12 enemies-to-lovers fantasy books to get lost in

A quick scroll through BookTok will tell you that fantasy romance books (also known as romantasy) are having a moment like none other. Set in dramatic made-up worlds and filled with intense storylines, tortured and complicated characters, and a copious amount of drama and tension, fantasy novels are hard to resist and make for some of the best books around.

Due to their high stakes and deep emotion, fantasy romance books are the perfect stage for the fan-favorite enemies-to-lovers romance trope. Maybe the characters are sworn enemies forced to work together to save the world, or perhaps they’re forced to dislike each other due to family history or tradition. Maybe they’re on opposite sides of the fight (hey, everyone loves a misunderstood villain!) or maybe they simply don’t like each other.

Whatever the reason, the main characters in enemies-to-lovers fantasy books aren’t thrilled to be in each other’s company. And when that annoyance bubbles over, the sparks fly, tensions flare, and we readers are in for a treat.

Here are some of the best enemies-to-lovers fantasy books that just might have you up ‘til dawn reading.

1. “From Blood and Ash” by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Poppy may be used to living in solitude (as the Maiden, her life isn’t really her own) but she sure isn’t happy about it. She’s bored, restricted, and wants out, but she’s bound by duty. Whether she wants it or not, this is her lot in life.

Enter Hawke, a new guard assigned to protect her. For the first time she can remember, she isn’t bored. With Hawke around and under her skin, Poppy is riled up and angry, questioning everything she knows, and willing to test the boundaries of her caged life for the first time.

2. “The Bridge Kingdom” by Danielle L. Jensen

Lara has trained her whole life to take down King Aren, the monarch of an enemy kingdom. When offered the chance to Trojan Horse her way into the kingdom under the guise as a bride (sent as a gift to keep the peace, of course), Lara seizes the opportunity.

Once she’s behind enemy lines though, she starts to question everything she thought she knew about the war and this rival kingdom. And as she spends more time with the king she swore to hate, the more she wonders if everything she thought she knew is wrong.

The first four books in this bingeable series are out now with two more planned for the future.

3. “Wings of Winter” by Dipsea

Twilight girlies, this is our time. If a love story about a tortured immortal reluctantly falling in love with a human set against the backdrop of a Hunger Games style battle sounds like your jam, then run over to the Dipsea app for this spicy audiobook!

Told in 13 chapters, “Wings of Winter” centers around Rowan, a fae prince, and you (plot twist! You’re the main character in this story!). The story starts the night before The Gleaning, a deadly tournament between mortals and immortals alike. Rowan feels a magnetic, captivating, protective pull to you and he’s so annoyed about it.

You aren’t intimidated by him one bit and his insistence on protecting you is more than just annoying, it’s insulting. You may be a human, but you can stand your ground! Avoiding each other would be easy if it weren’t for that stupid magnetic attraction.

Between flirting with death and Rowan, you’ve got your hands full! As The Gleaning rages on, the stakes grow higher and the feelings between you and Rowan only grow deeper.

Once you’re done with this steamy story, check out the behind the scenes of how “Wings of Winter” came to life!

4. “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros

When Violet is forced into training to be a dragon rider, survival is the only thing on her mind. With her mom as commanding general, there are plenty of enemies to be found at Basgiath War College. Chief among them? Xaden, the strong, intimidating, and infuriating wingleader. As if trying to bond a dragon wasn’t enough stress!

Violet and Xaden’s families have a rocky (to put it lightly) history and Violet would like nothing more than to avoid the spotlight of Xaden’s attention. But as Violet gets her feet under her and starts training, she finds herself thrown together with Xaden again and again, much to everyone’s annoyance.

It’s the first book in The Empyrean series, so once you finish “Fourth Wing,” you can dive right back in with “Iron Flame.” Then, you’ll have to join the rest of us in waiting for “Onyx Storm,” the next book in this must-read series, to drop in January 2025.

5. “Serpent & Dove” by Shelby Mahurin

After fleeing her coven, Louise takes up shelter in the city of Cesarine. While she’s forsaken all magic, her abilities as a witch have to stay hidden, or else she’ll be burned. Reid is a faithful servant to the church, trained to hunt and kill witches to keep his people safe.

While these two shouldn’t be anywhere near each other, they're bound for life after a series of events leads to marriage. More than ever, Louise works to keep her identity as a witch under wraps. Reid may be her husband on paper but he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if he found out who she truly is…right?

These two are on each other’s nerves from the start! And when that annoyance bubbles over…watch out! It’s not a super-steamy book (we cover those here), but when the spice hits, it hits!

6. “The Cruel Prince” by Holly Black

Jude was only a kid when her parents were killed and she and her sisters were kidnapped and brought to live under the ruling of the High Court of Faeries. As a human, she feels constantly out of place and inferior to the faes, who all look down on her due to her mortal status.

