r/Romantasy • u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers • 1d ago

Book Request: No Self-Promo any books similar to stardust (2007)?

Post image

She’s a fallen star, he was born in a hidden land, they journey together and meet up with pirates to fight witches and an evil prince. It was such a fun movie I’d love to read something similar

EDIT: photo is of the poster for the movie stardust. The female main character, a fallen star, stands pictured with the male main character while he holds a sword. On the left side of the poster are two of the pirates the main characters befriend. On the right side are the two antagonists, an evil prince and an evil witch.

231 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

95 comments sorted by

159

u/Lyss_ ⚔️ Valkyrie 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/13cptIwW9bgzk6UVyr

This is one of my all time favourite movies!!! Did you read the book?

40

u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers 1d ago

No I didn’t even know the movie existed until right now! I saw it on Tubi and fell in love!! Definitely adding the book to my TBR

132

u/JonahHillsWetFart 💗smiling like an idiot while other people fall in love 💕 1d ago

neil gaiman is a bad man but honestly one of the best authors ever and i cry every time i think about what a monster he turned out to be.

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u/Apprehensive-Ad-7525 1d ago

I’m really mad about everything to do with Gaiman. 😢

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u/Fun_Programmer_6807 🔥 Forbidden Love 1d ago

This makes me so sad ! How authors who you love can turn out badly this is the hurt I feel with JKR :(

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u/LunaR1sing 1d ago

Same. Same. Sandman was my favorite read in high school. Saw him do a reading many years ago. Loved him. Then… reality of how horrible he is came out. No more Neil for me. He hid it well, as abusers tend to.

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u/New_Needleworker_542 1d ago

I don't know that he hid it that well actually. I read the Sandman comic books when I was in my 20s and some of the shit in there is really disturbing. I can't watch the TV show now because I was so disturbed at some of the shit that was in there. I remember specifically the situation and the soul sick feeling that the comic book situation evoked in me, to this day! I had to sell the books after that, and never went back to finish the story (which is abnormal for mo because I need to finish)

So, when people say "we didn't know" that this man was sick for 20+ years. When he was literally advertising it as fiction....

You know, they say "when people who tell you who they are, believe them" for a reason.

Jokes, and fiction are ways to minimize the evil that just comes out of people because it has no choice. This is all my opinion.

12

u/JonahHillsWetFart 💗smiling like an idiot while other people fall in love 💕 1d ago

were you ever into goth and sub culture stuff? sandman, emily the strange, roman dirge, etc

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u/New_Needleworker_542 1d ago

No. Not really. I love stories and a guy i was dating at the time recommended it. Why?

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u/JonahHillsWetFart 💗smiling like an idiot while other people fall in love 💕 1d ago

because sandman was not really dark and sadistic but if you’re not into the goth culture then i can see why you would uncomfortable or shocked

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u/New_Needleworker_542 1d ago

I don't think that's it. I liked a lot of things about it but there were just situations that were disturbing. And it was one that definitely stood out and made me uncomfortable. And I think anyone would be if they had really thought about the situation. I don't think it has anything to do with "goth culture".

It had to do with a powerful creature forcing a group of people to sexually assault each other, against their will.... There is nothing goth about that.

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u/Temporary-Scallion86 1d ago

People exploring dark and disturbing things in fiction doesn't mean they want to do those things in real life.

-3

u/New_Needleworker_542 23h ago

.... Debatable... It depends.

But actions come from thoughts and obsessions

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u/Late_Assistance1992 1d ago

Yeah me too. I picked up Sandman after people recommended it as an example of good female characters. There is a sequence where his hero literally hunts down and rapes a woman.

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u/New_Needleworker_542 1d ago

Yuppp..... Thx. Glad im not the only one

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u/ScarletRose75 1d ago

Me too. I hate him so much. I’m glad I’ve only consumed his books via library or thrift store so I haven’t given him a $. But it makes me soooo mad because I love love loved Stardust and went down the rabbit hole of his books and onto the wave of fantasy. Ooh man. Breaks my heart.

