Cover of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

6 book recommendations

Books Like “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros

If you are suffering from a major book hangover after Fourth Wing, you are not alone. Readers cannot get enough of its lethal dragon riders, high-stakes academy trials, and scorching romantasy. Explore our handpicked recommendations below to find your next thrilling obsession and fuel your fiery reading addiction.

  1. Cover of Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

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    Fireborne

    by Rosaria Munda

    "One of fantasy’s best series." —Booklist, starred review

    Game of Thrones meets Fourth Wing in a debut young adult fantasy that's full of rivalry, romance . . . and dragons.

    Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone--even the lowborn--a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.

    Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn't be more different. Annie's lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee's aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

    But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

    With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he's come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

    From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you've chosen.

    Why it's similar

    Both books feature an elite, competitive academy where riders bond with dragons to train for military service amid rising rebellion. They also share themes of overcoming class-based prejudice and surviving high-stakes aerial trials.

    What's different

    Fireborne is a young adult novel focused deeply on political philosophy and revolutionary governance, featuring dual perspectives and a slow-burn romance without explicit content.

  2. Cover of The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

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    The Serpent and the Wings of Night

    by Carissa Broadbent

    "Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust; never yield. And always-- always-- guard your heart. As the adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself. But winning won't be easy against the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival. Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father's crown... and Oraya's greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him. But there's no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the throne of House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone -- but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love" --

    Why it's similar

    Both novels belong to the dark romantasy genre, following an underdog female protagonist who must survive a lethal, cutthroat trial while navigating an enemies-to-lovers romance with a deadly rival.

    What's different

    Rather than a military dragon academy, the story takes place in a gothic vampire court centered around a singular gladiatorial tournament dedicated to a goddess.

  3. Cover of Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto

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    Crown of Feathers

    by Nicki Pau Preto

    “Absolutely unforgettable.” —Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series
    “A beautifully told story about justice, sisterhood, and warrior women.” —Shea Ernshaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep
    “Epic in the truest sense.” —Quill and Quire

    An Ember in the Ashes meets Three Dark Crowns in this lush debut fantasy novel about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join a secret group of warriors that ride phoenixes into battle.

    I had a sister, once…

    In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.

    I promised her the throne would not come between us.

    Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.

    But it is a fact of life that one must kill or be killed. Rule or be ruled.

    Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

    Sometimes the title of queen is given. Sometimes it must be taken.

    Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love’s incredible power to save—or to destroy. Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister’s hands.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories follow a resilient female protagonist striving to join an elite order of magical aerial-beast riders while war and revolution threaten the realm.

    What's different

    The mounts are phoenixes rather than dragons, and the book is targeted at a young adult audience, lacking the explicit romance and graphic gore found in Fourth Wing.

  4. Cover of His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

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    His Majesty's Dragon

    by Naomi Novik

    When the HMS Reliant captures a French ship and its priceless cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, Captain Will Laurence is swept into an unexpected kinship with an extraordinary creature and joins the elite Aerial Corps as a master of the dragon Temaraire, in which role he must match wits with the powerful dragon-borne forces of Napoleon Bonaparte.

    Why it's similar

    Both feature dragon riders bonded to their dragons in a militarized, high-stakes war setting, blending action-focused fantasy with character-driven relationships and political intrigue.

    What's different

    The tone leans more toward alternate-history military fantasy with less emphasis on a central magic academy and fewer explicit romantic elements.

  5. Cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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    A Court of Thorns and Roses

    by Sarah J. Maas

    When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

    At least, he's not a beast all the time.

    As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.

    From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

    Why it's similar

    Both are new adult romantasy featuring a strong, traumatized heroine, intense slow-burn romance, and a balance of magic, combat training, and looming war against powerful enemies.

    What's different

    The setting is a fae-dominated world rather than a war college, and the series gradually shifts toward epic court politics and sprawling worldbuilding with a more fairy-tale-derived foundation.

  6. Cover of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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    The Priory of the Orange Tree

    by Samantha Shannon

    A world divided.
    A queendom without an heir.
    An ancient enemy awakens.

    The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door.

    Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

    Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

    Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

    Why it's similar

    Both center on dragons, a looming apocalyptic threat, and multiple factions whose political maneuvering shapes a large-scale war, while following determined women in positions of growing power.

    What's different

    It is a standalone epic with a much broader cast and slower, more intricate political plotting, and the romance is less central than in Fourth Wing.

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