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IST 605: All About Romantasy

Welcome to the genre of Romantasy!

There has always been something so deeply addictive about the romantasy genre that keeps pulling me back, book after- making up the majority of my embarassingly long TBR list. Romantasy is a literary genre that blends the whimsy of fantasy with the emotional intensity of romance, which has become one of the most popular and talked about categories in recent years. Combining magical worlds, epic quests, monsterous creatures with deeply felt love stories and smoldering sexual tension, romantasy offers readers both escapism and emotional connection. Whether it's soulmates caught in magical curses or enemies forced to work together to save a crumbling kingdom, the genre is one I will forever crave! Through this guide, I hope you can understand the genre I adore so much, and maybe even consider reading a book or two! I can give you so many recommendations, as long as your willing to listen- and have a notepad..

What is "Romantasy"?

Understanding Romantasy

Image:Portalist

 This fantastical and sensual genre is a mix of romance and fantasy, and it’s only been established as a genre within the last few decades. It’s gained popularity quickly and is one of the most popular genres today (Tomlinson, 2024).

In this article, a brief description is provided by Danielle Tomlinson who describes "Romantasy" as a mix of both fantasy and romance elements, usually set in a fantasy world with magic and worldbuilding, but the fantasy is not the center- the romance is. She also delves into how Romantasy has gained popularity- offering readers a sense of escapism and adventure. She highlights the general appeal of the genre, particularly among young females.

Tomlinson, D. (2024, February 26). The History of the Wonderful Romantasy Genre. Bookstr. https://bookstr.com/article/the-history-of-the-wonderful-romantasy-genre/

Origins

Origins of Romantasy

Romantasy might be a 21st-century word. But if we define romantasy as a genre where worldbuilding is as important as the couple’s happy ending, and where the publisher makes the book look as lovely as possible at least some of the time, then this style easily dates back to the beginning of the last century (Jones, 2025).

In this article, Rosmary Jones explores the roots of "Romatasy". She highlights early 20th century works like Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars (1912), which combined a fantastical adventure with a central love story. She also examines mid-20th-century novels such as Andre Norton's The Year of the Unicorn (1965) and Anne McCaffrey's Restoree (1967), making note of their romantic subplots within a mystical setting. These examples demonstrate that while label "Romantasy" is new and contemporary, the genre's foundational elements have been present in literature for decades.

Jones, R. (2025, February 25). Romantasy: An Old Genre with a New Name - SFWA. SFWA. https://www.sfwa.org/2025/02/25/romantasy-an-old-genre-with-a-new-name/

Romantic Fantasy VS Fantasy Romance

Image: BETHCES

It is important to note that you may have heard of romantic fantasy and  fantasy romance used interchangably, just as Author M.K Lobb mentions in her Writer's Digest article, exploring the definition of "romantasy" and highlighting the lack of consensus among readers and writers regarding the difference between romantic fantasy and fantasy romance. She conducted her own study by collecting diverse opinions of readers and writers on social media. Ultimately her research concluded  that "nobody really knows" the difference, however they are in fact NOT the same thing, despite being separated by a rather thin line.

Romantasy is often confused with its sister genre, Fantasy Romance. While the Venn diagram of their readership does overlap, distinct expectations mean readers of one may not choose to read the other (Sager, 2022).

Clare Sager, an author who write within both genres notes the differences in her Indie Author magazine article:

  • Romantic Fantasy (Romantasy) is a subgenre of Fantasy with a primary focus on the couple's love story. This genre follows Fantasy rules and expectations, featuring fantastical elements and HEA/HFN endings are not guarenteeded.
  • Fantasy Romance is a subgenre of Romance, meaning that books of that genre obey the rules of Romance- "Happily Ever After"  or "Happy for Now" ending.

Lobb, M. K. (2024, February 27). What Is Romantasy, Anyway? Writer’s Digest. https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/what-is-romantasy-anyway

Sager, C. (2022, April 1). Living the Romantasy: Genre Tropes in Romantic Fantasy - Indie Author Magazine. Indieauthormagazine.com. https://indieauthormagazine.com/living-the-romantasy-genre-tropes-in-romantic-fantasy/