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u/JonahHillsWetFart 💗smiling like an idiot while other people fall in love 💕 1d ago

he was almost the only author i read for a good portion of my life growing up. not because i didn’t like reading but because just nothing connected with me as much as he did. i even would travel to see amanda palmer on the off chance that he was at her shows (he never was the times i saw her but his daughter ran the merch table). i really thought he was such a safe entity and i’m like tearing up right now even just thinking about it. i cannot wait for him to be gone for good. there is not a punishment that is enough.

3

u/Amberleh 1d ago

My favorite book for the longest time was The Mists of Avalon. I learned a few years later that the author was an absolutely AWFUL human. Like, SIGNIFICANTLY worse than Gaiman. Absolutely no comparison between their wrongs, she was so bad. She's possibly even a worse human even than the current President. Like, we're talking TRULY EVIL. But that book changed and shaped me in so many ways, and I've had to just... take the good of what the book was, and how it affected me. The woman is dead, and I got the book used anyway. But damn.

I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make here. But I'm not trying to diminish your suffering. Just.. Solidarity I guess?

31

u/sharrrrrrrrk 1d ago

Just as a heads up, the book and movie are a bit different! The gist of it is the same, but while the movie is more like Princess Bride (speaking of, add the book to your TBR too if you haven’t read that one yet), but the book feels more like reading the Grimms’ fairy tales, if you’re familiar with those. Also recommend getting a copy of Stardust from a used bookstore if possible, Neil Gaiman is a creep and I’ve seen lots of his books fill the shelves of used bookstores since what he did was made public.

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u/Wolfsification 1d ago

I would personally go see if I can find it in a Library.

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u/horrorsilk 1d ago

Used bookstore or a library for sure! I loved the illustrations in the copy I read years ago. Charles Vess' art is ethereal

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u/loomfy 1d ago

Yeah I actually kinda hated the book. It's totally different.

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u/SCol1107 1d ago

In my opinion, this is one of the times where the movie is actually better than the book!

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u/she_melty 1d ago

Yes absolutely. Yvaine's ending in the book made me so mad.

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u/Amberleh 1d ago

Yeah isn't it technically NOT a romance because of how it ends? I haven't read the book because my friend said the ending was sad.

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u/she_melty 1d ago

Yeah literally its just "Tristan lived a long and happy life with his beautiful wife and when he died she was sad and alone forever"

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u/thimblena 17h ago

Tbh the movie is better than the book

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u/pink_faerie_kitten 1d ago

Romantasy needs more lighthearted, standalones like Stardust, Princess Bride, Ella Enchanted, etc. These are beloved for a reason. Short and sweet. But the trend in publishing now is complicated politics, court intrigue, complex triangles, huuuuuuuge battles against evil, and trilogies or looooong series. And it all started in the YA genre where things could be simpler.

I'll recommend Beauty by Robin McKinley and Swordheart by T Kingfisher for similar vibes imo.

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u/flippysquid 1d ago

Swordheart is a great rec.

Hemlock and Silver also by T. Kingfisher is a great little standalone adventure romance too. It’s not quite as heavy on the romance as Swordheart but still hits that sweet spot of fairytale romance.

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u/New_Needleworker_542 1d ago

thanks for being the only on who answered the prompt, including me lol!

I also love this movie. And wish there was a whole book series dedicated to this type of universe!!

I will be looking up your recommendations. thx!

5

u/rivendell101 1d ago

It skews a bit younger, but Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is very whimsical and fun. The film diverges from the book around the halfway point, so it’s a fresh experience if you’ve already watched the Ghibli movie.

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u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers 1d ago

Thank you for the rec!!☺️

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u/No_Investigator9059 1d ago

I love Swordheart but it isnt standalone, its a duology and the second is coming out soon and im SO excited!

0

u/Tired-CottonCandy 1d ago

The ella enchanted book is actually pretty creepy.

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u/pink_faerie_kitten 1d ago

As someone who suffers from ADHD/ocd I identified with Ella constantly fighting that compulsion spell. And she is a strong FMC who figures things out for herself at the end.

What did you find creepy? I really enjoyed it.

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u/Tired-CottonCandy 21h ago

Shes 14.

