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I’ve been a fantasy reader for as long as I can remember. I’m pretty much always up for an adventure that features magic, fantastical creatures like dragons, and clashing swords. I’m here for urban and portal fantasies, too. If there’s magic afoot, I’ll give it a try. When perusing best-of lists and upcoming fantasy titles, though, I’ve noticed that more and more, the lists are leaning firmly toward romance. Romantasy, if you will. That begs the question: Where have all the non-romance fantasy books gone?
No Hate Here
Let me be very clear about one thing first. I’m in no way bashing romantasy or romance books. I’m a big fan of T.J. Klune, and as I write this, I’m partway through reading Onyx Storm. I recall back when I was getting my MFA in creative writing, one of the professors encouraged a fellow student to keep writing romance. “Romance taught the rest of books how to sell books” is a quote that still rings in my head.
But some readers just don’t vibe with romance. In fact, there’s a large population of long-time fantasy readers who don’t embrace romantic subplots, let alone romantasy books that make romance a large part of the equation. That’s why non-romance fantasy books are still relevant, even as romantasy eclipses them in popularity.
The Rise of Romantasy
Romantasy is big business. From the likes of Outlander to Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, romantasy has been growing steadily for a while now. More and more, bookstores have been lining their fantasy shelves with books that follow the same naming convention: A [Noun] of [Nouns] and [Nouns]. But with the release of Rebecca Yarros’s wildly popular Fourth Wing in 2023, the romantasy genre seems to have taken over.
From fresh-faced newcomers to established writers, it seems like everybody is getting in on the romantasy craze. Books like Faebound by Saara Al-Arifi, Under the Oak Tree by Suji Kim, and Princess of Air by Natalie Cammaratta are lining shelves in bookstores. I recently tabled a boozy, bookish event, and romantasy was definitely the dominant genre, even among local authors.
If you walk into any bookstore and look at the new fantasy novels, you’ll immediately notice that MANY of them are romance-centric. Does this mean that people aren’t writing non-romance fantasy books? Well, no. Of course not. However, publishing has noticed the upward trend in romantasy and is feeding that.
Some people think that bookstores select which books are front and center when you first walk into the store. That is only partly true, particularly with independent bookstores. The large publishers have a bigger say in which books are pushed out into the limelight, including sometimes purchasing displays. Essentially, every time a publisher decides to publish a book, they’re taking a bet on that book’s success. The more successful they think it will be, the more resources they pour into selling it.
Since romantasy is big business attracting lots of readers and buyers, publishers are shoveling money into fancy hardcover editions, book tours, online and in-store publicity, and larger print runs. This means that even new non-romance fantasy books aren’t getting the same amount of attention or money. This leads to the perception that those books are falling by the wayside.
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But I Can’t Find Non-Romance Fantasy Books!
This is where I’ve heard the most complaints and worries from long-time readers of non-romance fantasy. They’re wondering how to find new fantasy books that don’t focus on romance. And they’re right: there are probably fewer non-romance fantasy books being published right now in favor of romantasy. I don’t have numbers on that, but there are only so many spots on bookstore shelves. Rest assured, however, non-romance fantasy books are DEFINITELY still getting published.
Traditional genre publishers like Tor, Orbit, and Angry Robot are still publishing more non-romance fantasy books than they are romantasy. Maybe they’re not getting the same level of international attention and press coverage, but those books are still hitting store shelves. Indie publishers are cranking out romantic and non-romance fantasy titles, too. Find those publishers and look at their websites and social media. Follow your favorite authors on social media, too. We’re never shy when it comes to talking about our newest books. You can also subscribe to genre magazines like Locus or Strange Horizons to not only keep up with the industry but also discover authors you love who may also be writing non-romance fantasy novels.
And, of course, Book Riot always has you covered with lists of new fantasy books, the best fantasy books, and all sorts of other quirky lists about fantasy books (and every other genre, for that matter). You can sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter to keep up to date with all the biggest SFF releases—romantic and non-romantic alike.
All that said, I would also encourage you to give some romantasy a read. Maybe it doesn’t sound like you’re thing, but I promise you, there are some great ones out there. And you may learn something about yourself in the process.
