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Quick answer: If you loved The Serpent and the Wings of Night, try The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, Fourth Wing, A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Quicksilver and Throne of Glass. Each one combines a deadly competition, morally gray characters and a romance with real danger.
Carissa Broadbent's novel follows Oraya, the human adopted daughter of a vampire king, who enters the Kejari, a deadly tournament held in honor of the goddess of death. To survive, she forms an alliance with a mysterious rival vampire. Readers love the brutal trials, the vampire politics and the enemies-to-lovers tension. These picks share that blend of romance and danger.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King | Carissa Broadbent | Spicy | readers who want more Oraya |
| Fourth Wing | Rebecca Yarros | Spicy | readers who like deadly academies |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | Sarah J. Maas | Spicy | readers who like fae romance |
| From Blood and Ash | Jennifer L. Armentrout | Spicy | readers who like vampire royalty |
| Quicksilver | Callie Hart | Spicy | readers who like dark fae |
| Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas | Mild to spicy | readers who like assassins |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | Clean | readers who like deadly competitions |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | Clean to mild | readers who like scheming royalty |
| Powerless | Lauren Roberts | Clean to mild | readers who prefer less spice |
| Kingdom of the Wicked | Kerri Maniscalco | Mild to spicy | readers who like demon princes |
| A Fate Inked in Blood | Danielle L. Jensen | Spicy | readers who like Norse settings |
| Blood of Hercules | Jasmine Mas | Spicy | readers who like mythological academies |
| Interview with the Vampire | Anne Rice | Mild | readers who want classic vampires |
| The Atlas Six | Olivie Blake | Mild | readers who like competitions between gifted rivals |
| Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood | Sarah J. Maas | Spicy | readers who like urban fantasy |
1. The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent
The sequel follows Oraya as she fights for her place in a war-torn kingdom.
Best for: readers who want more Oraya.
2. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Violet trains to become a dragon rider at a brutal war college.
Best for: readers who like deadly academies.
3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A huntress is taken to a faerie land and falls into a dangerous romance.
Best for: readers who like fae romance.
4. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A maiden falls for her guard as secrets about her world unfold.
Best for: readers who like vampire royalty.
5. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
A thief is pulled into the fae world by a dangerous warrior.
Best for: readers who like dark fae.
6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
An assassin competes in a deadly tournament for the king.
Best for: readers who like assassins.
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss volunteers for a televised fight to the death.
Best for: readers who like deadly competitions.
8. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
A mortal girl fights for power in a faerie court.
Best for: readers who like scheming royalty.
9. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
An ordinary girl competes in trials meant for the powerful.
Best for: readers who prefer less spice.
10. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
A witch summons a prince of Hell to avenge her sister.
Best for: readers who like demon princes.
11. A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
A woman with hidden magic is drawn into a prince's plans.
Best for: readers who like Norse settings.
12. Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
A young woman enters a brutal military academy.
Best for: readers who like mythological academies.
13. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
A vampire tells his life story to a reporter.
Best for: readers who want classic vampires.
14. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Six magicians compete for a place in a secret society.
Best for: readers who like competitions between gifted rivals.
15. Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
A half-fae woman investigates a murder in a modern magical city.
Best for: readers who like urban fantasy.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Serpent and the Wings of Night: 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.
How to Choose
For more Oraya, read The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. If you want brutal trials, choose Fourth Wing, The Hunger Games or Powerless. For vampire romance, try From Blood and Ash or Interview with the Vampire. Readers who prefer less spice can choose The Cruel Prince or The Atlas Six.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 15 Books Like The Night Circus You’ll Love: Magic, Mystery and Beautiful Prose
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Serpent and the Wings of Night spicy?
Yes. It includes explicit scenes and is best for adult readers.
Is it a series?
Yes. It is the first book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series.
Is it like Fourth Wing?
It shares a deadly competition and an enemies-to-lovers romance, with vampires instead of dragons.
How dark is it?
It includes violence, blood and death, typical of vampire fantasy.
Is The Serpent and the Wings of Night YA?
No. It is adult romantasy.