i was going to comment the same thing! literally overjoyed at all the new experiences she's going to have in all the mesmerizing different worlds fantasy has to offer! 😆💜🤟🏼✨
As a primarily fantasy/romantasy reader that also loves your content, You entering your fantasy era makes me so giddy. I'm kicking my feet in excitement for you.
the folk of the air series by holly black is absolutely amazing, a lot of people say that the romance is a subplot so don't expect something crazy but tbh the romance to me was PERFECT, such high stakes, betrayals, tension etc which I thought was so much more powerful and deep than any other type of romance so I 100% recommend !
counterpoint, I hated the first book, it's totally fine as a YA fantasy but even then it's so boring and empty and everyone, including jude, is annoying and nothing has consequences, ever. So i would personally not recommend it to anyone, even teenagers can find better books, but maybe if you're just starting out...
This is one of my favorites. I think it's important to know that booktok lied about this book because it really isn't romance centered so don't go into it think that lol. People either love it or hate it and got it thinking it's romance but it was the gateway for fantasy to me. Holly Black is the QUEEN of faeries. No one writes better than she does, and the way she wrote about faeries helped me so much with ACOTAR. Sarah J Maas is a great writer but if I didn't read Cruel Prince before it, then I wouldn't have understood the politics very well. I always tell people to read Folk Air series before ACOTAR. It's one of those series that gets better with every book. Some people thought Jude was annoying but I think she has every reason to do what she did in the story. Jude is still one of my favorite MCs of all time. Feyre pissed me off pretty much most of Book 1 lol but Jude was solid through and through!
I highly recommend The Infernal Devices. It's YA but written pretty maturely incase ur worried about cringe. It has a great storyline and the romance is just chef's kiss. It is however love triangle but like the most unique love triangle where nobody is left out of friendships and feelings loved in general, found family trope. Everything about this series is perfect!
acotar , throne of glass and crescent city will literally take you by the throat and make you completely obsessed like i can imagine you being so obsessed with it that you would literally tattoo it on your body! it’s so good
I absolutely love the caraval series so much there’s definitely romance and it adds so much more depth to the world and characters which helps make the once upon a broken heart series even better!
me literally gasping out "GIRL, GIRLLLL!" after reading your comment because i'm literally so excited to hear you recommend stephanie garber's writing!! 😆🥰 i am currently on finale and i totally agree with you!! caraval is unlike any other book i've ever read! and i love the magic concept! i am also reading caraval before i read once upon a broken heart, because i love the added depth to fantasy worlds that have trilogies before the second series!! (like shadow and bone) 💜
@@maryamali7994 oh nooo haha. i've heard people say that evangeline is really naive in the first book. tella irked me in the the first book but then i started to like her more in legendary. so 🤷♀there is character development is there not? and since you say that, may i ask, do you prefer jacks with tella or evangeline? im curious :)
Yess reading the caraval series before ouabh makes your reading experience of these whole books so much better, and things will make more sense, AND CARAVAL SERIES IS SO SO GOOD
i'm currently on finale but i 1000% agree! the trilogies in a fantasy universe that come before another series (like shadow & bone) add sooooo much more depth to the characters and universe and its always incredibly worth it!!! 💜
@@s.d4876i completely agree. I went into the Caraval series knowing nothing about either series besides the MMC of OUABH was Jacks (and i didn’t know anything about him). I fell in LOVE with his character in the Caraval series and it made me love OUABH sooo freaking much because i already knew him & how charming he could be. The scenes with him & Tella literally made my heart hurt and it honestly upsets me that people miss out on that part of Jack’s backstory. I loved Jacks in OUABH but he was sooo perfectly balanced between evil & charming in the Caraval books & i enjoyed him there just as much!
you HAVE to read the folk of the air series (aka the cruel prince). the romance is BEAUTIFUL. a fair word of warning though, the first book doesn’t get much into the romance parts & it’s very much a slow burn through the trilogy. it’s such good enemies to lovers, i absolutely adore it! there is some scheming and fantasy politics in it as well, which might scare you at first but believe me it’s so so worth it!! i think it’s exactly what you described in 13:27
yes i would actually say dont read it if u really want a romance cause its verrrrry subplot, but the story is so magical and easy to read i love it so much !!
Honestly I think diving into a variety of genres is the way to keep being a reader throughout your life! I always dip in and out of literary fiction, romance, historical fiction and fantasy, they all offer me such unique experiences and based on what I’m going through I crave one or the other, so I think being experimental, seeing what interests you and letting yourself read what you really feel like reading is the way to go
Girl i’m so happy for you bc ACOTAR is literally THE fantasy series for me, I would love for you to do a reading vlog possibly on the whole series bc those books changed my perspective on fantasy 🤩❤
conversations on love is even better than everything i know about love, i swear to you. one of my fav books ever, i recommend it to EVERYONE whenever i get the chance
i don't know if you've read the percy jackson (pjo) series, but if you haven't, you 100% should. they're def easy preteen chapter books, but nonetheless it's still SO GOOD. they blur the lines of good and bad morals so well. there's greek mythology, a cute slowburn romance, and the characters are so well written!! such an incredible series
You should read the caraval series before reading OUABH because you will fall in love with the main character in OUABH more after reading caraval. And plus the world building is also good in the caraval series, so it sets up the setting so well. Hope this helps😊
I think you’re going to love A Man Called Ove! It’s genuinely one of the most beautiful & heart wrenching love stories I’ve ever read even though it’s not really a “romance”. It also has an amazing found family.
Yes! Such a beautiful book. One of my favourites of all time. The found family is great, and the way Ove talks about Sonja is just *chefs kiss*. I really hope Steph reads it soon.
the infernal devices i think is something you'll really enjoy. i have so much to say about the entire shadow world, but start with the infernal devices, where you get an epic love triangle (it's the only love triangle that truly goes three ways in the best way possible) and it's very plot heavy, fantastic but easy to understand writing, sad, humor, a rollercoaster of emotions. You can pick up the Mortal Instruments series afterwords, and then from there you can search up the reading order for the rest of the books by cassandra clare because god knows there are thousands. Another recommendation is The I hesitance games. It's technically fiction, but it's a mystery/ romance with such good romance and character dynamics.
The serpent and the wings of night by Carissa Broadbent is the book that introduced me to the romantasy genre. First of all the plot is really exciting and just overall good. The tension and the romance between the 2 characters is to die for, 5 stars and I am just so sure that you would love it
You need to read Circe omg!!! I loved that book and it was my top read of 2022. The Midnight Library is sooooo sad but so good!!! Prep the tissues!!! Also to let you know, you’re missing two books in the Grishaverse hehe - those books are my favorite of all time. The 3rd book in the Cruel Prince series was my 2nd favorite of the year. I also loved These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong - there are 5 books in the series!!! Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is another dark academia fantasy romance.
