Looking for books like Fourth Wing? The best next read depends on which part of Rebecca Yarros’s series hooked you: the dragon bonds, the deadly war-college trials, or the enemies-to-lovers romance. Very few books deliver all three, so this guide sorts 15 fantasy and romantasy picks by what you actually loved.
For each book you get the series order, what it shares with Fourth Wing, where it differs, its spice level, and who should skip it. You will also find quick picks, a comparison table, and sections for dragons, enemies to lovers, spicy and low-spice reads, YA, no-romance options and fans of ACOTAR.
What to Read After Fourth Wing: The Quick Picks
- Want the dragons? When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker. Dragon bonds are central to the world and the romance.
- Want the trials and a rival who becomes an ally? The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. A deadly tournament, a slow-building alliance, and no dragons.
- Want a true enemies-to-lovers story with politics? The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen. A spy sent to destroy her husband, and a finished series.
| Book and author | Main similarity | Dragons or creatures | Romance and spice | YA or adult | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| When the Moon Hatched, Sarah A. Parker | Dragon bonds, morally grey ruler | Dragons central | Romance central; High | Adult | Dragon lovers |
| Of Flames and Fallacies, Courtney Whims | Dragon bond, war setting | Bonded dragon | Romance central; Moderate to High | Adult | Dragon-first readers |
| Eragon, Christopher Paolini | Rider and dragon bond | Bonded dragon | Minimal romance; None to Low | YA | Teens, male lead |
| His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik | Military dragon partnership | Bonded dragon | Almost none; None | Adult | No-romance readers |
| The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Carissa Broadbent | Deadly tournament, rival romance | Vampires, no dragons | Romance central; Low rising to Moderate and High | Adult | Trials plus slow burn |
| Powerless, Lauren Roberts | Deadly trials, forbidden pull | None | Romance central; Low | YA | Teens, lower spice |
| Dire Bound, Sable Sorensen | Bonding trials, brutal training | Bonded direwolves | Romance central; High | Adult (17+ per publisher) | Trials-first readers |
| The Ordeals, Rachel Greenlaw | Deadly entrance trials to a college | None | Romance central; Moderate | Adult | Academy plus mystery |
| Zodiac Academy, Peckham and Valenti | Brutal academy, rival heirs | Dragon shifter character | Romance central; Moderate to High | Adult (18+ per authors) | Long finished series |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas | Slow burn, high-stakes magic | Fae, no dragons | Romance central; Moderate | Adult crossover | ACOTAR overlap |
| From Blood and Ash, Jennifer L. Armentrout | Forbidden romance, big stakes | No bonded dragons | Romance central; Moderate to High | Adult | Brooding love interest |
| The Bridge Kingdom, Danielle L. Jensen | Genuine enemies to lovers | None | Romance central; Moderate to High | Adult | Politics, finished series |
| The Cruel Prince, Holly Black | Rivalry, court danger | Fae, no dragons | Romance builds; Low | YA | Sharp rivalry, low spice |
| Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross | War backdrop, rivals | None | Romance central; Low | YA | Gentle, emotional pick |
| Throne of Glass, Sarah J. Maas | Assassin tournament | Wyverns in later books | Romance present; Low early, rising | YA crossover | Long series, YA entry |
How I label spice (editorial, not objective):
- None: no on-page romance, or a chaste crush.
- Low: kissing and tension, with scenes closed or faded out.
- Moderate: a few open-door scenes.
- High: frequent explicit scenes.
These labels come from publisher descriptions and review guides, and readers disagree. Spice also changes within a series. Check a content guide for any book you plan to give a teen.
15 Books Like Fourth Wing
1. When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
Series: Moonfall #1. Book 2, The Ballad of Falling Dragons, is out; a third book is planned with no confirmed date.
Premise: Raeve, an assassin for a rebel group, is imprisoned by a council of fae nobles and found by Kaan, a dragon-rider turned king, whose grief ties him to a past she cannot remember.
Why it fits: Dragons and the rider bond sit at the center of the world and the romance, and the love interest is a dangerous, morally grey ruler.
How it differs: It is slower and more lyrical, driven by a memory-loss mystery rather than a war-college training arc.
Spice and content: High. Expect violence, imprisonment and grief.
Best for: readers who loved Fourth Wing’s dragons more than its academy.
