Cover of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

5 book recommendations

Books Like “Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas

If you are suffering from a Throne of Glass hangover, you are not alone. Readers fell head over heels for Sarah J. Maas's epic world of lethal assassins, intricate court politics, and unbreakable bonds of friendship and romance. Dive into this handpicked collection of epic fantasies to discover your next obsession.

  1. 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.l

    Why it's similar

    Both stories feature brutal imperial trials and follow young fighters navigating oppressive regimes while awakening latent magical forces.

    What's different

    Tahir utilizes an alternating dual perspective set in a harsh, Roman-inspired martial society, creating a darker and more claustrophobic tone.

  2. Cover of Graceling by Kristin Cashore

    Cover not available

    Graceling

    by Kristin Cashore

    Discover the Graceling Realm in this unforgettable, award-winning novel from bestselling author Kristin Cashore.

    A New York Times bestseller * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Winner * Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, and BCCB Best Book of the Year

    "Rageful, exhilarating, wistful in turns" (New York Times Book Review) with "a knee weakening romance" (Los Angeles Times). Graceling is a thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure that will resonate deeply with anyone trying to find their way in the world.

    Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, who is smart and beautiful and lives in the Seven Kingdoms where selected people are born with a Grace, a special talent that can be anything at all. Katsa's Grace is killing.

    As the king's niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his brutal enforcer. Until the day she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, and Katsa's life begins to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

    And don't miss the sequel, Fire, and companion, Bitterblue, both award-winning New York Times bestsellers featuring Kristin Cashore's elegant, evocative prose and unforgettable characters.

    Why it's similar

    Both books center on an extraordinarily lethal young woman coerced into acting as a royal weapon who ultimately defies tyrannical rulers to forge her own destiny.

    What's different

    Cashore's novel functions primarily as a self-contained, character-driven journey rather than a sprawling, multi-point-of-view military campaign.

  3. Cover of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

    Cover not available

    The Cruel Prince

    by Holly Black

    An instant bestseller!
    By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.
    Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
    And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
    Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
    To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.
    In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories star a fiercely determined, blade-wielding female protagonist striving to survive and outwit lethal, immortal Fae nobility in court politics.

    What's different

    Black emphasizes intimate, Machiavellian political maneuvering and morally compromised antiheroes rather than a broad, traditional good-versus-evil rebellion.

  4. Cover of The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

    Cover not available

    The Bridge Kingdom

    by Danielle L. Jensen

    What if you fell in love with the one person you'd sworn to destroy?

    Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil - and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara's homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.

    But as she infiltrates her new home - a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas - and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?

    Why it's similar

    Both narratives focus on an expertly trained female assassin embedded within a royal household who begins to question her loyalties as political truths emerge.

    What's different

    Jensen's book features an older, New Adult tone with a tighter focus on romantic tension and seafaring warfare rather than ancient magical lore.

  5. Cover of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

    Cover not available

    Shadow and Bone

    by Leigh Bardugo

    See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now!

    Discover the adventure that started it all and meet Alina, Mal, and the Darkling in Shadow and Bone from #1 bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo.

    Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

    Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

    As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

    Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

    A New York Times Bestseller
    A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
    An Indie Next List Book
    This title has Common Core connections.

    Read all the books in the Grishaverse!

    The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
    (previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)
    Shadow and Bone
    Siege and Storm
    Ruin and Rising

    The Six of Crows Duology
    Six of Crows
    Crooked Kingdom

    The King of Scars Duology
    King of Scars
    Rule of Wolves

    The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
    The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic
    The Lives of Saints
    Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel

    Praise for the Grishaverse

    “A master of fantasy.” —The Huffington Post
    “Utterly, extremely bewitching.” —The Guardian

    Why it's similar

    Both are YA fantasy epics featuring a young heroine with rare powers drawn into royal courts, military conflicts, and dangerous romantic entanglements amid expansive series-level worldbuilding.

    What's different

    The protagonist begins as an untrained, insecure girl discovering her powers, and the story leans more heavily into a dark, morally ambiguous villain-romance and Russian-inspired atmosphere than assassin-focused action.

Looking for something else?

Use our book recommendation tool to discover books similar to any of your favorites.

Find similar books with LibroMatch