Book Recommendation
TL;DR: help me pick a new series, TOG adjacent I am in pain.
Prefacing this with an apology for asking for recommendations.
So, I started ACOTAR on March 18th, which led to TOG, then CC… long story short, I finished all of SJM’s books in 20 days. I was slightly appalled that I consumed that much, but it was well worth it. TOG will forever be my new favourite series, I cannot get enough of TOG. SJM brought back my love for reading, and I seriously feel like I’ve come out of an 8-year slump. But I digress.
What the hell do I do now? My book hangover has me curled up in a ball, guttural screaming and bohemian hollering. I can’t just keep reading fan theories and AO3; it’s bumming me out with some of the negative comments on all the threads. I want to hug SJM. I couldn’t imagine putting my heart into some writing and then reading some of the comments out there. I genuinely hope no one is turned away from SJM’s works because of a few nasty people. I’ve sidetracked, but it’s been on my mind, and I needed to say it, or I’d go insane. I have no one to talk to about this universe. Yappers gonna yap.
Anyway, there are plenty of book recommendations on every subreddit. Still, I hoped the lovely Maas gang-folk (and hardcore TOG enthusiasts) would help me find my next series (or 12). I’m overwhelmed with the options I’ve come across. I was hoping that by putting some of my preferences out there, someone might be able to help me narrow it down by their first-hand reader experiences, like calls to like, if you will.
In summary, I’m looking for a romantasy. My other favourite series have been Cassandra Clare’s “The Infernal Devices,” “The Last Hours,” “The Dark Artifices,” and “The Mortal Instruments”.
Sarcastic romance (or any romance, plenty o’spice! But I’d be okay with a slow burn, TOG has altered my reality with romance), world-building, politics, fae and the like, any perspectives (love reading MMC’s perspectives!), elemental magic, and badass women! The pacing of books doesn’t bother me too much, either.
Not to mention, I am deeply missing the presence of SJM’s characters (Aelin, Rowan, Lysandra, Fenrys, Elide, Lorcan, MANON! and Dorian the faves).
I’d be willing to pick up a series featuring similar characters. I am in dire need of a snarky, sarcastic, bickering couple who will die for each other. I’m new to this whole Reddit thing, so I apologize in advance for the six chapters this post has turned into.
Thank you!
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I'm sorry, but there's no cure to TOG hangover. I've been in a 2 year reading slump because of this series :/
I read ACOTAR and CC after TOG, which helped temporarily, but still haven't found a book that makes me feel the way TOG did.
That was my fear. I read CC after TOG, and it definitely itched a part of my brain in a good way, but the slump has returned. I'm hoping these wonderful recommendations fill the void, even just a bit!
Haven’t read it myself, but I hear Fourth Wing mentioned a lot in SJM circles!
I bought Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and even pre-ordered Onyx Storm but I hate waiting for books to come out. I might have to bite the bullet… thank you for the rec!
Fourth Wing is good, but it made nowhere near the same lasting impression on me as ToG. I think the problem is that Fourth Wing is first-person POV and it’s about a student at a war college, so it doesn’t feel nearly as epic as ToG. Still would recommend though, but just don’t expect ToG yet at least. Maybe it will get there, the first two ToG books also weren’t representative of the entire series.
I loved Fourth Wing and Iron Flame! For me, I love it almost as much as the Throne of Glass series (my all-time favorite series)!
Fourth wing is one of few books I’ve rated five stars, along with TOG. It’s not the same level of world building and character development, but I love the writing and the story. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in. I want a dragon so badly.
I’m about to finish kingdom of ash and I’m already starting to get sad because I don’t know what to read after this. I have read acotar but not CC yet. So I guess that’s the next logical choice.
KOA was my favourite, I’m PRAYING SJM does something with the series so I can continue to live in my fantasy world. However, if she didn’t I would be content! I’d hate to see the series get dragged on if there isn’t passion behind it.