2. Of Flames and Fallacies by Courtney Whims
Series: The Arterian #1, a planned trilogy. Book 2, Of Blood and Banes, is out.
Premise: Katerina finds a dragon egg in her father’s grave and must smuggle the hatchling across a kingdom at war, with an old flame and a more dangerous man both in her path.
Why it fits: The dragon is a bonded companion from hatchling onward, the setting is military, and the romance is spicy.
How it differs: It is a smaller-scale, newer-author debut, and some readers report a slow stretch at the military outpost.
Spice and content: Moderate to High. Reader-rated around 4 of 5 for steam on romance.io; war violence.
Best for: dragon-first readers willing to try a newer author.
3. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Series: Inheritance Cycle, four books, complete.
Premise: A farm boy finds a dragon egg, bonds with the hatchling, and is pulled into a rebellion against a tyrant king.
Why it fits: The bond between rider and dragon is the heart of the story, and it has a male lead.
How it differs: It is a traditional quest epic with a gentler pace and a minimal, chaste romance. If the war-college tension and heat were your draw, this will feel tame.
Spice and content: None to Low. Fantasy violence.
Best for: teens, and readers who want the dragon bond without the romance.
4. His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
Series: Temeraire #1 of nine, complete.
Premise: During the Napoleonic Wars, a British naval captain takes a dragon egg from a captured ship, and the hatchling bonds with him and drags him into the Aerial Corps.
Why it fits: It has a dragon-and-human partnership, military training, and a dragon with a strong personality.
How it differs: It is alternate history with a formal period voice, and the bond reads as deep friendship rather than romance.
Spice and content: None. War and battle scenes.
Best for: readers who want dragons without romance, or a male lead.
5. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Series: Crowns of Nyaxia #1. Order: this book, Six Scorched Roses (#1.5), The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King (#2), Slaying the Vampire Conqueror (#2.5), The Songbird and the Heart of Stone (#3), The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk (#4), The Lion and the Deathless Dark (#5). The series is ongoing.
Premise: Oraya, a human raised by a vampire king, enters a death-goddess’s tournament and must ally with a ruthless rival to survive.
Why it fits: It has a survival tournament where trust is dangerous, and a love interest who is both competition and ally.
How it differs: The enemies-to-lovers feel is more rivals-to-allies-to-lovers, and the setting is vampire courts, not a war college. There are no dragons.
Spice and content: Starts low and rises across the series. Dark themes and violence.
Best for: readers who want the trials and the slow-building trust.
6. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
Series: Powerless trilogy (Powerless, Reckless, Fearless), plus companion novellas Powerful and Fearful, which you can skip.
Premise: In a world where people with powers rule, a girl without any survives by deception, then falls for one of the powered elite she should fear.
Why it fits: It has a hidden-identity heroine, deadly trials, and a romance that grows in the middle of danger.
How it differs: It is YA, so the romance is intense but not explicit, and the tone is lighter and faster than Fourth Wing.
Spice and content: Low. Violence and a hunted-heroine premise.
Best for: teens and anyone who wants tension without open-door scenes.
7. Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen
Series: The Wolves of Ruin #1; Bookish Goblin lists the series as unfinished.
Premise: Meryn, a street fighter, enlists to find her kidnapped sister, survives brutal bonding trials, and bonds a feral direwolf.
Why it fits: It has bonding trials, strict training, rivals and a harsh instructor, all marketed as Fourth Wing-like.
How it differs: The bonded creature is a direwolf, and Bookish Goblin’s reviewer found it derivative and rated it 2.5 of 5. It is also unfinished, so expect a wait.
Spice and content: High. The publisher recommends 17+ and warns of graphic violence.
Best for: readers who want the structure of the trials above all.
8. The Ordeals by Rachel Greenlaw
Series: Published October 2025; check whether a sequel has been announced.
Premise: Sophia, a weak illusionist bound to a cruel uncle, must survive deadly entrance trials to reach an elite magic college while a killer picks off the hopefuls.
Why it fits: It has a lethal admissions gauntlet and a romance that starts through necessity.
How it differs: No dragons, and a murder mystery drives the plot with a lusher, more atmospheric tone.
Spice and content: Moderate. Murder and peril.
Best for: readers who like the academy and the mystery more than the military.
9. Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Series: Complete. Reading order across the main books and spin-offs is long, so check the authors’ order before starting.
Premise: Twin sisters learn they are heirs to a throne and enter a cutthroat fae academy where a group of arrogant heirs, including a dragon shifter, want them gone.
Why it fits: It has a brutal academy, rivalry and survival.
How it differs: It is chaotic and comic in tone, a bully romance, and multi-love-interest. If you came for the dragon bond or a single morally grey hero, this is a different book.
Spice and content: Moderate to High. The authors state it is for ages 18+; bullying and violence.
Best for: readers who want a huge finished series.
10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Series: ACOTAR. Five installments so far including a novella; a sixth has been announced, so check the current count.
Premise: A mortal huntress is taken to the fae lands after killing a wolf and finds a curse that threatens her captor’s court.
Why it fits: It has a slow-burn romance, a dangerous magical world, and a morally gray love interest.
How it differs: It is a fae-court fairy-tale retelling with little military training, and the first book is slower than Fourth Wing.
Spice and content: Moderate in book one and rising later. Captivity themes and violence.
Best for: readers who want romance and lore over action.
11. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Blood and Ash, with a prequel series, Flesh and Fire (A Shadow in the Ember is its first book). The two series interlock and spoil each other, so follow the author’s recommended order.
Premise: A sheltered woman raised as a sacred Maiden falls for the guard assigned to protect her.
Why it fits: It has a brooding love interest, forbidden romance and large-scale stakes.
How it differs: The tension is forbidden romance more than enemies to lovers, and there are no bonded dragons. A Shadow in the Ember is the alternate entry if you want a more explicit enemies-to-lovers setup.
Spice and content: Moderate to High. Violence and captivity themes.
Best for: readers who want the intensity of the romance.
12. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
Series: Six main books plus a short 3.5 installment. Complete; the final book, The Tempest Blade, came out in April 2026 per one reading-order guide.
Premise: Lara, a princess trained as a spy, marries the king of a rival nation to destroy him from within.
Why it fits: It is a genuine enemies-to-lovers story, with real stakes and a morally complicated hero.
How it differs: It is political fantasy built on trade and war, not magic, with no dragons or training academy.
Spice and content: Moderate to High; one guide says ACOTAR-level. War, deception.
Best for: readers who love enemies to lovers and want a finished series.
13. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Series: The Folk of the Air, three books, complete.
Premise: Jude, a human raised in a fae court, fights for a place there against a prince who despises her.
Why it fits: The rivalry and court danger are sharp, and the romance burns slowly.
How it differs: It is YA, with no dragons and little spice. Jude’s schemes, not military training, drive the plot.
Spice and content: Low. Violence and manipulation.
Best for: readers who want the rivalry without the heat.
14. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Series: Letters of Enchantment, a two-book series.
Premise: Two rival journalists exchange enchanted letters without knowing who is on the other end while gods go to war.
Why it fits: It has a war backdrop and rival-to-lover tension.
How it differs: It is gentle and epistolary, with no dragons, and the emotional beats matter more than the action.
Spice and content: Low. War themes.
Best for: teens and readers who want a lower-intensity, emotional read.
15. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass, seven main novels plus the prequel collection The Assassin’s Blade.
Premise: An imprisoned assassin competes against other killers to become the king’s champion.
Why it fits: It has a deadly competition, an underestimated heroine and a long series that grows more epic.
How it differs: It is YA to start, and later books get more mature. It has no dragons, though later books add wyvern riders.
Spice and content: Low early on and rising in later books. Violence.
Best for: readers who want a long series and are fine starting with a YA tone.
Books Like Fourth Wing With Dragons
True bonded dragons are rare in romantasy, so be skeptical of any list that says otherwise. Fourth Wing’s dragons are sentient partners who choose their riders. Of the 15 picks, these four come closest:
- When the Moon Hatched has dragons woven into the world and the romance.
- Of Flames and Fallacies gives you a bonded dragon raised from a hatchling.
- Eragon is the classic rider-and-dragon bond, in a gentler YA package.
- His Majesty’s Dragon puts a dragon partnership inside a military setting, with almost no romance.
Dire Bound has bonded direwolves instead of dragons, and Zodiac Academy has a dragon-shifter character but no bonded dragon. If dragons are the point, skip the vampire, fae and Maiden books.
