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Books like Fourth Wing
Three different books get recommended as the next Fourth Wing, and which one is right depends entirely on what you liked about it.
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.
Fourth Wing is doing at least three things at once, and most read-alike lists pick one and assume it was the one you cared about. Before the picks, it is worth saying what those three things are, because it changes the answer completely.
What you probably actually loved
- The brutal academy. Cadets die in the first year and the instructors mean it. If this was the appeal, your next book is Red Rising — and it has almost no romance in it.
- The dragons and the bond. A relationship with a creature that chooses you. A Court of Mist and Fury is the closest in feeling even without dragons; House of Earth and Blood is the other direction.
- The romance. Specifically the slow, antagonistic, high-tension kind. From Blood and Ash and The Serpent and the Wings of Night are built on the same mechanics.
And the honest first answer, which most lists skip because it is not a list: read Iron Flame. If you finished Fourth Wing wanting more Fourth Wing, the sequel is the thing you want, and we would rather say so than pad a page.
What to listen to after Fourth Wing
Labeled by which appeal each one matches. Narrators from the publisher's catalog; prices from Amazon at our last check.
| # | Title | Best for | Narrator | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Iron Flame Rebecca Yarros · read by Rebecca Soler & Teddy Hamilton The Fourth Wing sequel: second year, worse instructors, and a much longer book. More of what worked, plus a lot of corridor. | Anyone who finished Fourth Wing | Rebecca Soler & Teddy Hamilton | $27.69on Amazon |
| 2 |  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 |
| 3 |  Red Rising Pierce Brown · read by Tim Gerard Reynolds A mine worker is surgically remade to infiltrate the ruling caste's academy, where the lesson is war. Brutal and extremely propulsive. | Listeners who want Hunger Games with adult teeth | Tim Gerard Reynolds | $20.65on Amazon |
| 4 |  The Serpent and the Wings of Night Carissa Broadbent · read by Amanda Leigh Cobb A human adopted by a vampire king enters a tournament she is not built to survive. Tighter and darker than most of the shelf. | Romantasy with a real tournament plot | Amanda Leigh Cobb | $5.99on 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 |  Powerless Lauren Roberts · read by Chase Brown & Cecily Bednar Schmidt An ordinary girl hides among the powered elite in a competition that kills. Fast, extremely trope-aware, and built for bingeing. | A quick romantasy listen | Chase Brown & Cecily Bednar Schmidt | $19.68on Amazon |
| 7 |  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 |
| 8 |  House of Earth and Blood Sarah J. Maas · read by Elizabeth Evans Urban fantasy with a murder investigation, a half-fae party girl and an angel enforcer. Longer and better plotted than Maas's earlier work. | Romantasy readers who want a case to solve | Elizabeth Evans | $27.48on Amazon |
The picks, in detail
Our top pick · Anyone who finished Fourth Wing
Iron Flame
by Rebecca Yarros · narrated by Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 2
- Audio edition
- 2023
The Fourth Wing sequel: second year, worse instructors, and a much longer book. More of what worked, plus a lot of corridor.
On audio
Soler and Hamilton again, which keeps the voices consistent across the series.
Who should skip it
- Noticeably padded in the middle.
- Another cliffhanger.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 2 · 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 3 · Listeners who want Hunger Games with adult teeth
Red Rising
by Pierce Brown · narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2014
A mine worker is surgically remade to infiltrate the ruling caste's academy, where the lesson is war. Brutal and extremely propulsive.
On audio
Tim Gerard Reynolds is the series' defining voice and much of why the audio edition is so well regarded.
Who should skip it
- Very violent, including sexual violence.
- The first quarter is slow setup.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 4 · Romantasy with a real tournament plot
The Serpent and the Wings of Night
by Carissa Broadbent · narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2023
A human adopted by a vampire king enters a tournament she is not built to survive. Tighter and darker than most of the shelf.
Who should skip it
- Extremely violent for the category.
- The romance arrives late.
#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 · A quick romantasy listen
Powerless
by Lauren Roberts · narrated by Chase Brown, Cecily Bednar Schmidt
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 2
- Audio edition
- 2023
An ordinary girl hides among the powered elite in a competition that kills. Fast, extremely trope-aware, and built for bingeing.
Who should skip it
- Derivative by design.
- The worldbuilding does not survive scrutiny.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Pick 7 · 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 8 · Romantasy readers who want a case to solve
House of Earth and Blood
by Sarah J. Maas · narrated by Elizabeth Evans
- Runtime
- Not published in our source
- Narrators
- 1
- Audio edition
- 2020
Urban fantasy with a murder investigation, a half-fae party girl and an angel enforcer. Longer and better plotted than Maas's earlier work.
On audio
Elizabeth Evans again, handling a modern setting rather than a court.
Who should skip it
- Enormous page count before the plot engages.
- A great deal of invented urban terminology.
#ad How we are funded · Audible price as of October 6, 2026
Matched to what you liked
| If you loved... | Read | Note |
|---|---|---|
| More of exactly this | Iron Flame | Padded in the middle, and another cliffhanger |
| The academy brutality | Red Rising | Harder and more violent; barely any romance |
| The world and the courts | A Court of Mist and Fury | Start at book one of ACOTAR first |
| The high-tension romance | From Blood and Ash | Trope-forward and unapologetic about it |
| A tournament plot | The Serpent and the Wings of Night | Darker and more violent than the shelf average |
| Something fast and bingeable | Powerless | Derivative by design; that is the point |
| Court politics with a mean streak | The Cruel Prince | Reads younger, and the relationship is deliberately unhealthy |
| Urban fantasy with a case to solve | House of Earth and Blood | Very long before the plot engages |
What we have not recommended, and why
A great many romantasy books get recommended on lists like this because they share dragons or an academy and nothing else. We have kept the list to titles already in our catalog, which means each one has a verified ASIN, verified narrator credits and a live price. It is a shorter list than it could be. Every entry on it is checked.
Where to go next
- For the wider shelf, romance audiobooks and fantasy audiobooks.
- For the ACOTAR route specifically, books like ACOTAR.
- For the Red Rising route, books like Red Rising.
- If you want the cheapest way to read a lot of romantasy, best books on Kindle Unlimited.
Frequently asked questions
What should I read after Fourth Wing?
Is anything else like Fourth Wing on audio?
What is like Fourth Wing but without the romance?
Should I read ACOTAR or Fourth Wing first?
Why is this list shorter than other Fourth Wing lists?
Sources
Read next
Read Next
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A retelling, a court intrigue and a romance. Different readers mean different things asking for more.
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Books like Red Rising
A brutal academy and an interplanetary war. Which half hooked you decides what comes next.
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From one-volume standalones to hundred-hour epics, with the narrator named on every pick.
Narrators
The best romance audiobook narrators
The four names that cover most of the shelf, and when dual narration goes wrong.
Guides
The best books on Kindle Unlimited
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