# Recommendations for Fantasy Books that have Romance in the story



## kai_andersen (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi fantasy lovers! Hope you can help me out with a dilemma.

I love to read fantasy, and I've scoured a lot of sites/forums recommending best fantasy books/series. However, what is their best might not be a good fit for what I'm looking for, specifically, *fantasy books that contain romance*.

And no, I don't mean fantasy romance books. I think there's a difference with that.

I like fantasy with some romance, not romance that has fantasy or fantastical elements.

For example, so far, I've read and liked:

Melanie Rawn - Dragon Prince series
Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel series (more of the first 3 books)
Juliet Marillier - Sevenwaters books
Naomi Novik - Uprooted

I've not read a lot, so appreciate any recs. Thanks!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Do you also like Urban Fantasy with a romantic subplot?  If so: Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews (either her On the Edge series or Kate Daniels.  I think her other books are actual romance).

For fantasy with a romantic subplot, you might like Lindsay Buroker.  I've only read her Torrent, but I think her fantasy series is similar (I started the first book, but haven't finished and it smells right!)  

Frank Tuttle doesn't have any romance in the first 3 books (novellas really) of his Markhat series, but then!  One develops.  Good stuff.  His All the Paths of Shadow is romantic, but I thought he didn't develop the romance as much as I would have liked.  That is to say there is a romance, but it seems to happen in the background more than anything, but the Markhat series is spot on.  You could probably skip the first three books if you wanted to jump right into the longer ones or try one of the novellas to see if you like the atmosphere and voice.  His books are pretty inexpensive.

Oh! Patricia Briggs--When Demons Walk  A MOST excellent fantasy with romance.  She has a couple of YA ones that are good too and are fantasy romance.  She's the author I rec'd above for UF--but her fantasy stuff is top-notch too.  

Holly Lisle has a couple...Sympathy for the Devil, Diplomacy of Wolves, Memories of Fire, and Minerva Wakes.  Some of her other stuff was pretty much straight romance or straight epic fantasy and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much.  So pick and choose there.

There's another author that I can't think of her name.  I'll be back when it comes to me.


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## thewitt (Dec 5, 2014)

I've been told that Prophecy's Queen, my Epic Fantasy prequel, should be classified as a romance novel as well...  It's free everywhere for another month.


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## kai_andersen (Jun 20, 2015)

MariaESchneider said:


> Do you also like Urban Fantasy with a romantic subplot? If so: Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews (either her On the Edge series or Kate Daniels. I think her other books are actual romance).
> 
> For fantasy with a romantic subplot, you might like Lindsay Buroker. I've only read her Torrent, but I think her fantasy series is similar (I started the first book, but haven't finished and it smells right!)
> 
> ...


Hi Maria, thanks for your reply.

I don't really like UF, so will skip those. But I'll check out Lindsay Buroker and Patricia Briggs' fantasy. And Holly Lisle. Not sure about male authors... I've found they don't really do romance well.

Thanks a lot for your recs! That's enough to keep me busy for awhile.


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## kai_andersen (Jun 20, 2015)

thewitt said:


> I've been told that Prophecy's Queen, my Epic Fantasy prequel, should be classified as a romance novel as well... It's free everywhere for another month.


Thanks a lot! I'll check it out.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Tuttle does a pretty good job with the romance, but it is told from the male POV. It's actually sweet and kind of amusing.  I don't know WHY I found it so amusing, but I did.  I can totally understand not wanting to read through two or three that don't have any romance.  

The first Ilona Andrews in the Edge series is mostly fantasy (there's this dual world going on.  The main crosses from the fantasy part into the "contemporary part" a couple of times, but the bulk of the story is in a fantasy setting.  You might like the first.  The second is largely in a fantasy setting as well...but.  I dunno.  It didn't work for me (different characters than the first book).  If you can pick it up the first cheap, it's probably worth a look because the story is superb and the characters very likeable.  

The older Briggs are definitely fantasy and a lot of fun.  Ah, you have so much good reading ahead!!!  Don't be afraid to come back and tell us what you think.  I wanted to do a buddy read on my blog of When Demons Walk but I haven't gotten around to a reread!!!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Mercedes Lackey was the other author I was thinking of.  Some have a romantic bent, others don't, but there are some good ones.  Also Stained Glass Monsters is worth a look, I think.


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## R. M. Webb (Jul 24, 2014)

Have you read the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss? It's got a bit of a love story woven as one of the sub-plots...


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## Lisa Blackwood (Feb 1, 2015)

I second some of the earlier recs.

Here's some more.

The Hob’s Bargain by Patricia Briggs.
Almost anything by Sharon Shinn Archangel (Samaria, #1) 
The Pool of Two Moons by Kate Forsyth
The Green Rider Series by Kristin Britain (no longer do I consider it a romance after Mirror Sight—as least not how I wanted it to go.)
The Assassin’s Gambit by Amy Raby
Radiance by Grace Draven 
Darkspire Reaches by C. N. Lesley
Poison Study (series) by Maria Snyder
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

I have a ton more on my ereader but can't think of them at the moment.


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## danpadavona (Sep 25, 2014)

R. M. Webb said:


> Have you read the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss? It's got a bit of a love story woven as one of the sub-plots...


I second this. Great call by R.M. Webb.

Rothfuss' Kvothe has one of the most interesting relationships I've read in any book, let alone fantasy.


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## DISmith (Jul 13, 2015)

kai_andersen said:


> Hi fantasy lovers! Hope you can help me out with a dilemma.
> 
> I love to read fantasy, and I've scoured a lot of sites/forums recommending best fantasy books/series. However, what is their best might not be a good fit for what I'm looking for, specifically, *fantasy books that contain romance*.
> 
> ...


So you don't want the standard Romance formula with the guaranteed happy ending?

You might enjoy Dance of the Goblins by Jaq D. Hawkins. It's definitely not a Romance book, but there is a subplot romance and a different one later in the series that has some very original elements.


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## A.G. Richards (Sep 28, 2014)

danpadavona said:


> I second this. Great call by R.M. Webb.
> 
> Rothfuss' Kvothe has one of the most interesting relationships I've read in any book, let alone fantasy.


I'd certainly agree with this recommendation too.


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