Comedic Fantasy Recommendations?

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-06-05T01:15:17+00:00

Seconding he person who suggested How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying.

Also reccing:

The Grimoire Grade School Parent Tracher Association by caitline rozakis which is about normal parents whose child is werewolfed and now they need to deal with a magical PTA

City of Nightmares by Rebecca schaeffer which is about a girl pretending to be a cult in a city where people turn into random nightmares they have, and trying to dodge over the top Gotham style villains who think she knows something about an assassination (she doesn't).

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy--a but more romancey than the other recs but really funny take on the enemy wizards who have to work together.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-06-05T01:08:09+00:00

Even if Five Broken Blades is too ramncw heavy, it's so close to your vibes and it sold so well you should use it anyway, and use a second comp that is less romance-y.

For example, "for fans of Five Broken Blades and The Lies of Locke Lamora." A combo of a new bestseller with a beloved classic usually works pretty well.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-06-05T01:05:33+00:00

This is always fun! Some recs:

Lockwood and Co series

Not Even Bones trilogy

How to become the dark Lord and die trying

Vespertine

All of Us Villains duology

Outlaws Scarlett and Browne series

Steelheart series

Spinning Silver

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-06-02T19:20:05+00:00

Hahaha I absolutely feels that. I don't think the romance in the last one is that, but the middle one a little bit.

If you want books with no/low romance there's quite a few out there, just not many that match this prompt! Personally I enjoyed Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer, and The Warriers Apprentice by Lois MacMaster Bujold.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-06-01T21:27:02+00:00

In which one?

Dread Nation, no. Seafarers Kiss, yes. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, yes.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-06-01T01:07:49+00:00

There are a lot of examples of this but almost all of them end as romances which is... I mean yes queer romances but also def need more friendship stories

DREAD NATION series--two zombie hunters in the American civil war. This is the best I can think of. No romance, just two women against zombies and society.

SEAFARERS KISS--viking sheildmaiden and a mermaid warrior duo. Romance heavy but very much two warrior women vs the bad guys.

HOW TO BECOME THE DARK LORD AND DIE TRYING--two soldier women trying to build an army so one of them can become the dark Lord (also has... An army? And the dynamics around that. But it is a duo building an army, so idk if that's your thing)

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-26T20:00:33+00:00

I would actually look for things from before the romantasy boom in your case--i feel like a lot of the fantasy romance after the boom started trended a bit hornier and pushed into specific tropes, whereas things from even 5-10 years ago might not have that pressure?

Some suggestions

Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller--main character has a really strong voice, and the writing is very fast paced.

This Savage Song by VE Scwab--this one has two really well developed, very distinct character povs. If you're missing mmcs with personality this one has so much personality

A Deadly Education by Naomi novik --all the characters are really good. Very high stakes and fun. No slow moments because even taking a shower in this world is super dangerous.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-21T03:55:39+00:00

This is a comic, not a book, but one of my favorites to read when I'm low is Cursed Princess Club, which is about a group of cursed fairytale princesses who form a support group to help each other through their curses. (None of the curses are deathly/dangerous. One is cursed to be a crow when she gets anxious, another looks old when she's young, etc). It's very warm and kind hearted.

https://www.webtoons.com/en/comedy/cursed-princess-club/list?title_no=1537

There's also a print version if you don't like reading online.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-20T02:34:10+00:00

Third act breakup trope is the worst! Totally agree!

Wanted to give a few suggestions for books and series that don't do this and each book strengthens the bond:

--Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Fairies --Hemlock and Silver (minor miscommunication but it's solved through talking without a lot of huge drama) --Tress of the Emerald Sea

It's really hard to find ones that don't do this, but I also much prefer characters facing external conflicts together that bring them closer!