@@scarlettmonroe427 to my memory, not a lot but perhaps minorly ? the main "romance" (not even rly but main pairing of romantic interests) isn't, but there might be a side one i don't remember, bc it's leigh bardugo and that wouldn't surprise me
i'm so excited to see you in your fantasy era, steph!! a romantacy series that i highly recommend is the falling kingdoms series by morgan rhodes! NO ONE ever talks about these books but i always go back to them. the tropes include forced marriage, royalty, grumpy x sunshine, enermies to lovers, etc. it's a 6 books series but it's a binge worthy series.
GIRL - when I tell you the invisible life of addie larue changed me like SERIOUSLY the writing is so beautiful and it's so amazing at combining romance with elements of fantasy UGH so goooood
Especially Beartown by Fredrik Backman!! It’s slow in the beginning because there are so many characters to build but it is so so so worth it!! 1/2 of my 5 star reads last year! 😭
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my favorites of all time and I think it’s a nice blend of romance, contemporary, and fantasy. It would be a great segue into more intense fantasy!!!
Romantasy is so much fun- there’s just something about spending an entire series getting to know and getting attached to the same cast of characters, and the romance in fantasy just feels so much deeper, more dramatic and high stakes!
My reading preferences completely changed this past year as well, which is why I always love your vlogs so much- because I didn’t relate to your book/trope videos anymore as I no longer enjoyed that genre of books. But a few of the books you have on your TBR give off the same vibe as the books I’ve been into recently (not fantasy tho for me personally lol), so I’m excited we’re in this together!
okay- personally love that I read Caraval before OUABH! I feel like it gave just enough of a look into Jacks and makes you more connected with him during the spinoff- even if he does only appear in book 2 and 3- plus during Finale part of OUABH is described in passing and you learn more about it once you start OUABH.
i’ve been watching all your old videos and it’s honestly so nice to see how you’ve grown and achieved so many goals!! i can safely say that your best videos are the ones in which we can see you’re happy and enjoying yourself, no matter the content :) can’t wait to watch your romantasy journey, all those recs are great and i hope you love them
You should totally read Caraval before Once Upon A Broken Heart. Both series were my favourites of 2023 and they are really good for people that just start reading fantasy ❤
i can see her being a percy jackson girlie, (if she hasn’t read it already), even though we’re not the target audience anymore, those books will always be so good to me 😭
my romantasy rec would be The Shepard King duology the first book is called one dark window. the magic system is one of the most unique and i love teh plot, the romance in the first book is so good and in the second one is everything!
One thing that has helped me find joy in reading more is reading different kinds of books when I feel like it. When I’m burnt out from reading, a graphic novel or manga is the move, or if I need more depth than a fluff romance, fantasy or literary fiction. It helped so much last year and kept me from getting burnt out. I read a lot of books I enjoyed and some I might not have usually read at all! Love this for you❤
IF YOU LIKE ROMANTANCY READ CARAVAL!!! AND YES READ IS BEFORE ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART it's so much better! it has such a magical feeling like a fairytail and it's about this two sisters and their journey also the love interets are so interesting and complex😩😍 it's my favourite
1000 times YES read Caraval!!! it makes reading once upon a time sm 'easier' if that makes sense? plus u hv background on all the characters and it just elevates ur reading expeirence!!! also everyone likes caraval less but tbh.....i liked it better!! i loveddd the concept of a dark, wild annual game of trickery and magic! 5 stars series for me at least.
Ahhhhh you have no idea how happy I am to hear about your book taste shift!! I think about Lessons in Chemistry, conversations with friends and the invisible life of addie larue every day... can't wait for you to read them!!
if you read throne of glass, your life is going to change... radically. that saga is MY ULT FAV. its one of the best thing that ever happened to me in my life
I totaly understand you! I used to only read fantasy and my best friend only romance untill we swapped some books; now we read both and we use the other genre as pallete cleanser... read a few romances, pallete cleanse with a fantasy and vice versa. You mentioned al my recs (fourth wing, Sarah j maas books, six of crows, ...) Excited to see the new video's!
i've been watching your videos for a long time, and it's so nice to you see that you're slowly broadening your book taste! Fantasy is really plot driven and as somebody who reads typically for characters or plot, not the romance, fantasy series especially is good. I totally recommend reading caraval first, it's a brilliant series, ACOTAR IS AMAZING TOO, throne of glass as well!! so excited for you
Fantasy/romantasy changed my brain chemistry and I’m not sorry it did! I sometimes go back to romance or other genres when I get bored it keeps me from getting into a slump!
totally agree with how you feel! my taste in books has switched up so much in the past year, but it’s been so much fun to try new genres! i went from reading primarily romance to now being in my lit fic & fantasy era & loving every second
Definitely read Caraval before the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. It can be read as its own series, but you get to understand Jacks much better if you have the context from Caraval. And if you love Once Upon a Broken heart, it actually spoils Jacks’ story in the Caraval Trilogy. Every book has a romance subplot. The first one follows Scarlett and her love interest, the second one follows her sister Donatella and her love interest, and the third one has both of them. I am partial to Tella’s story but I still love all the books.
Steph I’m so happy you’re entering your fantasy era ✨ cause I started watching you at least year ago and after your videos i started slowly reading romance books (they’re not my fav janre). I always were a fantasy girly from childhood till now and sooo excited to have the same book vibe with you💗 and watch your fantasy book videos 🥹🥂
IM SO EXCITED for a more diverse end of year book haul!! I’ve always loved your videos but I havnt hit my contemporary romance phase of my life yet so although I love watching them they weren’t as relevant to me. So excited to see what you read next though and how you feel about them!! Excited to see if you read any books that are on my own shelf :)) Also, I obviously don’t know all your personal feelings abt the books you’ve read this past year, but I do wonder if some of them you would have liked more had you not been reading them all back to back to back. It’s a lot of the same genera, so I just wonder 🤷♀️
reading the caraval series feels like you're in a fever dream (and personally i LOVE that cause it means i really am immersed which is what i strive for) so if you think you'll like that feeling then, i say yes, read it first, its a good time
i know they are scary but LISTEN! as a romance reader easing into a very daunting genre, ACOTAR is quiete literally perfect in every way. I cannot imagine finding a book I love more.
Fantasy recs- Serpent and dove Throne of glass From Blood and ash Cruel prince To kill a kingdom Kiss of Deception Dance of thieves Kingdom of the wicked House of salt and sorrows Daughter of the pirate king The wrath and the dawn The shadows between us Angelfall A curse so dark and lonely Sorcery of thorns Deal with the elf king The bridge kingdom Serpent and the wings of night Ember in the ashes
I am so excited for this new era! I would love some recs from more genres haha! 💓 You could def do a video watching and reacting to your old 5 star books videos!
