In the current landscape of literary trends, only a select few of genres can consistently generate an audience and create the necessary online and word-of-mouth "hubbub" to keep its popularity afloat across long periods.
Crime thrillers are one of these popular "book flavors," especially with their elements of mystery and twists that can easily be adapted into a TV series. Another forerunner would be historical dramas, with their ever-relevant themes.
However, none captures the title and essence of a reigning genre quite as well as Romantasy does this year, with its enormous appeal cementing the new portmanteau term as a common literary vocabulary.
The Birth of a New, 'Gigantic' Genre in the Literary Space
The subgenre itself comprises tried-and-true aspects from high fantasy mixed with the emotional pull of romance novels.
As per CNN, in essence, it is a blend of conventional fantasy questing narratives and endearingly cheesy romance tropes (such as "enemies-to-lovers"), something that has captured the gaze of millions upon millions of readers.
BookTok, a tight-knit TikTok community whose hashtag has 29.5 million concurrent posts and 231.4 billion views, is perhaps the main "suspect" behind the Romantasy term's widespread acclaim, with the subgenre's TikTok hashtag raking in a collective 879 million views so far.
The "big bang" of this phenomenon can be traced to last year when a lot of community posts about the prolific author Sarah J. Maas' works were generating buzz and conversation.
Her "A Court of Thorns and Roses" ("ACOTAR") series is especially popular, at least enough to be labeled as an uber-bestselling work, with three from this set sitting atop the New York Times' top 10 collective print and e-book fiction bestseller list.
Maas' contemporary in the subgenre, Rebecca Yarros, is also enjoying this massive pull of readers, with her "Fourth Wing" novel cozily rooted in its placement on the New York Times' bestseller list for 42 weeks now.
Not to mention its sequel, "Iron Flame," doing the same for 15 consecutive weeks, currently.
Among Romantasy's feats, its ability to act as a gateway to high fantasy for new readers is perhaps one of the more important ones, at least according to the "veteran lovers" of the genre.
Instagram book personality Christina Clark-Brown told The Guardian that when it comes to its more romance-leaning elements, perhaps its ability to let "women have it all" is the core of its draw.
"There is no damsel who needs saving but rather women are allowed to be powerful, go on epic quests, and find love with a partner who is equal to them in every way," she added.
Whatever the reason may be, Romantasy's mark has been made and it is now a mainstay "flavor" in the literary space, offering stories of love, hope, and adventure amid the recently increasing "grittiness" of reality.
