If you loved Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros for the dangerous training, slow burn romance, and high-stakes fantasy world—but prefer low spice or closed-door romance, these lesser-known romantasy books like Fourth Wing deserve a spot on your reading list.

These books focus on romantic tension, worldbuilding, and emotional payoff rather than explicit content — perfect for readers who want swoon without the spice.

If what you loved most about Fourth Wing was the academy setting, dangerous training, class divide, and dragon bonding, Flame Theory should be at the top of your list.

Flame Theory follows a girl from the city’s underbelly who gets the chance to attend an elite dragon riding academy — but she must hide her identity and her illegal dragon bond to survive. The book features dragon racing, rivalries, hidden identities, and a slow-burn romance with plenty of banter and tension. The romance is no-spice/closed door, focusing on emotional development rather than explicit scenes.

If you liked the deadly trials, competition, dangerous king, and emotional tension in Fourth Wing, The Assassin Bride is a great next read — especially if you want something slow burn and low spice.

This series follows a skilled assassin forced to compete to become the bride of a mysterious king. The story includes deadly challenges, political intrigue, found family, and a romance built on tension and trust. The romance is clean/closed-door with kisses only, focusing on emotional connection and story rather than spice.

Both Fourth Wing and In Darkness Forged thrive on the tension between mortal peril and romantic development, yet they chart distinctly different emotional landscapes. Where Fourth Wing immerses readers in a high-stakes dragon rider academy where death is a constant companion and power is earned through brutal competition, In Darkness Forged delves into a darker, more intimate journey through a nightmare forest where survival depends on an unlikely alliance between a debt-burdened human and a vengeful night elf.

Both protagonists—Violet and Aislin—defy expectations of weakness, transforming perceived vulnerabilities into strengths that become essential to their survival. However, the romantic trajectories diverge significantly: Fourth Wing delivers a fast-paced, enemies-to-lovers arc charged with immediate physical and political stakes, while In Darkness Forged offers a slower, sweeter burn rooted in mutual growth and redemption. In Darkness Forged appeals to those seeking a self-contained tale of sacrifice and trust forged in shadowed depths, while promising the emotional payoff of a hard-won happily-ever-after.

If you loved the enemies-to-lovers tension and the high-stakes power dynamics in Fourth Wing, you’ll find a similarly electric spark in Bride of the Fae Prince, where the push-and-pull between captor and captive evolves into a deep, transformative romance. If the brutal, survival-of-the-fittest atmosphere of Basgiath War College drew you in, you’ll appreciate the dangerous, magical court politics and the constant threat of betrayal in the Fae realm, where one wrong move could mean death or eternal servitude. And if you’re hooked on strong, resilient heroines who defy expectations and carve their own path despite overwhelming odds, Isabelle Louise’s journey in Bride of the Fae Prince will resonate just as deeply, blending slow-burn emotional intimacy with the same kind of fierce determination that defines Violet’s character. Both stories deliver fantasy worlds rich with magic, complex male leads with hidden depths, and the satisfying payoff of a hard-won happily ever after.

Low-spice (sometimes called clean, no spice, or closed door) means the story focuses on romantic tension, emotional connection, and plot, with little to no explicit on-page content. Many readers prefer this style because it keeps the focus on story, worldbuilding, and character development rather than explicit scenes.

If Fourth Wing got you into romantasy but you’re looking for less explicit romance and more story-driven fantasy, these books are excellent places to start:

Flame Theory → dragon academy + hidden identity + slow burn

The Assassin Bride → deadly trials + dark king + emotional romance

In Darkness Forged → slow burn romance + deadly love interest + bodyguard

Bride of the Fae Prince → arranged marriage + high stakes fae politics + swoon worthy romance

All four deliver romance, danger, and immersive fantasy worlds — without high spice.

Want more slowburn fantasy romance? Here’s another you might enjoy.