Romantasy: The Growing Phenomenon of Fantasy Romance The rise of the romantasy genre has taken the literary world by storm, with sales expected to surpass $600 million in 2024. This genre, a portmanteau of romance and fantasy, has gained immense popularity globally, captivating readers of all ages with its unique blend of mythical creatures, romantic tropes, and explicit love scenes.
The journey of romantasy began with Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series, which has sold over 40 million copies worldwide in 38 languages. The series' popularity has been fueled by its devoted fan base, who actively engage with the books on social media platforms like TikTok. Hashtags related to the series have attracted over 14 billion views, with fans sharing their theories, dressing up as characters... and ranking their favorite titles.
What sets romantasy apart from other genres is its focus on mythical locations and mythical creatures as protagonists, rather than fantasy figures invading everyday settings. This allows readers to escape into a world of magic and wonder, where classic romantic tropes like enemies-to-lovers stories and love triangles take center stage.
Dragons, monsters, fairies, and other magical figures become the main characters, rather than the usual sassy magazine editors and brooding finance guys found in traditional romance novels. "For romance readers, romantasy offers the same tropes they adore... but set in a world they can escape to and get lost in," remarks Ajebowale Roberts, an editor at HarperCollins.
"It's a genre that combines the best of both worlds: the excitement of fantasy and the emotional depth of romance." Unlike previous erotic bestsellers like 50 Shades of Grey, which featured a dominant-submissive dynamic, the fantastical element in romantasy is often more empowering. Women are depicted as strong, powerful characters who embark on epic quests and find love with equal partners.
Book blogger Christina Clark-Brown notes, "There is no damsel in distress who needs saving; rather, women are allowed to be powerful, go on epic quests, and find love with a partner who is their equal in every way." As the romantasy genre continues to grow in popularity, "it's clear that readers are drawn to its unique blend of fantasy and romance." With sales expected to reach new heights, "it's likely that this genre will remain a staple of the literary world for years to come."
Ever had a crush on a faerie? If not, then you clearly haven⁘t embraced the ⁘romantasy⁘ craze yet ⁘ the book genre, known for the ⁘spicy⁘ (a.k.a. smutty) scenes, that⁘s set to hit over $600 million in sales in 2024. It all began with the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series by Sarah J. Maas. The books were a pretty big hit when the first title was published back in 2015 but went truly, epically global when BookTok cottoned on more recently. Maas has now sold over 40 million copies of the five books in her series, in 38 different languages, and hashtags related to them have attracted more than 14 billion views on TikTok, by devoted fans of all ages who spout theories, play dress-up and rank their favorite titles.
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