Cardan is the especially cruel faerie prince with zero regard or patience for humans, Jude included. After years of feeling like she doesn’t fit in, Jude is determined to secure a spot in the High Court—even if that means taking on Cardan, the cruelest of them all.

While this book lacks spicy scenes (it’s categorized as Young Adult) it still delivers on the tension and angst expected from the enemies-to-lovers trope! If you liked “Shadow and Bone” by Leigh Bardugo or the “Shatter Me” series by Tahereh Mafi, you’ll love this.

7. “Powerless” by Lauren Roberts

In the kingdom of Ilya, being Ordinary isn’t just looked down upon​​—it’s illegal. Paedyn is determined to keep her head down and stay out of the spotlight. Posing as a Psychic is the only way she won’t be outed as Ordinary in a kingdom of Elites.

Paedyn’s plan to fly under the radar is going swimmingly until she unknowingly saves the life of one of the kingdom’s princes and is subsequently thrown into the Purging Trials. The competition is designed to showcase the talents of the Elites, which poses a slight problem since Paedyn is Ordinary. Can Paedyn fool everyone, royalty included, and come out on top?

If you liked the Dance of Thieves series, you’ll enjoy this!

8. “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas

Yup, it’s the book you’ve heard everyone talking about—fans call it ACOTAR, pronounced “aco-tar,” to save some syllables. ACOTAR kickstarts a 5-book (and counting) series that gets better and better with each book.

Feyre, a human, is hunting near the border of her world to try to keep her family from starving. She kills a wolf, but her life comes crashing down when she discovers the wolf was actually a faerie and she’s kidnapped by Tamlin, another faerie, and brought to enemy land.

But as she settles in, Feyre realizes this world isn’t as perfect as it appears on the surface. And Tamlin? He’s not nearly as bad as she first thought (it’s not a direct retelling, but there’s a Beauty and the Beast vibe here!).

Without giving too much away (this is a spoiler-free zone!), you’re going to need (and want) to read the whole series to get the true enemies-to-lovers experience. Things really take off in the second book, “A Court of Mist and Fury!”

9. "Bride” by Ali Hazelwood

As any good “Twilight” fan knows, werewolves and vampires go together like oil and water, and “Bride” showcases this rivalry so well!

Misery is the daughter of the most powerful Vampyre in the country. In order to keep the peace between the Vampyres and the Werewolves, she’s forced into an arranged marriage to Lowe, the Alpha Werewolf (aka public enemy number one). They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but the closer Misery and Lowe get, the more the line between love and hate blurs.

This is a stand-alone book, so you can check it off your TBR quickly and dive back into the pile of good books waiting to be read!

10. “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” by Carissa Broadbent

Oraya may be a human but she was raised as the adopted daughter of a vampire king. While most people in her world see her as nothing but a tasty snack, she’s determined to carve a place for herself by entering the Kejari, a Hunger Games-esque tournament.

She has plenty of enemies in this tournament and chief among them is Raihn, a particularly powerful and dangerous vampire. While Oraya doesn’t trust Raihn one bit, her best shot at survival is to form alliances. And striking up a deal with one of the most dangerous rivals in the game seems like a winning (if dangerous) strategy.

Aligning with Raihn is one thing, but trusting him is another. But as the Kejari rages on, Oraya finds herself drawn to the rival that could be her greatest downfall. If you love a slow burn, this romantic fantasy book series is for you.

11. “Kingdom of the Wicked” by Kerri Maniscalco

Emilia is a witch on a mission seeking vengeance after her twin sister’s murder. Wrath is one of the Wicked, also known as the demon princes of hell.

Emilia has been warned about the Wicked for her entire life, but she’s desperate for answers, justice, and vengeance. When Wrath offers his help, she accepts it, albeit reluctantly. Though Wrath maintains that he’s on Emilia’s side, can she trust him or will she lose everything?

12. “The Shadows Between Us” by Tricia Levenseller

While it’s not clear what powers the Shadow King actually has (the rumor mill is swirling on this one!), Alessandra doesn’t care. She wants the power for herself and she will stop at nothing to get it.

She plans to woo the king, marry him, and take the throne and power for herself. Simple, right? Well it would be if everyone else wasn’t trying to kill him too! In order for her plan to work, Alessandra needs to keep the Shadow King alive long enough to be made queen. She may be cunning, but is she a match for the Shadow King himself?

Find even more stories you love on Dipsea, the app for original spicy audiobooks. You can even filter by tag, like Enemies-to-Lovers or Romantasy, to find the right story.

Keep adding to your TBR with our other romance book recommendations!