Fall of Ruin and Wrath

“Romantasy” (a portmanteau of “romance” and “fantasy”) is a distinct subgenre of literature that borrows elements from both its parent genres. Although War for the Oaks (1987) by Emma Bull is commonly cited as an early romantasy novel, it wasn’t until the early 21st century that the genre began to grow in popularity, heralded by books like the Twilight series (Nassor, R. “What Exactly Makes a Romantasy—And What Are Your Favorite Examples?” Reactor, 23 Jul. 2024). In the early 2020s, romantasy gained increasing traction through online social media platforms like BookTok—a subsection of the video sharing platform TikTok—Goodreads, and Reddit, resulting in the widespread popularization of the term. Since then, popular authors like Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and more have produced dozens of series that have transformed the romantasy genre.

While traditional fantasy novels often contain love stories, romantasy tends to center them. For example, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series features elements that are common in fantasy literature, including vampires, werewolves, magical abilities, and immortality. However, at the core of the series is the love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob, with the fantasy elements serving to add drama, tension, and allure.