{"id":313835,"date":"2026-02-24T00:33:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T00:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/313835\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T00:33:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T00:33:12","slug":"inside-the-world-of-romantasy-a-publishing-phenomenon-in-ireland-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/313835\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the world of romantasy, a publishing phenomenon in Ireland and beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s hard to imagine that a genre that did not exist \u2013 or, at least, did not have a name \u2013 a decade ago is now one of the key drivers of sales in publishing and bookshops worldwide. Welcome to the age of romantasy, a blend of fantasy and romance which shows no sign of slowing down, and it has the power of social media to thank in part for its success.<\/p>\n

Content creators on BookTok, a subgenre of TikTok, have been passionately championing romantasy reads, particularly since 2020. Think damsels in distress who save themselves, forbidden love in a dragon-riding academy, magic powers that spice up intimate encounters. A quick scroll through the app shows romantasy is undoubtedly the genre of the moment, including for Irish readers.<\/p>\n

“TikTok has become a key space where Irish readers discover books, exchange recommendations, and build momentum around genres like romantasy,\u201d says Rebecca O\u2019Keeffe of TikTok Ireland.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat engagement is translating beyond the platform, supporting authors and driving real-world discovery in bookshops across Ireland.\u201d And bookshops are welcoming this renewed interest in reading. Sara Phelan of Chapters Bookstore in Dublin says TikTok \u201cacts as a modern version of word-of-mouth, which has always been a key driver in bookselling\u201d and credits BookTok with creating a new community of readers, both online and off.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past year, we\u2019ve hosted a variety of romantasy events, where it\u2019s been great to see real friendships being formed,\u201d she says. \u201cBeyond the books themselves, it\u2019s the community that makes romantasy so special. Seeing readers connect, share recommendations, and form friendships, both online and in-store, is incredibly rewarding.”<\/p>\n

Irish writers are finding success in the genre too. Catherine Doyle, author of The Dagger and the Flame and its sequel The Rebel and the Rose, says it\u2019s no surprise to her that we are drawn to the epic worlds within these books and the magic of escapism.<\/p>\n

\u201cRomantasy is the ultimate escape. It offers swoon-worthy romance, high stakes, and epic worldbuilding, which makes for an irresistible combination. And typically, we see some version of good triumphing over evil, which I think, in today\u2019s world, is more needed than ever,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think women are drawn to it for the same reasons romance has always been popular: the appeal of yearning, of love, of impossible odds. It\u2019s a concept as old as time, but romantasy dresses it up more elaborately. It elevates the fairytales we were drawn to as children. In a way, it offers a more grown-up counterpart to the magic we loved as young readers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"CatherineCatherine Doyle. <\/p>\n

Doyle believes TikTok is a useful tool to interact directly with readers of her own books, but notes it is also influencing what books get published.<\/p>\n

\u201cBookTok is huge, particularly in the realm of romantasy. Because we\u2019re all so chronically online, it\u2019s one of the fastest ways to reach readers and build enthusiastic communities of people looking for the same kind of stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cTikTok doesn\u2019t just influence what readers pick up, it shapes trends publishers pay attention to as well, and can even launch entirely new authors, like Lauren Roberts, the internationally bestselling author of the Powerless Series, who came up on TikTok.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fellow Irish writer Claire Wright also links her books\u2019 success with social media, particularly as an indie author, and she sees TikTok as \u201cthe leading book discovery engine\u201d today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t have publishers or marketers behind us to support us. It’s me and my phone and TikTok taking on the industry,\u201d Wright says. \u201cIt’s so hugely important for all authors, but I think in particular, indie authors, because we connect straight away to our readers, there’s no barrier, like there used to be. Now, TikTok has made it so much easier for us to reach readers who want our books.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romantasy is very popular with female readers and Wright says she thinks women are drawn to the strong characters in these worlds.<\/p>\n

