View source for Romantic fantasy

{{Short description|Subgenre of fantasy fiction}}

'''Romantic fantasy,''' or "'''romantasy'''", is a [[Genre|subgenre]] of [[fantasy fiction]] that combines [[fantasy]] and [[Romance novel|romance]], bringing to fantasy many of the elements and conventions of the romance genre.<ref name="Robinson">{{cite web|url=http://web.utk.edu/~wrobinso/590_lec_fan.html|title=A Few Thoughts on the Fantasy Genre|last=Robinson|first=William C.|access-date=22 December 2013|date=October 2004|publisher=University of Tennessee, Knoxville|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090302043157/http://web.utk.edu/~wrobinso/590_lec_fan.html|archive-date=2009-03-02}}</ref> One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, political, and romantic.<ref name="BlueRose">{{cite web|url=http://bluerose.greenronin.com/blue_rose_devlog_entry.php?id=54_0_15_0|title=What is Romantic Fantasy?|last=Snead|first=John|access-date=8 May 2014|publisher=Green Ronin Publishing|url-status=dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140508223047/http://bluerose.greenronin.com/blue_rose_devlog_entry.php?id=54_0_15_0|archive-date=8 May 2014}}</ref>

Romantic fantasy has been published by both fantasy lines and romance lines. It can be defined as a fantasy where the plot is so dependent on the romance that it fall apart without it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arama |first=Roxana |date=2025-02-25 |title=Romantasy: An Old Genre with a New Name |url=https://www.sfwa.org/2025/02/25/romantasy-an-old-genre-with-a-new-name/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association |language=en-US}}</ref> As a result of the financial success of authors such as [[Sarah J. Maas]] and [[Rebecca Yarros]] in the 2010s, [[publishers]] created [[Imprint (trade name)|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.<ref name="Robinson"/> 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".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dondammassa.com/r2.htm| title = Fantasy Reviews| last = D'Ammassa| first = Don| authorlink = Don D'Ammassa | access-date = 2024-10-28}}</ref> 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."<ref name=mahg>{{cite book| last = Horvath| first = Stu| title = Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground| publisher = MIT Press| date = 2023| location = Cambridge, Massachusetts| pages = 293 | isbn =9780262048224 }}</ref>

== Medieval and Chivalric Romance ==
Between the [[Middle Ages|12th and 15th centuries]], there was a popularity in stories about knights going on quests. These quests frequently involved courtly love, specifically [[Knight|knights]] fell in love with noble ladies. They would also involve fantasy elements like [[Dragon|dragons]] and magical places and objects. Examples from this period include; [[Roman de la Rose|The Romance of the Rose]], a French [[Poetry|poem]] that blends love and fantasy in an [[Allegory|allegorical]] way; [[Le Morte d'Arthur|Le Morte d’Arthur]] by [[Thomas Malory|Sir Thomas Malory]], a collection of [[King Arthur]] stories, including the love story of [[Lancelot]] and [[Guinevere]] and set in the magical world of [[Camelot]]; [[Tristan and Iseult|Tristan and Isolde]], a famous tale about forbidden love between a knight and a queen that involves many fantasy elements and is considered one of the first stories to mix romance and magic in a way that influenced later fantasy romance books.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maddie |date=2024-09-25 |title=Love and Magic: The History of Fantasy Romance |url=https://galatea.com/h/blog/the-history-of-fantasy-romance/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=Galatea Chronicles |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Renaissance ==
This era of romance and fantasy becomes more centered on theatre and poetry. [[Edmund Spenser|Edmund Spenser’s]] [[The Faerie Queene]] was a poem written in the late 1500s that combines knights, love stories, and magical creatures. It has had a  big influence on modern romantic fantasy because it demonstrates a blend of romantic themes with fantasy world building. [[William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare's]]  plays like “[[A Midsummer Night's Dream|A Midsummer Night’s Dream]] and “[[The Tempest]] feature fairies, magic, and love. Despite the fact that Shakespeare was not considered a fantasy author, these plays mix romance with fantasy, setting a template for later fantasy romance works.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maddie |date=2024-09-25 |title=Love and Magic: The History of Fantasy Romance |url=https://galatea.com/h/blog/the-history-of-fantasy-romance/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=Galatea Chronicles |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Origins of Modern Romantic Fantasy ==
Emma Bull's [[War for the Oaks]] published in 1987 follows a human woman who becomes drafted into a war between [[Fairy|faeries]] and ends up falling in love with the same person who put her in danger. The fantasy very rich in [[Irish mythology]] but also strongly features romance at center of the story.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tomlinson |first=Danielle |date=2024-02-26 |title=The History of the Wonderful Romantasy Genre |url=https://bookstr.com/article/the-history-of-the-wonderful-romantasy-genre/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=Bookstr |language=en-US}}</ref> Fantasy and romance can be seen as similar in many ways. It is very common to see a combination of fantasy and romance today. For a very long time, both genres have not been taken seriously. Despite this, they have become incredibly popular.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Romance of Fantasy |url=https://fantasy-faction.com/2015/the-romance-of-fantasy |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=fantasy-faction.com}}</ref>

