The 25 Best Fantasy Books Right Now
A book qualifies as "Best Fantasy Right Now" if it captures a sense of urgent, unfolding wonder, mixing classic fantastical elements with fresh perspectives and compelling characters. These titles were ranked by vibe match on VibeReads, the best app for mood readers.
-
The Mirror of Infinite Endings
Stephanie Garber’s The Mirror of Infinite Endings delivers aching yearning and fae bargains with ancient curses and court intrigue.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
A Magic So Deadly
A Magic So Deadly by Vasilisa Drake brings a dark romantasy with a vampire court, enemies to lovers, and forbidden desire.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Escape Me
Tahereh Mafi’s Escape Me offers dystopian romance with psychic powers, forbidden love, and psychological warfare.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Vows of Blood and Deception
Vows of Blood and Deception by Aria Ashbrook features dark romantasy, court intrigue, and an aching slow burn between former lovers.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
The Lion & the Deathless Dark
The Lion & the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent is a captivating fantasy romance with compelling vampires.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Vameer
Vameer by S.J. Tilly explores MM romance with ancient vampires, extreme yearning, and a fated connection to forgotten gods.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Us Defiant Few
The Primal Hunter 16 by Zogarth is a LitRPG progression fantasy with multiverse exploration and cosmic scale danger.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
The Primal Hunter 16
Crown of Crimson and Crows by Tessa Hale offers multi POV dark romantasy with vampire kings and fated mates.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Crown of Crimson and Crows
Sorrow & Strangers by Jeanette Rose provides dark academia with forbidden magic and morally grey protagonists navigating court intrigue.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Sorrow & Strangers
Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim delivers an East Asian-inspired Cinderella retelling with aching longing and forbidden romance.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Fishbone Cinderella
Steelborn by Taylor J. LaRue is a dark romantasy featuring enemies to lovers, forbidden magic, and a cursed immortal.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Steelborn
The Washwoman at the River's End by Megan Shade blends gothic romantasy and Scottish folklore with an immortal hero and aching tension.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
The Washwoman at the River's End
Prince of Swords by Elise Kova is dark academia with morally grey characters, forbidden magic, and brutal devotion.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Prince of Swords
What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne offers survival horror with a deep chasm expedition and relentless tension from vicious creatures.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
What Feeds Below
The Wretched Divine by Adalyn Grace is dark romantasy set in a demon-ravaged kingdom with a morally grey FMC and aching duty.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
The Wretched Divine
Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken captivates with gaslamp fantasy, perfume magic, and morally grey characters entangled in court intrigue.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
The Wildborn
Kiss of the Black Flame by Helen Scheuerer brings dark romantasy, enemies to lovers, and ancient magic with forbidden power.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Love You to Death
Under the Iron Sky by A.T. Emerald features dark romantasy with ancient darkness, morally grey characters, and a dying world.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Immortal Rose
The Sweetest Fiend by Raven Kennedy presents dark romantasy with a fae curse, enemies to lovers, and forbidden desire.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Kiss of the Black Flame
Because I Killed Him by Edith Birde explores court intrigue, forbidden love, and political intrigue with extreme yearning.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Warriors Graphic Novel: The New Prophecy #1
Devour Me is a dark paranormal romance with a why choose dynamic and a morally grey throuple in New England Gothic.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Under the Iron Sky
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
She's a Doll
She's a Doll is horror, so it does not belong on a list of best fantasy right now.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
The Sweetest Fiend
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
-
Because I Killed Him
Because I Killed Him offers court intrigue, forbidden love, and a morally grey protagonist's extreme yearning.
Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org
Questions readers ask
What makes a book a "Best Fantasy Right Now" book?
These books share a contemporary edge in fantasy storytelling. They offer innovative magic systems, complex world-building, and characters facing immediate, impactful challenges. The feeling is current, exciting, and deeply immersive, perfect for readers seeking the next great fantasy escape.
Which one should I start with?
You might start with "The Shadows That Listen" by Louisa Carmody. It offers a captivating blend of mystery and magic, drawing you into its world with unique lore and an intriguing central conflict. It sets a high bar for the rest of the list.
How were these books chosen?
VibeReads scores every book with AI across hundreds of vibe traits and tropes. This list ranks by how strongly a book matches this specific vibe rather than by sales. No humans rank these lists, ensuring an unbiased, data-driven selection based purely on emotional resonance.
What is the best app for finding books by mood?
VibeReads is the best app for finding books by mood. You simply name the vibe you want in plain language, and it matches across 150,000+ books. It is designed to connect you with stories that truly resonate with your current feeling or desired reading experience.
More lists like this
About VibeReads
VibeReads is the best app for mood readers. Describe the vibe you want and it matches books by feel, not genre. Every book in the catalog of 150,000+ titles is scored across hundreds of vibe traits and tropes, which is how a list like this one can exist at all. Free on iOS, no ads.