If you frequent Village Books’ romance shelves, you’ve likely spotted an influx of novels featuring seductive fairies, smoldering dragon riders and other fantastical (and oftentimes sexy) characters.
The “romantasy” subgenre has exploded in popularity over the last five years, partly thanks to massive hype on social media platforms like TikTok — but its impact isn’t limited to social media.
In 2024, Bloomberg estimated that romantasy titles achieved $610 million in sales — up from $454 million in 2023. Romantasy author Rebecca Yarros’ 2024 release, “Onyx Storm,” sold 2.7 million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling adult book in two decades.
Village Books’ “resident romantasy expert,” Bee Cabezas, said the phenomenon began during the pandemic with Sarah J. Maas’ massively successful “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (ACOTAR) series. That title graced the bookstore’s bestseller shelf for months. But now, “People aren’t asking so much for Sarah J. Maas, but [titles] similar to it,” Cabezas continued.
A screenshot shows that the “romantasy” hashtag on TikTok has more than 1.3 million views. (Source: TikTok)
One of the genre’s foremost authors, Sarah Hawley, just so happens to live in Bellingham. The second installment in her “Shards of Magic” series, entitled “Princess of Blood,” was released on Sept. 30 and became a USA Today Bestseller.
Hawley, 37, is aware that “romantasy” carries a negative connotation in certain literary circles. But as she points out, the subgenre encompasses a “huge, massive range” of titles, from cozy, escapist comedies (like her own “Glimmer Falls” series) to immersive, high-fantasy epics with detailed worlds and magic systems. “Princess of Blood” belongs to the latter category.
“I think all people lump it together and [say] it’s not real literature when some of the best fantasy writing I’ve read comes from these spaces,” Hawley said. “It just happens to be that there’s a strong romantic subplot.”
What is ‘romantasy,’ anyway?
With more than 1.3 million videos hashtagged as #romantasy on TikTok, there’s no denying the subgenre is trending. Even so, Hawley said romantasy’s precise definition is a “very hotly debated topic” among authors and readers alike.
“It’s the crossover space. You’re going to have a lot of fantasy elements, you’re going to have a lot of romance elements,” she said. “I would say there always has to be a happily-ever-after if you’re writing romantasy, which is sort of the contract of the romance genre.”
If in doubt, try examining a book’s plot without the romance element: If the story falls apart, it’s likely romantasy. But even that rule has exceptions: Hawley said the first “Shards of Magic” book, entitled “Servant of Earth,” would likely function fine without the love affair.
Authors Sarah Hawley, left, and Ann Aguirre discuss their writing process and favorite characters from past works, among other topics, during a promotional tour for Hawley’s new book, “Princess of Blood.” (Santiago Ochoa/Cascadia Daily News)
Romantasy books also vary wildly in tone and sexual content — though Hawley pointed out how plenty of well-regarded high fantasy novels (i.e. “Game of Thrones”) contain graphic sex scenes, too. However, those scenes are often intended to be dark, non-consensual or violent.
“You think: Why does that have literary merit, but as soon as these characters are doing it in an empowering way,” she said, “or as soon as there’s a happily ever after, or as soon as it’s about women reclaiming power, why does that suddenly make it trash?”
And while “romantasy” is a newer term, romance/fantasy crossovers have been popular among readers for decades. (Anne McCaffrey’s 1967 “Dragonriders of Pern” series, for example, could be considered a predecessor to Yarros’ “Fourth Wing” books.) Hawley said these kinds of books come in waves — and it’s perhaps no surprise that romantasy blew up in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was a big boom in paranormal romance in the early 2000s, actually, from around the time of 9/11,” she said. In these “big, dark moments” in the broader world, “People feel a sense of powerlessness, and maybe they’re drawn more to stories where there’s the escapism of another world, or a woman fighting evil tyrants.”
Sarah Hawley poses with a stack of books from her series, “The Shards of Magic,” inside the Village Books and Paper Dreams reading gallery. “Princess of Blood” is the second book in the series and Hawley’s latest release. (Santiago Ochoa/Cascadia Daily News)
‘Princess of Blood’
Before becoming a professional author, Hawley earned degrees in archaeology. She believes knowledge gleaned in her master’s program translates well to building fantasy worlds.
“You think about all the objects and the costumes, how people move through the world and how they interact with it,” she said. Writing fantasy thus involves “a lot of the same narrative-building that you would do on an archeological dig, trying to recreate a story out of all the little pieces.”
In “Princess of Blood,” the protagonist, Kenna, is a human woman who becomes trapped in the faerie kingdom of Mistei. Hawley drew from Celtic folklore to develop “these beautiful, trickster, kind of awful creatures that live underground and get into some of the brutality of the original lore.”
Sarah Hawley drew inspiration from Celtic lore when writing the fae kingdom of Mistei for her new book. (Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House)
Hawley split Mistei into six houses with “almost elemental” powers: Blood, Illusion, Light, Void, Fire and Earth. From there, she imagined how society would arrange itself: How would the fae dress to signify group belonging? What do they eat? What are their religious beliefs, rituals and holidays?
