Five Fantasy Books Where the Love Interest's Face Is Hidden - Reactor

Belladonna is truly ‘that girl’ when it comes to masked love interests. That’s because the love interest isn’t just masked, he’s almost entirely obscured for a large part of the novel. Belladonna follows Signa, a girl who allies with none other than Death himself to hunt down a murderer. Death is a dangerous shadow who is never far away from Signa, and though he is cloaked in shadow and his face is impossible to discern for a large portion of the book, he’s equally impossible not to find irresistible (and Signa agrees). As Signa and Death grow closer and their connection becomes more powerful, Death’s physical form slowly begins to take shape. Belladonna is the first in a gothic-infused YA fantasy trilogy, and its holiday-themed novella, Holly, releases September 30, 2025. 

Where the Dark Stands Still reads like a dark fairytale you won’t want to put down. In it, Liska, a clever girl with dangerous magic, must make a risky bargain with a powerful demon to be free of her monstrous power. The demon, The Leszy, lives in a crumbling manor in the middle of the dangerous spirit-wood. At first, The Leszy strikes quite the intimidating figure: he’s taciturn, terrifying, and wears a mask of bone with enormous antlers. However, as the plot unfurls, Liska learns that there is much more to The Leszy, his manor, and the role she has to play. Where the Dark Stands Still is a standalone YA fantasy filled with lush prose, whimsy, and themes of self-acceptance and sacrifice. Prepare to be enchanted and to also cry a bit (no spoilers!). 

If you want to read a book with true enemies-to-lovers romance, high stakes, and a powerful masked love interest, look no further. In the Hurricane Wars, Talasyn, a young woman harboring a deadly secret in the form of forbidden light magic, becomes intertwined with Prince Alaric, the son of the ruthless Night Emperor. When Alaric’s shadows clash with Talasyn’s light during a fateful battle, the strange power it creates becomes their only hope against a looming threat. Alaric’s mask makes him imposing, untouchable; it’s even featured in the book’s cover art. But he soon falls hard for Talasyn, slowly letting his guard down (and softening his heart) even as they continue the dramatic push-and-pull of their enemies-to-lovers arc. The Hurricane Wars is an adult romantic fantasy, and its sequel, A Monsoon Rising, is out now.

Nightweaver is the YA romantasy of my dreams. It has pulse-pounding adventure, dark atmosphere, the beginning of a love triangle that might be the end of me, and a masked character that I can’t stop thinking about. In Nightweaver, Aster Oberon, a fierce heroine who comes from a family of pirates, is forced ashore to the land of Nighweavers, cursed beings with dark power who once claimed the continents for their own. There she encounters Will, a handsome Nightweaver, but she also keeps running into one Captain Shade. Shade, an infamous pirate captain, is rebellious, charismatic, and has undeniable chemistry with Aster. His true identity is revealed later in the book, but you’ll have to read it to find out! Nightweaver is the first in a trilogy, and its sequel, Starchaser, releases November 4, 2025.

When I first saw the character art for Kennington’s Blood Beneath the Snow, I immediately tossed aside all the books on my TBR. A tall, imposing figure grabbing the FMC’s sword with just his hand? Check. A helmet of bone, complete with a toothy jaw, covering all semblance of his face? Check. Dark armor covering every inch of his skin, making it impossible to tell what he looks like? Check, check, check. In Blood Beneath the Snow, Revna, a disobedient princess who must compete to the death against her siblings for the crown, begins to catch feelings for her country’s most powerful enemy: the mysterious and terrifying Hellbringer. This book is full of exhilarating romantic tension and swoony enemies-to-lovers romance, but it’s also exhilarating, heartfelt, and rich in lore. I loved this book. Blood Beneath the Snow is the first in an adult romantasy duology; its sequel Gods Beneath the Ice releases February 17th, 2026.