m not usually a fan of tbh) but it’s primarily a political fantasy adventure with great lore and characters. It does start out slow but the beginning introduces a lot of characters and worldbuilding that become important later when the pace picks up.
[The Apothecary Diaries](https://squareenixmangaandbooks.square-enix-games.com/en-us/series/the-apothecary-diaries).