Yeah, I heard the news. You’re swooning over ACOTAR, and if you have already read my reviews of Throne of Glass and The Crescent City, you now have nowhere to go.
Don’t worry, welcome home. I just got the right books by the right person if you’re in euphoric love with the plot and the storyline.
I relate to what you guys are feeling now. I told you, the moment you put this book down, there is this hollow, unhinged feeling to erase our memory and to relive the experience.
But that’s not possible, but I sure have alternatives for what is – the other writers with the same magic.
I have read tons of fantasy fiction, and if you have read my previous opinions on her book, you’d see me mentioning J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, and Stephenie Meyer at least twice because she had the same vibe as them.
Even if we exclude those, I got eight other authors to feel the gap. None of the authors are mirror images of each other. Don’t get me wrong – they just make you feel like you’ve known them for years – because you read similar storylines.
You’re surely gonna love them if you miss Sarah J. Maas’ works or looking for authors similar to Sarah J. Maas books. And you’ll thank me for it.
How Did I Handpick them?
It’s a valid question, actually. Why would you waste your time without knowing the factors?
So, kids, I’m on a life mission to read all the books I can lay my eyes on. As far as time management is concerned, I’m having a hard time coping with it. On the bright side, I know a lot about the write-ups, the storylines, and how authors portray themselves.
From what I have observed about Sarah J. Maas, she thrives on fiction, especially the mythological ones. She loves potent antagonists, and her writings are suitable for teenagers looking for worlds to discover or just have not found their right taste yet.
She writes for fun, and we read for fun and explore our imaginations in between. The flow is impressive, and it is a great winter read. She also loves banter and has humor in her writing, which I love the most.
That’s how I filtered the authors with similar interests and vibes in their books. But hold on, I’m not saying every writer is a copy of her. Truth is – they are not, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s like little easter eggs for you guys that’s hidden in those writers’ books as their sole essence.
A list of Books and Authors Like Sarah J Maas
We are onto the most sought-after list now, hope you’ll enjoy my listings!
1. Rick Riordan: The Beloved Author
The moment I started reading ACOTAR, The Crescent City, or any of the books in the series, it reminded me of the old fantasy fiction I used to read. Percy Jackson was my first fantasy fiction, so I vividly remember all the banter and my first-hand experiences with this.
Rick Riordan is an American author widely known as the author of the Percy Jackson and Olympians book series. I have reviewed some of them and recommend you go through them. You’ll have no problem understanding what I’m talking about.
Uncle Rick has an effortless way of telling stories, and I’m guessing the readability score will be evidently low. I loved this not because it has a good flow but because Rick really knows his readers. He knows the average age of the readers and writes accordingly.
So, unfortunately, you’re not gonna get the scenes you might be looking for. The banter and the humor will cover for that.
Greek and Roman mythology has always been prominent in Rick’s writings. Whenever I see or hear Greek mythologies, I immediately think of Uncle Rick.
Because c’mon? That man shaped my entire perspective on mythologies, and I borrowed his humor in my teen years. And the entire time I was reading SJM books, it reminded me of Percy and how he dealt with his adventures.
The storyline is not as serious as they did in ACOTAR. It felt lighter and more suitable for pre-teens to teenagers. The first-person POVs, the banter, the characters, and the storyline will make you feel like you are reliving your SJM era. At least I did.
2. Stephenie Meyer: The One You Know
Who doesn’t know the Twilight? Teenage heartthrob? Robert Pattinson? Hello?
You might not know the mind behind the iconic book of all time, the Twilight Saga. Still, it is familiar with the movies and the controversies they caused. Well, I enjoyed every bit of it.
Especially the books.
You haven’t read the books, right? I think that’s the only drawback of adaptations: people forget the classics. So, if you really haven’t tried her books and you like Sarah J. Maas, you’re missing out big time.
Stephenie Meyer is an American author (I swear I will bring diversity soon), novelist, and filmmaker, to say the least. She has amazing releases of books that include vampires and werewolves (Yep, I know my reasons).
She was, by far, the closest match if you really dig that specific genre of mythological creatures and the Sarah J. Maas vibe. The characters and some of the scenes felt similar to the suspense in The Crescent City.
Bryce and Hunt are from a parallel universe, with some drama and family involved. But honestly, you cannot differentiate between the readability.
I don’t think Twilight was written for pre-teens like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. The age spectrum could be teens to post-teens, as they might contain age-inappropriate scenes. Anyways, teens are called rebellious for a reason.