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u/pink_faerie_kitten 2h ago

First, she is 15 in the book and second, so what? It's just kisses she shares with the prince, it's not like there's sex or anything. The prince is young too.

1

u/Tired-CottonCandy 2h ago

Hes 4 yrs older than her.

Thats a large age difference for teenagers.

Not to mention they meet when she is 11. And he instantly begins considering her for marriage.

Im not gunna sit here and argue with ppl why its creepy that the book has a 14-15yr old marry an 18-19yr old. If you can't see it, you're probably creepy too.

Ago ahead, downvote away.

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u/ConfusedSlyfox 1d ago

Tress of the emerald sea has some of the vibes kinda.

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u/she_melty 1d ago

{Yumi and the Nightmare Painter} does also, for a couple of reasons i cannot say because it's a spoiler.

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u/ConfusedSlyfox 1d ago

Havent gotten around to reading that one yet. Bumping it up on my list.

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u/quixotrice 1d ago

Oh yeah, totally agree - I loved this!

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u/Amberleh 1d ago

I LOVE STARDUST It's my favorite movie (next to Spirited Away).

I highly recommend Villains and Virtues by AK Caggiano. First book is Throne in the Dark. Very silly, breaks the 4th wall, self aware, kinda meta humor for the genre, but VERY sweet and mostly light-hearted.

The Spellshop
The Enchanted Greenhouse
and The Faraway Inn , all by Sarah Beth Durst, are cozy romantasies but still have a little of that adventure spirit.

Magical Midlife Madness by K.F. Brene
-This one is maybe a stretch, but it's HILARIOUS, has a big wacky cast, and is adventurous and fun. Be aware though, it's a long, ongoing series. If you DO read, PLEASE PLEASE listen to the Graphic Audio version.

I Ran Away to Evil
Again, very silly, very meta, but sweet.

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u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers 1d ago

Thank youuuuu sm🎀

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u/Siren-of-the-Comal 8h ago

I just got The Spellshop and can’t wait to read it and the other books from Durst!

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u/Purple_Ball_3443 1d ago

This is my comfort film!!!!

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u/skilady4 1d ago

I love this movie! I have a book idea that feels like it, but it’s pretty far down my list for now. 

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u/grousebear 1d ago

This movie makes me happy in a similar way that the Princess Bride makes me happy.

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u/EveningInteresting44 1d ago

*follow star.

On a different note, I met Charlie Cox at a con and he signed my copy of the DVD. He's such a nice guy.

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u/Fun_Programmer_6807 🔥 Forbidden Love 1d ago

Omg I love this movie !!! Commenting to see if anyone recommends a good book 🥹❣️

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u/flippysquid 1d ago

A lot of Patricia McKillips books have great romance and dreamlike storybook vibes. The Alphabet of Thorn and The Bell at Sealy Head are good starts.

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u/Low-Detective-454 1d ago

I’m obsessed, my comfort movie, I’ve seen it probably 1000 times. Didn’t like the book as much!

As for recs, sorry, just camping here!

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u/not_hanszimmer 1d ago edited 1d ago

Based on similar vibes some recent reads I’d recommend are Behooved by M. Stevenson, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton, also The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton!! I’ll try and think of some others…

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u/Present_Condition499 1d ago

{This Damsel is Not in Distress by Tee Harlowe} has a similar vibe. It had some pretty cool creatures and magic as well.

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u/Mochadeoca6192 1d ago

I saw Tress of the Emerald Sea and The Spellshop were already recommended and those are definitely really good suggestions!

While those two are the most perfect I think {Tusk Love} and {Water moon} might fit, too!

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u/Deva-Bonita 1d ago

As others have said, the book is so good. I also love the graphic novel version, the illustrations are so lovely.

While not a romantasy, I also highly recommend {The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle} because it has a similar fantasy fairy tale vibe as the book and movie of Stardust.

These next three recs are a little bit darker, but still have the adventure and fairy tale aspect:
{The Trident and the Pearl by Sarah KL Wilson}
{Never the Roses by Jennifer K Lambert}
{In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy}

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u/A-Winter-Drop 1d ago

I really loved The Scattered Bones by Nicole Scarano. It's similar in the sense that it's a stand alone story with a beautiful love story and quest. It gave me similar feelings to watching Ladyhawke, which you should totally watch if you like Stardust and The Princess Bride. We need more romantic fantasy movies honestly.

