10 best clean fantasy romance books, ranked
Are you looking for a fantasy novel that won’t make you feel like you need to take a shower after reading it? While the New Romantasy genre may have Booktok and the New York Times bestseller list in a chokehold, not everyone wants to read A03 style smut all day, every day. Sometimes the sexy parts are best left to the imagination (as opposed to graphic, repeated description.) If you’ve got a taste for fantasy without all the spice, here are the 10 best clean fantasy romance books, ranked.
10. An Enchantment of Ravens
An Enchantment of Ravens is enchanting indeed. Margaret Rogerson’s novel follows a young woman named Isobel who lives next door to a faerie kingdom, but unlike the fae of a certain Booktok series, these sylphs aren’t looking to kiss and tell. In fact, they can’t do much of anything. If fae beings in this novel work with their hands in the way humans do, they crumble to dust. As a result, they pay humans handsomely for handmade items, and Isobel makes a good living as a painter for the fair folk. Her employment is jeopardized after she paints a portrait of a fae prince with eyes full of human emotion, and her subject whisks her away to the faerie kingdom in a rage. While the fae prince Rook may feel slighted by Isobel at first, he’s soon to be smitten as the pair get to know one another.
9. Cinder
Marissa Meyer’s Cinder is the story of Cinderella with a fantasy/sci-fi twist. The action takes place in the far future, a world where human and android alike attempt to survive on a plague ridden planet Earth. In the city of New Beijing is a cyborg named Cinder, who toils away for her stepmother as a mechanic. After an interplanetary conflict begins a-brewin’ between the Earth and the Lunar colony, Cinder finds herself swept up in a sticky political situation which is made even more complicated by the fact that the Lunar Prince Kai is, like the old story suggests, really charming. It’s a wonderfully messy genre mashup of classic fairytale meets soft sci-fi, with a comfortingly predictable plot that serves as a fresh retelling of a familiar tale. You know they’re gonna get together and footwear will be involved, the question is how?
8. What The River Knows
Isabel Ibañez’ What The River Knows is the story of Inez Olivera, socialite in nineteenth century Buenos Aires. While Inez lives in the lap of luxury, the young woman is often lonely as her parents tend to spend their time traipsing around the world. Inez answers the call to adventure herself after she learns that her parents have died in tragic and mysterious circumstances, and jets off to Cairo in order to solve the particulars of their passing. As it turns out, the answer may just lie in a gold ring left to Inez by her father, a ring whose sealed away magic is beginning to activate once more. Inez’s search for answers is stymied by her parents’ enigmatic ex-guardian and his handsome assistant – oh and mummies. Mummies also muck up the works too.
7. Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the story of Xingyin, who is the Celestial Emperor’s Public Enemy Number One. After he exiled her mother for stealing an immortality elixir (long story) the Emperor is keen to tie up loose ends after finding out the moon goddess has an illegitimate child whose magic is awakening. Told to flee for her safety by her mother, Xingyin is forced to wander the Celestial Kingdom in disguise – and soon takes up archery in order to gain the power to fight for her mother’s freedom. As it turns out, the Emperor’s son happens to be her archery classmate, and she begins to develop complicated feeling for the son of the ruler who ruined her mother’s life. Dramaaaaaaaa!
6. The Goose Girl
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale is the story of Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, but you can call her Ani for short. As Ani comes of age in the realm of Kildenree, she learns that she possesses a peculiar talent – she can talk to animals. Swans mainly, but she doesn’t discriminate! What the swans failed to tell her is that her lady in waiting Selia is covetous of Ani’s throne, and Ani is nearly killed in an assassination plot orchestrated by her handmaiden. Forced to disguise herself as a lowly geese tender (because that’s a job) in a faraway kingdom, Ani has to figure out how to reclaim her rightful throne. Thankfully she meets a handsome royal guard who’s willing to help her along her quest – don’t need a swan to tell you he’s keeper.
5. The Queen’s Thief
The Queen’s Thieft series by Megan Whalen Turner is the tale of Gen, a thief whose getaway skills sadly needed a bit more time to develop. He’s captured and jailed for his crimes, but is then unjailed after the king learns of an ancient and powerful artifact that can only be bought with a five finger discount. Gen sets off on a quest to pilfer the treasure, but soon finds that his own heart has been stolen by the queen of a faraway realm where the artifact is said to reside. While the romance doesn’t pick up until the second book of the series (and from there it’s still a slow burn) it’s a charming enemies to lovers affair. Stolen glances, then kisses, then yeah a magical artifact or two.
4. A Sorcery of Thorns
Margaret Rogerson’s A Sorcery of Thorns is story of a magical library where the books themselves are the main breakers of the quiet rule. These enchanted tomes are capable of talking, biting, and even transforming into monsters when they see fit. Young Elisabeth, who grew up in the library, knows better than to mess with certain volumes, but after she’s framed for the disappearance of a particularly dangerous text, she’s forced to seek the help of sorcerer Nathaniel Thornand his demonic servant. She’s not keen on it, considering that sorcerers meddling with magic are the reason why these dangerous books must be locked away in the first place, but her reservations will soften as this enemies to lovers romp reaches its storybook conclusion.
3. The Blue Sword
Don’t worry, Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword isn’t a euphemism for some wintery fae creature’s cold member, this is a CLEAN list after all. The story is about Angharad “Harry” Crewe, a young woman who is kidnapped by a warlord soon after arriving to a remote outpost in the desert. But don’t worry, under his grim exterior the Hillfolk King Corlath isn’t a bad guy. He only kidnapped Harry because he sensed she’s capable of magic, magic that he could sorely use to save his people from the threat of demonic invaders from the far north. Harry just so happens to be the inheritor of mythical Blue Sword, after all! While the romance takes a backseat to the sword and sorcery mayhem, it’s a slow simmer that eventually bubbles over into a boil.
2. Six of Crows
Taking place in the same universe as the Shadow and Bone series, Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows is the story of gifted criminal Kaz Brekker, who decides to pull off a once in a lifetime heist and rob one of his nation’s most impregnable fortresses. After assembling a team that could put the Ocean’s Eleven crew to shame. As it turns out, this crew is far more incestuous than Danny Ocean’s, and the plot heats up with multiple slow burn romances between the thieves. While this isn’t Kaz’ first rodeo, he’s apparently never heard of the old adage to never mix business with pleasure. Thankfully so, because we wouldn’t have a romance plot otherwise.
1. Mistborn
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series features not only one of the best clean romances around, but it’s one of the best fantasy series ever penned. The action centers around a street thief named Vin, who is hired by a crew of thieves (you’ll see where Leigh Bardugo got her inspiration) to break into the impregnable castle of an immortal king and steal the incalculable wealth within. That was the no nonsense plan, at least, until Vin met the nobleman Eland while infiltrating a courtly ball and caught the hots. Now both Vin’s professional and personal lives are on the line with this job, along with, you know, the fate of the kingdom and its populace who have suffered under the tyrant’s rule yada yada yada. You came for the romance, and a slow burn romance set in a high fantasy world where people gain magical powers by eating metal is what you’ll get.
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