Reading the 20th Century discussion

Have we got any Romantasy fans in the house?


Bad Girl Books, the UK's first bookshop dedicated entirely to romantasy, opened recently in Oxford…..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/crr...

Anyone read any Romantasy?

Perhaps I should give it a go?

Hahaha, I think you'd hate it! I'm a huge Fourth Wing fan to the point that I'm counting down the days to the next volume...

But there's an awful lot of dross in the genre with repetitive tropes, mediocre writing and lots of b-list copy-catting. Do also bear in mind that it's often YA/NA with sex.

If you want to sample some, I'd suggest Divergent, one of the originators in the genre. I also enjoyed Throne of Glass by romantasy queen Sarah J. Maas though abandoned the series halfway through. Her A Court of Thorns and Roses is the more famous series but I found it more or less unreadable.

I also liked The Cruel Prince.

I'm more a dragon-riders gal than sexy faeries, it turns out!

Thanks RC


Very interesting - I wouldn't have you pegged as a fan (albeit a selective fan)

I have to admit your insights have somewhat put me off

Roman Clodia wrote: "Hahaha, I think you'd hate it! I'm a huge Fourth Wing fan to the point that I'm counting down the days to the next volume...

But there's an awful lot of dross in the genre with re..."

Wait. WHAT. Nothing like a little Friday surprise in friend-land to keep me on my toes. One thing we can all agree on, I trust, is dragons are the best.

Dragons are the best 🔥

The absolute best 🐉- and the ultimate dragons are in Fourth Wing!

Color me surprised as well! I like dragons, but not romance so much. I'm grateful for the new-ish romantasy label because it generally helps me screen out fantasy books that have a lot of romance.

Nothing wrong with romance! Just not my favored genre, unless we're talking Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen.

Heheheh, I didn't think I could love Heyer and Austen heroines more, but if they dressed in black leather, were ace with knives, wielded lightening and bonded with the biggest, baddest dragon, maybe I could... 🤣

Btw, on dragons, has anyone else read Temeraire by Naomi Novik? First of a series I loved, basically the Napoleonic Wars, with dragons! And no romance.

Rose wrote: "Nothing wrong with romance! Just not my favored genre, unless we're talking Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen."

I'm fairly allergic to romance as a genre; I do love Jane Austen and on others' recs do keep meaning to try Heyer but haven't yet. And Romantasy thus far has been Right Out.

But... I did try a series that I actually ended up loving (well, three books in, I just bought the rest). Regency romance, not really fantasy but more superheroes/mutants? Set during the Napoleonic wars, some people are born with powers, and they are often put to use in the war effort. Also, since they seem to be genetically influenced, this puts a whole different wrench into the who is a 'good family' to marry into. Not sure if great lit, but great fun. And no spicy-times, just Jane Austen level romantic tension.

Series is The Extraordinaries by Melissa McShane, first book is Burning Bright