March 2026 Reading Wrap-Up: 7 Fantasy and Romantasy Books I Read

March became the month when my carefully planned reading list was completely taken over by one new obsession: Demi Winters’ Ashen Series.

I started with The Road of Bones, immediately continued with Kingdom of Claw, and then read Roots of Darkness and Dawn of the North. By the time I reached the end of the available books, I was completely invested in the characters, the world, and everything still to come. I genuinely cannot wait for the next books in the series.

I also continued two other romantasy series this month, reading A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty and A Crown This Cold and Heavy by Stacia Stark, along with The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn.

Altogether, I finished seven fantasy and romantasy books in March, bringing my 2026 reading total to 19 books.

My March 2026 Reading Stats

Books read in March: 7
Books read so far in 2026: 19
Original 2026 reading goal: 30 to 40 books
Ashen Series books read this month: 4
Ongoing romantasy series continued: 3
New fantasy obsession unlocked: Absolutely

After reading four books in January and eight in February, March’s seven books brought my first-quarter total to 19. I am now almost halfway to the upper end of my original yearly goal, with nine months still remaining.

Apparently, the monthly reading plan is working better than expected.

The Seven Books I Read in March 2026

1. A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark

I began March by continuing Stacia Stark’s Kingdom of Lies series with A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty.

I read A Court This Cruel and Lovely in February, so I was ready to return to the world, characters, and escalating conflict. One of my favorite parts of documenting my reading by month is seeing how a series carries across several monthly wrap-ups. February introduced me to the story, while March gave me the opportunity to become even more invested.

This is the second book in the series, so new readers should begin with A Court This Cruel and Lovely.

Consider this series if you enjoy:

• Fantasy romance
• Court politics
• Dangerous alliances
• Hidden magic and secrets
• High emotional stakes
• Stories that unfold across several books

2. A Crown This Cold and Heavy by Stacia Stark

After finishing A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty, I continued directly into A Crown This Cold and Heavy.

At this point, I was firmly committed to the series and wanted to know where the characters, alliances, and conflicts would go next. This was also one of several times during March when I read multiple installments of a series back to back.

There is something especially satisfying about staying immersed in one fantasy world instead of stopping between books, particularly when each installment ends with enough unresolved tension to make waiting feel impossible.

Read the Kingdom of Lies series if you like:

• Continuing romantic tension
• Expanding political conflict
• High-stakes decisions
• Magic and power struggles
• Complex relationships
• Bingeable romantasy series

3. The Road of Bones by Demi Winters

Then I started The Road of Bones, and my March reading plan changed completely.

This book introduced me to Demi Winters’ Ashen Series and its dark, wintry, Viking-inspired fantasy world. The dangerous journey, layered characters, mystery, and building tension immediately pulled me in.

I had planned to read The Road of Bones as one title among several. Instead, it became the beginning of a four-book Ashen Series binge.

Read this if you enjoy:

• Viking-inspired fantasy
• Dangerous journeys
• Forced proximity
• Slow-building romantic tension
• Morally complicated characters
• Immersive, atmospheric worlds

4. Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters

There was no chance I was going to finish The Road of Bones and calmly move on to something unrelated. I immediately started Kingdom of Claw.

The second book expanded the world and made me even more invested in its characters, relationships, secrets, and conflicts. This was the point when my interest in the Ashen Series became a full-blown obsession.

I did not simply want to know what happened next. I needed to know, which is exactly the feeling I hope for whenever I begin a new fantasy series.

Continue with Kingdom of Claw if you enjoy:

• Expanding fantasy worlds
• Connected character arcs
• Political intrigue
• Tension that builds across multiple books
• High-stakes fantasy conflicts
• Series that become increasingly addictive

I Am Officially Obsessed With the Ashen Series

The Ashen Series was unquestionably the highlight of my March reading.

I was already obsessed after The Road of Bones and Kingdom of Claw, but I did not stop there. I continued with Roots of Darkness and Dawn of the North, reading all four of the currently available Ashen stories during the same month.

