SOURCE: SCROLL
Romantasy
is a portmanteau term for romance and fantasy. For me, the earliest example of
romantasy was Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. Romance and fantasy, in
equal parts, it swayed our imagination for quite some time. BookTok is a branch
of TikTok that posts commentaries on books and literature through videos. A
community of young adults, the creators focus on young adult fiction that have
had the potential to impact the publishing industry and sales as well.
The
cocktail or say the union of romance and fantasy is not new but the term has
gained traction owing to Sarah J Mass A Court of Thorns and Roses in
2015. The five-book series has now sold over 40 million copies worldwide and
topped the New York Times bestseller list.
A world of fairies seeped in court intrigues became an instant sensation
in social media and almost took BookTok by storm. A Court of Thorns and
Roses (referred to as ACOTAR) bloomed with BookTok at the same time around
2020.
Another
sensation among BookTokers is Colleen Hoover. Hoover is, primarily, a
self-published, young-adult fiction writer. Driving conversations around
romantic tropes and fantastical settings, its history goes back to Arthurian
legends. The book to movie or series adaption may not be as old as Sir Lancelot
or Guinevere, but has turned writers into overnight sensations: Anne Rice’s Interview
with the Vampire in 1976, Colleen Hoover’s 2016 romance novel It Ends
with Us and not to mention Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire
Hunter Series. There are many other examples where vampires are given a break
and dragons step in like Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern.
Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight is an urban fantasy, a paranormal romance
where fantastical characters- vampires and werewolves are placed in mundane,
real-world settings. A few examples of time travel are Jude Deveraux’s A
Knight in Shinning Armour (1989) and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (1991).
There are several other examples where the protagonist undertakes adventurous
quests, these quests are embedded in romance.
Looking at the trend, the happy relationship of romance and fantasy is blooming in all seasons. The relationship isn’t new but is setting newer milestones for the young writers with the emerging urban culture.