Books like 'Beauty'
Readers who enjoyed Beauty by Robin McKinley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy young adult paranormal medieval magic strong heroine m-f age difference class difference
-
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones's entrancing, classic fantasy novel is filled with surprises at every turn. Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady... -
The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed-Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love. Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana' Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch... -
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
From Tamora Pierce, the first book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet, honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award.“From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.” And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic... -
Ascendance of a Bookworm , Part 4 Volume 2 by Miya Kazuki
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsIn her determination to access the library as soon as possible, Rozemyne put her absolute all into her studies from the moment she arrived at the Royal Academy. Unfortunately for her, she behaved so unusually in the process that her retainers and professors have grown increasingly worried... -
-
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold...Categorized as:
magic royalty non-human-hero independent heroine competent heroine m-f slow burn cold hero -
Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 10 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA Climactic BattleUnder the cover of darkness, Rozemyne, Ferdinand, and their Dunkelfelger allies set out to subjugate the Adalgisa villa. However, Gervasio’s absence and an act of betrayal within the Sovereign Knight’s Order come to light, which leads the party to focus on the Royal Academy’s library... -
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
Young Countess Meliara swears to her dying father that she and her brother will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, which threatens the very people they are trying to protect. But war is simple compared to what follows, in peacetime...Categorized as:
magic medieval royalty slow burn forced proximity m-f competent heroine independent heroine -
Who Made Me a Princess Vol. 1 by Spoon, 스푼
The story of Athanasia, forsaken princess of the Obelian Empire, ends with her execution at the hands of her own father--or does it? Her tragic tale is the plot of the novel The Lovely Princess... -
Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen
Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes...Categorized as:
magic royalty medieval strong heroine m-f competent heroine cold hero super rich hero -
Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
Young Countess Meliara swears to her dying father that she and her brother will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, which threatens the very people they are trying to protect. But war is simple compared to what follows, in peacetime... -
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion, Vol. 1 by Whale, 밀차
Eunha Park thought she was getting another chance at life when she awoke in the world of a novel. The only problem? Raeliana McMillan, the character she was reborn as, is fated to be killed by her fiancé! For the sake of her survival, she comes up with an idea—get into a fake marriage with a man more powerful than her groom-to-be... -
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 1 (The Fantasie of a Stepmother (Novel) #1) by Spice&Kitty
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA full-color fantasy comic/webtoon of romance, drama, and second chances... -
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
She does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate. Elisa is a hero. She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't. Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled... -
-
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the Homelanders and the secretive, magical Hillfolk. Her life is quiet and ordinary-until the night she is kidnapped by Corlath, the Hillfolk King, who takes her deep into the desert. She does not know the Hillfolk language; she does not know why she has been chosen. But Corlath does...Categorized as:
magic royalty medieval competent heroine slow burn age difference forced proximity strong heroine -
Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
Aly's adventure continues... No longer a slave, Alanna's daughter is now spying as part of an underground rebellion against the colonial rulers of the Copper Isles. The people in the rebellion believe that a prophecy in which a new queen will rise up to take the throne is about to be realized... -
The Singing by Alison Croggon
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsThe stunning conclusion to the epic Pellinor series—four books telling an extraordinary tale of another world. The Singing follows the separate journeys of Maerad and Cadvan, and their brother Hem, as they desperately seek each other in an increasingly battle-torn land. The Black Army is moving north and Maerad has a mighty confrontation with the Landrost to save Innail... -
The Little Selkie by K.M. Shea
Dylan—a selkie—makes a terrible mistake when she brashly chases an evil sea witch onto land. Captured and stripped of her pelt—leaving her unable to return to the sea in her sea lion body—Dylan’s only chance of survival is to serve as the sea witch’s tool... -