I’m so excited about this new era for you! I’ve followed you for years but never really been into contemporary romance, and this is exactly my taste in books!!
you will love the fantasy genre! you will get lost in the stories 🥰ACOTAR series and the Lightlark & Nightbane books were good too (not too dark or spicy)! I need to start the Crescent City Series but the books are so choncky 🤪
I feel like branching out in genres is SO important. Every time I read too much of one genre I start getting bored bc ultimately there will be a lot of overlap and tropes that are repeated. It does not have to be a huge shift like going from reading only romance to horror. But even a slight shift in genre can do wonders imo - like going from contemporary romance to historical or fantasy romance and then expand from there once you feel more at home ☺
also here are some fantasy recs, all of them have a heavy romance aspect but also an amazing plot line: - Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Trilogy - YA Fantasy with amazing romance sub-plot) - Strange the Dreamer also by Laini Taylor (Duology - YA Fantasy Romance, very lyrical prose, altered my brain chemistry) - Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (Trilogy - Historical Urban Fantasy set in the 1800s, has a love triangle, but I swear it is the only valid love triangle there is) - Seven Faceless Saints (Duology - Historical Fantasy Mystery Romance - think Da Vinci Code but make it Italy in the 1600s and throw in a sexy Captain of the Guard 😌) - The Winner's Curse (Trilogy - Historical Fantasy Romance - no magic but inspired by ancient Rome/ Greece; quite political) and/ or the Captive Prince (this is a queer romance trilogy) which is very similar, just being the adult more graphic version - it is VERY slow burn though and also very political, so know that going into it. other than that Alone with you in the Ether, One for my Enemy and Atlas Six are all 5 Star reads for me. I feel like if you like one Olivie Blake book you will love them all ❤
Some books I want to read this year, that are not contemporary romance are: As long as the lemon trees grow - Zoulfa Katouh Water - John Boyne The Girl of Ink and Stars - Kiran Millwood Hargrave My Garden of Flowers and Broken Pieces - Nika Erčulj All Rhodes Lead Here - Mariana Zapata The book of laughter and forgetting - Milan Kundera All the lovers of the night - Mieko Kawakami Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson The Ínvisible life of Addie La Rue - V.E. Schwab
Yes, READ THE CARAVEL SERIES FIRST. People say you don’t have to but you have more context going into OUABH and you’re more attached to Jacks (the main love interest in OUABH) going into the spin off series. Also, the Caravel series is amazing and it gets better with each book. I rated the second book 4.5 ⭐️ and the last book 5 ⭐️. The romance in both series are so good
Book Recommendations - Flowers For Algernon (you'll cry so hard) If we were villains (easy introduction to dark academia) In the dream house (memoir 5⭐️) Rock Paper Scissors (thriller) Heaven by Mieko Kawakami
@@nazrye3185 i feel like it wasnt enemies to lovers thooo like i went into it expecting cruel prince vibes but they kind of got together very quick and it was more forbidden romance yk?
This Vicious Grace is a fantasy romance with the bodyguard trope!! Also A Million Junes by Emily Henry (yes that Emily Henry) is a magical realism romance that is SO GOOD.
i’m so happy that you’re getting into romantasy!! it is truly life changing! just remember to also not read fantasy back to back for too long either. keep your options open and read what you want based on your mood. i typically read a few contemporary romances, then i read a romantasy mini series. read a few romances again, sometimes throw in a murder mystery! keeping your options and genres different keeps you from getting into slumps!
i will always say read caraval first!!! you'll get the feel of the world and learn a lot about the backstory of each character that then leads you into ouabh
yes! please read Caraval!! as a series once upon a broken heart is better but the first caraval book is literally everything. I've seen so many people read ouabh first because they were told to, love it, and then go back to the caraval trilogy and be disappointed because there are spoilers and because Jacks is portrayed in such a different way because it's part of his backstory.
acotar, throne of glass, and CC!! they have exactly what it sounds like you want, so much depth to the storyline and characters that it makes the romance and everything else that much more meaningful ♥they're literally amazing
I've been feeling the same way and I started reading The Bridge Kingdom. I finally started to enjoy reading and I didn't even know that I was a fan of slow burn romance. But I did read Acotar and The Throne of Glass Series and they were really good too! The biggest eye opener for me was enjoying The Fourth Wing but DNF-ing The Iron Flame. Fantasy was the first genre I picked up to read and I just stuck to it. But branching out to different tropes and genres was one of the best things I've ever done for myself! I hope you find what you are looking for too :)
Omggg yesss I read the bridge kingdom almost a year ago and that book was the start of my fantasy journey and the experience was like no other. I really look upon that time fondly especially since i had just started listening to audio books as well and it was so fun and new for me! Let me know what you thought about the bridge kingdom I would love to know your thoughts!!!
@@linklarklover I usually read fantasy books where the main characters had powers. However, I was craving for a book which had high stakes and all that drama, but without the magical elements. The Bridge Kingdom was perfect and the writing was just fabulous! I read it recently and I really want to try out more books like that. Please lmk if you know any !!
you NEED to read the these violent delights series by chloe gong it is SO SO good. it takes place in the republican era in shanghai china (which is the best setting ever) and its about spies and gangs and ENEMIES TO LOVERS and FORBIDDEN LOVE and the second main couple is a MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE AND it also has a fantasy element to it its so good and the writing is so beautiful and descriptive (it is NOT wattpad writing AT ALL) so i think you'll love it.
I read Once Upon a Broken Heart books before the Caraval series and I enjoyed it and didn’t need to read the others. You need to read One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. It’s so good as well as the second book. Also, The Prison Healer trilogy is so good!!! Once you get started into fantasy, Throne of Glass series is so good! I’m on the last book! Also, love that you’re expanding your genre, I love fantasy and am excited to hear your reviews of the books you read this year.
The reasons you give about fantasy romance are the reasons why I read and love fantasy romance/romantasy. It’s my favorite genre. If you want intense romance with world building, big plots, intrigue, I highly recommend Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling and Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu. My faves of 2023 and five star reads. I also love reading autobiographies, true crime, classics and thrillers.
I dealt with the same thing of not finding any contemporary romance books that I liked. Like I like Emily Henry’s happy place but couldn’t find anything else that had a romance subplot but also talked more about life and other topics. One of my favorite books that follows in the category of romance but is so much more than that is making faces. If you need convincing to read it just look up the quotes and it will get you hooked. Hopefully that helps!
I’ve been waiting for you get into literary fiction!! Some of the books you mentioned are my absolute faves! Circe, midnight library, alone with you in the ether, all the sally Rooney, Elinor is completely fine!! I’m so excited for you- you’re about to have the best year! ❤Dolly’s new book good material is also 10/10
CARAVAL FIRST!! It was overall an incredible series! I thought it was pretty fast paced and an interesting concept! I also liked that it kept me on my toes a lot. I wouldn’t have liked caraval nearly as much if I read it after ouabh. It was the first true fantasy romance that I read and I wasn’t disappointed!! Definitely has a special place in my heart. I hope you love it as much as I do!!
i think you would love caraval. super easy world building, and beautiful imagery. it is slow in parts, but the romance is worth it, and i think reading it before once upon a broken heart is important and will help you understand the world better!
