Books like 'The Subtle Beauty'
Readers who enjoyed The Subtle Beauty by Ann Hunter also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy romance supernatural dark fantasy retellings magic royalty fairy-tale medieval
-
Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It's inhabited by the race that rose from the seed of angels, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by a nobleman who recognized that she was pricked by Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic medieval myths paranormal spirituality action-adventure -
Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsHaving learned a lesson about thwarting the will of the gods, Imriel and Sidonie publicly confess their affair, only to see the country boil over in turmoil. Younger generations, infatuated by their heart-twisting, star-cross romance, defend the couple... -
Extermination by E. William Brown
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsGaea's favored children have put her ancient plan to cleanse the Earth of humans into motion, and Kozalin stands high on their list of targets. Uncertain alliances, scheming gods and an implacable foe will push Daniel to his limits... -
Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe “powerful and emotionally-charged” fantasy series from the author of the Sevenwaters novels continues, as Blackthorn and Grim face haunting secrets and old adversaries... Feather bright and feather fine, None shall harm this child of mine... Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good... -
-
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsMighty Kushiel, of rod and wealLate of the brazen portalsWith blood-tipp'd dart a wound unhealedPricks the eyen of chosen mortalsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal spirituality action-adventure alternate-history -
Necropolis by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsan alternate cover edition can be found hereIntroverted scholar Percival Endicott Whyborne has spent the last few months watching his lover, Griffin Flaherty, come to terms with the rejection of his adoptive family. So when an urgent telegram from Christine summons them to Egypt, Whyborne is reluctant to risk the fragile peace they’ve established...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal action-adventure adult alternate-history -
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOnce upon a time, there was a horrible girl... Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love--and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago... -
Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsMy blood beat hard in my veins and hammered in my ears, like the sound of bronze wings clashing. And I understand for the first time what it meant that Kushiel, the One God's punisher, had loved his charges too well...Imriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, while his adoptive parents, Phèdre and Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions... -
Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsImriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phèdre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions.Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty, and desire...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic medieval paranormal action-adventure adult alternate-history -
Der letzte Kampf by Rachel E. Carter
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsHe’s the Black Mage and she’s the traitor to the Crown.Ryiah’s world was shattered the night she discovered King Blayne’s nefarious plans. Now, she has to betray the one she loves most in order to save the realm from war... -
Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsReturning to Terre d'Ange, Moirin finds the royal family broken. Wracked by unrelenting grief at the loss of his wife, Queen Jehanne, King Daniel is unable to rule. Prince Thierry, leading an expedition to explore the deadly jungles of Terra Nova, is halfway across the world...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal action-adventure adult alternate-history -
Autumn of the Grimoire by J.L. Vampa
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSome witches cast spells. Others slay kings.A mysterious Grimoire. A marriage full of dark secrets. A History sculpted by a quartet of ancient Sister witches.For three hundred years, Sister Autumn has incited wars, burnt villages, killed kings, and released plagues at the bidding of the Grimoire. Meanwhile, her Sister Winter, Sister Spring, and Sister Summer have brought forth only peace... -
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsThe ancient world of magic is no more. Its heroes are dead, its halls are ruins, and its great battles between Light and Dark are forgotten. Only the Stewards remember, and they keep their centuries-long vigil, sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns.Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic paranormal royalty action-adventure audiobook bisexuality -
Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBestselling novelist Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents, Terciel and Elinor, and the Charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series... -
-
Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking the Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy. Two curses.One prophecy.A reckoning all have feared.And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell. Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive... -
Rise by Andrea Cremer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe sequel to Rift and the prequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Nightshade.Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate escape. But fate offers little mercy... -
The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsOlivia Atwater returns to the world of Half a Soul with “a sharp and beautiful gothic romance” (Alix E. Harrow). Dive into The Witchwood Knot, and enjoy a dark faerie tale set in a magical version of Victorian England.The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one... -