Books Like Fourth Wing With Enemies-to-Lovers Romance
Not every tense romance is enemies to lovers. Here is how the picks break down.
- Genuine enemies to lovers: The Bridge Kingdom (a spy sent to destroy her husband) and The Cruel Prince (open hostility that slowly changes).
- Rivals who become allies, then lovers: The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Powerless and Divine Rivals.
- Bully or rival-heirs romance: Zodiac Academy.
- Forbidden or captor-style romance: From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses. These have high tension, but the lovers are not enemies in the same sense. A Shadow in the Ember is closer to enemies to lovers if you want that in Armentrout’s world.
Books Like Fourth Wing With Spice
Books Like Fourth Wing but Spicier
Based on publisher notes and review guides, these lean explicit: When the Moon Hatched, Of Flames and Fallacies, Dire Bound, Zodiac Academy, The Bridge Kingdom, and the later books in A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Serpent and the Wings of Night. Dire Bound is recommended 17+ by its publisher, and Zodiac Academy says 18+. Always check content warnings.
Books Like Fourth Wing Without Spice
Low spice does not mean no romance. The Cruel Prince, Powerless, Divine Rivals and the early Throne of Glass books have romantic tension with little to no explicit content. Eragon and His Majesty’s Dragon sit lower still.
Books Like Fourth Wing for Teens
YA picks here are Powerless, The Cruel Prince, Divine Rivals, Eragon and the first Throne of Glass book. YA does not mean suitable for every teen: The Cruel Prince has manipulation and violence, and Throne of Glass gets more mature as it goes. The adult titles above, such as Zodiac Academy (18+ per the authors) and Dire Bound (17+ per the publisher), are not teen recommendations.
Books Like Fourth Wing Without Romance
There are few strong matches. His Majesty’s Dragon is the best: dragons, military training and war, with almost no romance. Eragon has a minor romantic thread. Both share the dragon bond but not Fourth Wing’s romantasy focus.
Books Like Fourth Wing and ACOTAR
Fourth Wing leans on training, war and a single dangerous love interest. ACOTAR leans on court politics, magic and slow-building romance. Books that bridge both include The Bridge Kingdom (political intrigue plus enemies to lovers), From Blood and Ash (forbidden romance and large stakes), The Cruel Prince (fae court danger with a lower-spice romance), and When the Moon Hatched (a lush world and a morally grey ruler). They overlap with each series in different ways and are not copies of either.
Book Series Like Fourth Wing
For long, continuing storylines, consider Throne of Glass, the Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire books, Crowns of Nyaxia, Temeraire, and Zodiac Academy. Finished series let you binge without waiting: The Bridge Kingdom, The Folk of the Air, the Inheritance Cycle and Temeraire. Ongoing ones, such as Crowns of Nyaxia, Moonfall and the Blood and Ash universe, may leave you waiting between books.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after the Fourth Wing series? For dragons, When the Moon Hatched. For trials plus slow-burn rivals, The Serpent and the Wings of Night. For enemies to lovers with politics, The Bridge Kingdom.
Is there a series similar to Fourth Wing? None matches all of it. Moonfall is closest on dragons, Crowns of Nyaxia on trials, and The Bridge Kingdom on the romance.
What is the spiciest fantasy book series? It depends on how you define explicit, and it differs between books. Several here, such as Moonfall, Zodiac Academy and The Bridge Kingdom, lean high. I will not name a single winner.
Who writes books like Rebecca Yarros? Sarah A. Parker, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah J. Maas, Carissa Broadbent, Danielle L. Jensen and Courtney Whims all write adjacent romantasy.
Are there books like Fourth Wing with a male protagonist? Yes: Eragon and His Majesty’s Dragon. Both are lower on romance and spice.
What do readers on Reddit recommend? Recommendations shift constantly, so this article does not claim a Reddit consensus. For current opinions, search subreddits such as r/Fantasy and r/RomanceBooks for ‘Fourth Wing’ recommendation threads.
Hi, I’m Nisbah – a blogger with over 2 years of experience creating content and a fantasy enthusiast who loves exploring magical worlds, fantasy books, captivating stories, and unforgettable characters. I share book recommendations, reviews, fantasy insights, and story discussions and creating guides to help readers discover their next great adventure.