CC was… interesting. HOSAB was my favourite out of the three. I’m really hoping there’s a fourth one to tie things up nicely. I will say, don’t go in with expectations! And definitely don’t compare to TOG or ACOTAR, read it as its own series. It’s slow to start (like all SJM) so tough it out and you’ll be rewarded in HOFAS. Happy reading!
I gotta say, I went into CC a little apprehensive bc there is SO much criticism of it on this sub, but I was pleasantly surprised. It really kept me engaged through all three. Maybe a bit less so than TOG or ACOTAR, but just try to keep an open mind when going into it. I don’t know if it’s exactly at the same level as the others but I don’t think it’s bad, and I think if I had let other peoples opinions have more sway over me while reading I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much.
Been there, done that. I devoured SJM books feb 19-mar 27 and have been left with a void in me ever since. I do keep going back to re-read some chapters from tog and acotar to ease my book handover 😭😭 Having said that, I recently started Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Great world building and absolutely amazing story telling. Not a romantasy though but if you want a good gripping story you can give it a try. Also the Shepherd King Duology was a good read post SJM binge. I do want to give fourth wing and iron flame a try next.
Jesus you guys read so quick! I read all acotar, tog and cc from oct-feb and that was with me reading all the time it felt like. Had no job so read for hoursssss! Albeit I might have been slow reading in the beginning after a long hiatus. Acotar took like 20 days but by the end I read hofas in 4 days so I picked up speed. Haha. Also reading on a screen seems to go much quicker!
To cure my tog hangover I read the Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon and I was hooked. Maybe not same vein as SJM but it’s addictive!
I read the whole maasverse solely on kindle so completely agree with you that reading on screen tends to go much quicker. Also given kindle / kindle app is available on all devices so I was pretty much reading during any free time I could get at work / home. I believe with physical book (especially when its a huge one), it tends to overwhelm the reader with the number of pages left and makes the whole reading process slower.
I hear you!! I think re-reading any chapters at all would institutionalize me 😭. Anytime I go back, there seems to be another thing to cry about. I have gotten a few recommendations for Brandon Sanderson, so that seems like the way to go. This is the first time I've heard about the Shepherd King Duology. I'll have to add it to the TBR! Thank you!!!
Shepherd King is a decent duology to get your mind off tog / acotar world. I especially liked the second book in the duology than the first. Also another great way to deal with this hangover - I recently found “fantasy fangirls podcast” on YouTube where they are deepdiving into each sjm book few chapters at a time. Currently they just started acotar. Each episode is 1-3 hrs long and it’s absolute fun!
Also try out A Court of Faeries and Fangirls podcast on iheart radio or Spotify. They do deep dives. They've done all the acotar books and CC books. I didn't find them until I started on CC, but I'm going to listen to them as soon as I do a reread of acotar!
Anything to distract me from TOG/ACOTAR would be a saving grace. I haven't even thought to check out podcasts though! That's a good idea.
You'll probably finish it in like 15 minutes, but Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson has a really sweet love story.
15 minutes well spent I hope, consider it added to my TBR. Thank you so much!!
Warbreaker is brilliant and so is Elantris!
His books are really popular
I just finished The Prison Healer series and it was very similar vibes to throne of glass. I read the author is actually friends with SJM. It’s like if you took Yrene and made her the main character. The love interest is the perfect man written by a woman. Snarky characters, funny characters, lovable characters. Characters you hate and grow to love. And it’s a completed series so you can go ahead and devour it.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! That description sounds exactly like what I'm looking for!!
Come back and comment after you read it! I’m so curious if you’ll like it! I think it’s perfect for what you want though :)
I picked up the villains and virtues series by AK Caggiano as a palate cleanser and I’m LOVING it. It’s a grumpy/sunshine trope, still fantasy romance, funny and quirky. You have to get through a slightly confusing set up at first but it’s good and lighthearted.
This is the first I've heard of the Villains and Virtues series! A grumpy/sunshine trope might just be what I need after being crushed by TOG. I'll have to check it out. Thank you!!
