What is Romantasy & Why Is It So Popular?

In this post, we look at the wildly popular modern genre of romantasy. What is romantasy and why is it so popular?

What Is Romantasy?

Valentine’s Day is not that far away. A day of romance, lovers, candle-lit dinners, flowers, magic, and very possibly dragons. That is, if you’re a lover of romance and fantasy books. Both genres have ancient roots. And for a long time now, romance has been the bestselling genre, far outstripping mysteries and thrillers. Nowadays, Fantasy is high on the list as well. Probably as a result of the film adaptations of Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones. Mix Romance and Fantasy, add in a big dollop of sex, and you have the high-octane story fuel called Romantasy.

Romantasy mixes magical worlds and mythical creatures with romantic stories. Romantic fantasy is now published by both fantasy and romance imprints. Both are dependent on the other, but without the romantic plot, the fantasy falls apart.

6 Main Reasons Why Romantasy Is So Popular

1. Self-publishing has been a boon to both romance and fantasy writers over the years. And now, when traditional publishers were at first nervous about the Romantasy mix, self-publishing also offered the perfect platform to spread the word, along with TikTok. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that it was fans on TikTok using the BookTok sub-community that made the genre explode.
2. Another reason for Romantasy’s success has been the novels by excellent writers such as Sarah J Maas (with her Throne of Glass series) and Rebecca Yarros (with her Empyrean series).
3. Readers of both Romance and Fantasy can rest easy. The tropes that make up each of those genres are still present in the Romantasy mix:

- 1. Friends to lovers
  2. Enemies to lovers
  3. Love at first sight
  4. The Fake Relationship
  5. Mythical creatures – fairies, elves, werewolves etc
  6. Mystical kingdoms
  7. Quasi-medieval realms
  8. A distinct lack of automobiles and preponderance of horses
  9. Magic
  10. Epic battles
  11. Dangerous side quests
  12. Did we mention dragons?

4. In Romantasy, as in Romance, the main character, the main point of view is that of a woman. One who is in control of her own life, has power or gains it, who is a warrior, or a mage, and can open her own jars, thank you very much. Romantasy is very much a a woman-commanded renaissance. As a result, as far as fiction is concerned, this is hottest trend for the last few years. Why does this matter? Well, that takes us to Reason Five.
5. During uncertain political and economic times, the sales of romance books leapt up dramatically. What does romance offer? Certain happiness for one. To qualify as a romance, there has to be an HEA – A Happy Ever After, or at least an HFN – a Happy For Now. Romance has changed a lot of the years.
6. Fantasy provides an even greater escape. Not only can a reader escape their current situation, they can also escape to the completely different world. As there seems to be a rage against women at the moment on social media and in the USA, the predominance of strong women, battles, romance and a Happy Ever After found in Romantasy might be just what gets us through the next few years.

There are also sub-genres within this sub-genre: 11 Popular Sub-Genres In Fantasy Romance

So Where Do You Start?

As Sarah J Maas has five books on the Goodreads Romantasy Top Ten and Rebbeca Yarros has three on that list, we’ll take it as read that anything by them is worth reading. Other authors include Carissa Broadbent, Callie Hart, Lauren Roberts, Jennifer L Armentrout, and Ali Hazelwood.

Recommended Romantasy Books

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
The Book of Azrael By Amber V Nicole
Alchemised by SenLinYu

The Last Word

So, if you are looking for a great escape, battles, romance, and dragons, then Romantasy may be the genre for you.

If you would like to learn how to write a book, sign up for one of the rich and in-depth workbooks and courses that Writers Write offers, and get your book off to a great start.

by Elaine Dodge. Author of The Harcourts of Canada series and The Device Hunter, Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, including ghost writing business books, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.

What is Romantasy & Why Is It So Popular?