In 2025, the literary world is spellbound by a powerhouse genre which has been rising in popularity in the last few years: romantasy. It is a compelling blend of romance aspects mixed in with a fantasy setting and characters.
No longer relegated to the corners of a bookstore, romantasy has surged to dominate the bestsellers lists and captivated social media and the booktok community. Readers are passionately embracing these magical love stories, drawn by the allure of imaginative worlds, emotional intensity, and stories that offer both thrilling escapism and heartfelt connections.
But why now? What makes 2025 the year of romantasy?
The answer lies in a fascinating convergence of factors: major publishing houses investing heavily in fresh voices and blockbuster series, skyrocketing sales driven by passionate online communities like BookTok and Bookstagram, and deep cultural shifts that have readers seeking more inclusive, emotionally rich narratives.
At its core, romantasy captures exactly what readers crave today – a compelling blend of romance, adventure, inclusivity, and the comforting promise of hope amidst the uncertainty of the world.
Publishing Trends Driving Romantasy’s Boom
Since 2024 publishers have heavily invested in the romantasy genre for their new titles, treating them as lead releases and aggressively bidding on new projects. HarperCollins’ YA printing won a multi-publisher auction for the Thorn Season by debut author Kiera Azar, marketing it as “the new YA romantasy obsession” and comparing it to the successful releases of authors such as Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Mass.
Another big auction was for the acquisition of The Last Thorn by Talia Hibbert (a “spicy” retelling of The Beauty and the Beast), which was fought for by 15 publishers and won by Tor. Established romance writers crossing into fantasy, like Hibbert, signal publishers’ confidence that blending genres will attract both romance and fantasy readers.
Other interesting titles and acquisitions to mention are those of HarperCollins’ Avon imprint which acquired the romantasy trilogy The Bay Dragon Cafe and its sequels as lead titles for 2025. Additionally, HarperCollins HQ bought the rights to a romantasy duology by Rachel Greenlaw, which will give “everything [they] want – and more”. This is a first foray into adult romantasy for the author, which shows confidence and promise from HarperCollins part.
Even traditionally adult SFF imprints are onboard, such as Penguin Random House’s Del Rey and Pan Macmillan’s Tor, who are trying to get a hand on the booming romantasy novels.
In 2025, nearly every major publishing house has significant romantasy titles in their pipeline, indicating a coordinated focus and confidence in the success of the genre.
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ISBN: 9781649374189
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros released on January 21, 2025
- Thorn Season by Kiera Azar releasing on September 9, 2025
- House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau releasing on April 8, 2025
- Fearless by Lauren Roberts (concluding the Powerless trilogy) releasing on April 8, 2025
Publishers are not only acquiring these titles but are actively marketing them as future bestsellers. Just remember the crazy midnight launch parties for Onyx Storm that just happened recently all over North America. Some of the biggest releases like that that had midnight launch parties date back to the Twilight books!
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The Romantasy Sales Explosion
In the recent 12 months, the romantasy genre has seen a surge in sales in the books market. by late 2024, 5 of the top 10 bestselling books of the year in the U.S. were romantasy titles.
In 2024, Romantasy books achieved $610 million in sales, up from $454 million in 2023.
In fact, multiple romantasy novels sold over 750,000 copies each in 2024 alone, dwarfing most other fiction. The only titles outselling the top romantasy hits were a few books outside of the genre such as Kristin Hannah’s The Women. This just shows us how much the romantasy genre is accounting for; a staggering share of fiction sales last year.
The publishing industry-wide data shows us that the romantasy genre’s rise has supported the entire fiction market. In the UK, 2024 sales of science fiction & fantasy books (largely driven by fantasy romance crossovers) jumped 41% year over year. Meanwhile, general adult fiction in the UK saw an increase of 6% in units, hitting an all-time high. Much of this growth is credited to romantasy’s popularity.
In the U.S., a similar pattern emerged. In the first nine months of 2024, adult fantasy book unit sales were up 62% over the prior year! Romance and romantasy titles were so dominant in Q3 2024 that seven of the top ten bestsellers year-to-date fell into those categories.
