Five Romantasies With Brooding Daddies

PSA: This is not the first book in the series. Start with Trial of the Sun Queen. And honestly, read the whole Artefacts of Ouranos series, but I’m calling out this book specifically because this is when the absolute moodiest daddy really starts throwing his attitude around.

Rule of the Aurora king picks up right after Trial of the Sun Queen, and we basically are immediately thrust into the most delicious, enemies-to-lovers tension and conflict between Nadir and Lor. And of course we are, because he essentially stole her away and is now her snappy captor while trying to get her to assist with his agenda. Nadir is a whole ass mess, mainly because he REALLY wants Lor (but refuses to admit it to anyone, let alone himself). And that makes him really, really broody. He’s grumpy. He’s got plans. She’s threatening to upend them all by just existing and distracting him. The yearning is delicious, the banter is satisfying and humorous. Definitely pick it up and read through the following books because the payoff is glorious.

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a truer example of slow burn than The Hurricane Wars. Talasyn is an orphan who grew up fighting against the Night Emperor, all while keeping her rare and powerful light magic a secret. Because if the emperor knew she possessed such power, he’d stop at nothing to eradicate her from existence. Of course, she’s forced to show her hand when she’s cornered on the battlefield by the emperor’s son, Alaric, and their opposing magics collide in a strange and beautiful way.

This leads them to forge an uneasy alliance, and as close proximity often promotes feelings, both Talasyn and Alaric find themselves experiencing moments of longing that they refuse to voice. So of course he’s pining for her, but he shouldn’t be pining for her because she’s the enemy, and he doesn’t want to disappoint his father, but she’s interesting and smart and all the things he admires. So what does he do? He broods. He keeps his desires to himself and keeps her at arm’s length. And this predicament isn’t even fully resolved by the end of The Hurricane Wars, so you’ll definitely need to pick up A Monsoon Rising, too!

This is another one where the true grumpy daddy doesn’t come in full force until book two, Glint, so buckle up. And beware, some minor spoilers ahead (though honestly Raven shares a whole bunch of incredible art featuring the couple on her Instagram that I’m not sure what’s a spoiler anymore and what isn’t!).

Commander Rip. AKA Slade. SLADE. I mean he is a daddy in so many ways, but I will say his brooding is a touch different than the others in the sense that he’s not denying his feelings for Auren—if anything, he’s proudly proclaiming the opposite—but rather he adopts a standoffish persona outside of his comrades and Auren. And when he and Auren are first are spending time together duking it out on the field as he’s challenging her to use her magic, my gods. What a treat. As the story progresses, he’s the king of “touch her and you die” vibes, which is a whole, salivating thing, and their banter is *chef’s kiss*. This is definitely one series you have to pick up from book one onward, because the romance only gets better and better.

One Dark Window is an exceptional, gothic romantasy featuring a young woman named Elspeth with a powerful, mercurial spirit, the Nightmare, that lives within her mind. I love so much about this book, but one of my favorite things is Gilig’s attention to the cost of magic—and the sacrifice is great. In order for Elspeth to save Blunder, her hometown, from the mist and the infectious magic within it, she teams up with Ravyn, the captain of the town’s guard.

And how does this duo first meet? At knife point, courtesy of Ravyn nearly stabbing her in the chest before he knew it was Elspeth. Their budding relationship is full of secrets, as Elspeth tells no one of the Nightmare, and Ravyn has his own private ordeals to contend with. His cold exterior is a magic in and of itself, and Elspeth is the only one with the magic to crack it. He’s brooding, protective, and not at all afraid to risk his own wellbeing if it means those he loves are spared.

Their story continues on in Two Twisted Crowns, and I can’t speak highly enough of this beautifully written, atmospheric tale. Definitely add it to your TBR if you haven’t already!

This wonderful, cottage-core romantasy is set in a land ruled by Fae, where Lore and her people are trapped within the boundaries of their village by said magical Fae. So when her village is threatened, Lore does what any fantasy heroine must do—she makes a deal with the Fae lord to enter their enchanted library and discovers what secrets it holds in exchange for her people’s safety.

Throughout it all, Lore has to navigate a hostile environment within Fae territory and beyond the palace’s walls, and she has two very attractive, very grumpy Fae males to help her. While one is decidedly more grumpy and brooding than the other (looking at you, Finn), both he and Asher have their moments. The ending is a major spoiler, but the second book in the duology, Lore of the Tides, comes out in just a few months so there’s ample time to get acquainted with these brooding Fae daddies.