The Six (At Least) Degrees of Romantasy

beyond Fourth Wing and ACOTAR (with infographic)

Do you love romance? Do you love fantasy? Do you want to read books that have both? Did you already read ACOTAR and/or Fourth Wing, or another heavily-hyped book in a similar vein, and find them unimpressive? Then this post is for you.

“Romantasy,” a portmanteau of romance and fantasy, is a growing subgenre that combines elements of both genres, to varying degrees. I think when people talk about romantasy online, they’re most often referring to a very specific blend of the two genres, namely that which is found in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas and the recently-released Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and other books within a similar vein. In this specific iteration, the fantasy elements include an imagined world (though with a bare minimum of world building that relies heavily on the work put in by classic medieval European-inspired epics), global stakes, and physical combat that makes use of magical elements. And, what makes this romantasy is that there is a romance storyline that is either central to the plot or is of equal prominence to another main storyline.

But I think romantasy encompasses more than this very specific sub-subgenre.

Genre is fluid. It is subjective. If you think about it too long, it really doesn’t mean anything. But understanding genre is also helpful for finding the right book to read. A genre is essentially a set of narrative conventions, or even, *siiighhhhh,* TROPES, that most if not all works in a specific genre adhere to. But when you combine two genres, like with romantasy, you have two sets of conventions that you’re going to find, and to varying degrees of prominence. You might get books that mostly adhere to one genre and only have a couple light elements of the other genre, and vice versa. Or you might get books that have a pretty even mix of the two.

With romantasy in particular, because one of the genres it draws from is fantasy, there is another spectrum complicating things: that of high vs. low fantasy. And don’t even get me started on the fantasy-science fiction spectrum—because it is a spectrum, not a binary. Maybe I will explore those nuances further in a later post, but for now I want to keep this somewhat simple.

Probably the most practical question related to genre we can ask about a book to determine its place on the romantasy spectrum is, where would it be shelved in a bookstore? One would hope it would be shelved in romance if the romance elements are stronger, and in fantasy if the fantasy elements are stronger, but of course there are a lot of factors that might make that not the case. Like, maybe the publisher didn’t market it accurately, or the author didn’t fully understand the genre they were intending to write, or maybe the bookstore just has a weird shelving system, or any other number of things.

I think the good news is that current traditionally published romance has such a strong genre identity that you’re probably not going to find anything in Romance that doesn’t belong. But, you might find a book in the Fantasy section that could just as easily be shelved in Romance. And that, I think, is the purest form of romantasy.

But maybe you’re reading this post and you’re really more of a fantasy OR a romance reader, and you wouldn’t mind if they were combined a little, but not too much. You’re okay with a bit of a fantastical element in your romance, but you want it to be mostly romance. Or you think your high fantasy novel could use a love story, but you want it to be on the side. Enter this infographic.

I’ve tried to cover both ends of the spectrum, as well as the varying degrees of romantasy in between. Below I identify six categories of romantasy, though there is still room for more nuance, for sure, and which section of the bookstore you might find each. If you scroll down to the infographic, you’ll see a few examples of each that I’ve identified, though this is obviously by no means a comprehensive list of titles.

I’ve also tried to identify with my best guess, based on my own experience, what you can expect in terms of point of view (POV). Several people I know have mentioned POV being a particular hang-up when trying to get into a romance and/or fantasy book. Within the current traditionally published romance genre, you’re going to find mostly dual POV (the two people who are part of the romance), though sometimes it will be single, and it will almost always be first person or very limited third person. This is a very intimate perspective, which is appropriate for a story about two people falling in love. It’s also the opposite of what a lot of epic high fantasy readers are used to, which is often multiple POV with a third person narrator that has far more knowledge than most of the characters do. The romantasy sweet spot for me is when the narration finds just the right balance between intimate and epic.

But maybe you fall somewhere else on the scale. Let’s start with the most romance-heavy end of the romantasy spectrum.

“Romantasy-Lite”

Convention-conforming genre romance, most often in a contemporary setting, with some fantasy elements. Affectionately nicknamed "witchy romcoms," though other types of magical characters may be present. Also sometimes labeled "cozy." May be technically classified as Paranormal Romance, but typically has a lighter tone and/or lower stakes.

POV: May be single or dual POV; most likely 1st person or very close 3rd person

Where in the Bookstore: Romance (most likely)

Paranormal Romance

Long-established subgenre in romance, in which the setting is more or less contemporary, as in, somewhat resembles the modern real world, but has more prominent fantasy elements. The romance is the main story or shares equal prominence with another main plotline. May also be darker and grittier, with higher stakes and more violence than Romantasy-Lite.

POV: May be single or dual POV; most likely 1st person or very close 3rd person

Where in the Bookstore: Romance, or could even have its own subsection; possibly, but not likely, Horror

Historical Romantasy

Any historical setting rooted in real-world history with varying prominence of both romance and fantastical elements. Genre-wise, would still be classified as paranormal romance or low fantasy, but the historical element adds a further degree of removal from the real, modern world.

POV: May be single, dual, or multiple POV; may be 1st person or 3rd person, limited or omniscient

Where in the Bookstore: It really depends, but your best bet is probably Fantasy

High Fantasy Romance

This is Romantasy in its purest form, with the most equal balance of romance and fantasy. This is a high fantasy, entirely imagined world in which the romance is the main story or shares equal prominence with another main plotline. May have varying degrees of darkness or lightness in tone and high- to low-stakes conflict.

POV: May be single, dual, or possibly multiple POV; most likely 1st person or very close 3rd person

Where in the Bookstore: Probably Fantasy (this is that “book shelved in Fantasy that could just as easily be shelved in Romance” I mentioned)

High Fantasy with Romance

A high fantasy, imagined world in which the romance is present, but is not the main story, but rather a secondary or tertiary plotline. In these books, the romance is clearly present and most often ends on a hopeful note, though not always.

POV: Will often be multiple POV; most likely 3rd person, though 1st isn’t unheard of

Where in the Bookstore: Fantasy, unless someone messed up somewhere

A Li’l Romance in Your Fantasy, as a Treat

Can be a high or low fantasy setting with any degree of removal from the real, modern world. There is a romance plotline or romantic scenes present, but the romance story is very minor or peripheral to the main story and may or may not end happily. Probably doesn't even warrant the label of "romantasy" at this point, tbh.

POV: You’re joking, right?

Where in the Bookstore: You’re joking, right?

As I mentioned, genre is fluid, and there are a lot of books that might straddle the line between two of these degrees—in fact, I can think of several that definitely do. But hopefully this is helpful for you if you’re looking for just the right blend of romance and fantasy.

If you want a specific rec, leave me a comment! I love a book rec challenge, and I’ve read widely across the romantasy spectrum. I might know exactly what you’re looking for.