== 2023–2024: social media trend ==
{{Anchor|Romantasy}}
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]] known as [[BookTok]].<ref name="grauniad">{{Cite news |last=Creamer |first=Ella |date=2024-02-02 |title=A genre of swords and soulmates: the rise and rise of 'romantasy' novels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/02/romantasy-literary-genre-booktok |access-date=2024-02-16 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> ''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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lobb |first=M. K. |date=2024-02-27 |title=What Is Romantasy, Anyway? |url=https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/what-is-romantasy-anyway |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Writer&#039;s Digest |language=en}}</ref> ''[[The Economist]]'' notes that the genre has particular appeal to those who grew up reading young-adult fantasy, such as ''[[Harry Potter]]'', and are now interested in similar themes, but with adult themes of sex and romance.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=26 April 2024 |title=Romantasy brings dragons and eroticism together. At last |url=https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/04/26/romantasy-brings-dragons-and-eroticism-together-at-last |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701231009/https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/04/26/romantasy-brings-dragons-and-eroticism-together-at-last |archive-date=1 July 2024 |work=[[The Economist]]}}</ref> Popular authors in the genre include [[Sarah J. Maas]] and [[Rebecca Yarros]], whose ''[[Fourth Wing]]'', ''[[Iron Flame]]'', and ''[[Onyx Storm]]'' have all broken sales records and are due to be made into a [[TV]] series.<ref name="grauniad" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Alter |first=Alexandra |date=2025-01-30 |title=Rebecca Yarros's 'Onyx Storm' Is the Fastest-Selling Adult Novel in 20 Years |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/books/rebecca-yarros-onyx-storm.html |access-date=2025-01-31 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Authors of novels labeled as romantasy are largely women, as is the market, and the novels are known for representing minorities.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001w73w |title=Open Book |date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

== Gender Discussion in Romantic Fantasy ==
There is a complex discussion surrounding romantic fantasy and where they are examples of [[Women's empowerment|female empowerment]] or if they enforce [[misogyny]] and [[sexism]]. Some believe that these stories are feminist because they portray strong female characters that are warriors and heroines, frequently empower women, embrace their sexuality, and subvert [[Gender role|gender roles]] such as the [[damsel in distress]] trope.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Turello |first=Elizabeth |date=2021-04-01 |title=Modern-Day Fantasy: The Progressive Role of the Active Female |url=https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/shuscholar/vol4/iss1/3 |journal=Sacred Heart University Scholar |volume=4 |issue=1 |issn=2574-0202}}</ref> There is also a widespread belief that these stories are inherently [[Feminism|feminist]] because they are primarily written for and enjoyed by women, as the majority of readers of romantic fiction novels are women between the ages of 18 to 44.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fletcher |first=Max |date=2025-03-08 |title=What do women really want from men? I delved into romantasy and found a good few clues |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/08/romantasy-fiction-books-women-men-heroes |access-date=2025-11-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

On the other hand, others believe that these stories uphold [[patriarchy]] due to the fact that they often tie a woman's strength and empowerment to her male love interest or to her traditionally [[Masculinity|masculine]] traits such as aggression, physical strength, and [[stoicism]]. There is also an argument that romantic fantasy frequently portrays men in a way that strongly adheres to gender roles. Male love interests tend to be strong, ruthless men in positions of power who have tragic backstories and are rarely emotionally vulnerable, only ever breaking their stoic facade and showing emotions for their female partners once the romance blooms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Ella T. |date=2024-02-03 |title=Romantasy: Is it Feminist, Or Patriarchy 2.0 Electric Boogaloo? |url=https://ellahasthoughts.substack.com/p/romantasy-feminist-or-patriarchy |access-date=2025-11-20 |website=ella has thoughts}}</ref>

