Fiction books

Dark Fantasy & Grimdark

6. "The First Law" (Trilogy) – Joe Abercrombie
   A brutal, character-driven fantasy series with morally gray characters, political scheming, and intense battles.

7. "The Broken Empire" (Trilogy) – Mark Lawrence
   Follows Jorg Ancrath, a ruthless antihero prince carving his way through a grim world of violence and magic.

8. "The Poppy War" (Trilogy) – R.F. Kuang
   A dark, military fantasy inspired by Chinese history, featuring war, gods, and the cost of power.

9. "The Lies of Locke Lamora" – Scott Lynch
   A fast-paced story about a group of elite con artists in a Venetian-style fantasy city, blending crime and adventure.

10. "A Song of Ice and Fire" (Series) – George R.R. Martin
    The inspiration for Game of Thrones, a political fantasy full of intrigue, war, and morally complex characters.

11. Game of thrones

Urban & Contemporary Fantasy

11. "American Gods" – Neil Gaiman
    A modern fantasy that blends mythology and contemporary America, following a mysterious war between old gods and new.

12. "The Dresden Files" (Series) – Jim Butcher
    A detective-noir-meets-fantasy series featuring a wizard private investigator solving supernatural crimes in modern Chicago.

13. "Neverwhere" – Neil Gaiman
    A dark, whimsical journey through a hidden London beneath the city, filled with strange creatures and forgotten gods.

14. "The Rivers of London" (Series) – Ben Aaronovitch
    A fun, fast-paced series where a police officer in London discovers he has a talent for magic and investigates supernatural crimes.

15. "The Night Circus" – Erin Morgenstern
    A beautifully written tale about a magical, mysterious circus and the two illusionists bound by a secret contest.

Romantic Fantasy

7. "From Blood and Ash" – Jennifer L. Armentrout
   A steamy fantasy romance featuring a sheltered warrior-princess, a brooding guard, and a world of gods and war.

8. "A Touch of Darkness" – Scarlett St. Clair
   A modern fantasy retelling of Persephone and Hades' love story with dark magic and forbidden romance.

9. "The Bridge Kingdom" – Danielle L. Jensen
   A thrilling enemies-to-lovers fantasy about a spy princess sent to seduce and destroy a powerful enemy king.

10. "House of Salt and Sorrows" – Erin A. Craig
    A dark, gothic fantasy inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses, filled with eerie mysteries and romance.

11. Icebreaker" – Hannah Grace
    College hockey romance with a lot of heart and plenty of spice.

12. "Before We Were Strangers" – Renée Carlino
    Second-chance love told across time; poetic, emotional, and deeply romantic.

13. "Credence" – Penelope Douglas
    Controversial, edgy, and dark—set in a snowy wilderness with taboo tension.

14. "Birthday Girl" – Penelope Douglas
    Age-gap romance done with vulnerability and slow-burn heat.

High Fantasy with Strong Heroines & Romance

13. "Daughter of the Pirate King" – Tricia Levenseller
    A feisty pirate heroine, a forbidden romance, and an adventure on the high seas make this a fun, action-packed read.

14. "An Ember in the Ashes" – Sabaa Tahir
    A brutal world inspired by Ancient Rome, featuring a slave girl turned spy and a soldier questioning his loyalty.

15. "These Hollow Vows" – Lexi Ryan
    A dark fantasy romance where a girl infiltrates the fae courts to save her sister, caught between two powerful fae princes.

16. "The Wrath & The Dawn" – Renée Ahdieh
    A retelling of A Thousand and One Nights where a girl marries a deadly king planning to avenge her best friend.

17. "Dance of Thieves" – Mary E. Pearson
    A fantasy romance about a thief and an outlaw leader who get handcuffed together and must survive the wilderness.

18. "The Queen’s Rising" – Rebecca Ross
    A slow-burn fantasy romance with court intrigue, betrayals, and a girl trying to reclaim her stolen kingdom.

Action-Packed + Emotional General Fiction

• "The Silent Patient" – Alex Michaelides
  A woman shoots her husband and never speaks again. Emotional unraveling meets psychological suspense.

• "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" – Taylor Jenkins Reid
  Glamorous, tragic, and raw—follows the complex life of a starlet through love, ambition, and heartbreak.

• "Where the Crawdads Sing" – Delia Owens
  A girl raised in the wild becomes the center of a murder case. Lush prose, survival, love, and mystery.

• "The Paper Palace" – Miranda Cowley Heller
  A woman must choose between passion and stability—layered, emotional, with flashes of trauma and intensity.

• "Before We Were Strangers" – Renée Carlino
  A poetic, second-chance romance full of yearning, memory, and fate.

• "Then She Was Gone" – Lisa Jewell
  A mother's search for her missing daughter uncovers a chilling truth. Domestic suspense meets emotional heartbreak.

• "The Night Swim" – Megan Goldin
  A true crime podcaster investigates a rape case with eerie ties to her own past. Emotional, urgent, and gripping.

• "Small Great Things" – Jodi Picoult
  A Black nurse is accused of a crime after a white supremacist refuses her help. Powerful courtroom drama meets social commentary.

• "The Paris Library" – Janet Skeslien Charles
  Historical fiction set in Nazi-occupied Paris and modern-day Montana. Emotion, danger, and resilience through books.

• "The Chain" – Adrian McKinty
  A mother is forced to kidnap another child to save her own. Fast-paced, morally twisted, and emotionally tense.

• "Anxious People" – Fredrik Backman
  A failed bank robbery leads to a hostage situation. Funny, sad, and deeply human—with emotional gut punches.

• "The 5th Wave" – Rick Yancey
  Aliens, apocalypse, and a teen girl on a mission. YA-leaning, but action-packed and emotional at its core.

Monica Murphy books:

The arranged marriage:

• The reluctant bride

• The ruthless groom

College years:

• The freshman

• The sophomore

• The junior

• The senior

Dating series:

• Save the date

• Fake date

• Holidate

• Hate to date you

• Rate a date

• Wedding date

• Blind date

The Callahan’s:

• Close to me

• Falling for her

• Addicted to him

• Meant to be

• Fighting for you

• Making her mine

• A Callahan wedding

Forever yours:

• You promised me forever

• Thinking about you

• Nothing without you

Damaged heart:

• Her deant heart

• His wasted heart

• Damaged hearts

Friends:

• Just friends

• More than friends

• Forever

The never duet:

• Never tear us apart

• Never let you go

The rules:

• Fair game

• In the dark

• Slow play

• Safe bet

The Fowler’s sisters:

• Owning violet

• Stealing rose

• Taming lily

Reverie series:

• His reverie

• Her destiny

Billionaire bachelor’s club:

• Crave

• Torn

• Savor

• Intoxicated

One week girlfriend:

• One week girlfriend

• Second chance boyfreind

• Three broken promises

• Drew and fable forever

• Four years later

• Five days until you

• A drew and fable Christmas

Standalone YA titles:

• Daring the bad boy

• Saving it

• Pretty dead girls