A mix of standalone and series, all books on this list will have magical elements. Witches and other magical beings exist in these worlds or at some point existed.
A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
If you like your romance a little spicy with a side of magical brooding elf kings this standalone book is for you! The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death. Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen. To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer. That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs (Alpha Omega #1)
For lovers of fast-paced magical romance with interconnected worlds. This series is for you! After years at the bottom of the pack, Anna has learned never to trust dominant males, until Charles Cornick, the enforcer and leader of the North American werewolves, declares her his mate, revealing her destiny as an Omega wolf.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (Roots of Chaos #1)
If you enjoy epic fantasies with strong female leads, character-driven, intricately plotted stories taking place in a magical world this series if for you! A queen who would survive assassination attempts to continue her ruling line is protected with forbidden magic by a court outsider, while a secret society works to prevent a dragon war.
Jade City by Fonda Lee (The Green Bone Sage #1)
A fast-paced, epic, fantasy drama with a large cast of diverse characters. In this action-packed series opener, Green Bone warriors use the magic-enhancing powers of jade to protect their island nation of Kekon and its capital, Janloon. But times are changing, as rival syndicates headed by the feuding Ayt and Kaul families go to extreme lengths to consolidate their power and gain control of the city. Detailed world-building and exciting martial-arts battles enhance this gritty crime drama, which takes place in an East Asia-inspired fantasy world.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Between Earth and Sky #1)
Fans of epic fantasy will like this amazing world with strong characters. Xiala, a disgraced Teek who can calm waters or cause madness with her song, arrives and disrupts the holy city of Tova during the winter solstice.
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F Kuang
f you like dark academia with diverse characters and intricate plots this historical fantasy is for you. A Chinese boy orphaned by cholera and raised in Britain is trained to work at Oxford’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, the world’s center for translation and magic through silver working where he must choose between competing loyalties.
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri (Burning Kingdoms #1)
If you enjoy strong female characters, intricate plots and great world building with multiple points of view this is the series for you! Exiled by her despotic brother when he claimed their father’s kingdom, Malini spends her days trapped in the Hirana: an ancient, cliffside temple that was once the source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin. A servant in the regent’s household, Priya makes the treacherous climb to the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to play the role of a drudge so long as it keeps anyone from discovering her ties to the temple and the dark secret of her past. But when Malini bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled.
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
This book has multiple points of view and will be enjoyed by anyone who likes fast-paced and suspenseful stories based on mythology. There are diverse characters and stories with Asian, African and Middle Eastern influences.
Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.
Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom–and their hearts.
Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.
As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.
The Ex-Hex by Erin Sterling (Graves Glen Stories #1)
This fast-paced, whimsical holiday romance is filled with funny moments and cute situations. Fans of lighthearted romances will enjoy this book! Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths – and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only a scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two. That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendant of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. Vivi and Rhys must ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.
The Witches of New York by Ami McKay
This book is a historical fiction through the lens of feminist witches. It is a tale inspired by Manhattan’s 19th-century witchcraft revival finds a celebrated teahouse proprietress and a gifted medium teaming up with a dream interpreter in the aftermath of a psychic colleague’s disappearance.