HATER FRIDAY: Romantasy Isn’t Literature

There’s an old expression that warns against mixing your all favorite ingredients together, because the end result won’t always be delicious. It’s possible I actually made that up; regardless, it’s an important saying to keep in mind as I weigh in on the recent explosion of “romantasy” in popular literature. In theory, these novels are a conglomerate of all the things I love —- adventure, handsome men, dragons, etc. —- yet I abhor them. (Another thing I love, using words like “abhor.”) I absolutely ABHOR romantasy novels! 

Please bear with me as I attempt to explain my potentially unpopular opinion, starting with some necessary definitions.

A Tale of Love and Pages: The Romantasy Sensation

As a genre, fantasy has been around for as long as human imagination has dared to dream of what could be in realms where the typical laws of nature do not apply. However, a subgenre which blends the fantastical with stories of love has begun to dominate the field: romantasy. Romantasy, exemplified by such novels as A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, presents readers with high-stakes love in the midst of magic. And while its audience continues to grow, there are some who call into question the prevalence of certain tropes and the sort of characters they champion. There have been numerous comments about the standard qualities of romantasy: a title similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses, the famous romantic cliches like “enemies to lovers,” the centrality of women.