Romantasy is a genre that has captured the bookish world’s attention for the past year. And based on its massive popularity with readers and audiobook listeners, one thing is clear…
Romantasy is here to stay!
Books that combine big, fantastical storytelling and swoon-worthy romance have been topping bestseller lists, storming social media, and captivating readers lately. It’s even bringing in new readers who don’t often keep up with literary trends. While books involving fantasy and romance aren’t necessarily new, romantasy as a genre is still being defined, and many readers and publishing professionals are debating what technically makes a book a romantasy. Should it lean more into fantasy or romance elements, or should it be an even mix of both genres? How much world-building should it entail? Does it require a happy ending?
While the rules of romantasy are still being written, three subgenres have begun to emerge: cozy romantasy, epic romantasy, and dark romantasy.
Even still, these subgenres aren’t strictly divided; some books might fall somewhere in the middle. But if you’re looking to find the romantasy reads that most appeal to you, it can be helpful to understand these three key areas. Whether you’re looking for lighthearted fantasy comfort reads with slow-burn romance, sweeping fantasy dramas full of intrigue, or gothic fantasy laced with steamy romance plots, the perfect romantasy series is out there for you. You just have to know where to look.
Below is our humble guide to the three romantasy subgenres with explanations of what to expect from these types of stories. Along with these descriptions, we’ve curated some listening recommendations for cozy, epic, and dark romantasy audiobooks just for you.
Shall we begin?
Cuddle up with… COZY ROMANTASY
First up in our exploration of romantasy subgenres is the delightful, lighthearted world of cozy romantasy. Cozy romantasy is all about good vibes, quirky characters, comforting settings, and low-stakes drama. You won’t find violent battles, gore, or mortal peril in this type of feel-good fantasy. You’re more likely to find beloved characters enjoying a hot tea and a good laugh with fantastical creatures in a small-town café.
Cozy romantasies take readers on a gentle, wholesome journey full of magical beings and heartwarming romance. They’re less about action-packed plot and more about how the story and setting make you feel.
“Cozy” as a tone-defining genre description first arose in the context of cozy mysteries. Cozy mysteries, by definition, exclude violence, gore, cursing, and sex within the story, although they may take place off the page. These rules aren’t quite as set in stone for cozy romantasy, especially in the case of steamy romantic scenes. Cozy mysteries and cozy fantasy have plenty in common, though. For one, food-centric settings like restaurants, tea shops, and bakeries are a favorite in cozy fiction. You’re likely to find plenty of cute pets and animal companions — albeit more dragons and griffins than cats and dogs, in the case of romantasy. A sense of community and found family is also a hallmark of cozy books, with lovable characters readers can’t help but cheer for. If you’re looking for comfort reads that feel like a hug with a central romantic plot and worlds filled with fantastical creatures and magical powers, cozy romantasy is for you.
Cozy Romantasy Audiobook Recommendations
Here are a few cozy romantasy audiobooks to warm you by the fire:
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A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney
Never Fall for a Dragon (Mate Mountain Book 1) by Lola Glass
The Art of Avoiding Your Werewolf (Wildwood Book 1) by Lola Glass
A Rivalry of Hearts (Fae Flings and Corset Strings Book 1) by Tessonja Odette
Explore worlds unknown with… EPIC ROMANTASY
If you’re looking for higher stakes, bigger adventures, and more complex world-building alongside your fantastical romance, epic romantasy could be your subgenre of choice. Epic romantasy takes place in a setting far away and distinct from the real world, with its own rules, systems of magic, landscape, and creatures. The details of the types of magic, fantastical beings, technology, and lore aren’t necessarily always unique in epic romantasy. Stories can draw from familiar tropes in the fantasy canon, like dragons, witches, ancient gods, and “chosen one” prophesies, combined with original elements and passionate romance to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience. The most important part is that the fantasy world feels very different from our reality, offering readers an escape into a vastly different setting with its own history and traditions.
You’ll often find the uniquely crafted worlds of epic fantasy in extreme danger, with powerful villains or forces of evil threatening large-scale doom and destruction, and our hero is the only one equipped to save the day. Unlike cozy romantasy, epic romantasy typically involves extremely high stakes, plenty of action, and dangerous situations for our daring heroes. Expect an epic showdown of good versus evil and lots of turmoil for the central romantic couple.
Epic Romantasy Audiobook Recommendations
Here are a few epic romantasy audiobooks to kick off your first adventure:
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Illusion of Stars (Enmity of Hearts Book 1) by Sarah Marie Page
Iron & Embers (The Ashes of Thezmarr Book 1) by Helen Scheuerer
A Forbidden Fate (A Forbidden Fate Book 1) by Kaven Hirning
The Lost God (The Lost God Book 1) by Sheila Masterson
Dive into the depths with… DARK ROMANTASY
Looking for something a little darker and twistier?
In dark romantasy, you’ll find fantastical and paranormal romance incorporating elements of horror, including frightening monsters, bleak settings, intense romantic conflict, and dastardly villains. Expect scary beings like demons, vampires, and werewolves putting protagonists in dangerous situations. The romantic elements in dark romantasy may also be more unsettling, with the lines between the good guys and the bad guys blurred. If you’re a reader who enjoys darkly atmospheric fiction with particularly gruesome themes and monsters to feed your nightmares, dark romantasy is for you.
There’s a bit of conflict in the romantasy world as to what “dark” means in this context, as dark romance and dark fantasy subgenres have very different standards. Dark fantasy pulls its darkness from the world of horror, setting a tone of fear and potential death for beloved characters. Meanwhile, in the romance world, “dark” may refer to more controversial and disturbing content in the romantic relationships of the story. Morally complicated romantic tension — and sometimes even villainous love interests — can make dark romance challenging for some readers. If you prefer to avoid stories involving sexual assault or abuse, we suggest checking for content warnings before diving into dark romantasy.
Dark Romantasy Audiobook Recommendations
Here are a few dark romantasy audiobooks to add a little twist to your TBR:
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Blood and Promise (Fae Rising Book 1) by Miranda Lyn
The Death King (Death Series Book 1) by Penelope Barsetti
The Curse of Saints (The Curse of Saints Book 1) by Kate Dramis
Bite the Woman that Feeds (Dirty Blood Book 1) by Penelope Barsetti
We hope this guide to cozy romantasy, epic romantasy, and dark romantasy helped you learn more about the subgenres and gave you some new audiobooks to explore!
Read more of our (audio)bookish world insights in our other blogs >