“A lot of it is about the different myths and narratives that are used, especially by people in power to maintain that power,” Hawley said.
It’s not uncommon for fantasy novels (romantasy or otherwise) to act as metaphors for real-life society. Hawley said this allows readers to “get lost in a world, but then explore themes that matter to you as a person” — albeit from a safe distance. Romantic plotlines thus act as “guardrails” to keep readers’ expectations in check.
“A lot of readers really want that comfort,” Hawley said. “ … If it’s a romance, or it’s a romantasy, I know everything’s gonna be OK, no matter how dark it gets in the middle. And I think it’s tremendously comforting for people — especially in dark times.”
‘You can’t write a book just because you think it’s marketable’
Less than a month after the release of “Princess of Blood,” Hawley is already at work on edits for the trilogy’s final installment. She’s also drafting another rom-com fantasy set in a fictionalized version of Bellingham. Hawley finds inspiration in the city’s natural beauty and eclectic, creative community — and evidently, Bellingham loves her back.
“I think something unique with writers and readers of Bellingham is that they [often] stick to local titles and authors,” Cabezas said. “It’s really great. When we have local authors like Sarah Hawley who crop up, the entire community immediately supports that author.”
Sarah Hawley, Ann Aguirre and a room full of fans share a laugh during a conversation with the two authors hosted by Village Books and Paper Dreams. (Santiago Ochoa/Cascadia Daily News)
Cabezas added that Village Books is welcoming No. 1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer on Sunday, Nov. 9. Meyer is based in Tacoma and will be presenting her new romantasy/murder mystery, “The House Saphir,” based on the classic Bluebeard legend.
What’s more, Cabezas pointed out how romantasy isn’t the only trending romance subgenre. “It kind of feels like people are looking more for vibes than genres,” Cabezas continued. “So they’re looking for a dark academia vibe, or an enemies-to-lovers.”
These kinds of titles are also popular on #BookTok, a TikTok subcommunity devoted to reading, discussing and reacting to books, often within the romance and fantasy genres. With more than 370 billion views as of 2025, #BookTok has been a major sales driver since 2020, and publishing houses have since learned to capitalize on it.
Hawley is on TikTok and acknowledges the platform’s influence in the publishing industry. However, she said the “vast majority” of writers aren’t influencers, but people who love what they do. After all, Hawley wrote the first “Shards of Magic” book in 2017 — years before “romantasy” hit the mainstream.
“You can’t write a book just because you think it’s marketable,” she said. “You have to write it because you love the story.”
Romantasy books you shouldn’t miss, according to Village Books staff
If you want: Fairytale re-imaginings, mermaids and pirates
Then try: “Voice of the Ocean” by Kelsey Impicciche
What begins as a tale reminiscent of the “The Little Mermaid” fable quickly evolves into a journey full of danger, piracy and enchanting adventure. Join Celeste, a siren princess, as she hunts down a human prince to regain her honor and her kingdom. Little does she know, however, that there is a lot more than just a pair of legs and a forbidden Voice that stands in her way! – Recommended by Chloe Hovind
If you want: Sapphic vampire romance
Then try: “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V.E. Schwab
Dark, sapphic vampire romance written by the bestselling author of The “Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”? Yes please! This book was all I wanted it to be and more, sure to be one of my top reads of the year. Schwab is a master of taking you on a journey through centuries of tangled relationships, glittering parties and deep shadows, as she weaves together three women’s lives, each one of them planted in the midnight soil. – Recommended by Caitriona Cassel
If you want: Enemies to lovers, fae romance
Then try: “The Folk of the Air Trilogy” by Holly Black
“Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss” has never been more in fashion for Jude Duarte, a human girl forced into the fae realm after Madoc, her vicious stepfather, slaughters her parents. Eager to find safety and security, Jude and her twin, Taryn, must navigate being humans in the often-cruel world of the fae, who seek to destroy them simply for existing. Yet when forced into proximity with bitter, sarcastic, flippant Prince Cardan, Jude finds an intoxicating relationship that tests her limits. –Recommended by Cy Catwell
If you want: Queer love, sci-fi fantasy
Then try: “Of Monsters and Mainframes” by Barbara Truelove
When star cruiser Demeter loses her crew in a bloody, destructive frenzy, she sets out with a new motley crew of very real monsters. But revenge isn’t the only thing to be found among the stars: Her AI medical system starts to become quite irresistible as they mutually work together to zip across the depths of space to seek out a famous vampire who started this whole mess in the first place. If you’re looking for queer love set in a sci-fi fantasy world, look no further than “Of Monsters and Mainframes,” a story all about revenge and the love we find along the way. – Recommended by Cy Catwell
If you want: Star-crossed lovers, gods and goddesses, fantastic world-building
Then try: “Wild Reverence” by Rebecca Ross
An immortal goddess and a mortal man walk into each other’s dreams and fall madly in love with each other, all while the world keeps turning and finding ways to keep them apart. This book had me sobbing on multiple occasions, and the ending does not disappoint! – Recommended by Chloe Quan
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.