Yes please please read Caraval before reading Once Upon a Broken Heart, it makes the series so much more enjoyable and you fall in love with the characters so much
the air awakens series by elise kova is really good and pretty beginner fantasy romance friendly. its about this librarian girl who finds out she is a sorcerer in a kingdom that hates them, but ends up having to join a war and falls in love with the crown prince. it got me out of my reading slump last may-june so id recommend ! :)
I completely understand what you mean about wanting to read romances with characters that have a personality and a life outside of the romance itself, and I recently read You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty that I think you could love (I did!), it's a romance and there are a couple of spicy bits, but it is also about grief, friendship and art!
You would love the bridge kingdom, its romantasy and she's been trained to be an assassin her whole life to 💀 the king of another island!!! Its also formatted as duologies so the first 2 books follow 1 couple and the 3rd and 4th follow on the plot from the first but are from a different couples pov! It's soooo good
Lessons in chemistry and Eleanor oliphant are completely fine are my two favourite books of ALL TIME because they’re just so so hilarious, lovely, AND tearjerking… please please read them! They’re both books I’d recommend to ANYONE bc I just think they’re so universally enjoyable!!
you should definitely read Caraval before the Once upon a broken heart trilogy! i loved it!! and The Midnight Library is so worth it, you should give it a try💕
I read caraval and didn't really like it and read once upon a broken heart shortly after and absolutely loved it. Do you think it's worth it to re-read caraval and finish the series? I'm skeptical but I feel like I missed something and am unsure if I should give the series a second chance!!
@@linklarklover I feel like most people enjoy the OUABH trilogy more than they enjoy Caraval! I loved both but they are definitely very different series!! If you're willing to give it another try, you should go for it, but I don't think you'd be missing out on much if you don't☺️
I’m a contemporary romance girlie through and through BUT Sarah J mass opened a whole new world for me with ACOTAR! Loved every minute of it and then went on to Throne of glass, to this day, TOG is my favorite fantasy! It’s intimidating but it’s a wonderful series 🥰 (++)
PLUUUSS: I hated Caraval it was boring but I loved OUABH! Everything you need to know is that jacks is the villain and he’s very hot! Caraval can also be good after OUABH because it’s a separate story so if you feel like it after OUABH just pick it up 😊 however ACOTAR is the way to go, Sarah j mass is just that girl
And if you want long, amazingly written and compelling love stories it’s TOG. I cannot stress this enough. Almost none smut but the romance and world building is just 🥰🥰 it will also rip your heart out and put it back together
I think you would absolutely LOVE the folk of the air series, it's one of my favorites I re read it like every year. Some people don't like it, and have said there isn't much romance, but I think there is. The whole story is built off the romance, and they're enemies for most of the first book which is why a lot of people say that and stop reading, but you gotta read all three. There's so much tension, and there's the wound trope, and the dancing at a party trope, and poison, and swords, and AHH it's just perfect.
i completely understand what you mean about needing more of a story along with the romance and how going from a fantasy to like an office romance would seem so dull even if the book itself isn't dull. I just finished Acotar which is my first romantasy and ommgggggg it's so freaking good. I can't wait to get started on the second one because I've heard it's even better than the first. I was intimidated by it too at first but once you start reading you're going to get hooked so just start! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on that series.
i personally do think you should read caraval, it gives a lot of background information on the MC in Once Upon a Broken Heart that will be helpful to understanding him. and the romance and fantasy is soooo good in the second and third books respectively!
Steph, I love this video and really resonate. I switch up what I'm reading all the time and it's part of what makes things fun for me. I used to force myself into only reading literary fiction and classics because that's what all my classmates were reading (I'm a creative writing major). I love literary fiction and classics now, but that's because I read them when I want to and only read the ones that speak to me. I also read several other genres! In this process, I learned to never be afraid to grow and change as a reader. It just means you're moving through new phases of life. You talked about so many books I love in this video! Can't wait to see you read them.
Hey steph i love the whole geishaverse there are just so many love tropes, different adorable friendships and the wirldbuilding ist just incredible. You‘d have to look up in which order to read bardugos books but tbf the crossovers and new characters every here and there keep you so tight to the series. I was just left crushed and without any doubt i cried when i finished the last book bc i fell like the characters at some point became my friends.
Im so exited for you to get in your fantasy era ITS THE BEST BABE😮💨😭😭
I am also in my fantasy era. Welcome to the 4th Wing.
no i just entered mine too kinda scared but excited lmao
YES.
i was going to comment the same thing! literally overjoyed at all the new experiences she's going to have in all the mesmerizing different worlds fantasy has to offer! 😆💜🤟🏼✨
Yesss!
As a primarily fantasy/romantasy reader that also loves your content, You entering your fantasy era makes me so giddy. I'm kicking my feet in excitement for you.
my thoughts exactly 😆💃🏻
the folk of the air series by holly black is absolutely amazing, a lot of people say that the romance is a subplot so don't expect something crazy but tbh the romance to me was PERFECT, such high stakes, betrayals, tension etc which I thought was so much more powerful and deep than any other type of romance so I 100% recommend !
Yes.
counterpoint, I hated the first book, it's totally fine as a YA fantasy but even then it's so boring and empty and everyone, including jude, is annoying and nothing has consequences, ever. So i would personally not recommend it to anyone, even teenagers can find better books, but maybe if you're just starting out...
@@isaleiberg4168i agree wholeheartedly. don’t recommend to just anyone
This is one of my favorites. I think it's important to know that booktok lied about this book because it really isn't romance centered so don't go into it think that lol. People either love it or hate it and got it thinking it's romance but it was the gateway for fantasy to me. Holly Black is the QUEEN of faeries. No one writes better than she does, and the way she wrote about faeries helped me so much with ACOTAR. Sarah J Maas is a great writer but if I didn't read Cruel Prince before it, then I wouldn't have understood the politics very well. I always tell people to read Folk Air series before ACOTAR. It's one of those series that gets better with every book. Some people thought Jude was annoying but I think she has every reason to do what she did in the story. Jude is still one of my favorite MCs of all time. Feyre pissed me off pretty much most of Book 1 lol but Jude was solid through and through!
I highly recommend The Infernal Devices. It's YA but written pretty maturely incase ur worried about cringe. It has a great storyline and the romance is just chef's kiss. It is however love triangle but like the most unique love triangle where nobody is left out of friendships and feelings loved in general, found family trope. Everything about this series is perfect!
I agree with this. Also, the Dark Artifices trilogy by the same author is superb imo.
YESSS LITERALLY ANY SHADOWHUNTER BOOKS!
yYESYES
What does YA mean
@@Nash_Aurora Young Adult
Steph being in her romantasy era is just everything❤️❤️
acotar , throne of glass and crescent city will literally take you by the throat and make you completely obsessed like i can imagine you being so obsessed with it that you would literally tattoo it on your body! it’s so good
i’ve read acotar and i’m reading throne of glass! sjm’s books are so so good!
@@maesherelike not the z*onist!
