I am a romance reader.
In pretty much every book I read, I need there to be an element of people falling in love or yearning. And, while I do enjoy literary fiction, too, I never could enjoy other genre fiction without romance.
That was, until I discovered romantasies. I absolutely love the blended genre because I get the best of both worlds like I never have before. Not to mention it taught me to open my door to fantasy, which helped build my tolerance for other genres, too—romantasy became fantasy horrors, turned into horror thriller, that lead to thriller mysteries, and so on. Blended genres really have changed the game!
Here’s the Problem…
While blended genres are a great thing for me as a reader, I found it actually made my job as a bookseller harder. Because I haven’t read every book I shelve, when a book is blended genre, I struggled to know, not only where to accurately shelve it, but also how to recommend to other readers.
The thing about genres is that they drive our expectations and helps us to decide what experience we want based on standard tropes typically associated with the genre. And, while it’s fun to play with those expectations, incorrectly labeling a book can ruin the reader experience if (s)he was expecting something in particular and that is not delivered.
So, as a bookseller whose passion is to match people with their next reading experience, I had to learn genres really well. And I want to share the wisdom I’ve gathered with others so you all can better find exactly what you’re looking for when picking your next book.
Let’s look at “romantasy”…
A sensationalized genre right now, I get lots of customers asking for romantasy books. But, over time of reading and recommending them, I started to learn that some people want a magic system and political intrigue with some kissing, and others want yearning and spice with a fae love interest—and those are quite different.
A better way to describe blended genres is with combo-terms (which are called pre-nominal modifiers in linguistics). The second term (the noun) is the actual focused genre of the book, while the first term (the modifier) describes the subgenre elements included, or “what kind” of genre it is. So…
A Fantasy Romance…
Is a romance book that has fantasy elements; or even a romance main plot with a fantasy subplot. It will typically feature:
- A romance that drives the story
- A relationship central to the arc
- Fantasy elements that enhance the romance
Think, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. If Feyre didn’t fall in love with Tamlin, she would have never gone back to Prythian and saved everyone. Period. Book over. The magic and curse and all that jazz was fun, but for it to progress, there needed to be a romance developed between the two that made her willing to fight for him.
Meanwhile…
A Romantic Fantasy…
Is a fantasy book with romantic elements; again, a fantasy main plot with a romance subplot. It will typically feature:
- A world conflict that drives the story
- The quest/politics/magic system mattering most
- A romance that adds emotional depth
Think, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Even if Violet and Xaden didn’t fall in love, they still would have gone to war once they found out the lies Navarre was hiding. Granted, the romance is legit and we’re all about it, but if Xaden and Violet were just close allies, we’d still get through the story.
Deciding on the fly? Ask yourself:
If the romance is removed, does the story still work?
No? It’s a fantasy romance.
Yes? It’s a romantic fantasy.
Ideally…
“Romantasy” indicates an equality between the two elements. And, some books will be a balance of both. But, if you find that you have a preference for one over the other, it’s best to understand the difference and request them with the right terminology.
The same goes for other genres.
Example, dark romance and dark erotica. Most dark romances are suspenseful romances. The romance is key to the plot, but the thriller/suspense elements are what make them so addictive. Meanwhile, dark eroticas can have romance, but are instead centered are suspenseful plots that focus on sex—making them closer to romantic thrillers.
Historical romance/Romantic history is another one where you want to be specific because not every romance will have a historical setting and not every historical fiction will have a romantic plot.
Keep in mind
There are some genres that this is harder with because they carry many of the same tropes. Teasing apart thrillers from mysteries can be complicated, but there is indeed a difference. Same with thrillers and horror.
I think I’m going to go through comparable genres and explain the differences, too. The more you know, the better you can find exactly what you want. Stay tuned for those later.
What genres have been harder to distinguish for you? What is your favorite blended genre?
Let us know in the comments below.