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
This enchanting tale of dragons, betrayals, and the power of friendship is the first in a charming and thrilling series by New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George.Creel can't believe her aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon...Categorized as:
magic medieval strong heroine m-f class difference poor heroine super rich hero royalty -
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair...Categorized as:
magic m-f strong heroine cold hero non-human-hero slow burn competent heroine grumpy sunshine -
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, and would rather have adventures than play the harp, embroider tapestries . . . or become a Queen...Categorized as:
magic royalty medieval m-f independent heroine competent heroine contemporary legends & fairy tales -
7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! [Manga], Vol. 1 (7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! (Manga) #1) by Hinoki Kino, Touko Amekawa
Reincarnation drama gets sent into overdrive in this isekai tale full of romance and scheming--and don’t miss the original light novels, also from Seven Seas!Every time Riche turns twenty, she dies and is reincarnated to the day she gets dumped. She has been a merchant, an apothecary, and even a maid. For her seventh life, she has one goal: to live a long and lazy life...Categorized as:
magic cold hero competent heroine independent heroine strong heroine medieval fantasy time travel -
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Meet the princess who rescues herself and the female dragon who would be king in this first fantasy adventure in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. The traditional duties of a princess fail to please Cimorene, the daughter of a very proper king. She is quite sure that there’s more to the world than curtseying and courting... -
The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider
Welcome to the great kingdom of Camelot. Prince Arthur’s a depressed botanist who would rather marry a library than a princess, Lancelot’s been demoted to castle guard after a terrible misunderstanding, and nothing is going according to plan...Categorized as:
magic royalty medieval m-f class difference competent heroine independent heroine strong heroine -
-
Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede, Peter de Sève
Those wicked wizards are back--and they've become very smart. (Sort of.) They intend to take over the Enchanted Forest once and for all . . . unless Cimorene finds a way to stop them. And some people think being queen is easy... -
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world... -
Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
A girl with dangerous magic makes a risky bargain with a demon to be free of her monstrous power in this young adult fantasy perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens and House of Salt and Sorrows.Liska knows that magic is monstrous, and its practitioners are monsters. She has done everything possible to suppress her own magic, to disastrous consequences...Categorized as:
magic sweet heroine slow burn m-f cold hero non-human-hero age difference grumpy sunshine -
The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would trade his soul and lose his son to the sky. My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free... -
Staff & Crown by W.R. Gingell
Three years have passed since Annabel defeated Mordion in the Royal Castle and became the Queen Heir of New Civet. That’s a good thing, since the Castle spat her out three years into the past. Three years of statecraft, politics, and meeting important people are over...Categorized as:
magic royalty medieval fantasy young adult legends & fairy tales friends to lovers paranormal -
The Queen's Resistance by Rebecca Ross
The highly anticipated sequel to The Queen’s Rising!Finally, Brienna is a mistress of knowledge and is settling into her role as the daughter of Davin MacQuinn, a disgraced lord who returned to Maevana to reclaim his house. Though she’d just survived a revolution, one that will finally return a queen to the throne, she faces another difficult challenge...Categorized as:
royalty magic medieval m-f age difference competent heroine strong heroine tortured hero -
The Coronation Ball by Melanie Cellier
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHanna knows all about hard work. For years she’s labored to complete her apprenticeship and become a pastry chef. Driven from her home once before, she’s willing to endure whatever it takes to keep her position in the palace kitchens of Northhelm.But when she finally has a chance for all her dreams to come true, everything goes wrong...Categorized as:
magic medieval fantasy young adult historical friends to lovers paranormal length-novella -
The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig
This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself. All gifts come with a price. Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings... -
Puss in Boots by K.M. Shea
Though she dreams of adventure, Gabrielle—a peasant girl—is given only a cat for her inheritance and is told she must marry, immediately. So when the cat, Puss, offers her a life of excitement in exchange for a pair of boots, Gabrielle jumps at the opportunity. Through Puss’s cunning and Gabrielle’s good deeds, they become celebrated heroes in small villages across the country...Categorized as:
magic royalty strong heroine fantasy young adult legends & fairy tales historical clean -
