I never thought I’d say this, but I’m getting tired of my favorite genre.
Romantasy is a genre that blends the delicious tension of romance with imaginative fantasy worlds, often having both elements be equally central. I, as well as many other people, enjoy it because it offers a combination of two beloved genres. However, with the increase in popularity of this subgenre, particularly on BookTok, a lot of these books seem like they are written with the exact same formula.
The Romantasy Formula
The “Not Like Other Girls” Chosen One
Our female protagonist is usually special in some way (but she usually doesn’t know it yet). She’s typically clumsy, sarcastic, and described as unremarkable or ignored, until she discovers she’s actually the most powerful being in her world. She’s the lost princess, the last of her kind, or possesses a rare magical ability that can either save or destroy everything.
The “Shadow Daddy” Love Interest
The male love interest is mysterious, brooding, and maybe even a little rude. He’s often centuries old, extremely handsome, and has a dark past that involves either commanding darkness or being cursed in some way. Bonus points if he has wings, fangs, sometimes even a tail, or can shift into something dangerous.
The Setup
She probably initially hates and/or fears him, he’s cold and distant but secretly protective, they’re forced into proximity, she discovers his tragic backstory or the reason behind why he is the way he is, they fall in love, there’s a dramatic separation or betrayal or they can’t be together because (insert obstacle here), and finally a reunion where love conquers all.
The Fatigue
While there’s nothing wrong with these popular tropes, the oversaturation of this specific formula is creating several issues, especially if you find yourself reading a lot from this genre.
- Lack of originality: When every book feels like a variation on the same theme, it becomes harder to find innovative storytelling within the genre, and it feels like reading the same story over and over again
- Predictability: When you can predict the plot twist chapters in advance, it takes a lot of the tension and even fun out of reading
- Missed opportunities: By sticking to what’s proven to work, authors and publishers might be missing chances to explore fresh dynamics and more unique character personalities
The Fresh Take I’d Love To See
As someone who genuinely loves this genre, here’s what I’d love to see more of:
- Protagonists Who Know Their Worth: A heroine who’s confident in her abilities or isn’t specifically the “Chosen One”. Maybe she’s helping a bigger cause, or maybe she’s not the savior or the most powerful character in the book, maybe she’s actually the one training the one who will save everyone
- A Different Love Interest: We don’t need every love interest to be ancient, brooding, or even hate the female main character at first. I’d love to see a scholastic, nervous, or even disabled or same-sex love interest
- Varied Relationship Dynamics: I want to see partnerships where both characters are equally powerful or don’t center around saving each other. Not everything needs to be enemies to lovers
- Fresh Fantasy Elements: Instead of the usual courts and kingdoms, I’d love to see urban fantasy settings, dark academia, magical realism, etc.
- Lower Stakes: Instead of saving the world every book, it would be nice to see smaller, more personal stakes or character-driven problems struggle to be solved
Final Thoughts
I’m not trying to bash romantasy, I genuinely love this genre and the tropes that we usually see in it, especially since they can be well-crafted and enjoyable. But as someone who enjoys this genre deeply, I want to see it grow and evolve. I want to be surprised again. I want to fall in love with characters who feel fresh and relationships that challenge my expectations.
The romantasy genre has so much potential beyond the current dominant formula, and I hope that readers, writers, and publishers will be brave enough to explore it.
Preach! I’ve loved this genre since I was a teenager, when I had to hunt for books that fit the romantasy mold. In many ways, I’m glad the genre has blown up but I agree, they’re all starting to feel the same, and publishers clearly skip some editing to pump them out faster. While it was harder to find these stories 10+ years ago, each one felt unique. It’s bittersweet. I might need a break from the genre for a while until it feels fresh again.
Completely agree! When I was a teenager the dystopian plotline was pretty big and I loved those too but it got to be kind of how romantasy is now. I think some publishers/authors are capitalizing on the trend instead of thinking more outside of the box. I started reading a bit more horror/thriller and it helps. Thanks for stopping by!