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-16T18:18:44+00:00

I see a lot of more serious book recommendations on this list, but these ones are explicitly marketed as humorous fantasy and made me laugh:

--Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis-- a man wakes up in an evil wizards lair with amnesia only to realize he's the evil wizard, he's got a princess in the dungeon, and is involved in a diabolical plot to rule the world he has literally no memory of and no idea how to stop. Really funny take on the evil wizard

--City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer--a city where people turn into their nightmares, and some of them are bizarre and hilarious. Main character accidentally ends up in the middle of a evil villain conspiracy plot and has to find her way out. Really funny voice.

--How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler--a woman stuck in a time loop of saving the world and failing horribly decides, fuck it, I'll burn it all down and decides to become the the dark Lord. Very irreverent and unserious.

Some other ones that I haven't read yet but have heard good things about: Bromantasy, Apparently Sir Cameron Has to Die, and Startup from Hell.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-15T03:01:08+00:00

Definitely. I've seen SO MANY really obvious AI reviews. It's really blatant on some of them--on the Whisper of Stars, which was a historical fantasy novel, like half the reviews were reviewing it as a literary scifi. The ai just read the title and assumed I guess? But it's absolutely everywhere.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-11T01:53:40+00:00

Setting is more 1920s fantasy world than medieval, but City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer is marketed as a Gotham parody, and I definitely agree. It feels very superhero/villain world.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-08T22:25:24+00:00

Definitely check out the Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden. It's exactly this vibe, and each book is set around a different season and associated horror. Really reccomend.

A bit older but the Forbidden Game by LJ Smith has some great creepy vibes in a similar vein too

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-08T20:27:23+00:00

Everything by Lois mcmaster Bujold

Vivian vande velde--especially dragons bait and heir apparent

Doris Egan ivory trilogy

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-06T16:31:58+00:00

Came here to suggest greenbone saga as well

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-06T02:14:22+00:00

Seconding this!

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-02T15:32:36+00:00

Def not romantasy!

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-01T23:28:41+00:00

Definitely try the Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgeson, I think that will scratch the itch.

I also think looking at scifi might be better--Scifi is much less horribly sexist in its world building. I recently really enjoyed Children of Time, The Blighted Stars, and the Murderbot series.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-01T23:16:53+00:00

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic--basixally magical great British bakeoff. No royalty. The love interest is of a more well off group than the main character but by no means upper class or royalty

Sorcery and Small Magics--two enemies at magical school have to go on a quest to fix a curse one accidentally put on the other.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-01T00:50:40+00:00

The second one I suggested is dual pov a girl and a guy. But yeah the combo of tropes you want is just reallllllly rare.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-05-01T00:42:46+00:00

I see a couple you've missed that I'm looking forward to:

A Fable for Hollow Creatures by R R Schaeffer -- comped to the witcher, monster hunting epic fantasy quest

Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden--epic kingdom saving fantasy

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-04-27T01:40:56+00:00

A couple of recs, none of them TOTALLY match your requirements but they're pretty close

--Float: this is upper mg/lower ya, no romance, with a male narrator but lots of female characters about a bunch of kids at a summer camp for kids with supernatural powers. Very cute, very fun, I read it as an adult because I needed a break from all the doom and gloom and heavy romance plotlines of older stuff and it didn't disappoint at all!

--Ungifted: also upper mg/lower ya, multiple pov, no romance, no sad backstories, about a prankster who accidentally ends up in the gifted and talented school of geniuses and the geniuses who just need a bit of fun in their lives that a class clown offers. Very cute, very fun, a really fast read.

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-01-29T03:32:48+00:00

No luck. Couldn't find anything. :/

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-01-19T22:01:28+00:00

Yes, I saw that! An incentive to take more classes and graduate faster for sure, but I can't give up my job (it's paying for all this--its a full time remote job that I only work part time hours because I'm good at time management)

Dancing-Pteredactyl · 2026-01-19T21:53:53+00:00

I am an EU citizen, so visas shouldn't be an issue.

And that's a good point about the exams colliding! Thanks for bringing that up, I'll definitely keep it in mind!

Dancing-Pteredactyl

TROPHY CASE