Science Fiction/Fantasy

I Spy With My Little Eye 9 Fantasy Books About Spies

Silvana Reyes Lopez

Senior Contributor

Silvana Reyes is a Mexican book blogger. She enjoys all types of sub-genres, but loves a good love story. Romance fiction is her heart and joy and you might find her screaming about book releases on her Twitter account.

It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

As a child, Alka witnessed her parents' brutal murder at the hands of Wizards before she was taken in by an underground rebel group. Now, Alka is deep under cover at the most prestigious school of magic in the Republic: Blackwater Academy. To survive, Alka will have to lie, cheat, and kill to use every trick in her spy's toolkit. And for the first time in her life, the fiercely independent Alka will have to make friends, to recruit the misfits and the outcasts into her motley rebellion. Can Alka destroy the twisted game...without becoming a part of it?

The spy world has always fascinated me. Especially in books. Whenever an author says their book features spies, I’m immediately adding their book to my endless TBR. There’s just something about spies, heists, and epic adventures that easily catches my attention. Maybe it’s the secret missions or the genius plans, either way, fantasy books about spies are just another level of awesome.

Combining fantasy with spies sounds like the perfect recipe, right? Authors create these incredible worlds where a spy has to infiltrate the enemy side to achieve what they have always wanted. Sometimes a forbidden romance arises or they find out that the “enemies” are not really…the real enemies. Anything can happen! But one thing is for sure and that is that these spy adventures will give you such a high you won’t want to come down from it.

Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova

Set in a world inspired by 15th century Spain and the Inquisition, Incendiary is one book you cannot miss!

Renata has a magic ability that makes it easy to steal memories from people. She has lived a thousand lives. Yet, she only wants to live freely on her own.

Part of a rebel group, Renata now has to infiltrate the royal court in order to rescue the leader of her unit. But the palace harbors difficult memories for her, and the prince inside those walls is ready to have her blood.

red toned girl white backdrop

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

When Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, the rebels search her out to offer her a deal: spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy and they promise to save her brother.

There, Laia meets the academy’s finest student, Elias…and maybe she’s not the only one ready to topple an empire.

the words "word cross" with a color gradient

Warcross by Marie Lu

Emika Chen is desperate for some quick cash to pay her rent, so she decides to hack herself into the global sensation Warcross, a video game that took the world by storm. She soon realizes she just hacked herself into the opening game of the international Warcross championship, making her an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to get arrested, she’s surprised when she gets a call from the game’s creator, the young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, offering a deal she cannot refuse.

fantasy books about spies

Master of Crows by Grace Draven

In order to gain her freedom, Martise of Asher bargains with her masters, the mage-priests of Conclave, to spy on the renegade sorcerer, Silhara of Neith. They want her to find all his hidden secrets and expose his treachery. Martise thinks it’s an easy job until she falls for her target.

anime style man reading newspaper on chair

Spy X Family by Tatsuya Endo

This manga is one of a kind! As soon as you start the first volume, you will want to get all the volumes that follow. The story is rich in plot and has a hilarious dialogue between characters who are so distinct from each other.

Master spy Twilight is the best at what he does, but when he receives his latest assignment, this time around he cannot do it alone. In order for his mission to be a success, he needs to find a wife and a kid so he can infiltrate an elite private school.

girl with intense amber eyes stares

Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee

After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, Sirscha’s life changes when shamans attack and kill her best friend.

But then Sirscha brings Saengo back from the dead.

What follows is an epic fantasy filled with magic, unconditional friendships, and a powerful protagonist you won’t be able to stop rooting for.

fantasy books about spies

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

This warrior princess is tasked to infiltrate the enemy kingdom as a spy by marrying their king. She has been trained to bring King Aren to his knees, but when she arrives at her new home, she starts to question whether she’s the hero or the villain of the story.

glowing red crown-like object upside down face in background

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall

A matriarchal society of cannibal nuns who live in a floating city worship the Star Eater — a woman who ate a star, swallowed its power, and used that power to raise the city to the sky. In this world, the Sisters are bound to carry on the magical bloodline, so they have to have children. But when they do, the men get infected and basically turn into zombies.

Elfreda doesn’t want to have sex with a convict, so she agrees to be a spy. But the stakes are higher than she originally thought and soon enough, her life gets a little more dangerous. This is one of the most amazing fantasy books about spies you need to read!

the title in gold with black background

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran

Newly crowned Queen Lia and spymaster Xania navigate political intrigue, royal court, dangerous plots, and hidden enemies in Queen of Coin and Whispers.


These fantasy books about spies will keep you up at night until you read the very last page. With intrigue, delicious plot, and entertaining characters with endearing personalities, some of these books will become instant favorites on your list.