What Is Romantasy? BookTok's Biggest Genre, Explained

If you've spent more than thirty seconds on BookTok lately, you've met romantasy: dragon riders, fae courts, enemies who absolutely become lovers, and comment sections full of people who "can't stop thinking about that chapter." It's the genre behind the biggest books of the decade — and with the next A Court of Thorns and Roses installment landing this October, 2026 is shaping up to be its biggest year yet. Here's what romantasy actually is, the tropes everyone keeps referencing, and exactly where to start.

What is romantasy?

Romantasy is a blend of romance and fantasy — but the balance matters. In romantasy, the love story isn't a subplot; it carries the book. Take the romance out and the story collapses. The fantasy world raises the stakes — wars, magic, courts, prophecies — but the emotional engine is the relationship.

That's what separates it from classic fantasy with "a bit of romance in it." Most romantasy also follows romance-genre conventions: a central couple you're rooting for from early on, escalating tension, and an emotionally satisfying payoff — even if it takes three 600-page books to get there.

The genre exploded when BookTok turned books like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing into cultural events, and it hasn't slowed down since — romantasy titles have dominated bestseller lists for years now.

Why BookTok made it huge

Romantasy is almost perfectly engineered for TikTok. A few reasons it took over:

• Tropes are shorthand — "enemies to lovers," "fated mates," "who did this to you?" A creator can pitch a whole book in five words, and viewers instantly know if it's for them.
• Big emotional moments — romantasy delivers gasp-out-loud twists and swoon scenes that make for great reaction videos and duets.
• Series momentum — most romantasy comes in series, so one viral book creates months of content: theories, re-reads, release countdowns, and tier lists.
• A shared universe of references — once millions of readers know the same characters, every meme lands. The community is the content.

The tropes you need to know

BookTok talks in tropes, so here's the vocabulary. You'll see these in captions, comments, and every recommendation video:

• Enemies to lovers — the genre's beating heart. They start out at each other's throats; the tension does the rest.
• Fated mates — a magical bond destines two characters for each other, usually before at least one of them is remotely okay with it.
• Morally grey love interest — dangerous, secretive, probably has wings or a sword collection. Would burn the world down for exactly one person.
• Hidden identity / secret royal — someone is not who they say they are, and the reveal changes everything.
• Deadly trials or war college — a school or tournament where failure means death, and your biggest rival is unfortunately gorgeous.
• Touch her and die — the protective streak that launched a thousand edits.

You'll also see readers talk about spice levels — a 🌶️ rating (usually one to five) for how explicit the romance gets. Romantasy spans the whole range, from fade-to-black to very-much-not, so checking the spice level before you pick a book is standard practice.

Where to start: a book for every reader

The best entry point depends on what you want more of. Pick your flavour:

• Dragons and a war college — Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. The modern romantasy phenomenon: brutal riders' academy, dragons with attitude, and a slow-burn rivalry. Continue with Iron Flame and Onyx Storm.
• Fae courts and bargains — A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. The series that built modern BookTok, and the reason half the internet is counting down to the next installment.
• Vampires and deadly trials — The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. A human competing in a vampire tournament, sponsored by the last person she should trust.
• Viking vibes and fated mates — A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen. Norse-inspired, shield-maidens, prophecy, tension for days.
• Political marriage of convenience — The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen. A spy princess married to the enemy king. It goes exactly as well as you'd hope.
• Softer and more lyrical — Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. Rival journalists writing letters across a magical typewriter during a war between gods. Lower spice, maximum yearning.
• High spice — From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. A maiden, a guard, several enormous secrets.
• YA gateway — The Cruel Prince by Holly Black or Powerless by Lauren Roberts. All the court intrigue and enemies-to-lovers energy, teen-friendly.

Rule of thumb for your first pick: choose the setting you already love in other media — dragons, vampires, royal intrigue — and the genre will do the rest.

What's trending in romantasy right now

The genre keeps evolving, and 2026 has a few clear currents:

• The ACOTAR event — the long-awaited next book in Sarah J. Maas's series arrives in late October 2026, and BookTok is already deep in re-read challenges and theory videos. Expect it to swallow your feed whole.
• Dragon shifters — the Fourth Wing effect continues: if it has dragons, it's getting picked up.
• Historical and mythology-inspired settings — romantasy drawing on real history and non-Western mythologies is having a moment.
• Crossover with dark romance and horror — the "weird girl books" wave means more gothic, more monsters, more morally questionable love interests.

Rank and track your romantasy reads

Once you're a few books deep, the natural next step is the classic BookTok move: ranking them. Bookadoro's free book tier list maker pulls in real covers — search "Fourth Wing" or "ACOTAR," drag the books into tiers, and export a clean image for TikTok or Instagram. (Here's a full guide to making a BookTok tier list.)

And because romantasy books tend to be enormous — 600+ pages is normal — they're exactly the kind of read that benefits from a little structure. The Bookadoro app tracks your library, your progress through each tome, and your daily reading streak, so "I'll just read one chapter" actually happens every day. Reading with friends? Start a buddy read in a club so you can scream about the plot twists together — spoiler-free, at the same pace.

Make your romantasy tier list

FAQ

Is romantasy the same as fantasy romance?

They're used almost interchangeably. Some readers draw a line — "fantasy romance" leans harder on the romance-genre structure, while "romantasy" is the broader BookTok umbrella — but in practice both mean a fantasy story where the love story is essential, not optional.

Do I need to like fantasy to enjoy romantasy?

No. Most breakout romantasy is written to be readable without any fantasy background — the world-building supports the relationship, not the other way around. If you've enjoyed any romance with high stakes, you're ready.

What does "spice level" mean?

It's BookTok shorthand for how explicit the romantic content is, usually rated one to five chillies. Romantasy covers the full range, and most recommendation videos mention the spice level up front so you can pick accordingly.

What should I read while waiting for the next ACOTAR book?

The most common picks: Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyaxia books, Danielle L. Jensen's The Bridge Kingdom, or a full series re-read — ideally tracked as a reading challenge so the wait feels productive.