If you’re a fan of teenage assassins, love triangles involving royalty, or murder, then you’ve probably already read the wildly popular Throne of Glass series. And, you’re probably itching to read something just as good. Fortunately, you’re not alone. Here are 10 books like Throne of Glass that will fill the throne-shaped hole in your heart.
1. Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin
The story centers on seventeen-year-old Ismae in a time when common-born girls had few rights. For Ismae, becoming a killer nun isn’t a choice — it’s the only way she can escape marrying a cruel, older man against her will.
The nuns in this story are literally the “handmaidens of death,” and Ismae is the best of the best. Her skills eventually take her to the royal court of Brittany, where she finds herself outpaced by high society intrigue and backstabbing.
2. Trickster’s Choice
In this day and age, book series like Throne of Glass would not exist without the queen of YA fantasy herself, Tamora Pierce. Like the author’s other fantasy heroines, Aly is flawed and capable, which is precisely why she can turn a sudden misadventure into an epic story of a lifetime.
The tale opens when she finds herself kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery far from home. Instead of resigning to her fate, Aly strikes a deal with the trickster god. If she can keep noble sisters Sarai and Dove safe through the summer, Aly will be returned to her family. Of course, it’s a lot harder than Aly ever imagined.
3. Shadow and Bone
Here’s another book about an unsuspecting heroine finding her destiny through magic and courtly intrigue. However, it differs slightly from other books similar to Throne of Glass. Shadow and Bone is the first book of the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. The story takes place in a setting inspired by imperial Russia, only it’s crawling with monsters. When Alina Starkov’s dormant powers are awakened by an attack by said monsters, she finds herself scooped up by the powers-that-be to train with the Grisha, the equivalent of magical military in her kingdom.
4. Graceling
According to author Kristin Cashore, a “Graceling” is someone who has been gifted a special ability, or a “grace.” In this case, the subject of the story is Katsa, a Graceling with the grace of fighting. Consequently, she also has the ability to kill people with her bare hands quickly and easily. This unique ability grants Katsa the privilege of acting as the king’s enforcer. Being human, Katsa wants to use her grace for good as well, which is how she ends up joining a secret council of Gracelings with a mission to help people. Her activity in this council must stay super-secret mostly because the king is also her uncle. Staying true to the fantasy genre, there’s also an epic quest, a team of sidekicks with various useful skills, and plenty of romance.
5. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Fairytale retellings have become popular the past few years. Among them, A Court of Thorns and Roses stands out for its steamy spin on the Beauty and the Beast. The main character is Feyre, the effective black sheep of the family, whom she cares for. On a hunting expedition in search of food, Feyre kills a wolf that ends up being a faerie in disguise. As punishment for the murder, Feyre is spirited away to the land of the fae where she must be held captive by a mysterious, masked prince. Fans of the original fairy tale may find themselves assuming what happens next, but rest assured this is not the same story. Feyre’s first priority, to escape and return to her family, becomes complicated by the lush, magical history of the faerie realm.
6. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
If you’re craving something dark, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is an urban fantasy with a hint of gothic flavor. Karou is an eccentric, blue-haired art student who runs errands for the owner of a magic shop. This owner happens to be a demon. Therefore, it’s not just any magic shop but an actual MAGIC shop, patronized by otherworldly beings and dealing wishes as currency. Of course, there’s also more to Karou than meets the eye, which she doesn’t even realize until she becomes entangled in an eternal war between realms.
7. Six of Crows
Six of Crows is another book written by Leigh Bardugo and takes place in the same universe as her Grisha series. The setting is Ketterdam, a Dutch-inspired port town, where main character Kaz Brekker scrapes together a living by running an illicit casino. Unlike the author’s previous series, this book is a classic heist story complete with its own ragtag group of misfits. The story opens with a mission that seems impossible with obstacles at every turn. However, Kaz’s criminal resourcefulness, along with his menagerie of magical friends, makes the adventure worth it.
8. Poison Study
In Poison Study, Yelena saves herself from being executed for murder by accepting a new position in the royal palace as a food taste-tester. That is, she’s the one who gets die first in case any dishes coming out of the kitchen have been poisoned by assassins. Predictably, Yelena would rather be doing something else with her life, so the rest of the book is all about her trying to escape her current predicament. It’s just too bad that there’s a rebellion in the kingdom, spies at court, and the unexpected discovery of her own magical powers to make things a little harder for her.
9. Red Rising
Most fantasy books like Throne of Glass feature princes and princesses, mages, and knights. However, Red Rising is a sci-fi dystopian tale. It takes place in an ambiguously distant future where mankind has reached Mars and society has divided itself into 14 color-based castes. Main character Darrow is a Red, essentially the bottom of the hierarchy. He and his fellow Reds toil all day long in subterranean Mars, mining for elements that will hopefully make the surface livable for future generations. But everything changes when Darrow finds out that the surface of Mars has been terraformed for centuries.
10. Red Queen
In the world of Red Queen, society is run by the Silvers, elite nobles with silver blood and special abilities. Enter commoner Mare Barrow, a plain old red-blooded thief who shouldn’t have any special abilities at all but inexplicably does. This lands her in the king’s court where he intends to betroth her to one of his sons. Like any other fantastical story worth its salt, there’s trouble brewing in the kingdom, and it’s up to Mare to play her role as a secret Red in a court of Silvers.
Conclusion
Sometimes, finishing a good book can be a drag, especially when you want the story to keep going. If you’re ready to dive into more books like Throne of Glass, you may enjoy one or more of the above titles
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