Romantasy does not have a simple definition, so perhaps the best way to get a feel of the ‘genre’ is to look at some absolute staple books and series. If you enjoy reading, and are on social media, you have undoubtedly heard of Sarah J Maas and her series A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Throne of Glass. These books are phenomenally successful, and lauded by many as the ultimate romantasy novels. They feature many hallmarks of a typical fantasy novel – otherworldly creatures, epic magic, whole new worlds fraught with danger and intense politicking – and yet there is something about these books and others like them that sets them apart from simple fantasy.
These books also feature heavy romance plots, and I believe what makes them romantasy is that the romance is not a subplot. Instead, it is integral to the (almost exclusively) female protagonists’ character development and the plot at large. The love interest is usually some kind of otherworldly being, with Maas launching an epidemic of “fae” men – who you actually cannot call men because they are not men, because they are not human. One has to wonder if them not being human men is part of the draw.
Aside from the actual structure of the novel, there are a few recognisable tropes that manage to give off that romantasy feel. Sharp, witty banter between future lovers, (literally) otherworldly men, a strong female protagonist – that infamous phrase – who still needs saving every now and again, and there should of course be a bit of magic somewhere. The dragons are a little more negotiable, but welcomed.
All this and more can be found in Maas’ books, which follow a human woman forced into the enchanting yet dangerous world of fae, or a long lost part-fae assassin princess on her way to reclaim her throne. The books have been stunningly successful and, though there have always been fantasy books with heavy romance, Maas has inspired a slew of stories with similar tropes and tone. She is one of the most successful authors in the world right now, and in one year she even outsold the next five bestsellers put together. This has made romantasy a particularly salient genre right now, and though it is embraced by Maas and millions of users on TikTok, is it even real? Furthermore, is there something a little more sinister lurking behind the label?
There are certainly tropes that help define, or identify, the genre, and when talking to readers or receiving a recommendation you can largely know what to expect upon hearing the word. There is a general consensus around what romantasy is at least. However, I would argue that to define it as its own genre, or even a subgenre, is a stretch too far. There have always been fantasy novels that rely heavily on romance, so why give them their own genre now? Instead, I think ‘romantasy’ can more aptly be described as a recent literary trend, heavily influenced by Maas’ work and spurred on by lockdown, rather than the emergence of a new genre. Men have been writing about dashing knights saving damsels in distress since medieval times and Shakespeare’s most famous works are his epic and enduring romances, yet it is when women are finding astonishing success in the fantasy genre – previously dominated by men – that their novels are given a label that so overtly emphasises the romance aspect, as opposed to the intricate worldbuilding and magic systems.
This leads on to one of the big questions I want to ask in this series – is the label misogynistic? Or is it allowing women to break into publishing, empowering female authors across the industry in a knock-on effect, as well as introducing some well-needed female-driven fantasy novels to audiences?
Women have now overtaken men in book publication and become more successful and more prolific than male authors. I feel this is most notable in the fantasy genre, where most rising stars and heavyweights alike are now women. This is obviously not down to the romantasy genre in full, as female authorship has been rapidly rising since the 1970s and there have been many enormously influential women fantasy writers before this era of literature. However, the astonishing and near unprecedented success of women like Sarah J Maas, and her peers such as Leigh Bardugo – melding genre as her most famous work follows a heist amidst a fantasy backdrop and a cast of compelling, romantically entangled characters – has bolstered the publishing industry as a whole and their success in what is traditionally a male-dominated genre is obviously good for both women readers and other women authors.
However, where I think a cause for concern may lie is in the potential for all female fantasy authors to have their works pigeonholed or reduced in this way – the tone of discourse around romantasy is often dismissive and snobby – even when their books contain few of or even none of the recognisable romantasy tropes. Popular female authors have often been limited by the prejudices of the publishing industry and audience expectations within the romance genre and, now that women are dominating fantasy, the “romantasy” label has grown around them.
Brandon Sanderson's work is never labelled as romantasy, despite several elements
(Credit: Bill Ruhsam)
For example, one of fantasy writing legend Brandon Sanderson’s most famous series The Mistborn Trilogy features a young street urchin, Vin, who embarks on a forbidden romance with the charming nobleman Elend. They end up saving each other a good many times, with the second novel in the trilogy playing around with a near love triangle – even if it does turn murderous – where Vin must decide what kind of person she wants to be, personified by two very different men. Amidst a backdrop of an evil empire, magic-wielding, and fantastical creatures there’s a world in which it could be labelled romantasy.
However, Sanderson’s books are rightfully lauded as epic fantasies with skilled storytelling. Few people, if anyone, would label them romantasy. To me and his leagues of devoted fans it would seem reductive and silly even to do so – yet I have to wonder if this would be the case if a woman had written it.
Are women’s books being shoved into a label that doesn’t fit simply because that is what those selling the books, along with audiences, expect of female writers? Instead of describing a niche within the fantasy genre, there is a danger of romantasy being used as a reductive label for fantasy written by women – reducing complex magic systems, intricate worldbuilding and engaging original plots to whatever romance may be found within their novel’s pages. This boils down and pigeonholes their work in a way that simply does not happen for books written by men. 
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