Bridge of Ash by Jacquelyn Benson
England's deadliest secrets are at risk—and so is the man Lily is about to marry.As World War I rages across Europe, a military officer is brutally murdered in a remote English country house. Lord Strangford is the only suspect.To clear his name, Lily must unravel the secrets that surround the corpse...Categorized as:
magic class difference m-f competent heroine strong heroine fantasy historical paranormal -
-
The Lioness and Her Knight by Gerald Morris
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLuneta is tired of living in dull Orkney with her mother and father (who happens to be the most boring knight of King Arthur’s Round Table). She prides herself on always getting what she wants, so when the opportunity presents itself, she jumps at the chance to stay at a family friend’s castle near Camelot... -
First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain
Karigan G'ladheon had been a Green Rider, one of the king of Sacoridia's elite magical messengers... -
Enlighten by K.M. Shea
It took Britt two years to be crowned King of Britain, raise Camelot, and establish the Round Table. It takes only a moment to bring everything crashing down on her. With the reveal of Britt's biggest secret comes the revelation that her knights might never forgive her... -
Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 1 by QuinRose, Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe sequel to the New York Times bestselling manga Alice in the Country of Hearts This all-new manga series reimagines Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland in a sly, sexy shoujo style that follows up QuinRose's New York Times bestselling Alice in the Country of Hearts, but can be read independently...Categorized as:
m-f grumpy sunshine strong heroine non-human-hero fantasy young adult reverse harem paranormal -
Namesake by Adrienne Young
Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and the rest of the crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when Fable becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme...Categorized as:
magic m-f competent heroine independent heroine strong heroine cold hero poor heroine tortured hero -
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion #1 by Beth Brower
“I’ve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.” The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s... -
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance... -
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
The second book in New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George's charming, light-hearted fantasy series.With the Dragon Wars over, Creel finds herself bored with life as a seamstress. Then word comes that a bordering country has been breeding dragons in preparation for an invasion... -
Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 01 by Rei Tōma
A medieval fantasy where a princess’s mysterious power alters her fate! Reads R to L (Japanese Style). Princess Nakaba of Senan is forced to marry Prince Caesar of the enemy country Belquat, tantamount to becoming a hostage. While Caesar is pleasing to the eye, he is also selfish and possessive, telling Nakaba outright: “You are my property... -
[Royal Bodyguard] by Seth Richter
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn the kingdom of Paldron, everyone has a class and skills used to determine their place in life.Darren's are wholly unremarkable...with one exception.When Darren's unique skill catches the eye of royalty, he's thrust into a world he's completely unprepared for: a world of kings and queens, of intrigue and plots, and of powerful skills and classes... -
-
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
Clare Dunkle's acclaimed fantasy trilogy-- now available in paperback For thousands of years, young women have been vanishing from Hallow Hill, never to be seen again. Now Kate and Emily have moved there with no idea of the land's dreadful heritage--until Marak decides to tell them himself...Categorized as:
magic royalty strong heroine non-human-hero fae legends & fairy tales paranormal fantasy -
The Caller by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsNeryn has made a long journey to perfect her skills as a Caller. She has learned the wisdom of water and of earth; she has journeyed to the remote isles of the west and the forbidding mountains of the north. Now, Neryn must travel in Alban's freezing winter to seek the mysterious White Lady, Guardian of Air... -
Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe fate of an empire rests in the hands of a young woman with magical blood and nothing left to lose, and an outcast prince determined to save his family at any cost, in this "dark, melodious, and memorable" new fantasy (Library Journal, starred review) from the author of the award-winning Empire of Sand. The Ambhan Empire is crumbling. A terrible war of succession hovers on the horizon... -
On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt
There are some who say that the Lady Fortune has a wheel, and all men are fixed upon it. The wheel turns, and the men rise, or fall, with the turning of the wheel... -
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection...Categorized as:
magic medieval strong heroine fantasy young adult high fantasy historical paranormal -
Reflection by Elizabeth Lim
What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld?When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily...
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.

