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Books like Fourth Wing: 5 to read next

Loved Fourth Wing? Five fantasy openers with deadly trials, dragons or fae, and a slow-burn romance.

  1. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

    A human raised by the vampire king enters a deadly tournament and allies with a rival.

    + A fun read that handles familiar tropes well, with plenty to enjoy for fans of Fourth Wing and Maas.
    − The deadly tournament starts before you know the characters, the world needs clearer explanation, and little feels new. (summed up from Blogging with Dragons)

  2. Powerless by Lauren Roberts

    A girl without powers hides among the gifted and is drawn into deadly royal trials beside the prince.

    + Well written for YA, with high-stakes trials that keep the pace up and real tension between Paedyn and Kai.
    − Trials, a caste system and enemies-to-lovers feel familiar; it executes the tropes well but breaks no new ground. (summed up from Lalie Lours Reads)

  3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

    An assassin fights through a deadly contest to become the king's champion.

    + The plot and story are perfectly fine, with a solidly structured tournament and a lurking threat in the castle.
    − Celaena never coheres into a person rather than a collection of traits, and the love triangle grates. (summed up from The Literary Omnivore)

  4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown

    A low-caste miner infiltrates the ruling Golds of Mars; brutal, fast and full of reversals.

    + Cinematic, fast action blending Roman myth and science fiction, building to a gripping final act.
    − Some reviewers found it derivative of The Hunger Games, with little originality or plausibility. (summed up from Wikipedia (reception))

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

    A huntress is taken into a fae lord's court in a dark Beauty and the Beast retelling.

    + Lush, beautiful writing and a Beauty and the Beast retelling that grows into a gripping survival story.
    − Very slow start before the pace picks up. (summed up from The Guardian)

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