27 Insanely epic fantasy books with slow burn romance

Recently updated on July 14th, 2024 at 10:57 am

Looking for fantasy books with slow-burn romance? Here are 27 slow-burn romance books that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat!

This post contains affiliate links. That said, I won’t ever recommend a book I haven’t read and loved myself.

The simmering tension. The playful banter. And the satisfaction of the payoff. You can’t beat a good slow burn romance.

Romantic attraction building over time is compelling to read. And it makes the moment they get together much more satisfying.

This post is for anyone who also loves the waiting and yearning. Whether you’re after friends to lovers or a slow buildup over several books, I’ve got you covered. I’ve compiled the best fantasy books with slow burn romance.

Read on for the best fantasy books with slow burn romance

Best fantasy books with slow burn romance

I browsed the r/suggestabook subreddit, Facebook groups and polled Instagram users to round up a list of the absolute best fantasy books with slow burn romance.  I’ve also read and loved each of the books recommended on this list! Here are the top books like fantasy books with slow burn romance:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Say what you want – Sarah J Maas KNOWS how to write a satisfying slow burn romance. While all of her books contain excellent romances – my top pick for slow burn fantasy romance would be the ‘ A Court of Thorns and Roses’ series.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. We follow Feyre. She is poor and lives with her father and two sisters. She has to hunt to care for the family.

One day she sees a deer and can’t resist killing it to sell. But it was actually a faerie she murdered. And the owner comes to kidnap her to live at the castle as punishment.

The second book is the best in the series. Manyof my favourite characters are introduced in this book. And the romance takes its time to develop, making the payoff satisfying and spicy.

If you enjoy slow burn romance then you’ll love this trilogy. It has one of the best fantasy slow burn enemies to lovers romances. (Check out this blog post for books similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses)

2. A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

Fan of slow burn romance? You need to read a Dark and Hollow Star.   This has several slow burn romances. Including an adorable slow burn wlw romance.

A series of gruesome murders threatens to expose the faerie world to humans.  Four queer teens – Nausicaä, Arlo, Vehan, and Aurelian – each hold a piece of the truth. And they must track down the mysterious killer.

There are not one but two slow burn romances in this book. And the characters make them perfect. Arlo and Nausicaä have such amazing chemistry.

I listened to the audiobook version which you can find on audible. It features a full cast of narrators which made it really engrossing.

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

A magical heist with a compelling mystery and an excellent slow burn romance. This has multiple slow burn romances with simmering tension and a ‘will they, won’t they’ vibe.

We follow six teenagers living in Ketterdam. Kaz Brekker, a criminal prodigy, is one of the teens. He is offered a deadly heist for a huge payout.

But it’s an impossible heist. And Kaz will need all the help he can get to pull it off. So he assembles five other teens to help him.

Six of Crows is like a fantasy version of Oceans Eleven. But the characters and sassy banter make this book stand out. The tension and banter between the characters is perfect. And I love the grumpy/sunshine vibe with Nina and Matthias.

If you’re searching for fantasy books with slow burn romance, you’ll love this book.

4. The Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh

Searching for a slow burn enemies to lovers romance? Looking for spicy payoff? Then this is the series for you. This adult fantasy romance features a slow burn romance angels, vampires and a vampire hunter.

We follow Elena. She’s a vampire hunter and she knows she’s the best. But the Archangel Raphael hires her for a job. And it’s clear failure is not an option – even if the task is impossible. 

This would be a great pick for Sarah J Maas fans. This urban fantasy features a romance with an angel. Plus it references wings a lot.

This is more romance heavy. But it still has an excellent mystery and a strong plot. The main character is strong willed and sassy. Highly recommend.

5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is a unique retelling with a slow burn romance. This is young adult. So it doesn’t have spice. But this is a compelling fantasy with a cute romance.

Cinder had an accident when she was younger. And she now has a cyborg hand and ankle. But the world she lives in shuns androids.

She meets and falls in love with the Prince. But she can’t tell him that she’s an android.

This one of the most enthralling ya fantasy books. It features so many intriguing elements: an enemies to lovers romance, androids, a deadly plague  and an evil queen. You’ll want to keep reading to find out what happens.

