Romantic fantasy, or "romantasy", is a
subgenre
Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
of
fantasy fiction
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
that combines
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
and
romance, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the
chivalric romance
As a literary genre, the chivalric romance is a type of prose and verse narrative that was popular in the noble courts of high medieval and early modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a chivalri ...
genre.
One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, political, and romantic.
Romantic fantasy has been published by both fantasy lines and romance lines. As a result of the financial success of authors such as
Sarah J. Maas and
Rebecca Yarros in the 2000s,
publishers created
imprints to focus on this subgenre. Some publishers distinguish between "romantic fantasy" where the fantasy elements is most important and "fantasy romance" where the romance are most important.
Others say that "the borderline between fantasy romance and romantic fantasy has essentially ceased to exist, or if it's still there, it's moving back and forth constantly". Game historian Stu Horvath noted, "the heroes and heroines of romantic fantasy seek social connection and emotional wealth. Instead of carrying on by themselves, they find belonging in a community and a purpose larger than themselves. Magic and psychic abilities are often in-born talents; intelligent animals speak; and societies are egalitarian."
2023–2024 Romantasy trend
In 2023 and 2024, romantic fantasy novels termed "romantasy" became a social media trend. Sales of the books have been widely driven by promotion on social media, particularly the part of
TikTok
TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
known as
BookTok.
''Writer's Digest'' notes much of the credit for the rise in the romantic fantasy genre can be attributed to platforms such as TikTok, where word spreads more efficiently in speed and "influencability." ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'' notes that the genre has particular appeal to those who grew up reading young-adult fantasy, such as ''
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'', and are now interested in similar themes, but with adult themes of sex and romance.
Popular authors in the genre include
Sarah J. Maas and
Rebecca Yarros, whose
''Empyrean'' series have all broken sales records and are due to be made into a
TV series.
Authors of novels labeled as romantasy are largely women, as is the market, and the novels are known for representing minorities.
Notable examples
Some examples of media in the romantic fantasy subgenre include:
Literature
* ''
A Court of Thorns and Roses'' series by
Sarah J. Maas
** ''A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames''
* ''
Throne of Glass'' series by Sarah J. Maas
** ''Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash''
*
''Crescent City series'' by Sarah J. Maas
** ''House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, House of Flame and Shadow''
*
''Empyrean'' series by
Rebecca Yarros
** ''
Fourth Wing'', ''
Iron Flame'', ''
Onyx Storm''
* From Blood and Ash by
Jennifer L. Armentrout
*
''The City of Brass'' by S.A. Chakraborty
* ''
The Ten Thousand Doors of January'' by Alix E. Harrow
* Caraval series by
Stephanie Garber
*
''The Cruel Prince'' series by Holly Black
* Serpent and Dove by
Shelby Mahurin
Once Upon a Broken Heartby Stephanie Garber
The Serpent & the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Servant of Earthby Sarah Hawley
The Sky on Fireby Jenn Lyons
Brideby Ali Hazelwood
Heartless Hunterby Kristen Ciccarelli
The Shadows Between Usby Tricia Levenseller
Kingdom of the Wickedby Kerri Maniscalco
The Bridge Kingdomby Danielle L. Jenson
A Curse So Dark and Lonelyby Brigid Kemmerer
An Enchantment of Ravensby Margaret Rogerson
* ''
The Twilight Saga'' by Stephenie Meyer – A love story between Bella Swan, a human girl, and Edward Cullen, a vampire, set in a world where supernatural beings coexist with humans.
*
''The Immortals'' series by
Tamora Pierce
*
''Lost Continent (aka Aronsdale)'' series by
Catherine Asaro
*
''Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms'' series by
Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes Ritchie Lackey (born June 24, 1950) is an American writer of Fantasy literature, fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar (fictional co ...
Films
* ''
The Princess Bride'' (1987) – The film adaptation of
William Goldman’s novel, which is set in a magical world and features the romantic relationship between Princess Buttercup and her true love, Westley.
*
''Twilight'' film series (2008–2012) – The film adaptations of
Stephenie Meyer’s novels, focusing on the supernatural love story between a human girl and a vampire.
* ''
The Shape of Water'' (2017) – Follows a
mute cleaner at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured
humanoid amphibian
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...
creature.
* ''
Edward Scissorhands'' (1990) – A story set in a visually fantastical world which focuses of Edward, an unfinished artificial humanoid that has scissors for hands, who falls in love with Kim, a teenage girl in an American suburban neighborhood.
* ''
Ghost
In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
'' (1990) – focuses on a murdered banker, whose ghost sets out to save his girlfriend from the person who killed him – through the help of the psychic.
* ''
Legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
'' (1985) – A magical adventure in which Princess Lily and a hero named Jack must thwart the Lord of Darkness's evil plot to cover the world in eternal night.
Television
* ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003) – A cult TV series that focuses on the adventures of the teenage girl Buffy whom was chosen to fight vampires and various other creatures, as well as explores her romantic relationship with the vampire Angel.
* ''
True Blood'' (2008–2014) – A TV adaptation of ''
The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series by
Charlaine Harris. The series is set in a world where vampires coexist with humans and it features the romantic relationship between a telepathic waitress and a mysterious vampire.
Video Games
* ''
Xenogears'': A JRPG set in a fictional world ruled by a highly technological country named Solaris. The protagonists, Fei Fong Wong and the Solaris officer Elhaym van Houten, are destined by reincarnation to fall in love with each other.
See also
*
Romance novel
A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and Romance (love), romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed ...
*
Medieval fantasy
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romantic Fantasy
Fantasy genres
Romance
Film genres
Fiction by genre
Literary genres
Romance genres