Acator and throne of glass all time favorites
@@maeshere just because they are written by a white author, doesn't mean they can't be good though!
I’m half way through cc3 and it literally released today!!! Def recommend (not as good as the first 2 so far but still love!)
I absolutely love the caraval series so much there’s definitely romance and it adds so much more depth to the world and characters which helps make the once upon a broken heart series even better!
me literally gasping out "GIRL, GIRLLLL!" after reading your comment because i'm literally so excited to hear you recommend stephanie garber's writing!! 😆🥰
i am currently on finale and i totally agree with you!! caraval is unlike any other book i've ever read! and i love the magic concept!
i am also reading caraval before i read once upon a broken heart, because i love the added depth to fantasy worlds that have trilogies before the second series!! (like shadow and bone) 💜
@@maryamali7994 oh nooo haha. i've heard people say that evangeline is really naive in the first book. tella irked me in the the first book but then i started to like her more in legendary. so 🤷♀there is character development is there not?
and since you say that, may i ask, do you prefer jacks with tella or evangeline? im curious :)
@@mariakara2419 Yes!!! Literally so obsessed with her writing and I loved how much more depth the caraval trilogy added to the worlds!!
@@maryamali7994 I absolutely loved donatella i didn’t mind evangeline but donatella is def my fave character!!
THRONE OF GLASS!!!! the way this series has changed my life, you will fall in love with all the characters and the plot omg
the author is a zionist and a racist
throne of glass reading vlog!!!!!!!!
absolutely recommend TOG too! It is everything
YES!!!!!!!!
seconded
Yess reading the caraval series before ouabh makes your reading experience of these whole books so much better, and things will make more sense, AND CARAVAL SERIES IS SO SO GOOD
THANK YOU!! I truly think people who skip Caraval are ruining OUABH for themselves. I also love Caraval so much!
@@s.d4876I agree I was told it didn’t matter so I went straight into ouabh and I just wasn’t attached to the world or characters
i'm currently on finale but i 1000% agree! the trilogies in a fantasy universe that come before another series (like shadow & bone) add sooooo much more depth to the characters and universe and its always incredibly worth it!!! 💜
@@s.d4876i completely agree. I went into the Caraval series knowing nothing about either series besides the MMC of OUABH was Jacks (and i didn’t know anything about him). I fell in LOVE with his character in the Caraval series and it made me love OUABH sooo freaking much because i already knew him & how charming he could be. The scenes with him & Tella literally made my heart hurt and it honestly upsets me that people miss out on that part of Jack’s backstory. I loved Jacks in OUABH but he was sooo perfectly balanced between evil & charming in the Caraval books & i enjoyed him there just as much!
yessss i'm on the finale book of caraval and I LOVE IT!!!!
you HAVE to read the folk of the air series (aka the cruel prince). the romance is BEAUTIFUL. a fair word of warning though, the first book doesn’t get much into the romance parts & it’s very much a slow burn through the trilogy. it’s such good enemies to lovers, i absolutely adore it! there is some scheming and fantasy politics in it as well, which might scare you at first but believe me it’s so so worth it!! i think it’s exactly what you described in 13:27
YASSS
LITERALLY YESSS I LOVE THAT SERIES
yes i would actually say dont read it if u really want a romance cause its verrrrry subplot, but the story is so magical and easy to read i love it so much !!
YES YES YES
100% AGREED
Honestly I think diving into a variety of genres is the way to keep being a reader throughout your life! I always dip in and out of literary fiction, romance, historical fiction and fantasy, they all offer me such unique experiences and based on what I’m going through I crave one or the other, so I think being experimental, seeing what interests you and letting yourself read what you really feel like reading is the way to go
Girl i’m so happy for you bc ACOTAR is literally THE fantasy series for me, I would love for you to do a reading vlog possibly on the whole series bc those books changed my perspective on fantasy 🤩❤
the author is a zionist + she's also racist
if you don’t pick up acotar, throne of glass, and crescent city this year I SWEAR
this is so real
YES
It’s not that serious Jass
they are overrated 😭
I heard that acotar isn’t that great
You would LOVE Caraval, it’s so so good! I love the romances honestly. It’s a great transition piece between contemporary and fantasy
conversations on love is even better than everything i know about love, i swear to you. one of my fav books ever, i recommend it to EVERYONE whenever i get the chance
everything i know about love is one of my favourite books of all time but i could not get through conversations on love 😢
i don't know if you've read the percy jackson (pjo) series, but if you haven't, you 100% should. they're def easy preteen chapter books, but nonetheless it's still SO GOOD. they blur the lines of good and bad morals so well. there's greek mythology, a cute slowburn romance, and the characters are so well written!! such an incredible series
OH MY GOD YESDSS
Yessss it’s for everyone!
heheheheh, (literally my reaction to your comment) what are the odds that i come to this comment section and some of my favvvv books are mentioned?!
You should read the caraval series before reading OUABH because you will fall in love with the main character in OUABH more after reading caraval. And plus the world building is also good in the caraval series, so it sets up the setting so well. Hope this helps😊
I agree!! I LOVEDDD the Caraval trilogy and I love the mmc of OUAB in Caraval. I can’t wait to finally get to the OUAB series! ❤️
I agree I really regret not reading caraval
I think you’re going to love A Man Called Ove! It’s genuinely one of the most beautiful & heart wrenching love stories I’ve ever read even though it’s not really a “romance”. It also has an amazing found family.
Yes! Such a beautiful book. One of my favourites of all time. The found family is great, and the way Ove talks about Sonja is just *chefs kiss*. I really hope Steph reads it soon.
the infernal devices i think is something you'll really enjoy. i have so much to say about the entire shadow world, but start with the infernal devices, where you get an epic love triangle (it's the only love triangle that truly goes three ways in the best way possible) and it's very plot heavy, fantastic but easy to understand writing, sad, humor, a rollercoaster of emotions. You can pick up the Mortal Instruments series afterwords, and then from there you can search up the reading order for the rest of the books by cassandra clare because god knows there are thousands.
Another recommendation is The I hesitance games. It's technically fiction, but it's a mystery/ romance with such good romance and character dynamics.
Yessssss!
The serpent and the wings of night by Carissa Broadbent is the book that introduced me to the romantasy genre. First of all the plot is really exciting and just overall good. The tension and the romance between the 2 characters is to die for, 5 stars and I am just so sure that you would love it
You need to read Circe omg!!! I loved that book and it was my top read of 2022. The Midnight Library is sooooo sad but so good!!! Prep the tissues!!! Also to let you know, you’re missing two books in the Grishaverse hehe - those books are my favorite of all time. The 3rd book in the Cruel Prince series was my 2nd favorite of the year. I also loved These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong - there are 5 books in the series!!! Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is another dark academia fantasy romance.
is ninth house lqbtq
@@scarlettmonroe427 to my memory, not a lot but perhaps minorly ? the main "romance" (not even rly but main pairing of romantic interests) isn't, but there might be a side one i don't remember, bc it's leigh bardugo and that wouldn't surprise me
Omg I love Circe so muchhh. One of my most fav books
YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY READ CARAVAL!! the plot twists OMG!! it’s an incredible series
Totally agree!!! 🤩🤩
IKRRRRR
i'm so excited to see you in your fantasy era, steph!!
a romantacy series that i highly recommend is the falling kingdoms series by morgan rhodes!