This series and the Kindred’s Curse series by Penn Cole are the only 2 I hear consistently that match up to TOG. I haven’t read either yet but have them on my TBR! Villians and Virtues I believe is finished and Kindred’s Curse (first book is spark of the everflame) will be finished in June on KU.
You will LOVE The Aurelian Cycle!! Dragons, romance, politics, war… SO good!
That hits everything I'd love to read right now. Added to the TBR! Thank you!!
Yes!! I came here to say this! I was hooked by Fourth Wing and Iron Flame before I fell into the Maasverse and the last 3 months have been consumed by trying to fill the void they have opened in me.
Definitely do FW and IF. For me the first cut was the deepest and these remain on my mind but if you know yourself and you don't like to wait for books to come out then hold off... Rebecca Yarros is pulling NO punches in the cliffhanger department. It's fucking brutal. That being said, the subreddits for fourth wing are an unbelievably kind, supportive community and they're so so so much to theorize about in those books that it's really fun to do it in real time with other readers.
Aurelian cycle definitely scratched my ToG and Forth Wing itches in a lovely lovely way. Loved the characters and the world. Loved that it was a finished trilogy!
If you don't mind going outside of romance... I'm feeling the obsession vibes with the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. I'm only one book in (7 book complete series) and I had to take a break to do some book club reading before starting the second one and I'm like antsy and skin crawly itchy to get to the second one. It's definitely science fiction adventure, but it has so many awesome character components and some romance in there too. Hit on lots of my slow burn, adventure, epic world, fight for what's right ToG buttons.
Have also loved/been distracted by:
Powerless by Lauren Roberts - 1st book in unfinished series, next out later this year.
A Fate Inked in Blood - Danielle L. Jensen - 1st in another unfinished series... No publish date for the next one.
Headed for Divine Rivals next which is a duology that has good enemies to lovers and tension and build and I've been hearing good things about the Villains and Virtues banter so I'm looking at that too.
Good Luck!! It's rough out there, but my name is Stalwart Temptress and I will not be afraid! 😉😍😭😭😭😭😭
I have not personally read fourth wing but a friend has and she says it’s really good! There’s two books and one more coming in 2025. I’ve also heard good things about cruel prince!
Seems to be the big recommendation! I think I’ll have to start Fourth Wing. I’ve heard good things about Cruel Prince as well, I’ll have to add it to my TBR. Thank you!!
You’re welcome ! And I wanted to tell you how amaze I am you read so many books in 20 days!!
Aweh, thank you!! Just avoiding finals season tbh
From Blood and Ash was really fun. Although I will say , after the first two books it didn’t quite hit the same (for me personally) TOG was a masterpiece upon masterpiece until the end. It’s still a great series and would recommend!!!
It's hard to think anything would ever come close to TOG!! From Blood and Ash is now high on my list; I've heard so many good things!
I will try to keep this short and not overwhelm 😅 ToG is my absolute favourite book series, however here are some more I love and rate highly. The Medoran Chronicles and also The Prison Healer series by Lynette Noni.
The Bonds that Tie series by J Bree (also the first book in her new series is amazing as well).
An Heir Comes to Rise series by Chloe Penaranda.
Serpent & Dove trilogy by Shelby Mahurin.
Realm Breaker trilogy and Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard.
FBAA series & the prequel series by Jennifer L Armentrout.
Anyway, that will do for now or I'll never end haha. No matter what you choose to fill the hole that ToG left, I hope you enjoy them!! ☺️
I'm constantly chasing how i felt when reading throne of glass.
I just finished {Spark of the everflame} and loved it. The fourth one comes out soon. It made me feel the way i felt when reading tog (excited to read, concerned for characters).
{Atonement of the spine cleaver} we a 5 star read for me. Had throne of glass vibes.
