Read Next
Books like ACOTAR
A Court of Thorns and Roses is a retelling, a court intrigue and a romance. Different readers mean different things when they ask for more.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices come from Amazon and were last checked on October 6, 2026. It does not change which books we pick — see how we choose and how we are funded.
The first thing to say is awkward and true: if you have only read the first ACOTAR book, the book most like ACOTAR is A Court of Mist and Fury, and it is considerably better. A lot of people bounce off book one and never find out, which is the single most common mistake in this corner of fantasy.
What you came for
- The fae courts and the politics. The Cruel Prince is the sharpest version of this, with a protagonist who decides the only way to be safe is to be dangerous.
- The romance, specifically the enemies-and-tension kind. From Blood and Ash and Fourth Wing run the same engine.
- The retelling. ACOTAR starts as Beauty and the Beast. A Curse So Dark and Lonely and Uprooted are both retellings that do something new with the frame.
- The folklore atmosphere. If what held you was the sense of a dangerous older world, The Bear and the Nightingale is the better match and nothing like it in plot.
What to listen to after ACOTAR
Labeled by appeal. Narrators from the publisher's catalog; prices from Amazon at our last check.
| # | Title | Best for | Narrator | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  A Court of Mist and Fury Sarah J. Maas · read by Elizabeth Evans The second ACOTAR book, and the one the fandom actually means when it recommends the series. Reframes everything in book one. | Anyone lukewarm on book one | Elizabeth Evans | $22.63on Amazon |
| 2 |  The Cruel Prince Holly Black · read by Caitlin Kelly A mortal girl in the faerie court decides the only way to be safe is to be dangerous. The sharpest YA fae book there is. | Fae politics with a mean streak | Caitlin Kelly | $4.99on Amazon |
| 3 |  Fourth Wing Rebecca Yarros · read by Rebecca Soler & Teddy Hamilton A scribe's daughter is forced into dragon-rider training where most cadets die in the first year. The book that made romantasy a mainstream category. | The romantasy everyone is talking about | Rebecca Soler & Teddy Hamilton | $27.69on Amazon |
| 4 |  Throne of Glass Sarah J. Maas · read by Elizabeth Evans An assassin competes to become the king's champion. The weakest book in a series that improves a great deal, which makes it an awkward recommendation. | Listeners committed to a long series arc | Elizabeth Evans | $19.69on Amazon |
| 5 |  From Blood and Ash Jennifer L. Armentrout · read by Stina Nielsen A chosen maiden forbidden to be touched, and the guard assigned to her. Pure romantasy mechanics executed at speed. | Listeners who want the tropes delivered without apology | Stina Nielsen | $5.99on Amazon |
| 6 |  A Curse So Dark and Lonely Brigid Kemmerer · read by Davis Brooks & Kate Handford +1 A Beauty and the Beast retelling where the heroine has cerebral palsy and no interest in being rescued. Better than the premise suggests. | Retelling listeners who want a modern voice | Davis Brooks & Kate Handford +1 | $20.20on Amazon |
| 7 |  Uprooted Naomi Novik · read by Julia Emelin A wizard takes one village girl every ten years, and this time takes the wrong one. A standalone that reads like a folk tale with teeth. | A complete fantasy in one listen | Julia Emelin | $21.66on Amazon |
| 8 |  The Bear and the Nightingale Katherine Arden · read by Kathleen Gati Russian folklore, a girl who sees the house spirits nobody else does, and a priest determined to stamp them out. Atmospheric and cold in the best way. | Winter listening | Kathleen Gati | $15.75on Amazon |
The picks, in detail
Our top pick · Anyone lukewarm on book one
A Court of Mist and Fury
by Sarah J. Maas · narrated by Elizabeth Evans
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2025
The second ACOTAR book, and the one the fandom actually means when it recommends the series. Reframes everything in book one.
On audio
Ikeda again, with considerably better material.
Who should skip it
- Unreadable without book one.
- Very long for the amount of plot.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 2 · Fae politics with a mean streak
The Cruel Prince
by Holly Black · narrated by Caitlin Kelly
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2018
A mortal girl in the faerie court decides the only way to be safe is to be dangerous. The sharpest YA fae book there is.
On audio
Caitlin Kelly keeps Jude's calculation audible under the teenage register.
