In honor of Valentine’s Day, I have decided to make a post for all the people out there who are NOT looking for love! Well, not in books, at least 😉
Romance in books is great. I like it. I really do! But, on occasion, I’m just not in the mood for it. And a book doesn’t have to have romance to be amazing!
I can’t promise there’s not a single mention of romance or feelings in all of these, two of these have a mild sex scene or two, and some of these are series starters which means there could be romance in future books, but none of the books on this list have romance plots or subplots (that I remember, though I apologize ahead of time if I’m wrong).
So anyway, here are ten sci-fi/fantasy books without romance for you to check out!
*There are only nine books on this list now because I removed one that I’m not sure I can recommend in good conscience anymore.*
*If you’re considering buying any of these books from Amazon US, I’d appreciate it if you use my links! It will help support this blog at no additional cost to you!*
A City Dreaming by Daniel Polansky
This urban fantasy is about a mage who gets himself into all sorts of strange trouble in New York. I’ll admit it wasn’t quite my cup of tea due to its episodic nature, but it’s got an absurd type of humor and could be a fun way to pass the time.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Gallow and Ragged Series by Lilith Saintcrow
This is the only full series I have on the list, and it’s about some half-fae getting tangled up in problems with the Queen of Summer and King of Unwinter. The writing is uniquely flowery and not for everyone, but I really liked it.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Toric’s Dagger by Jamie Edmundson
This is the first in an epic fantasy series, so I don’t know what might happen in the rest of the books, but this one was about a motley crew of characters going on a quest to get a dagger back. There was magic and intensity and even a bit of humor.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Graveyard Shift by Michael F. Haspil
This is another one that’s first in a series, and it was a gritty urban fantasy/police procedural about two cops in Miami—one of whom is a mummy, the other a vampire—taking down the bad guys when supernatural craziness started happening.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
All Darling Children by Katrina Monroe
This gritty, dark Peter Pan “sequel” is about Wendy’s granddaughter, who, if you ask me, had a much more suitable response to a strange boy showing up and talking about flying away to Neverland.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Long Walk to Valhalla by Adam Smith & Matthew Fox
I’ll be honest, I didn’t quite “get” this graphic novel, but it’s kind of odd and sad with a bit of supernatural thrown in, plus the artwork was nice.
Amazon // Goodreads
Hell Divers Series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
There are some relationships in this series as it goes on, but they’re just kind of part of the characters’ lives and never something I’d call romance. And this post-apoc story about people living in airships with hell divers who skydive to the deadly surface is so intense and gritty, with flawed but heroic characters, that you won’t be thinking about romance anyway.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Braineater Jones by Stephen Kozeniewski
This urban fantasy/mystery is about a zombie detective in the Prohibition Era. There are festering wounds and a talking head sidekick, and if that doesn’t scream “not romantic,” then I don’t know what does.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
Smoke City by Keith Rosson
This literary/paranormal cross-over about an alcoholic and a reincarnated man who was Joan of Arc’s executioner is all about friendship, redemption, and character growth set on a road trip backdrop.
Amazon // Goodreads // My Review
More SFF Books without Romance
Book Recs: 10 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books with No Romance
Book Recs: 10 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books with No Romance (2)
All Books I’ve Reviewed with No Romance
F@ck yeah to this! Because any post where you can sneak in Trailer Park Fae is the best. That’s still probably in my top 3 covers by him. But anyways… happy Valentine’s Day!! Even if this is, um, a no- romance post. Cause yeah not EVERY book has to have it. Toric’s Dagger is totally new to me but sounds good? I like motley crews.
Graveyard Shift sounds fun too. Long Walk to Valhalla looks interesting with that cover, whatever it’s about lol. Love these picks, you have a lot of different stuff here. 🙂
Hahaha you know me so well. The Trailer Park Fae cover makes any post better 😉 Happy V Day! But yeah, I’ve started to enjoy no-romance books more lately! Although I do still like a good romance too. Toric’s Dagger was a good one! You might like it.
I honestly still don’t know what Long Walk to Valhalla was about lol. But I really think it was a “me” thing. Thanks!
A City Dreaming kind of sounds up my alley. Toric’s Dagger might be a good read too seeing as I love high fantasy, haha.
It was strange but funny. I might’ve enjoyed it more had I had the right expectations going in. Toric’s Dagger was a good one!
Books without romance are totally my thing! I don’t mind a small dose of it, but it has to take the back seat for me to read/enjoy the book. As far as sci-fi and fantasy go, the first titles that come to mind are Child of Nod by C.W. Snyder (first in an afterlife-meets-fantasy-meets-mythology series – inspired by Alice in Wonderland, but NOT a retelling) and Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman (old-ish but great – there’s time travel and a hilarious tentative friendship between a snarky girl with a flair for rebellion and a clueless but adorable alien from a race without genders who lost their twin).
