Cover of Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

5 book recommendations

Books Like “Heir of Fire” by Sarah J. Maas

If you fell in love with Heir of Fire for its fierce heroine, profound emotional healing, and expansive, high-stakes magic, you are not alone. This powerful blend of personal growth, brutal training, and slow-burn tension leaves an unforgettable mark. Explore our handpicked recommendations below to find your next epic fantasy obsession.

  1. Cover of Air Awakens by Elise Kova

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    Air Awakens

    by Elise Kova

    A library girl with a secret. A dark and fiery prince. When he awakens her magic, there's no going back.

    The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

    Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all--the Crown Prince Aldrik--she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she's known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she's always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla's indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

    Get ready for an epic fantasy, filled with romance and adventure, in Air Awakens, the first book in a completed five book series. Are you ready? Scroll up and click buy now to see why readers love the Air Awakens series!

    Why it's similar

    Both books feature a young woman who unexpectedly unlocks destructive elemental magic and must undergo intense, rigorous training under a brooding, high-ranking warrior mentor. Each protagonist wrestles with fear of her own lethal capabilities against the backdrop of an expanding imperial conflict.

    What's different

    Air Awakens uses a focused single-character perspective rather than the sprawling, multi-POV continental war narrative established in Heir of Fire.

  2. Cover of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

    Cover not available

    An Ember in the Ashes

    by Sabaa Tahir

    BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES • One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy and 100 Best YA Books of All Time • People's Choice Award winner • Bustle's Best Young Adult Book

    “This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human — and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear.” — The Washington Post

    A gorgeous, collectable look for this beloved and bestselling fantasy series that “glows, burns, and smolders.” (Huffington Post). The deluxe paperback editions each feature tip-ins with exclusive character art!

    Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

    Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

    It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

    But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

    There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories utilize multiple perspectives to depict young protagonists enduring severe physical trials, processing profound grief, and resisting a brutally tyrannical empire. Each narrative also incorporates shifting loyalties, rebel insurgencies, and mythical beings awakening in the shadows.

    What's different

    Tahir's setting is grounded in a harsh, Roman-inspired martial society and Arabian folklore rather than high-fantasy Fae kingdoms.

  3. Cover of Furyborn by Claire Legrand

    Cover not available

    Furyborn

    by Claire Legrand

    The first book in the instant New York Times bestselling series, the Empirium Trilogy!

    Furyborn is an epic YA fantasy about two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

    When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and one of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed as the Blood Queen...unless the trials kill the queen first.

    One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire's heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.

    As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

    Perfect for:

    Epic fantasy and dark fantasy YA readers Fans of To Kill A Kingdom and Ash Princess Lovers of dual POVs and epic world building Those who enjoy fiction about strong girls and women The Empirium Trilogy:

    Furyborn (Book 1) Kingsbane (Book 2) Lightbringer (Book 3) Praise for Furyborn:

    "Set in an immersive world of elemental magic, legendary godsbeasts, and cutthroat assassins, Claire Legrand's Furyborn is an addictive, fascinating fantasy." -- Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series.

    Why it's similar

    Both works explore powerful female leads forced to prove their lethal elemental abilities through grueling magical trials while navigating complex political dangers and dark romances. Both stories place significant emphasis on prophecies, inner monstrousness, and escalating world-ending stakes.

    What's different

    Furyborn splits its narrative between two distinct heroines living a thousand years apart instead of following concurrent events across a shared timeline.

  4. Cover of The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

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    The Prison Healer

    by Lynette Noni

    "Lynette Noni is a masterful storyteller. A must-read for any fantasy lover!" -- SARAH J. MAAS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

    Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.

    When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.

    Then a coded message from Kiva's family arrives, containing a single order: "Don't let her die. We are coming." Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.

    But no one has ever survived.

    With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva's heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can't escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.

    From bestselling author Lynette Noni comes a dark, thrilling YA fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir.

    Why it's similar

    Both books showcase a hidden survivor with a secret heritage who is forced to complete deadly elemental trials while battling personal trauma. Each protagonist grapples with whether to remain safely in the shadows or embrace her role in an active rebellion.

    What's different

    The Prison Healer is tightly confined to a single claustrophobic penal colony rather than the vast, open-world travel across multiple continents featured in Heir of Fire.

  5. Cover of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

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    Catching Fire

    by Suzanne Collins

    The second book in Suzanne Collins' phonomenal and worldwide bestselling Hunger Games Trilogy is now available in paperback!Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

    Why it's similar

    Both follow a traumatized young woman forced back into intense training and deadly trials while becoming a symbol of resistance, balancing action with psychological struggle and political tension.

    What's different

    It is dystopian science fiction with futuristic technology and televised death games, offering a more overt political allegory than the high-magic, fae-driven epic fantasy of Heir of Fire.

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