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
Rating: 4.29⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: high fantasy, enemies to lovers, new adult, fantasy, magic
Atonement of the Spine Cleaver by F. E. Bryce
Rating: 4.55⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: fantasy, magic, competent heroine, independent heroine, enemies to lovers
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TOG is going to forever be my roman empire. i started with ACOTAR, read CC before HOFAS came out, then devoured TOG in a month. i did some other reading before HOFAS came out this january, and right after i completed it i reread TOG in less than 3 weeks.
i am still unwell and trying to find my soul afterwards. i can only hope one day i will find other characters as much as i love all of the ones in TOG.
with that being said though, there have only been a few books since TOG that have itched the place that TOG does in my mind, so here are some of my recommendations!
the priory of the orange tree: samantha shannon - essentially another epic fantasy that focuses on badass female heroines and other pov’s that fall in place to save the world. there is overall less romance, but the characters love for one other is undisputed. i loved this book, and the prequel.
ninth house: leigh bardugo - if you’re at all obsessed with aelin unraveling the mysteries of erilea, hidden motives, unannounced plans, etc, you will LOVE ninth house. it’s a fantasy/mystery that explores a secret society with even dirtier secrets. again, not really a romance, but the series is incomplete and i do have some suspicions about a couple of the characters falling in love
divine rivals: veronica ross - i feel like this romance felt similar to the one we see develop between rowan and aelin. admittedly it’s not nearly as much of an epic fantasy as TOG, but i really enjoyed the magic in their world. i also fell in love with the characters and how they arc during the story. it’s a little less dense of a plot imo, but i loved it.
all that being said, i wish you the best in your endeavors to patch the TOG shaped hole in your heart. mine will never be filled hahahaha
edit: spelling/clarity
i read throne of glass 2 years ago and i can tell you the hangover never goes. i still haven’t found anything close to it, but these are the books that made me feel something similar to tog!!
sorcery of thorns by margaret rodgerson , any ve schwab book but specifically the darker shades of magic series , the cruel prince by holly black , the grishaverse (specifically six of crowns duology) by leigh bardugo , divine rivals by rebecca ross , defy the night series by brigid kemmerer , cursebreaker series by brigid kemmerer , caraval and once upon a broken heart by stephanie garber , these violent delights by chloe gong , bone criers moon by kathryn purdie , the bridge kingdom by danielle l jensen , girl goddess queen by bea fitzgerald , fourth wing by rebecca yarros
a lot of them are ya (some are na), so not a lot of spice, but the romance and the fantasy elements are generally too die for and hopefully will make up for the lack of spice !!
i hope you like at least one of them !!!
Discovery of Witches series!
Now you move onto Dramione fanfictions 😂😂😂😂 seriously the only other thing that sparks joy for me right now lol. And the shatter me series is okay I’m on book 2… but no, nothing compares.
I second this. Dramione fanfics soothe my ToG/KoA hangover every time. The series rereads reenact it, so be cautious 😅
I’ve liked Mistborn so far!
Carissa Broadbent has two really good series out now. I would start with Daughter of No Worlds!!!
I read the Stalking Jack the Ripper series after finishing TOG and it was a good follow-up. There's no magic (which is usually a requirement for me to enjoy books), but the series features a strong female lead and the male main character is fantastically sarcastic. Book one is barely romantic, but the 4th (and last) book in the series is more romance than story. I generally dislike romance in my books, but I actually enjoyed it in this series.
Disclaimer: this series is moderately gory and rather descriptive (especially of corpses) so not great if you're squeamish
It's also mostly from the FMC's perspective, but there is a short story that takes place during (or after?) the 3rd book that's in the MMC's perspective. It really just makes you love him more. I think I actually love him more than I love Rowan
The other genre I tend to reach for is horror nowadays, so this sounds perfect! And loving a MMC more than Rowan... I'm skeptical. But more than willing to take the chance. Thank you!!
Ah perfect! If you love horror then I recommend it even more!
Also, I love Rowan. He's my favorite TOG male (sorry Lorcan and Dorian). But he's got nothing on Thomas Cresswell's wit and sarcasm. I'd say they're matched in loyalty and willingness to defend their woman though.
If you read it, let me know how you like it!
Started mid January with ToG, then ACOTAR and just finished CC3 tonight. So I feel you.