If you’re searching for ya slow burn romance, you need to pick this up.

6. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

A compelling and emotional fantasy with a slow burn, enemies to lovers worldbuilding.

Ancient Rome inspired the worldbuilding in this ya fantasy series. And the sweeping worldbuilding draws you into the world, without taking away from the plot.

It also has one of the BEST slow burn enemies to lovers romances. It takes time to develop through the book.

An Ember in the Ashes opens with Laia. She has found an illegal sketchbook belonging to her brother.  The empire comes and takes away her brother. So she must locate the resistance and go on a perilous mission to save him.

The book opens with a punch and it’s fast-paced throughout. The opening makes you really emotionally invested. Laia goes to extraordinary lengths and becomes a slave in order to save her brother. There is so much at stake that it leaves you on the edge of your seat.

7. Malice  by Heather Walter

Malice is an incredible retelling told from the perspective of the villain (Maleficent). And it has an excellent slow burn romance and it also uses the grumpy/sunshine trope.

The book is set in a Kingdom called Briar. Once upon a time, a wicked fairy cursed a line of princesses to die. Only true love’s kiss can break the curse.

We follow Alyce – the dark grace. She was left abandoned in Briar from a dark kingdom. The dark magic that runs in her veins abhors residents in Briar.

Except for Princess Aurora who accepts her. And she encourages Alyce to accept herself.

This book took time to develop the slow burn romance. This is ideal for fans of friends-to-lovers romance. The characters come from different worlds. But the friendship and romance develop over time.

 8. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Searching for a fantasy romance with a twisty plot? A Cruel prince is an enemies to lovers romantasy. The romance is fairly slow burn. This is also ya, so no spice.

Holly Black is amazing at writing a killer plot twist. The Cruel Prince and Wicked King both open with a bang and keep you hooked throughout.

We follow Jude, a human. As a child, she gets kidnapped with her two sisters. She’s taken to live with the hidden world of the fae. They live in the woods in a secret world concealed from humans.

Jude grows up wanting to be like the wicked fae she lives with.

This book features an incredible enemies to lovers romance with slow burn vibes. If you like books with fae and forest vibes then you should read this. Definitely a great choice if you’re looking for fantasy books with slow burn romance.

9. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Cycle is a YA Paranormal Fantasy series featuring a cursed romance. And the series has an adorable slow burn mlm romance. It takes several books to develop.

Each year in the churchyard, Blue watches her psychic mother see those who are going to die that year. Blue never actually sees them herself. Until this year. When she speaks directly to a boy.

He is called Gansey and is a student at Aglionby school. The students there are known locally as Raven Boys.

This is young adult. Consequently, the payoff isn’t spicy. But the characters and relationships make this worth reading. It has a great friendship group with witty banter.

10. Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

Superheroes, angsty roomance and dysptian fiction. Shatter me has SO many amazing tropes. Plus it contains an excellent slow burn romance.

Shatter me opens with the main character locked up for murder. She is unable to touch anyone. And she falls in love with the first person she is able to touch.

The writing style in Shatter me is unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It’s very prose heavy. And consequently, it seems to be a book people either love or hate. I love it.

It’s set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world. But it’s definitely more of a romance. And an ansgty one at that. There was a definite ‘will they, won’t they vibe. Similar to Kaz and Inej for me.

Juliette is an excellent main character. She has been dealt an awful hand in life. And yet she still perseveres and looks for the best in everyone.

The plot behind the series is excellent. And it particularly picks up towards the end. Trust me when I say – you will instantly want to read the next book.

11. A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse so dark and Lonely is a ya fantasy with a relatively slow burn romance. Plus this is paired with some of my favourite tropes, such as ‘there’s only one bed’.

A Curse So Dark And Lonely is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Prince Rhen is the Heir of Emberfall.

Emberfall is under a curse and the kingdom is enchanted into an everlasting winter. Prince Rhen needs to make a girl fall in love with him to break the curse.

Harper has cerebral palsy. And she struggles to look after her dying mother. She tries to save a stranger and is pulled into the world of Emberfall.

