“Romantasy” novels, sword-sex-and-sorcery stories for female readers, are propping up the publishing industry.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, about amorous cadets at a dragon-riding school, became the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years last year, while the Court of Thorns and Roses series about a woman falling in love with fairy — or “faerie” — lords has sold more than 75 million copies; the genre brought in an estimated $610 million in 2024.
The protagonists are usually women, and the stories combine fantasy and romance tropes, The Conversation reported. US women read more than men, recent polling found, with the romantasy genre likely a major driver.