“Until you face up to the reality of your life, you will forever be a victim to it.”
A Court This Cruel and Lovely is a 2023 romantasy book by Stacia Stark and the first entry in her Kingdom of Lies series. Brimming with romance and intrigue, this dark fantasy novel follows a woman named Seelie who receives an invite to an eerie, glamorous court where magic, beauty and treachery all intermingle. Pulled in by the allure of such a place, Seelie finds herself crossing paths with a dangerous yet captivating fae prince who embodies all of the court’s allure and menace. As she uncovers the many secrets lurking across the court, Seelie must play the power games and weave through shadowy alliances and her feelings for the prince whilst confronting her own powers and the risks they carry. If you loved Stark’s series and craving more dark slow-burning romantasy reads, join us at What We Reading for the best books like A Court This Cruel and Lovely.
The Cruel Prince (The Folk Of The Air #1) – Holly Black
First up on our list of books like A Court This Cruel and Lovely is Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince. Jude was just seven years old when her parents were killed and she, along with her two sisters, were swept away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. A decade on, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. Yet, many of the fey still despise humans. And none more than Prince Cardan, the youngest and most wicked son of the High King.
To earn her place in court, Jude must defy him and face the consequences of doing so. As she finds herself embroiled in the palace intrigues and deceptions, she is surprised to discover her own capabilities for trickery and bloodshed. But, as betrayal threatens to overwhelm the Court in violence, Jude will soon need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save the lives of her sisters and Faerie itself.
Blood & Steel (The Legends Of Thezmarr #1) – Helen Scheuerer
Having had her death already foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three short years to fulfil her dream of becoming a warrior legend. Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has had to train in secret her entire life. With time still pressing against her, she must fight to secure her place in the elite guild tasked with protecting the realm made up of five kingdoms.
The sparring and bedding in of new recruits for such a force borders on deadly; however equally dangerous soon proves to be her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her begrudging warrior chaperone. All around them, schemes, plots and darkness loom larger, threatening to snatch away her dreams before she even has a chance to embark on them.
Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1) – Callie Hart
Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is adept at keeping a secret. No one is aware of the powers she possesses, or that she has been picking the pockets and pilfering the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. Yet, when Saeris finds herself squaring up against Death himself, she inadvertently opens a gateway between realms and finds herself in the land of ice and snow.
The Fae had always been the stuff of myth and legend, but Saeris had just landed right in the heart of a centuries-long conflict that might just spell her doom. Saeris finds herself bound to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior who has plenty of secrets and nefarious intentions of his own and will use anything or anyone to protect his people. Like A Court This Cruel and Lovely, Callie Hart’s Quicksilver is a dark romantasy featuring bloodshed, scheming and plenty of passion.
Spark Of The Everflame (Kindred’s Curse #1) – Penn Cole
In a mortal world colonised by the Gods and ruled over by their sadistic offspring known as the Descended, all Diem Bellator wants to do is escape her life in her poor village. Her mother’s sudden disappearance and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past present her with the perfect opportunity to be immersed in the dark world of the Descended and unravel the many mysteries that her mother left behind.
With the dying King’s handsome heir watching her every step and a ruthless alliance recruiting her for a growing civil war, Diem is soon forced to navigate the complexities of love, power and politics in Penn Cole’s Spark of the Everflame. Similar to A Court This Cruel and Lovely, The Kindred’s Curse series is the perfect slow-burning enemies-to-lovers tale filled with magic, angst and quips.
The Shadows Between Us (The Shadows Between Us #1) – Tricia Levenseller
Alessandra has been overlooked all of her life. But, she has a plan to gain the power and recognition she has craved for so long. It involves seducing the Shadow King, marrying him and then slaying him to claim his kingdom for herself. No one is sure of the extent of the Shadow King’s power. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and is hellbent on doing whatever it takes to get it.
However, Alessandra is not the only one with plans to kill the king. As attempt after attempt is made on his life, she soon finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen – all while struggling not to lose her own heart in Tricia Levenseller’s bestselling series, The Shadows Between Us.
A Court Of Thorns And Roses (A Court Of Thorns And Roses #1) – Sarah J. Maas
No list of books like A Court This Cruel and Lovely would be complete without mentioning A Court of Thorns and Roses, arguably the most famous Fae romantasy series going. When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature emerges, demanding retribution. She is whisked to a magical land she has only ever heard about through the legends and discovers that her captor is named Tamlin, and is one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her realm.
As she acclimatises to her new surroundings, her feelings for Tamlin blossom from icy hostility into a burning passion that envelops every lie she has been told about the beautiful and dangerous world of the Fae. Yet, all is not well in this land. An ancient, sinister force is growing, and only Feyre can stop it from dooming Tamlin and his world forever. Blending romance, adventure and faerie lore, A Court of Thorns and Roses is the perfect follow-up for anyone who loved Stacia Stark’s Kingdom of Lies series.
Check Out The Best Books Like House Of Sky And Breath By Sarah J. Maas
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