NO ONE ever talks about these books but i always go back to them. the tropes include forced marriage, royalty, grumpy x sunshine, enermies to lovers, etc.
it's a 6 books series but it's a binge worthy series.
GIRL - when I tell you the invisible life of addie larue changed me like SERIOUSLY the writing is so beautiful and it's so amazing at combining romance with elements of fantasy UGH so goooood
on earth we're breafly gorgeous, ANY FREDRIK BACKMAN BOOK, the house in the cerulean sea, and the charm offensive for a contemporary romance!!!
Especially Beartown by Fredrik Backman!! It’s slow in the beginning because there are so many characters to build but it is so so so worth it!! 1/2 of my 5 star reads last year! 😭
So based !!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my favorites of all time and I think it’s a nice blend of romance, contemporary, and fantasy. It would be a great segue into more intense fantasy!!!
Romantasy is so much fun- there’s just something about spending an entire series getting to know and getting attached to the same cast of characters, and the romance in fantasy just feels so much deeper, more dramatic and high stakes!
Ik everyone says this but I can’t recommend SJM enough, ToG is my fav by her but acotar is also wonderful
My reading preferences completely changed this past year as well, which is why I always love your vlogs so much- because I didn’t relate to your book/trope videos anymore as I no longer enjoyed that genre of books. But a few of the books you have on your TBR give off the same vibe as the books I’ve been into recently (not fantasy tho for me personally lol), so I’m excited we’re in this together!
I recommend“know my name” by Chanel miller! It’s a BEAUTIFUL memoir that really impacted me!
I second this! Such a great read!
okay- personally love that I read Caraval before OUABH! I feel like it gave just enough of a look into Jacks and makes you more connected with him during the spinoff- even if he does only appear in book 2 and 3- plus during Finale part of OUABH is described in passing and you learn more about it once you start OUABH.
i’ve been watching all your old videos and it’s honestly so nice to see how you’ve grown and achieved so many goals!! i can safely say that your best videos are the ones in which we can see you’re happy and enjoying yourself, no matter the content :) can’t wait to watch your romantasy journey, all those recs are great and i hope you love them
I recommend the “six crimson cranes” and “six of crows” series for romantisy - I loved bothed sooooo much 😍
You should totally read Caraval before Once Upon A Broken Heart. Both series were my favourites of 2023 and they are really good for people that just start reading fantasy ❤
i find so much comfort in you and your videos, you're the best
i can see her being a percy jackson girlie, (if she hasn’t read it already), even though we’re not the target audience anymore, those books will always be so good to me 😭
my romantasy rec would be The Shepard King duology the first book is called one dark window. the magic system is one of the most unique and i love teh plot, the romance in the first book is so good and in the second one is everything!
One thing that has helped me find joy in reading more is reading different kinds of books when I feel like it. When I’m burnt out from reading, a graphic novel or manga is the move, or if I need more depth than a fluff romance, fantasy or literary fiction. It helped so much last year and kept me from getting burnt out. I read a lot of books I enjoyed and some I might not have usually read at all! Love this for you❤
IF YOU LIKE ROMANTANCY READ CARAVAL!!! AND YES READ IS BEFORE ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART it's so much better! it has such a magical feeling like a fairytail and it's about this two sisters and their journey also the love interets are so interesting and complex😩😍 it's my favourite
1000 times YES read Caraval!!! it makes reading once upon a time sm 'easier' if that makes sense? plus u hv background on all the characters and it just elevates ur reading expeirence!!! also everyone likes caraval less but tbh.....i liked it better!! i loveddd the concept of a dark, wild annual game of trickery and magic! 5 stars series for me at least.
Ahhhhh you have no idea how happy I am to hear about your book taste shift!! I think about Lessons in Chemistry, conversations with friends and the invisible life of addie larue every day... can't wait for you to read them!!
if you read throne of glass, your life is going to change... radically. that saga is MY ULT FAV. its one of the best thing that ever happened to me in my life
i’m reading tog now! i’m on ch 16 of the first book haha
keep going!!! it gets SO MUCH BETTER! i'm so excited for you.@@1975coucou
STEPH'S FANTASY ERA i'm so excited!! to start for fantasy i would go for extremely fast-paced books so you don't fall into a reading slump
I totaly understand you! I used to only read fantasy and my best friend only romance untill we swapped some books; now we read both and we use the other genre as pallete cleanser... read a few romances, pallete cleanse with a fantasy and vice versa. You mentioned al my recs (fourth wing, Sarah j maas books, six of crows, ...) Excited to see the new video's!
i've been watching your videos for a long time, and it's so nice to you see that you're slowly broadening your book taste! Fantasy is really plot driven and as somebody who reads typically for characters or plot, not the romance, fantasy series especially is good.
I totally recommend reading caraval first, it's a brilliant series, ACOTAR IS AMAZING TOO, throne of glass as well!! so excited for you
Fantasy/romantasy changed my brain chemistry and I’m not sorry it did! I sometimes go back to romance or other genres when I get bored it keeps me from getting into a slump!
totally agree with how you feel! my taste in books has switched up so much in the past year, but it’s been so much fun to try new genres! i went from reading primarily romance to now being in my lit fic & fantasy era & loving every second
Where the crawdads sing is one of the best books I’ve ever read
Definitely read Caraval before the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. It can be read as its own series, but you get to understand Jacks much better if you have the context from Caraval. And if you love Once Upon a Broken heart, it actually spoils Jacks’ story in the Caraval Trilogy. Every book has a romance subplot. The first one follows Scarlett and her love interest, the second one follows her sister Donatella and her love interest, and the third one has both of them. I am partial to Tella’s story but I still love all the books.
I read caraval first and am so happy I did, I loved that series and the once upon a broken heart series!
please read the dance of thieves duology! it’s such an underrated romantasy but it’s literally so good!
Steph I’m so happy you’re entering your fantasy era ✨ cause I started watching you at least year ago and after your videos i started slowly reading romance books (they’re not my fav janre). I always were a fantasy girly from childhood till now and sooo excited to have the same book vibe with you💗 and watch your fantasy book videos 🥹🥂
IM SO EXCITED for a more diverse end of year book haul!! I’ve always loved your videos but I havnt hit my contemporary romance phase of my life yet so although I love watching them they weren’t as relevant to me. So excited to see what you read next though and how you feel about them!! Excited to see if you read any books that are on my own shelf :))
Also, I obviously don’t know all your personal feelings abt the books you’ve read this past year, but I do wonder if some of them you would have liked more had you not been reading them all back to back to back. It’s a lot of the same genera, so I just wonder 🤷♀️
reading the caraval series feels like you're in a fever dream (and personally i LOVE that cause it means i really am immersed which is what i strive for) so if you think you'll like that feeling then, i say yes, read it first, its a good time
i know they are scary but LISTEN! as a romance reader easing into a very daunting genre, ACOTAR is quiete literally perfect in every way. I cannot imagine finding a book I love more.