And now I’ll have to check your titles out ?.
Yay, hopefully I’ve helped you find some new books then! I’ve seen Child of Nod, it does sound kind of interesting. I’ll have to look up the other one, the friendship sounds fun!
This list is fantastic, Kristen! You reminded me I need to try Graveyard Shift again — couldn’t quite get into the audio unfortunately. Braineater Jones made me laugh! I need to check this out!
Thanks! Aww, sorry it wasn’t working for you. Lol yeah, Braineater Jones, def not a romantic kinda story 😛
Awesome list! I’m going to have to check a bunch of these out! Thanks!!
I hope you find something you like!
What a fantastic list! I’m literally going to bookmark this post so I have inspiration for reading ideas when I need it:-) I love books without romance so I’ll definitely be reading some of these!
Thanks! And yay, I’m glad this is so helpful for you! I hope you like whichever ones you end up reading 🙂
I love the premise of Smoke City!
It’s a very unique book!
Great idea for a Valentine’s Day post. A refreshing change from all the hearts and flowers elsewhere 🙂
Thanks! I figured some people might want something different 🙂
So happy to see Braineater Jones here! I loved that crazy book. I’m also going to look into Slowly We Rot. How’d I miss that one?!
Braineater was such a fun book lol.
Love your Valentine’s twist!
I never used to read romance but now that’s almost all I read. I go through phases lol
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Thanks! I think we all go through phases lol.
Thanks for sharing these! I actually really like books without a romantic subplot, because it’s just not always needed. I feel like so many books throw one in there and it just kind of ruins the rest of it.
-Lauren
Then I’m glad I could help! I agree, it does seem like sometimes romance is thrown in just for the heck of it, but it’s not always needed!
I’ll definitely have to check some of these out! I don’t mind a bit of romance in books, but sometimes I’m not in the mood for it either, and it does seem ridiculous that most books seem to have to have some kind of romantic element in it.
Same! I like romance, but sometimes I’m just not in the mood, and it does often get thrown into books for no real reason!
What a fun idea for an anti-valentine list. I’m intrigued by All Darling Children! I like that Peter Pan tie-in but with a darker twist. 🙂
Thanks! I’ve always felt the original was very dark, so I much prefer the darker retellings!
I haven’t read any of the books on your list. Frankly, I am surprised you found so many since every books seems to have some sort of romance as a theme. Thanks for sharing!
It was really hard to find these ten lol. I didn’t think it would be that hard, but you’re right, so many books have romance plots or subplots!
I actually am awful at books without romance! I was contemplating doing something like this for a TTT, but then I realized I straight up didn’t KNOW 10 books without romance. Oops? I don’t know if they are that rare, or if I am just not that drawn to them? These are all new to me, but some of them sound quite interesting, so I will be checking them out for sure!
Lol I struggled to make this list, if it makes you feel any better, which is why I still ended up with one book that had relationships in it. I think, it some genres at least, it IS very rare! But most of these are good ones!
Shannon, me too! I was just looking at this list, and was trying to recall if I read ANY books without romance. I’m sure there is one or two in there someone (a middle grades book, maybe? Some non-fiction?).
Kristen, I am amazed by this list. I know there area tons of people out there looking for books without romance too. I see threads all the time for it. So, gold star for you.
I was just saying to someone else, I wouldn’t be surprised if even middle grade books have romance. But yay, I get a gold star XD
I am a HUGE romantic, so I pretty much ~need~ all books to have romance. Unless they’re MG, which I can survive. *gulps* Will keep these recs in mind for some guy friends (who I’m very much pushing to read more), though, so thanks for the list!!! <3
Everyone has different taste! I usually prefer romance too, but lately I’ve been enjoying some books w/o it. Maybe this list will at least help your friends get into reading!
Some of these books sound great. Love your unromantic Valentine’s Day choices 🙂
Thanks!
While I’m happy to read romance from time to time, I’m always delighted when a story doesn’t focus on it. Friendship, family or just getting the thing done with like-minded people are dearer to my heart; giving everything a romance subplot quickly annoys me (there are other emotional stakes just as compelling). So HOORAY for books that side step it and carry on. They often feel rare…
I agree, both romance and non-rom can be great! And I love when books have friendship and family in them too. There are definitely other emotional stakes that can be just as compelling.
Hurrah! A loveless list at last!!! I’m also so pleased to see that Graveyard Shift and Hell Divers have no romance so I should like them more! Both are on my TBR. I hope to get to Hell Divers next month.