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsIn a land threatened by treacherous war and beset by demons, royal dowager Ista, released from the curse of madness and manipulated by an untrustworthy god, is plunged into a desperate struggle to preserve the endangered souls of a realm... -
Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsAfter selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria... even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one...Categorized as:
arranged-marriage dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal royalty action-adventure -
Witches' Blood by Ginn Hale
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world... -
Rogue Elves of Ardani by Nina K. Westra
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s an enslaved telepath who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. He’s a scarred elven prisoner with a deep hatred of humans. She needs him if she wants her freedom… but he just wants her dead.Crow expects her task to be simple. Breaking a man out of prison isn’t difficult for someone with the power to read and control minds. It’s just another job forced upon her by her cruel master... -
Eidolon by Grace Draven
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsIn a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis has unleashed a malignant force into the world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by a diseased darkness and on the brink of war. His human wife Ildiko must decide if she will give up the man she loves in order to secure his throne... -
Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsJacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the Kushiel's Legacy series, delivers book two in her new lushly imagined trilogy featuring daughter of Alba, Moirin.Far from the land of her birth, Moirin sets out across Tatar territory to find Bao, the proud and virile Ch'in fighter who holds the missing half of her diadh-anam, the divine soul-spark of her mother's people... -
Tempting Fate by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEurope 1920s. Fifth [published] in the Saint-Germain series, Tempting Fate finds the count as guardian to a Russian war orphan during the Russian Revolution and the end of World War I... -
-
Veiled in Moonlight by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a young gentleman is murdered by a shape shifter, Charlie and Lincoln interrogate their contacts and uncover a plot with links to the royal family—and links to more than one member of the ministry's committee. At the heart of the mystery is a sinister love triangle, corruption, lies, and treason... -
The Black Shriving by Phil Tucker
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen invasion looms...After a harrowing battle Lady Kyferin and her stalwart followers have earned themselves a brief respite from Lord Laur's fury. They know, however, that the next assault will be impossible to resist. Their sole hope of survival lies in forging an alliance with the only force capable of resisting the empire's might: the Agerastian heretics themselves.But time is running out.. -
Beneath a Waning Moon by Elizabeth Hunter, Grace Draven
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo delightfully dark tales of Gothic romance from Elizabeth Hunter and Grace Draven.In A Very Proper Monster, Josephine Shaw spends long nights filling the pages of her Gothic stories with the fantastic and the macabre, unaware that the suitor her father has arranged is one of the dark creatures she’s always dreamed... -
The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsUnder the rule of a usurper king, the realm of Skala has suffered famine, plague, and invasion. But now the time for the rightful heir has come, a return to the tradition of warrior queens. And the Lightbearer's prophecy is to be upheld at last: so long as a daughter of the royal line defends and rules, Skala will never be subjugated... -
Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsOnce there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts—the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic medieval myths paranormal action-adventure alternate-history -
Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAward-winning author Juliet Marillier’s “lavishly detailed”* Blackthorn & Grim series continues as a mysterious creature holds an enchanted and imperiled ancient Ireland in thrall. Disillusioned healer Blackthorn and her companion, Grim, have settled in Dalriada to wait out the seven years of Blackthorn’s bond to her fey mentor, hoping to avoid any dire challenges...Categorized as:
dark fairy-tale historical-fiction magic myths paranormal retellings action-adventure -
The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsThere was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows... -
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsA lyrical and dreamy reimagining of Dracula’s brides, A Dowry of Blood is a story of desire, obsession, and emancipation. Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king... -
Wicked Memories by Nina Bangs
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsReturn to the Castle of Dark Dreams, where USA Today bestselling author Nina Bangs lures readers into a world of pleasure, adventure, and revenge…Thorn Mackenzie was a young Viking when he met Sparkle Stardust long ago. She used him and then abandoned him. Over a thousand years later, he has finally found a way to repay her... -
Curse of Dracula by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMaxine Parker expected to lose her life when the Vampire King swept through her city like a plague. She did not expect to lose her heart to him as well. Caught between her desire to protect the living and her love for Dracula, she suddenly finds herself the enemy of the hunters who had once been her allies... -
-
Fires of Ballian by M.L. Rhodes