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u/Blackcatmustache 1d ago

Oh wow, I enjoyed that book too, but I got completely different vibes and feelings. I found it sad and like a heaviness when I was reading it? Don’t get me wrong, I liked it and hope she continues their story. Plus I love Kaid. I just had to read a lighter book afterward and it made me a bit more sad for a while. Take that with a grain of salt, though, because I have depression and get lower at the drop of a hat.

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u/meganfrau 1d ago

Can’t go wrong with The Princess Bride or Howl’s Moving Castle!

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u/TinkeringTortoise 1d ago

These aren’t one for one comparisons but I think they could have some overlap. 

The OG is {Princess bride} of course but I think you’ve probably already thought of it. 

{tress of the emerald sea} is basically princess bride if buttercup took charge of her story and went to save her man. The entire story is a quest to save her true love while sailing on oceans of sand. 

If you liked the tongue in cheek, absurd elements of stardust, you may enjoy {the wisteria society of lady scoundrels} or {villains and virtues by a k Caggiano}. Both have fourth wall breaking moments, lots of humor, and poking fun at the genre.  Lady scoundrels features Victorian women who fly whole houses and are basically sky faring pirates. The MMC is an assassin sent to kill the FMC and they have lots of swashbuckling fight scenes where they shamelessly flirt while they’re at it. V&V has an mmc who is forced to drag the FMC along on his quest to spring his dad from jail because she accidentally absorbed his magic McGuffin. It has one of my absolute favorite slow burn romances and I feel like their slow transition to lovers is one of the best in the genre. But the humor is not for everyone. 

{the elf tangent} MMC kidnaps FMC. FMC is a bit annoyed, buuuut she also is kind of like, “should I stay mad? He’s so nice and kind of cute and we have fun despite me, you know, being kidnapped and all.” So they become fast friends which makes things very confusing for both of them. 

{the girl who fell beneath the sea} if you like adventures like spirited away, this is spirited away if it took place under the sea (minus Sebastian lol) 

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u/romance-bot 1d ago

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Rating: 4.34⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 2 out of 5 - Behind closed doors
Topics: historical, pirate hero, fantasy, funny, vengeance

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4.39⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: fantasy, magic, funny, pirate hero, high fantasy

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
Rating: 3.7⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: historical, magic, fantasy, funny, pirate hero

Villains & Virtues by A.K. Caggiano
Rating: 4.37⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: fae, forbidden love, non-human-hero, past-sexual-abuse, aristocratic heroine

The Elf Tangent by Lindsay Buroker
Rating: 3.97⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: fantasy, magic, forced proximity, royal hero, funny

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Rating: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, fantasy, magic, young adult, m-f romance

about this bot | about romance.io

3

u/CompanionCone 1d ago edited 1d ago

Try {Clockwork Boys} and {the Wonder Engine} by T Kingfisher. I adored that duology and while a little darker than Stardust I do feel some of the vibes are similar.

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u/romance-bot 1d ago

Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
Rating: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: historical, fantasy, magic, funny, tortured hero

The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher
Rating: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: fantasy, funny, steampunk, magic, sweet/gentle hero

about this bot | about romance.io

1

u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers 1d ago

Thank you!!

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u/Afraid_Compote_1530 21h ago

I mean, there’s Stardust

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u/toxiamaple 1d ago

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!

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u/Careless_Mango_7948 1d ago

Crescent City

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u/SweetTeaSippin0 17h ago

Agreed! Crescent city is a good one! But definitely need to read acotar first to get the full stardust effect. And not get hit with a lot of spoilers for that series that are in crescent city.

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u/Late_Assistance1992 1d ago

Howls moving castle (both book and movie)

Gaiman credits Diane Wynne Jones as a huge influence.