Who should skip it
- The central relationship is genuinely unhealthy — read as intended.
- Reads young if you have come from adult fantasy.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 3 · The romantasy everyone is talking about
Fourth Wing
by Rebecca Yarros · narrated by Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 2
- Audio edition
- 2023
A scribe's daughter is forced into dragon-rider training where most cadets die in the first year. The book that made romantasy a mainstream category.
On audio
Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton split the viewpoints, which is what lifts the romance scenes above the page.
Who should skip it
- The worldbuilding is thin next to the romance.
- Ends on a cliffhanger that makes the sequel non-optional.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 4 · Listeners committed to a long series arc
Throne of Glass
by Sarah J. Maas · narrated by Elizabeth Evans
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2021
An assassin competes to become the king's champion. The weakest book in a series that improves a great deal, which makes it an awkward recommendation.
On audio
Elizabeth Evans carries the whole series, so the voice stays consistent across eight books.
Who should skip it
- Book one reads much younger than the rest.
- Eight books is a serious credit commitment.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 5 · Listeners who want the tropes delivered without apology
From Blood and Ash
by Jennifer L. Armentrout · narrated by Stina Nielsen
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2020
A chosen maiden forbidden to be touched, and the guard assigned to her. Pure romantasy mechanics executed at speed.
On audio
Stina Nielsen plays the forbidden-touch tension, which is most of the book's engine.
Who should skip it
- Very trope-forward; originality is not the appeal.
- A slow first third.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 6 · Retelling listeners who want a modern voice
A Curse So Dark and Lonely
by Brigid Kemmerer · narrated by Davis Brooks, Kate Handford, Matt Reeves
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 3
- Audio edition
- 2020
A Beauty and the Beast retelling where the heroine has cerebral palsy and no interest in being rescued. Better than the premise suggests.
Who should skip it
- Alternating viewpoints slow the first act.
- The curse mechanics are hand-waved.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 7 · A complete fantasy in one listen
Uprooted
by Naomi Novik · narrated by Julia Emelin
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2015
A wizard takes one village girl every ten years, and this time takes the wrong one. A standalone that reads like a folk tale with teeth.
On audio
Julia Emelin's accent gives the narration a storyteller's quality that suits the fairy-tale frame.
Who should skip it
- The romance element is divisive.
- The final act escalates abruptly.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 8 · Winter listening
The Bear and the Nightingale
by Katherine Arden · narrated by Kathleen Gati
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2017
Russian folklore, a girl who sees the house spirits nobody else does, and a priest determined to stamp them out. Atmospheric and cold in the best way.
On audio
Kathleen Gati's accent and cadence make the folklore feel inherited rather than researched.
Who should skip it
- Slow-building.
- The Russian naming conventions take adjusting to in audio.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Matched to what you liked
| If you came for... | Read | Note |
|---|---|---|
| More of the same series | A Court of Mist and Fury | Better than book one; this is the real answer |
| Fae politics with teeth | The Cruel Prince | Reads younger; the relationship is deliberately unhealthy |
| The romance tension | Fourth Wing | Faster, with dragons and a death-rate |
| A long series to live in | Throne of Glass | Book one reads much younger than the rest |
| Forbidden-touch romance | From Blood and Ash | Trope-forward and slow to start |
| The retelling | A Curse So Dark and Lonely | A heroine with no interest in rescue |
| A standalone that ends | Uprooted | Complete in one book; the romance divides people |
| Folklore and cold | The Bear and the Nightingale | Slow-building; nothing like ACOTAR in plot |
On series length, honestly
ACOTAR and Throne of Glass are both long series with uneven quality, and that unevenness is real rather than a matter of taste — book one of each is noticeably weaker than what follows, and some later volumes are weaker again. Going in expecting a consistent standard is how people end up annoyed. Going in expecting peaks is more accurate and more enjoyable.
Where to go next
- For the wider shelf, romance audiobooks and fantasy audiobooks.
- For the Fourth Wing route, books like Fourth Wing.
- For narrators, best romance narrators.
- For indie romantasy depth, best books on Kindle Unlimited.
Frequently asked questions
What should I read after ACOTAR?
Is ACOTAR or Fourth Wing better?
What is like ACOTAR but a standalone?
Does the ACOTAR audiobook narrator change?
Is the ACOTAR series consistent in quality?
Sources
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