The plot is well paced and keeps you engaged throughout. It also has the perfect slow burn romance.

12. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Marvellous Light is a dark academia mystery with magic. Plus it features a slow burn mlm romance filled with tension and spicy payoff.

We follow Robin Blyth. Due to an administrative error, he is named liaison to a secret magical society. So, he is forced to  contend with magic’s dangers and a deadly curse while he searches for his missing predecessor.

To do this, he’ll need the help of Edwin Courcey. Edwin Courcey is his prickly magical society counterpart but he clearly wishes Robin were anyone else.

I love the secret society of magicians. And the Edwardian setting and mlm romance sets it apart from other books including secret magical societies.

This is ideal if you’re looking for cosy fantasy books. Especially if you like historical fiction or dark academia. It’s fantastic to read about gay men in an Edwardian setting.

 13. Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Searching for antasy books with slow burn romance? Then you should read Silver in the Wood. This cozy lighthearted fantasy book features an adorable mlm romance.

Tobias is a forest guardian. He is tasked to look after the forest. One day Henry Silver moves into Greenhollow Hall and everything changes. Silver starts to dig up old secrets that are best left forgotten. Plus they have an adorable mlm romance.

If  you like the cottagecore aesthetic then you’ll enjoy this book. The forest imagery is absolute gorgeous. It was filled with imagery about mythical creatures such as dryads in the forest.  And definitely made me want to live in a cottage in the woods. It’s really whimsical and enchanting.

This is also such a short and easy read. I listened to the audiobook. And the whole duology is only 5 hours. So you can easily binge read this in one setting. If you have a long journey this would also be the perfect audiobook to listen to because you can finish it in 5 hours. You can listen to the audiobook on Audible

14. Under the whispering door by T.J. Klune

Searching for cosy fantasy books? Then I highly recommend T.J Klune’s work. This reads as more of a contemporary. It focuses on themes such as loss, grief and death. But the tea imagery makes it warm and comforting. This is paired with a cute, slow burn romance with friendship and tension building over time.

We follow Wallace Price. A reaper comes to collect him from his own funeral. But instead of taking him directly to the afterlife, leads him to a tea shop in a small village.

Hugo runs the teashop but is also the ferryman to souls who need to cross over. But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. 

This book deals with so many heavy topics such as death, grief and loss. But despite such heavy topics this is such a light-hearted, comforting read. T.J. Klune uses laughter,  emotions and romance to it. 

15. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent and Dove is an excellent pick for anyone looking for fantasy books with slow burn romance. It features a slow burn enemies to lovers romance between a witch and a witch hunter.

Serpent and Dove follows Louise – a witch.  She lives in Cesarine where witches are hunted and burned. Reid is a witch hunter who has always lived by the same principle – thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

But Lou pulls a stunt and it forces them into an impossible scenario – holy matrimony.

This has so many tropes that I enjoy – enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and  morally grey characters. And it’s topped off with an well developed magic system and easy to read writing.

If you like Nina from Six of Crows then you’ll really enjoy this book. It’s such a perfect book to read in fall – the witchy imagery and city setting is excellent.

16. Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Crier’s War is an epic urban fantasy novel with a sapphic enemies to lovers romance. The romance is a sapphic slow burn.

A War has ravaged the kingdom of Rabu. The Automae took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.

Ayla is a human servant who is rising the ranks at the House of Soverign. She dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter – the beautiful Lady Crier.

This is a slow burn romance, but the payoff is worth reading this. Both characters are true enemies, on either side of a war. And they both learn from each other through the course of the book. The dual POV works perfectly and gives the reader true insight into each character.

17. Emily Wilde’s Encylopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde’s Encylopedia of Fairies is an adorable cozy fantasy with a cute slow burn romance.

We follow Emily Wilde – a curmudgeonly academic and Cambridge professor. She is compiling world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. She travels to a tiny, remote town in the far North to study fairies.

But she’s joined by her academic rival – the endlessly charming Wendell Bambleby.

And he inserts himself in the middle of her research, utterly frustrating her.

18. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

A Deadly Education is another dark academia book set in a magical school. It’s perfect if you’re looking for ya fantasy books. 

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance – a school for the magically gifted. Failure means certain death. Until El begins to unlock its secrets. 

Survival is more important than any grade. The school won’t allow students to leave until they graduate. Or die. 

 The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.

 19. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever is an urban fantasy featuring fae and vampires. It also has a morally grey dark haired male love interest and a sassy human protagonist.  The series features a slow burn romance that takes a few books to develop. 

We follow Mackayla. She lives a relatively normal life until her sister is brutally murdered. She journeys to Ireland in search of answers. 

But Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed.

I loved this book and I completely understand why book lovers would enjoy this.

However, some of the characters did annoy me. Mackayla was portrayed as a barbie and Barrons is manipulative. The book was clearly published in the  noughties and I couldn’t take the descriptions of Mackayla’s ‘expensive Juicy Couture bag’ seriously.

20. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

This series includes one of the best slow burn romances with a satisfying payoff. It takes several books for the romance to develop.

We follow Celaena Sardothien, an assassin. She is imprisoned in a horrific prison called Endovier. And one day the prince summons her to fight in a competition. The winner will become the king’s assassin.

I love Celaena. Some reviews describe her as arrogant. But I find her confidence refreshing.

The first book has an amazing love triangle with great enemies-to-lovers romance. But later in the series is the most perfect, slow-burn enemies to lovers romance. Sarah J Maas writes a captivating slow burn ‘hate at first sight’ romance.

21. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn is an incredible fantasy book with an action packed plot and plenty of twists and turns. It also has an incredible slow burn romance that develops over the duology.

Legendborn follows Bree Mathews. After the death of her mother, she wants to avoid family memories. So, she joins a residential program for gifted high school students.

But then she witnesses a magical attack on her first night. A flying demon feeding on human energy. A Mage tries to wipe her memory. But he fails. And instead Bree unlocks new memories of her mother’s death.

You should read this if you love a strong female lead, morally grey characters or the Sarah J Maas.  It also features great commentary on slavery and racism.

22. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

This gothic fantasy duology has not one, but two slow-burn romances. A little spice but this is more plot driven with a romance sub-plot. This also has a unique premise and an interesting magic system.

In Blunder all magic comes at a price. We follow Elspeth. She touches a magical providence card and is possessed by the Nightmare.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. 

This is such an atmospheric read. Spooky, nightmarish and gothic. The magic system is unique compared to other fantasy books and made for such interesting reading.

One Dark Window was marketed as an enemies-to-lovers romance but it’s much more than that. This is a must-read for fans of gothic fantasy books.

23. The Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole

A slow burn, forbidden romance with vampires. This also has enemies to lovers and forced proximity.

A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Eoria to save her dying sister. She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creatures that hunt her.

The characters in this book are incredible. The main characters are excellent with hilarious banter. And I loved the morally grey heroine. But the side characters are also well-developed.

This is a true slowburn enemies to lovers romance with unique worldbuilding, a fast pace and smut. If you’re searching for fantasy books with slow burn romance, I highly recommend picking this up.

24. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalo

A mystery with an enemies to lovers slow burn romance. The chemistry sizzeled and the banter was incredible.

We follow Emilia. Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are witches living secretly among humans. One night, Emilia finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief.

Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked—princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems.

25. A Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

This has the slowest of slow burn romances. It takes multiple books to develop and it has spice payoff. The tension is incredible.

We follow Diem Bellator. She lives in a world colonized by the gods and ruled by the Descended, their cruel offspring. She yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

26. The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

The Hurricane Wars is an exquisite fantasy with a sizzling slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. It also has tons of angst and a sassy, strong female lead.

All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.

Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.

27. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

Faebound features two slow burn romances and it included a sapphic slow burn romance. This is an enchanting fantasy that deserves much more hype.

Yeeran is a warrior in the elven army and has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future.

When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven lands, they are both forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the impossible: the fae court.

The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world – torn between their loyalty to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts…

This post was all about fantasy books with slow burn romance

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