Fantasy recs-
Serpent and dove
Throne of glass
From Blood and ash
Cruel prince
To kill a kingdom
Kiss of Deception
Dance of thieves
Kingdom of the wicked
House of salt and sorrows
Daughter of the pirate king
The wrath and the dawn
The shadows between us
Angelfall
A curse so dark and lonely
Sorcery of thorns
Deal with the elf king
The bridge kingdom
Serpent and the wings of night
Ember in the ashes
I am so excited for this new era! I would love some recs from more genres haha! 💓 You could def do a video watching and reacting to your old 5 star books videos!
I’m so excited about this new era for you! I’ve followed you for years but never really been into contemporary romance, and this is exactly my taste in books!!
you will love the fantasy genre! you will get lost in the stories 🥰ACOTAR series and the Lightlark & Nightbane books were good too (not too dark or spicy)! I need to start the Crescent City Series but the books are so choncky 🤪
Yes, I love the change-up. I've actually been feeling the same about contemporary romance and I look forward to your new videos!
I feel like branching out in genres is SO important. Every time I read too much of one genre I start getting bored bc ultimately there will be a lot of overlap and tropes that are repeated. It does not have to be a huge shift like going from reading only romance to horror. But even a slight shift in genre can do wonders imo - like going from contemporary romance to historical or fantasy romance and then expand from there once you feel more at home ☺
also here are some fantasy recs, all of them have a heavy romance aspect but also an amazing plot line:
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Trilogy - YA Fantasy with amazing romance sub-plot)
- Strange the Dreamer also by Laini Taylor (Duology - YA Fantasy Romance, very lyrical prose, altered my brain chemistry)
- Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (Trilogy - Historical Urban Fantasy set in the 1800s, has a love triangle, but I swear it is the only valid love triangle there is)
- Seven Faceless Saints (Duology - Historical Fantasy Mystery Romance - think Da Vinci Code but make it Italy in the 1600s and throw in a sexy Captain of the Guard 😌)
- The Winner's Curse (Trilogy - Historical Fantasy Romance - no magic but inspired by ancient Rome/ Greece; quite political) and/ or the Captive Prince (this is a queer romance trilogy) which is very similar, just being the adult more graphic version - it is VERY slow burn though and also very political, so know that going into it.
other than that Alone with you in the Ether, One for my Enemy and Atlas Six are all 5 Star reads for me. I feel like if you like one Olivie Blake book you will love them all ❤
Some books I want to read this year, that are not contemporary romance are:
As long as the lemon trees grow - Zoulfa Katouh
Water - John Boyne
The Girl of Ink and Stars - Kiran Millwood Hargrave
My Garden of Flowers and Broken Pieces - Nika Erčulj
All Rhodes Lead Here - Mariana Zapata
The book of laughter and forgetting - Milan Kundera
All the lovers of the night - Mieko Kawakami
Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson
The Ínvisible life of Addie La Rue - V.E. Schwab
Yes, READ THE CARAVEL SERIES FIRST. People say you don’t have to but you have more context going into OUABH and you’re more attached to Jacks (the main love interest in OUABH) going into the spin off series. Also, the Caravel series is amazing and it gets better with each book. I rated the second book 4.5 ⭐️ and the last book 5 ⭐️. The romance in both series are so good
Book Recommendations -
Flowers For Algernon (you'll cry so hard)
If we were villains (easy introduction to dark academia)
In the dream house (memoir 5⭐️)
Rock Paper Scissors (thriller)
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami
I definitely feel you on the reading a bunch of romance so I’m also reading trying to expand my palette
Agreeed. Fantasy romances will forever have my heart.❤️ you should read the dance of thieves duology.
It’s AMAZING. The enemies to lovers 🫣🫣🫣
@@nazrye3185 i feel like it wasnt enemies to lovers thooo like i went into it expecting cruel prince vibes but they kind of got together very quick and it was more forbidden romance yk?
This Vicious Grace is a fantasy romance with the bodyguard trope!! Also A Million Junes by Emily Henry (yes that Emily Henry) is a magical realism romance that is SO GOOD.
i’m so happy that you’re getting into romantasy!! it is truly life changing! just remember to also not read fantasy back to back for too long either. keep your options open and read what you want based on your mood. i typically read a few contemporary romances, then i read a romantasy mini series. read a few romances again, sometimes throw in a murder mystery! keeping your options and genres different keeps you from getting into slumps!
i will always say read caraval first!!! you'll get the feel of the world and learn a lot about the backstory of each character that then leads you into ouabh
‘flawed’ and ‘perfect’ a duology by cecelia ahern is dystopian romance and i never see anyone talk about it but it’s my absolute favourite!!
I've read P/S I love you and love it! Thank you for recommend this books
yes! please read Caraval!! as a series once upon a broken heart is better but the first caraval book is literally everything. I've seen so many people read ouabh first because they were told to, love it, and then go back to the caraval trilogy and be disappointed because there are spoilers and because Jacks is portrayed in such a different way because it's part of his backstory.
acotar, throne of glass, and CC!! they have exactly what it sounds like you want, so much depth to the storyline and characters that it makes the romance and everything else that much more meaningful ♥they're literally amazing
I've been feeling the same way and I started reading The Bridge Kingdom. I finally started to enjoy reading and I didn't even know that I was a fan of slow burn romance. But I did read Acotar and The Throne of Glass Series and they were really good too! The biggest eye opener for me was enjoying The Fourth Wing but DNF-ing The Iron Flame. Fantasy was the first genre I picked up to read and I just stuck to it. But branching out to different tropes and genres was one of the best things I've ever done for myself! I hope you find what you are looking for too :)
Omggg yesss I read the bridge kingdom almost a year ago and that book was the start of my fantasy journey and the experience was like no other. I really look upon that time fondly especially since i had just started listening to audio books as well and it was so fun and new for me! Let me know what you thought about the bridge kingdom I would love to know your thoughts!!!
@@linklarklover I usually read fantasy books where the main characters had powers. However, I was craving for a book which had high stakes and all that drama, but without the magical elements. The Bridge Kingdom was perfect and the writing was just fabulous! I read it recently and I really want to try out more books like that. Please lmk if you know any !!
Finished Addie larue last night! Bit of a slow start but I loved it! So magical and mystical and I just really loved it
you NEED to read the these violent delights series by chloe gong it is SO SO good. it takes place in the republican era in shanghai china (which is the best setting ever) and its about spies and gangs and ENEMIES TO LOVERS and FORBIDDEN LOVE and the second main couple is a MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE AND it also has a fantasy element to it its so good and the writing is so beautiful and descriptive (it is NOT wattpad writing AT ALL) so i think you'll love it.
