What is Romantasy: Fast-Growing Subgenre or Temporary Phase?
Bella Rose Emmorey
book editor, rogue behaviorist, digital marketer, writer, brand builder, plant aunt, and cheese enthusiast.
This question—what is romantasy?—is growing in popularity as of late. And it makes sense, given the seemingly new genre making waves in the book world. Specifically amongst the TikTok and Facebook fan bases.
But is it just new lingo? Or is there more to this that has so many people wondering about romantasy?
If you write in either $ romance$ or $ fantasy$ , buckle up, because it’s important to understand how this new genre differs from these two.
What is Romantasy?
Romantasy is a new name for an offshoot of both the fantasy and romance genres in which a book combines the primary elements of both into a single story.
It might sound like you could name it "fantasy romance," and think of it like a $ subgenre of fantasy$ , but the new term describes a rapidly rising and highly specific type of story that puts the romance between characters as the primary plotline in an otherwise fantasy story.
Technically speaking, the books in this genre aren’t new. The term is new, and grew for a reason I’ll outline below.
Is romantasy a real genre?
Whether or not a genre is real is entirely up to the consumers and authors who market the work. It becomes "real" when it’s used seriously.
The term "romantasy" evolved out of necessity.
Many readers were asking for book recommendations, only to receive suggestions that didn’t quite fulfill their request. Seeking "fantasy romance" would produce suggestions in which romance only appeared as a subplot of the story itself. That’s not what many readers want.
This genre also arose to fame due to Sarah J Maas’s series A Court of Thorns and Roses gaining massive popularity. Many romance readers decided to give this series a shot when they’d never read fantasy before. It introduced them to this world, but when they sought other fantasy books, they ended up missing the romance (and spice) found in Maas’s stories.
This is why the term has grown, and how it’s real. If someone uses the term "romantasy," other readers know exactly the type of book they’re seeking. That definitive understanding gives birth to the new genre.
Plus, businesses are now getting in on the fact that there’s a new genre, as you can see from this screenshot of the Google image results for "romantasy". That’s how you know a genre is real.
Romantasy vs Romance in Fantasy
There is a difference, and this separation is often what displeases fans of traditional fantasy. While they think they’re getting a fun fantasy story with some romance, what they actually get is romantasy, something they don’t want.
The difference between the two is simple:
Romantasy has romance as part of the main plot in a fantasy story, while romance in fantasy centers around a separate main plot in which the romance appears as a subplot.
Essentially, it’s the amount of time and plot dedicated to the romance that makes the difference.
What isn’t necessarily a requirement of romantasy, but highly known in this genre, is a lot of smut. "Smut" and "spice" refer to the amount of on-page, descriptive sex present in a story. Many romantasy novels are known to have this in abundance.
Why is romantasy so popular?
The blending of these two genres to such degrees serves a very specific audience. The real reason romantasy is so popular has a lot to do with this content coming into market at the right time.
This isn’t to say that the books aren’t good or anything like that.
It’s more to say that with the addition of frequent and descriptive sex scenes, a high focus on romance, along with fantasy worlds and elements, is a combination that serves a specific market.
Up until more recently, the percentage of $ male readers in the fantasy genre highly outweighed that of female$ . We can likely attribute this to the amount of male authors in this genre, as well as the general distasteful demeanor of many fantasy fans declaring the genre "not for girls" because of the violent themes often found here.
Additionally, we’re currently at a time when those who identify as women are able to outwardly discuss, and be interested in, sex without so much social shame. It’s more widely accepted, though women have $ always read romance to a higher degree$ than male counterparts.
This created ripe opportunity for a market that serves an audience who loves romance and sex to be introduced to a genre they have been unwelcome to in previous years.
Enter: romantasy.
10 Examples of Romantasy Books
To answer the question of "what is romantasy" to a higher degree, just read it! Here are some recs that’ll paint a picture—a vivid one, at that—of what this genre is all about.
1. $ A Court of Thorns and Roses$ by Sarah J. Maas: This series follows Feyre Archeron, a young huntress, as she navigates the dangerous, magical world of the fae, and falls in love with the High Fae, Tamlin.
2. $ The Iron Fey$ series by Julie Kagawa: This series features Meghan Chase, who discovers she is the daughter of a faery king and becomes embroiled in the politics and dangers of the faery world, including a romance with the prince of the Winter Court.
3. $ Radiance$ by Grace Draven: This novel tells the story of a political alliance between two very different races, where the arranged marriage between a human princess and a Kai prince develops into a deep and unconventional love.
4. $ The Bargainer$ series by Laura Thalassa: This series revolves around a young woman named Callie who strikes a deal with the mysterious Bargainer, a fae prince, leading to a complex and passionate relationship.
5. $ Serpentine$ by Cindy Pon: Set in an ancient Chinese-inspired fantasy world, this novel follows Skybright, a serpent demon who becomes entangled in a forbidden romance with a mortal boy.
6.$ The Beautiful Ones$ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: A story of love, manners, and magic, set in a world reminiscent of the Belle Époque, where a young telekinetic woman must navigate society's expectations and her own desires.
7. $ The Wrath & The Dawn$ by Renée Ahdieh: A $ retelling$ of the Arabian Nights tale, this book follows Shahrzad, who volunteers to marry the Caliph, Khalid, a young ruler who takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at dawn, but she has a plan to survive.
8. $ Firelight$ by Kristen Callihan: This novel combines historical romance with fantasy elements, telling the story of a woman with a dangerous secret and the nobleman who is drawn to her despite the risks.
9. $ The Bird and the Sword$ by Amy Harmon: Set in a world where language has power, this novel follows a young woman named Lark who must use her newfound abilities to save the man she loves.
10. $ The Winter King$ by C.L. Wilson: This book follows a young woman named Wynter who is married off to a barbarian king as part of a treaty, but their relationship soon grows into something more.
If you’re still wondering, "what is romantasy?" all there’s left to do is read it. Read it, and you’ll understand what makes this genre the type that creates the most virality.
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