\"ClaireClaire Wright.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s so important for women to read about heroines who want something \u2013 she goes after it, she gets it, and she doesn’t have to choose between power and love,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese books are probably known for the romance side of things, but they are very much political. I think that’s why readers, especially women, love them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wright is the author of the adult fantasy series, Fair Ones, which is based on Irish mythology, something she says she is passionate about reclaiming as an Irish writer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been a lot of books out there that are inspired by Irish mythology, but not necessarily written by an Irish author. I think that’s what lacked in the genre,\u201d she says. \u201cIt’s important to have the authenticity of real Irish characters and stay as true to Irish mythology as you can. There’s definitely an argument around being \u2018inspired by\u2019 and then retelling it yourself, and I wanted to close the gap.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two popular international writers who use Irish myths and language in their romantasy works are Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J Mass. Fourth Wing author Yarros released the third book in her Empereon series in January 2025, and Onyx Storm sold more than 2.7 million copies within the first week, becoming the fastest-selling adult novel since BookScan began tracking print sales 20 years, according to the New York Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, by 2024 Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses(commonly shortened to Acotar), and Crescent City author Mass had sold more than 75 million copies of her books.<\/p>\n

However, despite its undeniable popularity, romantasy is not without its critics. A TikTok user went viral in recent months with a since-deleted video where she described romantasy readers as \u201cnot the brightest sparks\u201d, sparking outcry among readers of all genres. It\u2019s a sentiment that is dismissed by Cork BookTok creator Emma O\u2019Connell, who says reading fiction helps people to develop skills like empathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think when you read, you read for different perspectives and it’s why I always say to people, you grow more empathy reading fiction than you do non-fiction because you’re in so many different shoes,\u201d O’Connell says. \u201cEmpathy is so important. I think TikTok books as a category have been given this negative connotation. But you could say the Bible is a TikTok book \u2013 it literally just means it’s being talked about online.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connell points out that political systems are central to most romantasy plots and are often reflective of current political realities and fears and a way to process what\u2019s happening in real life.<\/p>\n

\"EmmaEmma O’Connell.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these books do have political systems, and I think you don’t need an English degree to be able to read between the lines as to how you can map that to the real world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She says cynics who dismiss the genre as \u2018not real fantasy\u2019 do not understand the similarities. \u201cThis is a valid genre. We’ve just combined two things that everyone universally loved and have created a plot-driven romance book set in a fantasy world. That’s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0O\u2019Connell is quick to dismiss anyone who looks down on reading for pleasure. \u201cThe magic and that feeling of reading a book while you’re walking because you don’t want to put it down, and having your like Beauty the Beast Belle moment, is what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five romantasy books for newcomers\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n \u00a0A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Mass: Catherine Doyle, Claire Wright and Emma O\u2019Connell recommend dipping into the ‘Maasverse’ with the first in the Acotar series, which is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that follows the journey of Feyre Archeron after she is brought into the faerie lands of Prythian.<\/p>\n

\n Skipshock, by Caroline O\u2019Donoghue: The Cork author\u2019s story of a schoolgirl who is on a train when she slips into another dimension, passing from the height of Irish summer into the chill of an alien winter is one Emma O\u2019Connell recommends. \u201cIt’s set between Cork and Dublin in purgatory, which is technically Mallow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n When the Moon Hatched, by Sarah A Parker: O\u2019Connell says \u201cthe prose are absolutely to die for\u201d in this book, which transports readers into a world filled with magic, dragons and a love that blazes through the ages.<\/p>\n

\n The Swan\u2019s Daughter, by Roshani Chokshi: Catherine Doyle recommends this retelling of The Ugly Duckling, which she says is \u201ca brilliant example of why the genre can be both exciting and comforting at the same time\u201d and is perfect for anyone who loved fairytales growing up.<\/p>\n

\n The Night and the Moth, by Rachel Gillig: Claire Wright says her most recent romantasy read was The Night and the Moth, the tale of a prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with a devilishly handsome knight. \u201cI’m obsessed. I was 10 chapters in and constantly thinking \u2018when is the next time I can read it?\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It’s hard to imagine that a genre that did not exist \u2013 or, at least, did not have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":313836,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,6405,43],"class_list":["post-313835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-music-movies-reviews-munster","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313835\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/313836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}