What is fantasy romance? Good question! Fantasy Romance is still an emerging genre, driven by demand from readers like us. Since we started FaRoFeb, the romantasy readership has exploded, driven in large part by the success of several well-known authors, and, of course, TikTok.
Fantasy romance is any work of fiction with fantastical, magical, or non-human elements (not set in space, and not with a technology focus, as this would be classified as sci-fi), where there’s a significant romantic element.
There are many sub-genres (and combinations of sub-genres) that we’ve laid out below. Let us know what we missed!
Fantasy romance genres
- Epic, swords and sorcery (other world, may include witches, dragons, special powers)
- Epic low magic (other world but with only a little magic)
- Epic paranormal (other world with vampires, shifters, fae – relationships with non-humans)
- Epic alternate history (other world that feels like an alternative historical setting)
- Epic Gaslamp / Steampunk (Gaslamp / Steampunk set in another world)
- Epic contemporary (other world with modern feel, could additionally have paranormal or swords and sorcery elements)
- Low fantasy (our world, anything magical, but not necessarily with creatures who are non-human)
- Low fantasy paranormal (our world, anything magical that includes vampires, shifters, other paranormal beings. Generally known as paranormal romance today)
- Low fantasy historical (our world, in a real historical period but with magical elements)
- Low fantasy urban (our world with anything magical that predominantly takes place in an urban setting, often includes monsters / portals to other worlds. Often know as urban fantasy)
- Time travel (could be epic (other world) or low (our world) fantasy)
- Low fantasy / epic mix (travel between our world and other world, often known as portal fantasy)
Heat levels
- Low heat 🌶️
Kisses only or spicy scenes that fade to black. - Smoldering 🌶️🌶️
Sexual tension; on-page but not especially graphic spicy scenes; not much coarse language. - Hot 🌶️🌶️🌶️
More detailed spicy scenes; increasing use of coarse language. - Scorching 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Extensive spicy scenes with heavy description and coarse language.
Age categories of the protagonists
- Young Adult (YA). This one causes confusion because protagonist age is not the same as reader age… (YA aimed at a younger audience is not a focus for FaRoFeb)
- New Adult (NA)
- Adult
Tropes
All the usual romance tropes apply to fantasy romance (enemies to lovers, fake relationships / marriages, brooding (or scary) one loves sunshine one, there’s only one bed etc etc), but there are also structural and situational tropes specific to fantasy romance:
- Assassin to lovers
- There’s only one horse
- There’s only one lake / waterfall / stream in which to bathe
- We find ourselves alone in a carriage…
- It’s cold. We should huddle together to stay warm
- Teach me about / help me control…(my abilities / fighting etc.)
HEA / HFN
In most romance, a happily ever after (HEA) or happily for now (HFN) ending for the two main characters is a sacred requirement. This isn’t the case to the same extent in fantasy romance, with the HEA or HFN often coming at the end of the series, not necessarily the end of each book.
But it also depends on the type of arc the author sets up and whether they’re writing with more of a focus on the fantasy or romance.
What did we miss? Tell us on Instagram or in our Facebook group!