3. Jennifer L. Armentrout: The Gem Find
Okay, the situation is serious now. I found an actual dupe, a brain-scratching talent similar to Sarah J. Maas and her work.
The work’s exact genre, theme, and thrill are different essences. You won’t feel like you’re reading SJM here. This straight-up feels like home for fantasy lovers.
Since we are really into finding authors similar to Sarah J. Maas, I didn’t find a better match than this one for the opening.
The book covers the storyline; everything has the fantasy fiction factor in it, and most of them are based on power dynamics and fights over dominance while having a decent character layout.
Jennifer L. Armentrout is an American writer based in West Virginia, and her specialty is fantasy novels focusing on romance.
Her books, like ‘From Blood and Ash’ gave me the exact vibe that I was looking for. It had action, dark mystery, romance, good story buildup, friendship and breakup, everything – you name it.
If you are looking and most interested if it has spicy scenes like Sarah J. Maas’ ones, yep, they do. And that’s why it’s not appropriate for everyone. Either way, the reviews on those were fire.
I found the authors of the fantasy fiction genre to be quite similar to one another. Jennifer is someone who is in love with fantasy creatures and loves to find romance in them.
The readability is fine by me. You are bound to fall in love if you are looking for the same vibe and the essence that Sarah J. Maas spreads with a little twist. You can check her work out.
My recommendation would be to read ‘From Blood and Ash’ as a starter if you want more action and ‘Wait for You’ if you want romance.
4. Scarlett St. Clair: Queen of Action as I’d like to Call Her
Have you ever wondered what if you could lose your memory only to read your favorite books and relive the moments again? If that favorite book is by Sarah J. Maas, boy, I have news for you.
Okay, before I go on about how she has similar vibes, you must see how she looks in real life. I insist.
Scarlett St. Clair has this badass personality and vibe that almost makes it look like her novels were inspired by her as the protagonist. It’s like she’s writing a biography about herself in a secret magical world that we have yet to explore.
Would it be weird to say that she looks just like her book covers? You can effortlessly guess she wrote those even if you didn’t know who she was. That’s what I like about it; it feels authentic to read her works, and she seems genuine.
If you liked Heros of Olympus books and you thought it lacked the spice factor, you’re welcome. This is what you should be looking for. Scarlett wrote her books extensively on Greek mythologies and fairytales, which might not be age-appropriate for pre-teens.
That means you might be getting all you want in one book or the whole series. The whole ‘A Touch of X’ (X being a variable of words) is a good read for fantasy and mythology lovers. Her stories are addictive, the kind that makes you feel hollow from within.
Who doesn’t love a badass protagonist written by a badass author?
5. Victoria Aveyard: The Love of Young Adults
If you have been on TikTok for the past few years, there’s no way you haven’t heard of Victoria or her books. Especially the ‘Red Queen’ one.
This one didn’t convince me well when I searched for writers like Sarah J. Maas. If you haven’t already seen the covers of her books, definitely do, because hell no, that’s never going to be something Sarah J. Maas would do.
Here’s where the ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ comes alive. I’m talking about her famous book, Red Queen. The contents are so loved that it instantly reminded me of SJM.
I’ll agree; hers were not as aggressive as SJM or any other writer on the list, but that’s the essence of each writer – the easter egg. The world buildup and the character introduction felt too close to home.
I loved the introduction to the new character, and it didn’t feel like info dumping at all as it felt in some of the books of SJM. The stories were average.
The plot is well-written, and it is appropriate for anyone. In fact, I think Victoria Aveyard aces cliffhangers, so much so that it could be the first book to get into the world of fantasy fiction for anyone who is just getting started.
If you love twists and turns in stories that change the entire plot narrative, keeping it light and easy, this might be the substitute author for you. Her other books had the same clean vibe yet were thrilling.
6. Julie Kagawa: The Comfort Read
Who doesn’t know The Iron Fey series?
I know you don’t. I’m writing this persuasive piece so that you do it now.
Julie Kagawa is the one writer that I suggest to anyone who is having a hard time reading fantasy fiction. Her writings are easy on the eyes and on the mind yet thrilling enough to be on your mind 24/7.
Since all of them are based on SJM or related to her genre, you can already guess she writes amazing fiction. Her write-ups are the kind that make you travel the world without stepping out of your room.
I mean, the kind of world she writes, you wouldn’t get there even if you step out of your room. But it’s fascinating how well it works for a little escape from the real world.
She writes mostly on vampires and fairies; you’ll see vampires fighting dystopian/apocalyptic-like cosmos, or you will have fairies fighting for domination against or with that one protagonist.
