If you are a romantasy reader, why do you like it? And if not, why not?
Like the rest of the book world, I’ve been hearing a lot about romantasy and I’m curious about what draws people to it. It seems similar to Twilight or YA, where it’s entertaining but not “good” but I have yet to try it myself (I have a hold on ACOTAR at the library but it’s a long wait).
I’m not really on booktok but I have heard that made this (new) genre very popular and clearly, many romantasy authors have good marketing. What’s your personal relationship with it?
by Abject-Hamster-4427
26 Comments
Read one Maas book. Hated the experience but didn’t necessarily hate the book. I’m just very far from its demographic.
Kinda confused by all the people in their 30’s or older who still want to die on the hill that they’re well written. I’ve seen the department of education statistic a few times that 54% of US adults can’t read at a sixth grade level, and kinda have to wonder if those folks land in there somewhere.
I think it is approachable. I’m a huge reader and always have been, but I’m also a mom. Most of my mom friends never felt like they had time to read, so for them Romantasy is easy to pick up, put down, pick up, in a busy world.
I also think that Romantasy is an approachable way that is getting people started into the Fantasy genre. Fantasy can seem overwhelming to non-Fantasy readers, and this genre is a good stepping stone for those readers.
I also think that any reading is reading. Who cares what people are into. They are reading! They could be spending their time doing much worse, more damaging things in today’s society, so I hate the hate that this genre is getting from “avid readers.”
Nope, because I’m not the target audience!
But, like, there’s nothing inherently wrong with romantic plots in a fantasy setting.
I am in a very happy long-term relationship that is older than many people on this website. However, romance does not appeal to me typically. I tend to cringe unless it’s an honest exploration of queerness. Weaving it into fantasy is certainly accessible to many, but I’m more interested in slightly large-scale issues, and romantic conflicts tend to be very trite imo.
It’s just fantasy with longer sex scenes. I honestly felt a little tricked the first time I read one but I enjoyed the fantasy part enough that I could skip the 40 page long sex scenes if I wanted to.
It all depends on how well written it is. Fantasy books that feature romantic relationships can be well done. However, a lot of YA and New Adult fantasy romance books are tropey bodice rippers. The fantasy aspect is often (though not always) an afterthought. The world building is often vague, inconsistent, and/or generic. The plots are filled with holes and seem a secondary concern after brooding, sneering, eye rolling, growling, eyebrow quirking, and/or smut.
I have nothing against this in principle, and I can appreciate some escapist smut, but some of the messaging (like pulp of any genre) is extremely problematic. A lot of these works present abusive relationships as romantic or sexy, frequently pit women against eachother for no reason, presume that severe trauma is necessary to develop emotional strength, portray that only being a warrior makes a woman strong, and make getting into a long term relationship with a character who is a walking red flag the end goal with the main character having little ambition beyond that. So long as the readers recognize that this behavior isn’t actually healthy in a relationship, then enjoy the word porn!
I will say the ACOTAR series is a dumpster fire. It gets worse as it goes along. Avoid it.
I used to hate it, now I thoroughly enjoy it. My idea of romantacy was what I’d been exposed to in college, stuff like Twilight. Couldn’t stand the characters or unhealthy relationships.
Last year I read Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher not knowing it had a romance subplot. I loved it (with the exception of a few chapters in the second book). The MCs were older and reasonably mature. The male MC was very respectful and concerned about consent. It was really nice to read about a relationship like that.
From there I found authors like Robin McKinley and Grace Draven. Radiance by Draven is still a favorite, such a beautiful relationship with characters that actually communicate!
I’ve gotten more and more into romantacy and it’s now the bulk of what I read. I find the ones with respectful, healthy relationships quite healing (vs all the toxic relationships being shoved down my throat as something to desire like in the movies and books I grew up with).
I tend towards humor. There are some great fantasy romcoms, like A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. Her mother is emotionally abusive and the male MC helps her start standing up for herself and setting boundaries. I wasn’t expecting a romcom to cover a difficult topic like that, but she did it well.
Depending on the book, I enjoy them for a variety of reasons. Humor and generally healthy relationships is a big attractor for me. I tend to skim over the sex scenes unless they are done particularly well, some read like poetry though.
The popular books you mentioned though are not ones that interest me. From what I’ve gathered, they do not have mature MCs and the relationships tend to be less than healthy, even giving room for humans being human. I’ll pass. No judgement, just not my thing.
I really only heard of this category a few months ago, and remain slightly confused. I’ve always enjoyed fantasy that had a little bit of romance sprinkled in – I think of Sharon Shinn’s Gillengaria books, that had a great plot but also managed to have each book in the series center around a major character finding love (or heartbreak). I’m not sure if it needs a new name? My grinch self mutters “Marketing, old wine in new bottled.” But then I’m also suspecting that it’s standing for something a lot more graphic, like Laurell Hamilton ended up doing in horror.
I am not personally a huge romance reader so I have minimal interest in romantasy myself but I appreciate the label since it helps other readers find the books they want and guides me to steer clear of books that will probably not be my cup of tea.
Jesus fucking Christ just call it fantasy romance ffs
I don’t read romance or fantasy, so no lol
I’m not a fan, because I don’t like romance. I don’t mind a small romantic subplot here and there, but honestly, I’m here for the dragons/elves/sword fights/magic/BFFs 4-EVA Adventures. Enough kissing, get on with the plot!