According to Bloomberg, romantasy books generated close to $610 million in sales in 2024. This is also a 34% jump within one year that outpaced the overall book market. To put this into context, romantasy’s 2024 revenue was comparable to many entire publishing categories.
In short, romantasy is not just a trend, it’s a revenue generating engine that is reshaping the book market’s landscape. All indicators are pointing to 2025 continuing the trend with romantasy titles expected to top the sales charts once again this year.
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How Readers Have Fueled The Romantasy Phenomenon
ISBN: 9781635575569
The bookish communities such as BookTok and other social media communities have been on the forefront push of romantasy. Romantasy novels often go viral after readers’ emotional reactions, fans cast of characters for potential book adaptations, and “swoon-worthy” quotes.
For example, Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, published back in 2015, hit #2 in 2024 U.S. sales, largely thanks to BookTok rediscovering the novels. Similarly, Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing became a social media sensation with its blend of dragon-rider fantasy and spicy romance – TikTok buzz led to Fourth Wing selling out in many bookstores within days of release and eventually selling hundreds of thousands of copies.
Instagram book lovers and communities on Reddit and GoodReads have also embraced the genre. Aesthetically pleasing book photos or ornate special-edition hardcovers with sprayed edges (at times custom!) are all over Instagram. Readers swap reviews and memes about their favorite fictional heroes and magical tropes.
Dedicated forums, such as r/FantasyRomance which has over 177K readers, see daily discussions on the latest romantasy reads, anticipated releases and trope-themed requests.
Fans don’t just read these 500+ page bricks, they dissect relationships, speculate on sequels and search for hidden easter eggs within the books!
Shifts In Reader Preferences
The romantasy boom seems to correspond with several preference shifts among younger readers (teens through millennials). The genre lines have blurred; readers who might have read only straight fantasy or only contemporary romance are gravitating towards stories that give them both a rich world-building as well as fantasy adventure with emotional payoff of romance.
Additionally, there is a craving for extra escapism in a post-2020 world. As our daily life is marked by uncertainties of the world, such as pandemics, economics, and more, many readers seek a total immersion in a fictional world and comfort of a happy romantic plot.
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Why Romantasy Appeals So Deeply in 2025
As mentioned, romantasy is striking a deep chord with readers in 2025. It is the blend of unique thematic elements it delivers, which aligns with many readers who crave it from fiction;
- Escapism and adventure: In a year of global uncertainty, romantasy offers an ideal escape where readers can immerse themselves fully into a grand and fantastical world.
- Emotional depth and romance: At the heart, the romantasy appeal is the love story. These novels fully prioritize relationships alongside the fantastical plot. By combining these two things, romantasy elevates the stakes (saving the world and your loved one).
- Resonant themes and empowerment: The genre often tackles contemporary themes that readers can relate to. Trauma and healing, identity and empowerment, social justice and others are highly relatable to the current state of the world and humanity.
- Diversity and inclusion: Another reason romantasy connects today is its growing inclusivity. Recent romantasy titles have broken out of the heteronormative mold, instead featuring diverse casts and romances. There are LGBTQ+ love stories in fantasy settings and protagonists of various ethnic backgrounds.
Romantasy resonates in 2025 because of its multi-faceted escapism, letting readers immerse in adventure, love stories, and mirror real emotional journeys.
Why Experts Say Romantasy Is Here To Stay
Even publishers in the industry are keen on romantasy staying for the long-haul.
Victoria Gerken, publisher from Podium Entertainment said that romantasy is “a little bit of a perfect storm”. She believes that romantasy “provides entertainment for its audience that’s not available in any other format”.
Even trade analysts have dubbed romantasy authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros as “queens of romantasy”. 5 of their books occupied the top 10 lists, collectively selling over 3.6 million copies in nine months!
2025 The Year Of Romantasy
All evidence indicates that 2025 (and maybe beyond) is truly the year of romantasy. A blend of factors such as the strategic publishing investments, outstanding sales, excited readers communities, thematically rich content and endorsements from industry voices have positioned romantasy at the center of the literary map.
This genre fusion of magic and love seems to have struck a perfect chord for the current readers’ wants and needs, providing escapism and emotional connection in equal measure.
