And on TikTok, romantasy hashtags have appeared in more than 200,000 TikToks that have been collectively viewed more than 800 million times. It wasn’t a widely used term among publishers or readers, though, until late 2022 - when the work of Maas and her peers made it to BookTok.īut romantasy really took off in 2023, a phenomenon that’s still propelling fantasy romances to bestseller lists. Per the Guardian, Maas’ publisher Bloomsbury claims it invented the portmanteau, but an Urban Dictionary definition for romantasy dates back to 2008. The term’s origins are as murky as the motivations of a romantasy heroine’s mysterious lover. “Romantasy strikes a perfect balance between romance and fantasy that makes for a more enjoyable experience for a lot of readers,” said Ariel, a romantasy specialist at A Room of One’s Own, a queer- and trans-owned bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin. The hits are all there - meticulous worldbuilding, magic, self-discovery, vanquishing foes - all through a romantic lens that softens the denser high fantasy elements. It’s what bookseller and romantasy fan Gideon Ariel calls “Swiss Army lit” - a subgenre that all readers can enjoy, from longtime fantasy nerds to newcomers. If fantasy literature is epic and spellbinding and romance is wrenching and sensual, then romantasy should be the best of both literary worlds. (Yarros couldn’t be reached for comment a representative said she was deep in the writing process of her next book.) It’s a treat for patient readers when they consummate their love. SPOILER ALERT: That she happens to fall in love with the dashing warrior - whose father was killed by her mother - is just as critical to her development by the book’s end. In Yarros’ best-selling “Fourth Wing,” for example, protagonist Violet Sorrengail is tasked with surviving a rigorous dragon-riding program at her magical university while a rebellion brews beyond its walls. “The romance plot is important and central - but so is the fantasy element,” Frankie Diane Mallis, author of romantasy series “Daughter of the Drowned Empire” and adjunct professor at Arcadia University, told CNN. Romantasy is a portmanteau of fantasy and romance, two beloved yet frequently misunderstood genres. We talk to authors, experts, longtime fans and recent converts about why readers are flocking to romantasy stories, in which treacherous quests are punctuated by steamy trysts. Romantasy is breaking through among readers who previously didn’t browse the fantasy aisle - and delighting readers who’ve loved it for years. Another popular romantasy novel, Rebecca Yarros’ “Fourth Wing,” has spent 42 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller list, while its sequel, “Iron Flame,” is in its 15th week. Readers are devouring Maas’ work: She has three books on the New York Times’ top 10 combined print and e-book fiction bestseller list. Maas, a prolific writer whose “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (or “ACOTAR”) series has proven especially popular. When romantasy protagonists (such as dragon-riders, fairies and fallen angels) aren’t busy saving their worlds, they’re falling deeply in love - often with someone they formerly considered an adversary (the “enemies-to-lovers” trope does big numbers with romantasy readers).īookTok, TikTok’s hugely influential community of bibliophiles, popularized the term “romantasy” last year while discussing the work of Sarah J. Romantasy has become a popular new term for a familiar subgenre - one that blends the otherworldly escape of high fantasy with the emotional payoff of romance novels, and it’s sweeping millions of readers off their feet. Among contemporary readers, a few genres are reliably popular: Crime thrillers, for one, or twisty mysteries that can be turned into limited TV series, or historical dramas that speak to the current moment.īut when it comes to the literary flavor that’s dominating readers’ attention in 2024, it’s clear: “Romantasy” reigns supreme.
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