The surge of the romantaSy genre
If you have been on TikTok since its growth, you would know that it has many different sides to accommodate all interests and views. One notable side has claimed the name BookTok, intending to promote and express love for writers and books from all over the world. This side of TikTok has created a flourishing community to talk about people’s favorite books and genres, as well as find new books to read each year.
The most prominent genre cycling through BookTok is the Romantasy genre, which is a mix of Fantasy and Romance. The book series that started the snowball of this genre is the A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sara J. Maas. This series initially started as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but took on an identity of its own as the beginning of the romantasy genre.
Although most consumers have fallen in love with this hybrid genre, others have been outraged with the rise of explicit scenes being included in popular novels. It has become a controversial topic splitting the once thriving community down the middle.
Why is this topic so hot?
Fantasy originated to take a reader into another world that was run by different rules, such as Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkin and The Iliad by Homer. Over time the genre of romance overtook the literary world, and gave us famous stories like Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.
The hybrid of both genres sounded great to many readers because it combined very popular ideas into one. However, some authors seemed to take the romance portion of the new genre further than some would have wanted. This resulted in the current identity of the romantasy genre being over sexualized for its readers.
Why are some readers upset about adding romance scenes into fantasy worlds?
The primary problem that some readers and consumers of BookTok have found with this new genre is that some of the books have been placed in the Young Adult category, even though they include some explicit scenes.
Books like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sara J. Maas, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas all include more explicit scenes and have been praised on BookTok for their plots and story building. Each book has amazing reviews, exiting both readers and authors alike, but have all been placed in the Young Adult section exposing their content to a younger audience.
How does the romantasy genre affect the BookTok culture?
The community of BookTok prides itself on growing a safe and inviting space for new and old readers/writers, although some have complained that the platform has been taken over by the romantasy genre, making it hard to see other genres and to find new books.
This genre has been well received by a large group of readers, which is why it has grown so much. Though with its growth, it has also encouraged many authors to add unwanted or unnecessary explicit scenes to grow interest in their work. Some new authors have felt conflicted whether or not to add those scenes, even if it is only to receive growth as writers.
My hot take.
I think that the romantasy genre has a place in modern literature because of popular interest and the evolution of literature itself. However, I do not believe it has a place in the modern Young Adult section because of how explicit the romance scenes can get. Although those scenes can be vital for the plot development, not every book needs those scenes to thrive.
Take Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber for example. This trilogy is a great example of what the romantasy genre should be. Garber adds exciting banter and flirting to build tension without telling everything that the characters do, or going beyond a PG-13 rating.
If an author would like to add those scenes to their novel, they should properly label their book as explicit to gear it away from the younger audience, as well as giving more authors the ability to show their writing on BookTok without feeling overwhelmed by the romantasy genre.