On theme for this weekend (for those outside of the commonwealth it’s King’s Birthday Weekend), I have compiled a list of royal book recommendations for you all. Most are YA Fantasy but I have added a few historical fiction recs. Rest assured, these recs are not the same ones I mentioned in my Historical Fiction Murder Mystery Series Recs (which you should check out if you haven’t already). If I have reviews for these books, you will find them linked.

One Dark Window, Rachel Gillig (The Shepherd King Duology)

One Dark Window is a dark fantasy with political intrigue and magic centred around cards. The royalty in this one is akin to your standard cruel and horrible line in power and the stoic plotting of a secondary line, this side far more calculating and doing things for the common good. The themes and elements of this story are compelling. The eerie musicality of the old stories, the rhymes and the passages give the feel of a long-lost children’s book or lullaby. All in all, this dark fantasy is for those who want a little more of a sinister read.

Furyborn, Claire Legrand (The Empirium Trilogy)

I read this trilogy years ago but the premise is still crystal clear. This is a series for those who like A Darker Shade of Magic and Shadow and Bone as the trajectory and key events in the plot feel familiar to the two series. This trilogy features a dual timeline which can be a little discombobulating to start with but once you settle into the story it feels right. Part of why I recommend this series is because the ending of book two remains one of my favourite endings to a YA fantasy I’ve ever read. It’s perhaps foreshadowed or at least a possibility when reading, but to see it come to light is incredible.

King of Scars, Leigh Bardugo (King of Scars Duology)

If you want tortured royalty with a witty facade, King of Scars is for you. Continuing the Grishaverse world after the events of Ruin and Rising, King of Scars gives Nikolai Lanstov and his merry band of Grisha a dilemma, not to mention the political tensions arising from the north in Fjerda that we see from our favourite waffle-loving hero Nina Zenik. You don’t have to remember the events of Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm or Ruin and Rising to enjoy this duology but feel free to reread the Six of Crows duology before jumping into this one.

Fire, Kristin Cashore (Graceling Realm Series)

Fire is my favourite of the Graceling Realm novels, and given you can read them as companions of each other instead of in order, I recommend this one for your royal fantasy consumption. The themes and content within the Graceling Realm are a little more mature than other YA fantasy, leaning closer to dark fantasy or adult fantasy, and Fire epitomises that with the magic at hand. While not one for younger readers, this novel and the Graceling Realm have many lessons to consider, and I encourage you to sink your teeth into them.

The Vanishing Point, Andrea Hotere

The Vanishing Point is a brilliant novel written by New Zealander Andrea Hotere and I highly encourage you to pick it up. The Vanishing Point is centred around the Spanish Hapsburg line, specifically King Philip IV and his daughter Margaret Theresa. This recommendation is for those who don’t want fantasy, but are happy with a little magical realism. Art history is a strong element in this novel. The history of the royal painter, Diego Velázquez, and his works, particularly Las Meninas, may become your next research project after finishing this.

I Was Anastasia, Ariel Lawhon

I Was Anastasia is all about the thrilling mystery of Anastasia Romanov, the Russian Grand Duchess, youngest daughter of the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be her. This novel moves in reverse chronological order, which works in its favour, and the detail Ariel Lawhon’s work carries is always rich and immersive. While this may not be a read for everyone, it is one to consider.