Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (hey, that rhymes) is one of the great young adult fantasy series because it has so many elements that make it an adventurous and moving read. Strong female protagonist with equal flaws and snarky gumption. Suspenseful and impactful plot that continues to build in intrigue. Moving and inspiring character development. Beautiful and visual world building. And my favorite Sarah J. Maas quality, delicious romantic subplot stories. Throne of glass is the perfect combination of all these. However, if you finished Throne of Glass and are looking for other young adult series that give you that same tingling, excited, need-to-read-more-I-don’t-care-what-time-it-is feeling, might I recommend the ones listed below.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill. But when she kills a wolf in the forest, she learns killing something so precious comes at a price. Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor is hiding far more than he lets on. Feyre’s feelings for him quickly turn from hostility to passion as the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) It’s by Sarah J. Maas (excuse my stating the obvious)
2) Like Throne of Glass, it’s inspired by a common fairytale
3) The love story is as compelling as the main plot
The Storm Siren Series by Mary Weber
In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist. As Nym faces her fifteenth sell, her storm-summoning killing curse is revealed. Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) Strong-willed and brave female protagonist
2) Tension-building romantic subplot
3) High stakes world with lots of odds for our heroine to overcome
The Defy Series by Sara B. Larson
Alexa Hollen is forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king’s army. She uses her wit and sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the prince’s guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alexa can’t prevent him from abducting her, her friend Rylan, and Prince Damian. While in captivity, Alexa realizes that she is not the only one keeping secrets. When her own secret is revealed, Alexa finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: Rylan, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she’s sworn to protect?
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) A woman in a man’s world showing men how it should be done!
2) A dark and mysterious love interest
3) Female protagonist with highly skilled combat and sword skills
The Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard
This is a world divided by blood—red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, Mare discovers that she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. This is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) Lots of really cool magic
2) Political intrigue amongst the kingdom nobility
3) A brave girl who doesn’t give up overcoming great odds
The Empirium Series by Claire Legrand
When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.
One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire’s heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) Not one, but TWO female protagonists who don’t take crap from anyone
2) Constant action, tension and suspense to propel the story forward
3) Supreme job of weaving together different plot lines and revealing hidden twists
The Stalking Jack the Ripper Series by Kerri Maniscalco
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey goes to her uncle’s laboratory to study forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) Main and side characters that extol female empowerment
2) Protagonist with lots of drive and unwillingness to not be who she is
3) Super cheeky, flirty scenes between main love interests
The Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but she was locked up for murder by The Reestablishment. Meanwhile, the world is crumbling to pieces. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. When the few survivors left start whispering war, The Reestablishment government changes its mind about Juliette. Maybe she is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) A love story that will make your heart break and sore at the same time
2) The kind of misunderstood bad boys good girls fall for
3) Girl being used as a weapon and proving to be more dangerous than they thought
The An Ember in the Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother eking out an existence in this brutal world. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for a promise from rebels to rescue her brother, she risks her life to spy for them from the inside. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier. But Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) A girl with a strong sense of purpose, willing to do anything for the people she cares about
2) Conflicted male love interest trying to figure out what he believes in a convoluted world
3) Intricate and intense world building with moving themes
The Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore
As a Graceling, a person born with an extreme skill, Katsa has the ability to kill a man with her bare hands. Unfortunately, this has turned her into a weapon for the king. But soon Katsa finds herself falling in love, learning the truth of her power, and uncovering dark secrets that could destroy the world.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) Female protagonist strong in power and courage
2) Budding romance
3) Intricate world building that makes you feel like you’re there
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters . Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of Aline Starkov. During an attack in the Shadow Fold, Alina reveals a dormant power that could be the key to setting Ravka free. Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. With darkness looming, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and herself.
Three reasons a ToG will love it:
1) Beautiful descriptions of an imaginative world with mesmerizing magic
2) Young protagonist trying to find her place in the new world of the wealthy and powerful
3) Compounding suspense and intrigue the more you read
