--- title: "What is romantasy? A beginner's guide to fantasy's spiciest genre" description: "Everyone's talking about romantasy — but what actually counts, where did it come from, and which book should you start with? Here's the friendly, no-gatekeeping guide." canonical: "https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/what-is-romantasy-beginners-guide" url: "https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/what-is-romantasy-beginners-guide.md" author: "Amy — Bella Bugs Books" locale: "en-IE" type: "blog-post" date_modified: "2026-08-18" --- # What is romantasy? A beginner's guide to fantasy's spiciest genre Everyone's talking about romantasy — but what actually counts, where did it come from, and which book should you start with? Here's the friendly, no-gatekeeping guide. Category: Genre Guide If you've been on BookTok for more than five minutes you've heard the word **romantasy** thrown around like everyone was born knowing what it means. Fair warning: I wasn't. So here's the guide I wish I'd had. ## What romantasy actually is Romantasy is fantasy where the romance is a *load-bearing* part of the plot, not a subplot. If you took the love story out, the book would collapse. That's the test. A few practical markers: - **Two (or more) POVs** — usually the heroine and her love interest - **A fantasy world** — fae, dragons, magic academies, vampires, gods - **Slow-burn tension** that pays off (yes, usually with spice) - **Emotional stakes tied to the romance** — the fate of the world tends to run *through* the couple, not around them It sits between traditional epic fantasy (where romance is optional garnish) and paranormal romance (where the fantasy is really just wallpaper for the love story). ## Where it came from Romantasy didn't appear in 2023 no matter what TikTok tells you. Its DNA runs through: - **Anne McCaffrey's Pern** books (1960s) — dragons + bonded riders + soul-mate energy - **Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews** — paranormal romance that leaned harder into worldbuilding - **Jacqueline Carey's *Kushiel's Dart*** (2001) — arguably the mother of modern adult romantasy - **Sarah J. Maas** — who took the formula mainstream with *Throne of Glass* and then broke the internet with *A Court of Thorns and Roses* - **Rebecca Yarros's *Fourth Wing*** (2023) — the book that made "romantasy" a shelf label in physical bookshops ## The tropes you'll keep meeting Once you've read a few, you'll spot these everywhere: - **Fated mates / bond magic** — the universe ships them, and honestly so do we - **Enemies to lovers** — usually across a political or magical divide - **Only one bed** — a cliché because it *works* - **Morally grey love interest** — he's murdered people. He would murder for her. That's the appeal. - **Trials, tournaments, or war college** — a structured way to force proximity - **Chosen one heroine** who'd rather not be, thanks ## Where to start (depending on your vibe) **If you want the phenomenon:** *Fourth Wing* by Rebecca Yarros. Fast, propulsive, dragons. **If you want the modern classic:** *A Court of Thorns and Roses* by Sarah J. Maas. Book one is the setup — book two is why the fandom exists. **If you want something short and standalone:** *A Deal with the Elf King* by Elise Kova. **If you want darker / sharper:** *The Cruel Prince* by Holly Black. **If you want cosy romantasy:** *Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries* by Heather Fawcett. **If you want *very* spicy:** *From Blood and Ash* by Jennifer L. Armentrout, or *Zodiac Academy* by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti. ## A note on spice levels Romantasy runs the full range — from closed-door (nothing on the page) to *very* explicit. If you're not sure what you're getting into, the [StoryGraph](https://thestorygraph.com) content warnings are your friend, and honestly so is the comment section of any BookTok review. Nobody in this community will judge you for asking. --- Romantasy is having its main-character moment for a reason: it takes the emotional core of a great romance and gives it stakes big enough to match. Once you're in, you're in. Start with whichever of the above sounds most *you* — and come tell me on [Instagram](https://instagram.com/bellabugsbooks) which one hooked you. --- _Every book recommended here is read in full and reviewed by Amy. No sponsorships, no gifted-book obligations, spoilers always marked._ ## Related - [What to Read Next, Based on Your Mood](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/what-to-read-next-by-mood.md) - [What to Read After Freida McFadden](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/books-like-freida-mcfadden.md) - [A Cosy Autumn Reading List for Dark Evenings](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/cosy-autumn-reading-list.md) - [Best Books to Read in a Reading Slump](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog/best-books-for-a-reading-slump.md) - [All blog posts](https://bellabugsbooks.com/blog.md) - [Reading guides](https://bellabugsbooks.com/guides.md)