Cover of Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

5 book recommendations

Books Like “Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas

If you were captivated by the sweeping romance, fierce heroines, and heart-stopping battles of Empire of Storms, you are not alone. Readers crave its thrilling mix of high-stakes rebellion, loyal found family, and breathtaking magic. Explore our handpicked recommendations below to discover your next unforgettable fantasy obsession.

  1. Cover of Furyborn by Claire Legrand

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    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

    A BuzzFeed Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018

    A Goodreads Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018

    A Bustle Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018

    "A must-read." --Refinery29

    "A series to watch." --Paste Magazine

    "Visionary." --Bustle

    "One of the biggest new YA Fantasies." --Entertainment Weekly

    "Empowering." --BuzzFeed

    Why it's similar

    Both books feature fiercely powerful young women navigating apocalyptic prophecies, complex court politics, and intense romantic entanglements amidst an impending war. They share a multi-POV structure focused on assembling magical power to combat an existential, demonic threat.

    What's different

    Furyborn utilizes a dual-timeline narrative split across a thousand years rather than the single continuous linear march toward war seen in Empire of Storms.

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

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    The Priory of the Orange Tree

    by Samantha Shannon

    The New York Times bestselling "epic feminist fantasy perfect for fans of Game of Thrones" (Bustle).

    NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY:
    AMAZON (Top 100 Editors Picks and Science Fiction and Fantasy) * CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY * BOOKPAGE * AUTOSTRADDLE

    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 works center on expansive, multi-POV high fantasy worlds facing an ancient rising evil, with heavy emphasis on assembling scattered global alliances. Each highlights formidable female leaders, deep lore, and high-stakes military preparation.

    What's different

    The Priory of the Orange Tree is an adult standalone novel with a more measured, world-building-heavy pace compared to the fast, trope-heavy romance and cliffhanger plotting of Maas's series.

  3. 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 feature a lethal, strategically minded heroine operating in nautical and island settings while managing high-stakes espionage and conflicted romance. Each places a heavy emphasis on war preparation, shifting loyalties, and betrayal.

    What's different

    The Bridge Kingdom maintains a much tighter dual-POV scope centered on a specific kingdom's infiltration, lacking the vast ensemble cast and overt magical elements present in Maas's epic.

  4. Cover of The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

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    The Kiss of Deception

    by Mary E. Pearson

    In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

    In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia's life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn't—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

    On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

    The Kiss of Deception is the first book in Mary E. Pearson's Remnant Chronicles.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories follow a resilient, magically gifted princess who defies expectations and assumes agency over her realm's political fate. They share strong themes of hidden identities, romantic intrigue, and an encroaching continental conflict.

    What's different

    Pearson's novel features a narrower narrative scope focused heavily on identity deception among three key players, with a more subdued and folklore-based magic system.

  5. Cover of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

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    The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

    by N.K. Jemisin

    After her mother's mysterious death, a young woman is summoned to the floating city of Sky in order to claim a royal inheritance she never knew existed in the first book in this award-winning fantasy trilogy from the NYT bestselling author of The Fifth Season.
    Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history.

    With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate - and gods and mortals - are bound inseparably together.
    The Inheritance Trilogy The Hundred Thousand KingdomsThe Broken KingdomsThe Kingdom of Gods
    The Inheritance Trilogy (omnibus edition) Shades in Shadow: An Inheritance Triptych (e-only short fiction) The Awakened Kingdom (e-only novella)
    For more from N. K. Jemisin, check out:
    Dreamblood DuologyThe Killing MoonThe Shadowed Sun
    The Broken Earth The Fifth SeasonThe Obelisk GateThe Stone Sky

    Why it's similar

    Both feature a young woman pulled into a volatile power struggle among rulers, magic, and ancient forces larger than herself. They share themes of political control, divine power, and a heroine forced to survive a dangerous court environment.

    What's different

    This novel is more compact and literary in scale, with a stronger focus on gods, inheritance, and court manipulation than on sweeping military campaign arcs. Its worldbuilding is denser and more mythic than action-forward.

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