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBook 3 in the Draegan Lords series A hundred years ago, the high sorcerer of Velensperia launched a swift and deadly attack against the draegans—a race of dragon shapeshifters who’d always lived in harmony with the humans. The draegans were all but destroyed, with the few who remained, scattered and in hiding... -
The Last Descendant by Megan Haskell
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTrained as an elite fighter and educated in the ways of the elves, Nuriel "Rie" Lhéthannien has worked decades to be accepted into the High Court messenger service. It's a simple enough occupation, but in a realm where humans are treated as little better than slaves, it's a position she'll do anything to protect... -
Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the critically-acclaimed author of House of Salt and Sorrows comes a mesmerizing and chilling fairy-talesque novel about Ellerie Downing, a young woman in a small town with monsters lurking in the trees and dark desires hidden in the shadows--in Amity Falls, nothing is more dangerous than a wish come true. Unique, enchanting, and haunting... -
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsAnnith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent... -
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsIsabelle should be blissfully happy – she’s about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn’t the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince’s heart. She’s the ugly stepsister who’s cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella’s shoe ... which is now filling with blood.When the prince discovers Isabelle’s deception, she is turned away in shame... -
The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsImprisoned for 'inflammatory writings' by the totalitarian Theocracy, shy intellectual Ashleigh Trine figures his story's over. But when he meets Kieran Trevarde, a hard-hearted gunslinger with a dark magic lurking in his blood, Ash finds that necessity makes strange heroes... and love can change the world... -
Dragon's Oath by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe first in an enthralling new mini-series of novellas from the #1 bestselling authors of the House of Night, Dragon’s Oath tells the story behind the House of Night’s formidable fencing instructor – the love that will transform him, and the promise that will haunt him In early 19th century England, long before he’s a professor at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal action-adventure audiobook boarding-school -
The Deepest Night by Shana Abe
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA rich portrait of post-Victorian England, The Deepest Night seamlessly blends thrilling romance with riveting history and adventure—perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Lauren Kate.It’s 1915, and sixteen-year-old Lora Jones is finishing up her first year as a charity student at Iverson, a prestigious, gothic boarding school on England’s southern coast... -
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 63 ratingsThe land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction magic myths paranormal action-adventure alternate-history angels -
Igniting Darkness by Robin LaFevers
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom New York Times best-selling author Robin LaFevers comes the follow up to “sharp and breathless” (Kirkus Reviews) historical fantasy Courting Darkness. Set in the world of the beloved His Fair Assassin series, this is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Game of Thrones... -
-
Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 59 ratingsThere is an alternate cover edition here.Richard comes to terms with his true identity as a War Wizard. The New World, and all the freedom of humankind, is under threat from the Imperial Order after he had brought down the barrier between the Old and New World. The Imperial Order has already sent delegations and armies into the New World... -
Priestess of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana L. Paxson
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsLong-awaited final volume in the Avalon series by bestselling fantasy author, Marion Zimmer Bradley. As the Merlin of Britannia keeps his vigil atop the Tor of Avalon, Rian, the High Priestess of Avalon, dies giving birth to her fifth child. The girl, named Eilan with her mother's dying breath, takes life...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction magic medieval myths paranormal retellings spirituality -
Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen his grieving father orders the destruction of the Dark Library, Victor retrieves a book in which he finds the promise of not just communicating with the dead, but entering their realm, and soon he, Elizabeth, and Henry are in the spirit world of Château Frankenstein, creating and growing a body.[Book two of The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series... -
Stain by A.G. Howard, Nathalia Suellen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 17 ratings"Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins..."This high-fantasy gothic fairytale, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, takes place in an alternative medieval world split apart by magic... -
Rises The Night by Colleen Gleason
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe saga of Victoria Gardella continues as the glorious nineteenth-century city of Rome gives rise to a new threat from the immortal undead....Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy has been a vampire slayer for just over a year, balancing her life as a peer of Society with the dangerous role that takes her out on moonlit streets, stake in hand... -
Darkwitch Rising by Sara Douglass
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsDarkwitch Rising is the third title in Sara Douglass's compelling Troy Game series, a riveting historical fantasy series of love and revenge set against the very fabric of time itself.Britian. An ancient land. Most think they know its history. But few suspect and fewer still know the truth...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.