The story’s flow, the character’s explanation, and the world paint vivid pictures for you to imagine. So, when I wrote ‘you’ll see,’ I really meant you will see it.
One thing I love about Julie Kagawa is that she never hesitates to show the human side of her characters. Yep, your family will get ripped apart, and you will face and escape death countless times, but that won’t turn you into an emotionless monster.
The human side is and will always be there.
7. Mary Maddox: The Classic
Woh, we are back to the dark fantasy fiction again. My favorite kind in this winter.
This one’s a bit personal. I didn’t know the author through the book. I knew the book from the author. I stumbled upon this author’s blog, which kinda talks and thinks like me and writes the kinds of books that I like. What are the odds?
If you are not familiar with the daemon world, this is your sign to read the book. You can pick up any of the classics; almost all of them are catered to your taste buds if you like Sarah J. Maas.
One difference would be that Sarah J. Maas writes intense and graphical plots with much info dumping. However, I noticed in Mary’s work that she writes conversationally.
This is perfect for the pre-teens, the early teens, and everyone who just needs to lay their eyes on a good fiction that’s not too dark or heavy on the eyes.
That doesn’t mean the storyline is compromised. When I was reading her blog or the blurbs of her books, I could instantly connect because that’s how we usually talk with the heavy words and the poetic drama.
The delivery is simple, smooth, and just the right amount of drama to where it is needed. I was actually happy to find her because, in a world where you try to be better and more mysterious, she makes simplicity look beautiful and feel comfortable. I dig that aura.
8. Leigh Bardugo: The Storyteller
Probably one of the few writers who gets POVs right. Bardugo has this impeccable skill to foreshadow, leaving clues to predict the next twist yet unsurprising at the very last moment. It’s a perfect read for those who love twisted plots every now and then in the Sarah J. Maas books.
This one was an unusual pick for me, but again, we do stuff for the plot, and this is to add flavor to the list. Bardugo’s writing style caught my attention.
That’s because of her similarity to SJM’s taste and genre. But it seems like fans of Bardugo liked a definite action-centered fantasy fiction – which is something you would like if you thought Maasiverse was not dark for you enough.
I can tell you this for sure – Bardugo thrives on dark novels. She could even make short stories dark and have amoral twists. And when you write fiction, there is actually no right and wrong or any limitation to the darkness. Dark theme lovers, this is your call.
Her action-centric scenes stole everybody’s heart in a beat. If you know me, I like poetic and cinematic ways of writing. Bardugo has a very cinematic way of explaining battlefields and actions – almost as if this were a movie script.
Now, that could be a drawback for some of you, but for those who are looking for real action, she doesn’t disappoint.
Also, did I mention the banter and the perfect-timing humor? I think it’s one of the signature moves that I’m a fan of. Really helps if you get overwhelmed with all those dark-themed write-ups.
9. Kaylin McFarren: For a Lazy Pick
Suppose it’s a lazy day in an alternate universe, and I love Twilight. I just finished reading it, and now I feel the urge to hibernate because nothing feels good without Edward Cullen. I’m in emergency need of something to keep me occupied.
Kaylin McFareen comes to the rescue.
This is how I got to know about her books. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction focusing more on the romance or emotional genre (that’s the vibe I got), McFarren could lend you a little help.
She is for the days you need to get in touch with emotions but need psychology thrillers to help with it. If you love psychology or dig deeper into a creature’s psychology, this might be the one for you. Give ‘Requiem for a Queen’ a read.
10. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Magician of the Dark-Hunter Series
Sherrilyn Kenyon needs no introduction if you still haven’t found your match.
I find dark paranormal or psychology very interesting.
Although this genre is a bit different and mature for the audience of Sarah J. Maas, I’m guessing it’s a decent improvement to explore other areas.
Kenyon writes amazing historical fiction with a touch of paranormal elements and a slight hint of horror and science. You don’t know how deadly that combination is unless you read one of those by yourself.
As I have already said, I love to dig into the author’s personal life to know what actually inspired them to write these horror theories for a realistic view.
Sherrilyn Kenyon was jailed and accused her husband of poisoning her with zero outcomes. And that made sense; that’s why she can make her readers visualize horror, paranormal, and crime.
So, you definitely know you are getting a banger from someone who has firsthand experience.
Her Dark-Hunter series is a best-seller across the country, and you’ll know why once you get your hands on it. It’s addictive like that of SJM but in a different way, the kind that chills your bones.
The rest of the explanation remains a mystery. A trap to make you come back here for more, that is, if you have the guts to.