Prior to starting on the Maas universe I had read a few series and explained them to a friend who thought I would like the Maas verse, so maybe it’ll work the same in reverse for you?
The Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik The Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden The Last Binding trilogy by Freya Marske
I saved this post so I can follow up myself. I just started Kindom of Ash and know that I'm going to be lost when it's over, lol. I've already read all of SJMs other books and I think Throne of Glass may be my absolute favorite.
I recently read all 9 of The Broken Kingdoms series books by LJ Andrews. I loved them! And it sets up The Ever Seas series (3rd and final book out in June!) which is great as well. All of them are on KU.
One of the only series I’ve really loved since TOG is the Cruel Prince books. They’re a quick read, so it’s good to fill the hangover! Also, currently only one book (another coming out soon I think), but I really loved When The Moon Hatched.
I thought I was impressed with myself for reading TOG in 20 days…you my friend are incredible
I'm loving from blood and ash series for the sjm hangover
It's only the first book out now, but Atonement of the Spine Cleaver! The second book comes out in May. It was incredible! Love that the FMC doesn't whine about having to kill bad guys.
Honestly I just finished the Serpent and the Wings of Night and it reminded me sooo much of Throne of Glass (like, the 1st book in the series) and I enjoyed it a lot. There’s another book out in the series and I think the 3rd one comes out in the fall
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Okay I agree! The first book in CC had me rolling my eyes every time there was profanity. I’m not bothered by profanity all that much irl, but seeing “f*ck yeah” written more times than should be humanly possible, had me cringing and I don’t know why. The relationships between characters didn’t sit right with me too, aside from maybe 2 relationships. I’m hoping that there is a fourth instalment and that it wraps things up. That being said, I have a huge issue and can’t DNF for the life of me. I’m glad I kept going with CC, once you get past the first one it does get better, but you do have to mentally block some things. I think I held on for so long because of the Easter eggs for TOG and ACOTAR (just some vocab stuff) which let my imagination run wild with what SJM might be putting out in the future.
I feel like in TOG SJM knew how to take the SMALLEST of details and have them come full circle in later books and that is something I rarely come across.
I really enjoyed Cassandra Clare’s work. Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros is also my jam. Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo is fun. RIP to the Netflix series. Revisiting YA books you used to love is always a good time too!!
Lady of Darkness is a completed series ♥️ highly recommended. Although SJM will always be the best and there is nothing like her writing. You kinda have to accept that to enjoy other authors lol 🥴 I know how you feel.
Fourth wing 100% Once upon a broken heart was my fav after TOG hangover. But you have to read the 3 caraval books first which are like a 2,5-3 out of 5 stars. But OUABH was amazing. Loved it so much. One dark window and two twisted crowns duology was great too. Loved them! The same thing with caraval and OUABH refers to shadow and bone and six of crows. Shadow and bone is kinda meh but you have to read it for six of crows duology which was great
My sister and I started TOG at Christmas and finished at the end of January. We read ACOTAR together and just started the blood and ash series, neither compare to TOG but they are scratching the itch. Also on our tbr list; one dark window, the serpent and the wings of night, the bone witch, and six of crows.
I’m currently about halfway through {From Ash and Blood} and it’s so good. I’m really enjoying it.
I’ve heard really great things! I was a little torn about starting it cause starting a new series is always scary. But you’ve convinced me otherwise! I’ll have to add it to the TBR. Thank you!!
I hate starting new series. It’s always a gamble! But so far I’m loving this and the MMC is 🥵
Editing to add: it’ll hit that sarcastic vibe you mentioned for sure
Literally my saviour. Sarcasm and hot MMC and I'm set for life. I think From Blood and Ash is where I'm headed next!
Be prepared to give up on it. I finished the fourth book, but it was a struggle. The first 2 were good but they lost me on book 3 and 4.
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 4.18⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: historical, fantasy, vampires, royal hero, werewolves
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Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole is fabulous! And super underrated. Book 3 is coming out soon :)