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Quick answer: If you loved Air Awakens, try Fire Falling, A Trial of Sorcerers, Throne of Glass, Red Queen, Shadow and Bone and An Ember in the Ashes. Each one is a romantic fantasy with elemental magic, royal intrigue and a heroine who discovers hidden power.
Elise Kova's 2015 novel follows Vhalla Yarl, a library apprentice in the Solaris Empire, who learns she is a Windwalker, a sorcerer with rare air magic, after saving the life of the mysterious Crown Prince Aldrik. As war looms, she must choose between a quiet life and her dangerous power, while growing closer to the dark prince. Readers love its slow-burn romance and magic. These books share its elemental power and its royal romance.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Falling | Elise Kova | Low | readers who want book two |
| A Trial of Sorcerers | Elise Kova | Low | readers who want Kova's later series |
| Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas | Medium | readers who like assassins and princes |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | Low | readers who like hidden powers |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | Low | readers who like dark princes |
| An Ember in the Ashes | Sabaa Tahir | Medium | readers who like empires at war |
| Sorcery of Thorns | Margaret Rogerson | Low | readers who like libraries and sorcerers |
| Fourth Wing | Rebecca Yarros | High | readers who want more heat |
| The Selection | Kiera Cass | Low | readers who like royal romance |
| Snow Like Ashes | Sara Raasch | Low | readers who like elemental kingdoms |
| Furyborn | Claire Legrand | Medium | readers who like elemental queens |
| Daughter of the Moon Goddess | Sue Lynn Tan | Low | readers who like myth-inspired romance |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Maas | High | readers who like faerie romance |
| Graceling | Kristin Cashore | Low | readers who like gifted heroines |
| Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi | F.C. Yee | Low | readers who like elemental bending |
1. Fire Falling by Elise Kova
Vhalla marches to war with the prince.
Best for: readers who want book two.
2. A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova
A young woman competes in a deadly magic tournament.
Best for: readers who want Kova's later series.
3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
An assassin competes to be champion.
Best for: readers who like assassins and princes.
4. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A girl reveals a deadly ability.
Best for: readers who like hidden powers.
5. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
A soldier discovers a rare power.
Best for: readers who like dark princes.
6. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
A slave spies on a military academy.
Best for: readers who like empires at war.
7. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
A librarian's apprentice fights sorcerers.
Best for: readers who like libraries and sorcerers.
8. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
A young woman enters a dragon college.
Best for: readers who want more heat.
9. The Selection by Kiera Cass
Girls compete for a prince.
Best for: readers who like royal romance.
10. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
A girl fights to restore her kingdom.
Best for: readers who like elemental kingdoms.
11. Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Two women linked across time.
Best for: readers who like elemental queens.
12. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
A girl seeks to free her mother.
Best for: readers who like myth-inspired romance.
13. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A huntress is taken to a faerie land.
Best for: readers who like faerie romance.
14. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
A girl with a killing gift.
Best for: readers who like gifted heroines.
15. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
The early life of Avatar Kyoshi.
Best for: readers who like elemental bending.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Air Awakens: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Air Awakens. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Continue with Fire Falling. For similar romance and magic, Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone are favorites. If you love elemental magic, Snow Like Ashes and The Rise of Kyoshi are perfect. Sorcery of Thorns shares the library setting.
Related: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Air Awakens about?
A library apprentice discovers she has rare air magic after saving a prince.
How many books are in the series?
Five main books.
Is Air Awakens spicy?
It is mostly mild, with a slow-burn romance.
Who is Aldrik?
The dark, mysterious crown prince.
Is it YA or adult?
It is often shelved as YA or new adult.
Who is Elise Kova?
A bestselling fantasy author.
What should I read next?
Fire Falling.