== Notable Examples of Romantic Fantasy ==
Some examples of media in the romantic fantasy subgenre include:

=== Literature ===
* ''[[Twilight (novel series)|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 Folk of the Air (series)|The Folk of the Air series]] by [[Holly Black]]
* [[Rebecca Yarros#Empyrean series|''Empyrean'' series]] by [[Rebecca Yarros]] (''[[Fourth Wing]]'', ''[[Iron Flame]]'', ''[[Onyx Storm]]'')
* [[The Princess Bride (novel)|''The Princess Bride'']] (1973) by [[William Goldman]]  – Set in a magical world and features the romantic relationship between Princess Buttercup and her true love, Westley
* ''[[A Court of Thorns and Roses]]'' series by [[Sarah J. Maas]] 
* [[The Immortals (series)|''The Immortals'']] series by [[Tamora Pierce]]  
* [[Catherine Asaro bibliography#Lost Continent|''Lost Continent (aka Aronsdale)'']] series<ref>[http://www.readersadvice.com/readadv/000283.html Reader's Advice]</ref> by [[Catherine Asaro]]  
* [[Mercedes Lackey bibliography#Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms|''Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms'']] series by [[Mercedes Lackey]]  
* ''[[The Princess and the Goblin]]'' (1872) by [[George MacDonald]]

=== Films ===
* ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1991) – Disney’s animated adaptation of [[Beauty and the Beast|the classic fairy tale]], which focuses on the romantic relationship between Belle, a young woman, and the Beast, a prince who is magically transformed into a monster as punishment for his arrogance and cruelty.
* [[The Last: Naruto the Movie|''The Last: Naruto the Movi''e]] (2014) – a canonical adaptation and epilogue of Japanese manga series [[Naruto (TV series)|''Naruto'']] and its [[Naruto (TV series)|anime adaptation]], which focuses on the romantic relationship between [[Naruto Uzumaki]] and [[Hinata Hyuga]] while on a mission to rescue [[List of Naruto characters|Hanabi Hyuga]], Hinata's younger sister, from a mysterious villain [[List of Naruto characters#Toneri Ōtsutsuki|Toneri Otsutsuki]].
* ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' (1989) – Disney’s animated adaptation of [[The Little Mermaid|Hans Christian Andersen's story]], centered around the romance between a mermaid and a human prince, as she sacrifices a lot for love.
* ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987) – The film adaptation of [[The Princess Bride (novel)|William Goldman’s novel]], which is set in a magical world and features the romantic relationship between Princess Buttercup and her true love, Westley.
* [[The Twilight Saga (film series)|''Twilight'' film series]] (2008–2012) – The film adaptations of [[Twilight (novel series)|Stephenie Meyer’s novels]], focusing on the supernatural love story between a human girl and a vampire.
* ''[[The Shape of Water]]'' (2017) – Follows a [[Muteness|mute]] [[cleaner]] at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured [[humanoid]] [[amphibian]] 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 (1990 film)|Ghost]]'' (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 (1985 film)|Legend]]'' (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.
* ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'' (1950) – Disney’s animated film adaptation of [[Cinderella|the classic European folk tale]], which centers around the romantic relationship between Cinderella and Prince Charming, in a magical fairy-tale world.
* ''[[Your Name|Your Name]]'' (2016) - A romantic fantasy anime, where two high school students suddenly begin to [[Body swap|swap bodies]] despite having never met, unleashing chaos onto each other's lives.

=== 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.
* ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1987 TV series)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1987–1990) - A modern retelling of the classic fairy tale which is set in New York during the later 1980s and focuses on the romance between Catherine, a successful lawyer, and Vincent, a mysterious, lion-like man who lives in the tunnels beneath the city.

=== 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]]
* [[Medieval fantasy]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Fantasy fiction}}
{{Film genres}}
{{Romance novel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Romantic Fantasy}}
[[Category:Romantic fantasy| ]]
[[Category:Fantasy genres]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Film genres]]
[[Category:Fiction by genre]]
[[Category:Literary genres]]
[[Category:Romance genres]]