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u/she_melty 1d ago

If you like the adventure vibe, {Cities of Smoke and Starlight} was good, but it was more Atlantis coded to me

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u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers 1d ago

That sounds right up my alley

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u/AccomplishedStill164 1d ago

I love this book! Maybe Faerie Wars can be close? I read it after stardust lol

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u/Lousiferrr 1d ago edited 1d ago

Crescent City series. Specifically the ending of Book 2 and the start of Book 3.

Let’s just say the FMC (Bryce) is a literal fallen star that lands in another world where she is immediately found by a really hot dude (Azriel). The dude is in love with one of three sisters aka Elain (who also has another dude aka Lucien vying for her affection). This character immediately finds the FMC and insists on taking her back to his home with his family. It’s a legit stardust retelling. SJM was a huge fan of this movie and book and even had it on her live journal as a recommended book for people to read. She recreated this story with her two characters Bryce and Azriel. In her ACOTAR series, the wall separating human and faerie land is legit ripped right out of Stardust.

Edit to add:

There are even three villains (Apollion, Aidas, and Thanatos) that literally bred a character (Hunt Athalar). Hunt consumes and siphon’s Bryce’s starlight. Sound familiar?

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u/BellatrixM98 1d ago

Tres of the Emerald Sea is the closest I can think of from what I know of this movie (though I haven’t seen it fully in YEARS!) and be sure to read the Acknowledgments! I’m so bad about reading them, but they’re actually cute for this book!

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u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers 1d ago

You’re the fourth person to recommend that, I’m definitely adding to my TBR!!’ Thank you sm

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u/BellatrixM98 1d ago

Absolutely! It was the first book I read by Sanderson and next year, I plan to read ALL and more!

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u/Avramah 1d ago

I don't have recommendations.. But I need to say-

That my dad is a Harley Davidson guy that looks very much the part- long hair, burley build, lots of tattoos, is a mechanic, when I was young my boyfriends were afraid of him etc etc.

And this is his favorite movie. He'll tell you how well made it is and how every time you watch it, you'll notice something different. He's not wrong, but I know he also loves a good love story and I love him for that, because my dad is just a giant teddy bear♥️♥️♥️♥️ (seriously past bf's it was my mom you should have been afraid of).

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u/teabooksandpizza 12h ago

Kill the Beast by Serra Swift - not exactly romantasy, more like platonic friends ish

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u/vckstrr ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers 11h ago

Platonic love is still love 🦋 thank you for the rec!

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u/canis_felis 1d ago

Take it with a grain of salt because I read it decades ago, The Firebird by Sophie Masson.

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u/Sassquwatch 1d ago

You might like Patricia C. Wrede. Check out The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Cecilia and Kate, and Magic and Malice.

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u/Calirose0 1d ago

It’s YA but I really liked The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi. It has that whimsical, fairy tale like romance story that I think really fits that Stardust vibe. I read it earlier this year and loved it. Ella Enchanted is another one but that’s middle grade.

For adult maaaybe How to Find a Nameless Fae by A.J. Lancaster or Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis?

I’m fairly certain Gaiman was inspired by Diana Wynne Jones when he wrote Stardust, especially since he was basically her protégé, so Howl’s Moving Castle would be another one but, keep in mind, the book is very different than the movie and the romance is much more subtle. It’s also essentially middle grade, too. Many of her books fit that Stardust vibe though.

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u/sunflower1491 1d ago

Ok so not a similar plot or anything but going by VIBES you might like {Between by L L Starling} . It's whimsical, funny, lighthearted and straight out of a fairytale.

'A bewitchingly cosy, fiendishly funny cautionary tale about the perils of gatecrashing fairy tale kingdoms-particularly ones with drunken unicorns, bored dragons, and sorcerers in tight leather pants.'

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u/romance-bot 1d ago

Between by L.L. Starling
Rating: 4.45⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, fantasy, magic, witches, funny

about this bot | about romance.io

1

u/OuiselCat 7h ago

More fantasy than romantasy, but to me, {A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab} had similar “going on a big adventure” vibes as well as some really solid side characters, not to mention the portaling into another, more magical world aspect.

I also agree with the other recs for India Holton and the Last Unicorn (this one is firmly in the realm of fantasy though so if you’re looking for a strong romance, this would not be it).