I read Once Upon a Broken Heart books before the Caraval series and I enjoyed it and didn’t need to read the others.
You need to read One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. It’s so good as well as the second book.
Also, The Prison Healer trilogy is so good!!!
Once you get started into fantasy, Throne of Glass series is so good! I’m on the last book!
Also, love that you’re expanding your genre, I love fantasy and am excited to hear your reviews of the books you read this year.
Eleanor oliphant was so good I don’t have words. SUCH a beautiful funny story, but the more it goes on, the more you discover about this character :((
The reasons you give about fantasy romance are the reasons why I read and love fantasy romance/romantasy. It’s my favorite genre.
If you want intense romance with world building, big plots, intrigue, I highly recommend Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling and Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu. My faves of 2023 and five star reads.
I also love reading autobiographies, true crime, classics and thrillers.
I dealt with the same thing of not finding any contemporary romance books that I liked. Like I like Emily Henry’s happy place but couldn’t find anything else that had a romance subplot but also talked more about life and other topics. One of my favorite books that follows in the category of romance but is so much more than that is making faces. If you need convincing to read it just look up the quotes and it will get you hooked. Hopefully that helps!
I’ve been waiting for you get into literary fiction!! Some of the books you mentioned are my absolute faves! Circe, midnight library, alone with you in the ether, all the sally Rooney, Elinor is completely fine!! I’m so excited for you- you’re about to have the best year! ❤Dolly’s new book good material is also 10/10
CARAVAL FIRST!! It was overall an incredible series! I thought it was pretty fast paced and an interesting concept! I also liked that it kept me on my toes a lot. I wouldn’t have liked caraval nearly as much if I read it after ouabh. It was the first true fantasy romance that I read and I wasn’t disappointed!! Definitely has a special place in my heart. I hope you love it as much as I do!!
i think you would love caraval. super easy world building, and beautiful imagery. it is slow in parts, but the romance is worth it, and i think reading it before once upon a broken heart is important and will help you understand the world better!
Yes please please read Caraval before reading Once Upon a Broken Heart, it makes the series so much more enjoyable and you fall in love with the characters so much
i NEED a reading vlog of acotar with spoilers, that would be amazing. you will love it so much💕
the air awakens series by elise kova is really good and pretty beginner fantasy romance friendly. its about this librarian girl who finds out she is a sorcerer in a kingdom that hates them, but ends up having to join a war and falls in love with the crown prince. it got me out of my reading slump last may-june so id recommend ! :)
I completely understand what you mean about wanting to read romances with characters that have a personality and a life outside of the romance itself, and I recently read You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty that I think you could love (I did!), it's a romance and there are a couple of spicy bits, but it is also about grief, friendship and art!
Girl everything I never told you and conversations with friends are my 2 favourite books !!! They’re so good oml.
I just entered my fantasy era and I’m so excited😭💗
i’ll always remember being a teenager and having the best time watching your videos 💗
You would love the bridge kingdom, its romantasy and she's been trained to be an assassin her whole life to 💀 the king of another island!!! Its also formatted as duologies so the first 2 books follow 1 couple and the 3rd and 4th follow on the plot from the first but are from a different couples pov! It's soooo good
Lessons in chemistry and Eleanor oliphant are completely fine are my two favourite books of ALL TIME because they’re just so so hilarious, lovely, AND tearjerking… please please read them! They’re both books I’d recommend to ANYONE bc I just think they’re so universally enjoyable!!
you should definitely read Caraval before the Once upon a broken heart trilogy! i loved it!! and The Midnight Library is so worth it, you should give it a try💕
I read caraval and didn't really like it and read once upon a broken heart shortly after and absolutely loved it. Do you think it's worth it to re-read caraval and finish the series? I'm skeptical but I feel like I missed something and am unsure if I should give the series a second chance!!
@@linklarklover I feel like most people enjoy the OUABH trilogy more than they enjoy Caraval! I loved both but they are definitely very different series!!
If you're willing to give it another try, you should go for it, but I don't think you'd be missing out on much if you don't☺️
I’m a contemporary romance girlie through and through BUT Sarah J mass opened a whole new world for me with ACOTAR! Loved every minute of it and then went on to Throne of glass, to this day, TOG is my favorite fantasy! It’s intimidating but it’s a wonderful series 🥰 (++)
PLUUUSS: I hated Caraval it was boring but I loved OUABH! Everything you need to know is that jacks is the villain and he’s very hot! Caraval can also be good after OUABH because it’s a separate story so if you feel like it after OUABH just pick it up 😊 however ACOTAR is the way to go, Sarah j mass is just that girl
And if you want long, amazingly written and compelling love stories it’s TOG. I cannot stress this enough. Almost none smut but the romance and world building is just 🥰🥰 it will also rip your heart out and put it back together
I think you would absolutely LOVE the folk of the air series, it's one of my favorites I re read it like every year. Some people don't like it, and have said there isn't much romance, but I think there is. The whole story is built off the romance, and they're enemies for most of the first book which is why a lot of people say that and stop reading, but you gotta read all three. There's so much tension, and there's the wound trope, and the dancing at a party trope, and poison, and swords, and AHH it's just perfect.
also the plot is like insane, there's so many plot twists, and i was so immersed the whole time. Like it's actually insane. Trust me, you'd love it.
I loved the caraval series much more than curse of a broken heart! The first book was so magical I loved it so much
i completely understand what you mean about needing more of a story along with the romance and how going from a fantasy to like an office romance would seem so dull even if the book itself isn't dull. I just finished Acotar which is my first romantasy and ommgggggg it's so freaking good. I can't wait to get started on the second one because I've heard it's even better than the first. I was intimidated by it too at first but once you start reading you're going to get hooked so just start! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on that series.
i HIGHLY recommend the Shephard King duology “One Dark Window” and “Two Twisted Crowns” as well as “The Unmaking of June Farrow”
i personally do think you should read caraval, it gives a lot of background information on the MC in Once Upon a Broken Heart that will be helpful to understanding him. and the romance and fantasy is soooo good in the second and third books respectively!
Steph, I love this video and really resonate. I switch up what I'm reading all the time and it's part of what makes things fun for me. I used to force myself into only reading literary fiction and classics because that's what all my classmates were reading (I'm a creative writing major). I love literary fiction and classics now, but that's because I read them when I want to and only read the ones that speak to me. I also read several other genres! In this process, I learned to never be afraid to grow and change as a reader. It just means you're moving through new phases of life. You talked about so many books I love in this video! Can't wait to see you read them.
Hey steph i love the whole geishaverse there are just so many love tropes, different adorable friendships and the wirldbuilding ist just incredible. You‘d have to look up in which order to read bardugos books but tbf the crossovers and new characters every here and there keep you so tight to the series. I was just left crushed and without any doubt i cried when i finished the last book bc i fell like the characters at some point became my friends.
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is my fav romantasy I’ve read !!