If you were hooked by the brutal Sun Queen trials and the captive-to-contender arc, you’ll devour The Prison Healer. Kiva, a healer imprisoned in Zalandov, must endure the deadly Ordeals of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth while protecting secrets and navigating a fragile alliance with a mysterious new inmate. The ticking-clock trials, coded messages, and life-or-death gambits echo the relentless survival beats you loved—along with a tender, slow-burn spark kindled in the unlikeliest place.

If the romance that blossomed in the shadow of the Sun Queen trials swept you away, The Serpent and the Wings of Night doubles down on that chemistry. Human princess Oraya enters the Kejari—nightmarish trials blessed by the goddess of death—and forms a razor-edged alliance with the rival vampire Raihn. As betrayals mount and Houses collide, their partnership evolves from wary necessity to heart-pounding connection, mirroring the high-stakes tenderness you craved when feelings complicated survival.

If the scheming in the sun king’s court had you reading past midnight, The Cruel Prince delivers even sharper blades behind every smile. Jude Duarte claws for power in the High Court of Faerie, outmaneuvering princes like Cardan, leveraging spies, and playing long games with oaths and poison. The backstabbing, coronation twists, and risky bargains capture that same intoxicating rush of maneuvering through a glittering court that wants you dead.

If the razor-focused drive to win the Sun Queen’s crown gripped you, Throne of Glass channels that momentum into a castle-bound contest. Assassin Celaena Sardothien must outsmart and outfight contenders to become the King’s Champion, all while a string of occult deaths hints at darker magic stalking the halls. The training sequences, elimination rounds, and relentless objective keep the tension high—and the palace secrets deepen the peril with every test passed.

If the enslaved-to-contender storyline and the cruel hierarchies of the Sun Court hit hard, An Ember in the Ashes turns that pressure into wildfire. Laia infiltrates the Empire as an enslaved spy to save her brother, while Elias faces the Empire’s merciless Trials at Blackcliff. The masks, informants, and systematic brutality mirror the class cruelty you felt—yet defiance, covert alliances, and impossible choices light a path toward freedom.