That said, if you like it, go for it! Get them spicy books! Read what you like! 🙂
I love Fantasy and I do like romance but I don‘t like contemporary romance bc there is just romance and not much plot most of the times so romantasy is my favorite
Romantasy is just fantasy romance with new marketing. I’ve been reading fantasy romance for over 20 years. I get magic and dragons and paranormal creatures and adventure and mystery and, yes, romance. Some are more graphic/spicy than others, but they all have a happy ending, even if it’s just happy for now. I read for enjoyment and escape. I’ve read high fantasy, and I’ve read mainstream romance. Fantasy romance is a great blend of the two that appeals to me.
Sure, there’s a lot that’s been published recently that is rushed to market (poorly written and edited), and I often second guess social media recs, but I’ve also found some great, engaging reads. There’s always been pulp fiction that isn’t meant to be the next great novel, but it’s not trying to be – at least in my experience.
I’m not sure what to tell you. It’s romantic fantasy. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you. It’s not a “lesser” genre. It’s not “akin to YA”. It’s just a genre of books that people enjoy. Some people enjoy reading classics. Some people enjoy reading high fantasy. Some people enjoy literary fiction. Some books within the genre are better than others, just like the spectrum of books within any genre.
Before you pose this kind of question, do your homework, because that will make it more interesting. This is pretty much the basis of all good writing.
I don’t think the genre is ‘new’. I mean, I’m pretty sure Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass falls under that category and it came out in early 2010s. Books like Graceling and countless others that were released around that time too(may be that’s YA fantasy.. now I’m just confused). Back then I enjoyed them a lot, but now. my tastes are different I guess. (I tried reading Fourth Wing and gave up in the first chapter. It is supposed to be a well written one according to the reviews I’ve seen)
I still think romantasy is a good starting point for people who want to get into fantasy from other genres or complete beginners to fiction. Perhaps, then they’ll also move into more conventional fantasy stuff like asoiaf, wot, stormlight etc and like them too.
I absolutely love romantasy. Fake guys are hotter than real guys
I really enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies… I think that counts as romantasy?
I’ve also read ACOTAR and it’s a good time but definitely not stellar writing.
Well I prefer prehistory than the Roman Empire but I wild I’ve it a go.
I’m just glad they’re letting it be grown up. It seems like “will they/won’t theys” plus magic were getting told to be kid books, post-Twilight.
I had a YA novel sneak into my “cozy fantasy” exploration and it was like, god damn, let these characters be over 20. Jfc. The relationship was fine/chaste, but the stakes were not appropriate for children/teens. Big Roald Dahl “we shall whimsey past all the dead children and the ending of Witches!” energy. *shudders*
So long as writers want to make romantic magic and play in fantasy settings, I support it. It can be very fun and very sexy. I might not be there for your gargoyle office romcom, but I fully support it being in the world as the writer intended.
Just, really need people to not tell writers to write to a demo- especially if the publisher/editor doesn’t understand genre… dear god, that shit is transparent, bracing, and terrible.
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**tl;dr** – as long as the characters are older, it can be very fun and very sexy. I despair the casualties shitty editors forced into YA.
This is an interesting question! I love romance and fantasy and I suppose since I read a lot of danmei (r/DanmeiNovels) many western readers would definitely classify as romantasy (not all danmei is fantasy btw it’s just an umbrella term).
However despite their anime-like covers and descriptions danmei is mostly regarded as adult genre books with adult themes. They can be explicit and not always a depiction of healthy relationships.
I think it’s a delicate balance between getting the right ratio of romance, plot and character development to the reader. For example, my favorite book is Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official’s Blessing. It’s clearly a romance and there’s a lot tropes you might expect BUT the character development and plot are not just afterthoughts.
I don’t read a lot of western lit at this point but I thought I’d offer my 2cents from someone who reads romance-heavy genres.
Is that fantasy romance? Sounds like fun junk food
I just started reading again last year after having not read a book for fun since before high school. Ever since then, I’ve started reading more but it wasn’t until I read Fourth Wing that I actually started to have fun reading. Prior to that, it felt more like a chore and I would constantly look to see how many pages were left until the end. Fourth Wing isn’t even a particularly good book, it’s just how I found out I really like this genre. I’m working through the ACOTAR series now, which has a similar feel. It reminds me a lot of fanfics I used to read in middle/high school, which is why a lot of people don’t like these books, but it makes me feel nostalgic so they’re my current guilty pleasure.
I like romantasy because although I like fantasy, I prefer a more lighthearted, fun fantasy over a bunch of lore and worldbuilding because my ADHD brain struggles enough just reading simple sentences sometimes. I also like romance, but I don’t like it when it’s the main plot because I think it’s a bit boring on it’s own, so this is a perfect combo for me and I think these books were good introductions to the genre for me personally. ~~So, with all that being said, if anyone has some recommendations….~~
I like it because I feel like the romance is generally more “passionate” if that makes sense. And no I’m not talking about smut because I actually don’t enjoy smut lol.
However, I’m kind of picky with which kind of fantasy it is. I’m not really into paranormal fantasy, I’m more into high fantasy.
a combination of two of my least favorite genres