I loved the Viking-inspired world, the dangerous journeys, the layered characters, the mythology, and the way each book made the larger story feel even more expansive. Every installment increased my investment instead of giving me a natural place to pause.

Finishing Dawn of the North left me with that particular mix of satisfaction and frustration that comes from catching up with an unfinished series. I loved having several connected stories available to binge, but I was nowhere near ready to leave the world or its characters behind.

The Ashen Series has officially become one of the fantasy series I am most invested in, and I cannot wait for the next books.

5. Roots of Darkness by Demi Winters

After Kingdom of Claw, I continued with Roots of Darkness.

This companion installment gave me another perspective within the Ashen world and allowed me to spend more time with characters and relationships beyond the central storyline. I especially enjoy companion stories when they add meaningful context rather than feeling disconnected from the main series.

Because I was already immersed in the world, reading it directly after Kingdom of Claw felt like the natural next step.

Add this to your Ashen Series reading list if you enjoy:

• Companion stories with meaningful context
• Expanded character perspectives
• Strong female characters
• Found-family dynamics
• New relationship development
• Stories that deepen an existing fantasy world

6. Dawn of the North by Demi Winters

I finished my Ashen Series binge with Dawn of the North.

By this point, I was deeply attached to the world and fully invested in seeing how the characters, relationships, conflicts, and mythology would continue developing. I had spent four books in this world during a single month, and I still was not ready to leave it.

Reaching the end was satisfying only until I remembered that I had officially caught up and could no longer immediately open the next installment.

I need the next book as soon as possible.

Read the Ashen Series if you want:

• A sweeping Viking-inspired romantasy
• A growing cast of connected characters
• Political conflict and contested power
• Mythology, magic, secrets, and danger
• Romance woven into a larger fantasy plot
• A series capable of taking over your entire TBR

7. The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn

I also continued Briar Boleyn’s Bloodwing Academy series with The Wings That Bind.

I read On Wings of Blood in January, so returning to this series in March created another connection across my monthly reading recaps. This is one of the reasons I enjoy tracking not only how many books I read, but also which fictional worlds continue pulling me back.

After spending much of March in cold kingdoms and Viking-inspired landscapes, The Wings That Bind added dragons, academy intrigue, danger, and another kind of romantasy tension to the month.

Because this is a sequel, readers should begin with On Wings of Blood before continuing to The Wings That Bind.

Consider this series if you enjoy:

• Dragon romantasy
• Fantasy academy settings
• Dangerous secrets
• High emotional tension
• Continuing relationships and rivalries
• Dramatic fantasy worlds

March’s Reading Theme: Continuing Series and Finding a New Obsession

Every book I read in March belonged to a series I had either already begun or became determined to binge.

My March reading included:

• Two books from Stacia Stark’s Kingdom of Lies series
• Four books from Demi Winters’ Ashen Series
• One book from Briar Boleyn’s Bloodwing Academy series

Instead of exploring seven unrelated fantasy worlds, I spent the month becoming more deeply immersed in three ongoing stories.

The clearest theme, however, was my complete obsession with the Ashen Series. What began as one planned fantasy read turned into four books in the same month because I simply did not want to leave the world.

That is exactly why I leave room for flexibility in my monthly reading plans. A TBR can give me direction, but it should never stop me from following a series that has completely captured my attention.

My 2026 Reading Challenge Progress

To reach my original minimum goal of 30 books, I need to read only 11 more books during the remaining nine months of 2026. To reach 40, I need 21 more.

At this point, I may need to treat 30 to 40 books as my baseline and create a new stretch goal for the rest of the year.

Complete March 2026 Reading List

1. A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark
2. A Crown This Cold and Heavy by Stacia Stark
3. The Road of Bones by Demi Winters
4. Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters
5. Roots of Darkness by Demi Winters
6. Dawn of the North by Demi Winters
7. The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn

What Fantasy Series Has Completely Taken Over Your TBR?

Have you read the Ashen Series yet, or is The Road of Bones still waiting on your fantasy reading list?

Tell me which unfinished fantasy series currently has you impatiently waiting for the next release, and save my March 2026 reading wrap-up when you need your next immersive romantasy obsession.