Lol perfect for you! I hope you like those two books! I do think you’ll like Hell Divers.
Hahaha I love your idea to have Valentine Day backward. I read mainly romance nowadays so I could not really help you with this but I do recall having read The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman and… no romance!
I figured there were already posts out there about romance, so I’d help everyone who didn’t want to think about romance on V Day 😛 I’ll have to check that book out!
Gallow and Ragged Series by Lilith Saintcrow looks interesting thought looking at the cover I wouldn’t think this had flowery language
Yeah, it just looks like straight-up urban fantasy, which it is, except I guess the author tried to make it very flowery since it’s about faeries and half-faeries. It’s hard to describe, it’s almost like reading Shakespeare where you just need a few pages to get used to it.
This is the second no romance post I’ve seen for Valentine’s Day and I love it. I mean, I love romance but sometimes a non romance read is required. I need to finish the Gallow and Ragged series as well! Ok, I will get cracking on reading and we’ll see how it goes. Might need to add a couple more books to my reading list as well.
Exactly! And yes, you do, although I’ve kind of forgotten a lot about the series already lol. Even though I don’t think I even posted my review for Book 3 yet…
These are some intriguing books. I have not read much of Sci-Fi or Fantasy but who doesnt love books without romance.
There are definitely some great non-romance books out there!
Yey! No romance! Sometimes I do get in the mood for that. Sadly, I haven’t read any of these. Slowly We Rot and Hell Divers sound fantastic though. 🙂
Same! And Slowly We Rot and Hell Divers both got 4.5 stars from me, some of the best books I’ve read!
It’s not that I don’t enjoy romance, but it’s refreshing when you have a book without romance in it. Actually, the novel I am editing this year doesn’t have any romance in it either for exactly for that reason. I thiiiiink Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card doesn’t have romance in it seeing as the main characters are mostly children but mayyyybe something slipped my mind?
Agreed! I haven’t read Ender’s Game, but honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if even middle-grade books have romance at this point lol.
I actually prefer books with at least a bit of romance, but I most important is that it’s a good read. Most of the books I read have at least a hint of romance, but I was actually surprised I read a few books without romance and quite some with only a hint of romance last year.
I do agree that a book doesn’t need romance to be good, but I still like to read about romances in one form or another. A lot of cozy mysteries I read have less focus on the romance as the focus is more on the mystery. If there is a romance in a book I do want it to be well done and not just added for the sake of romance.
I haven’t read any of the books on your list, but I do remember reading your reviews for some of them.
I do often prefer a bit of romance, but lately I’ve found myself really enjoying some books w/o it.
That’s nice to have the romance not as the focus. I agree that if there is going to be romance, it should be well done, not just thrown in for the heck of it.
I love it! I love that you’re recommending books without no (or at least little) romance because you’re right…books can be good and have no mention of love. Not that I read that many but… LOL Trailer Park Fae and Long Walk to Valhalla are of particular interest to me. And I think Hell Divers is already on my tbr. 🙂 See? I can read or at least think about reading a book without romance. 😀
Thanks! Lol I don’t read many either considering how difficult making this list was! You might enjoy Trailer Park Fae if you don’t mind the writing. That was something I know many people had issues with, but I enjoyed that aspect. Lol thinking about reading books w/o romance is a step forward at least 😉
Very cool list! As much as I love Peter Pan, I really like the sound of all darling children!
Thanks! Ah, have you ever read the book for Peter Pan? I’ve always felt it was very dark, so I like dark retellings!
haha love that you made a list of no romance for Valentine’s Day 🙂
you definitely have the best titles and blurbs on your blog! “Slowly We Rot”??? 🙂 “Trailer Park Fae”??? I remember that one! I remember when I added it because of your review. You really liked that one. 🙂
AND
HELLOOOOOOO
LOOK
WHO
IS
HERE!
HELL DIVERS!!!!
yup this series doesn’t belong here! because It is SO a love story!
My love for X! Such a heart-wrenching emotional tale! Me falling in love for him in book 1! Me losing him at the end of book 1. Me hoping desperately for him to be rescued in book 2. Me wanting to avenging by killing Leon slowly and painfully. Me grasping my hands in desperation waiting for book 3 when we finally be reunited again. The last scene: me running towards him, we embracing. the sunset behind us. yup 100% romance 🙂
I’m SO glad you include it 😀 xoxo
Lol those good titles just draw me in apparently 😛
Wait, so did you actually read the second book finally??? (Did you tell me that already?) But lol, I wish you the best of luck in your romance with X EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE CHEATING ON ME. I’ll let it slide this one time… 😉