Romantasy is a romance book. Am currently rage reading one. 1) They can not be YA. Romantasy is an adult genre. I don’t care how descriptive the spice scene are, most of the audience will appeal adult. 2) The blond second love interest will die, and was not really considered a love interest. 3) This a romance books the world build will be terrible and convenient to the romance. 4) An enemies to lovers will start all over again for the second book. 5) The Cruel Prince is not a Romantasy book is a fantasy with a side plot romance.
@ButrScochMonks
18 сағат бұрын
why tf am I seeing Nina and Alexander on my screen rn. trigger warning next time please /s
@gracedeace8066
19 сағат бұрын
I like when (if they do become a relationship) the characters get together early and we actually get to see the relationship grow and develop. However, this requires the two characters to actually be engaging as a duo beyond snippy 'I hate you" dialogue, which I find alot of romantasy couples fall flat on.
@OluwatidemiladeOlorunsola
23 сағат бұрын
well personally i feel the folk of air series is not romantasy.
@ChandawilaArts
Күн бұрын
I have a friend that recommended me acotar I was interested in all the world building but I 😃
@rebelcat6371
Күн бұрын
this is literally why i say rivals to lovers instead of enemies because rivals gives the implication that both are on an equal playing ground and have a similar objective. enemies could mean anything, including bully x bullied which SUCKS
@DeerBoy736
Күн бұрын
Who was the comedian? She nailed the romantasy trend so much.
@litera_cj
Күн бұрын
This was a fun commentary on your experience with the romantasy genre! I don't really read romantacy, but I could resonate with your feelings about these books. I think I'll stick around for some more hamster video essays. :D
@alexisehimen3795
Күн бұрын
this has even made me so picky on reading fantasy books overall.. i even dropped ember in the ashes 100 pages in.. because i got spolied ...
@anagb9325
Күн бұрын
I knew we were on the same page when you used ATLA as an example of what to do
@TheAdarkerglow
2 күн бұрын
You missed Grimshaw from Lightlark.
@zvikomboreromukamba3389
2 күн бұрын
😅Hunger games is not a romantasy. I think you missed the plot there. The point of the story was not the romantic element. 4 min in..... Ok I see you didn't mention that after all 😂😂😂😂
@theatomicannie
2 күн бұрын
Yes, Hunger Games is absolutely not Romantasy. i‘ve never said that. I just used it as a comparison.
@Ferrous26
2 күн бұрын
Thank you for saying this, I could not agree more! I really like the fantasy genre, but for quite a while now I've been having trouble finding a fantasy book I like or would think I like. I actually started to doubt if I even liked the fantasy genre because all I could find were these kinds of books. When I go into a piece of fantasy media the romance isn't really what I'm focused on or what I really care about, I'm always going to be more curious about the plot, world building and the character(s). If I enjoy all of these than I will start to become more invested in the romance or the potential of romance. The problem is that these books are clearly more focused on the romance aspects, and I feel they neglect the fantasy parts I enjoy most. I understand why people like the romance genre, I just wish these authors followed up of the fantasy part a little more. Also, can we have something other than enemies to lovers? Why not spice it up a little, Jeez!🙄
@morganjones2744
2 күн бұрын
I love fantastical stories that intertwine the human experience. It makes the stories feel relatable. This is why I do enjoy books that are fantasy that happen to have romance in it because it is part of that human existence, bringing us closer to all characters through their interesting relationships with one another (romantic, platonic, etc). When romance is put in fantasy now, it feels drained of all that light and beauty that I love about fantasy stories with such compelling characters within that world. When you try to force tropes in a story, it will come out dull to read. I do know that there is something fun about reading romance in a fantastical world; its a great escapism. I love that people love it. I just noticed that the books that are mostly fantasy with some fantasy are dwindling for this romantacy 'trend' and even books that just don't have any romance at all. It becomes a problem when it takes over so much and you are picking through the newer books, wondering if it will be another list of tropes being checked off with no well developed characters, and the plot feels bereft of theme/anything important for you to think about once you leave the story. THIS IS A TANGIT ABOUT A BOOK, lol: I feel pretty proud of a project me and my friend are working on. There is 1, smut in book one, so I can please the smut readers I think (at least a little). And there is hope for more in the future (nothing I don't feel comfortable with tho). The smut put in place is not for cash grabs, but for character building of all things (not planned before writing either, it felt naturally placed). it is genuine, not forced, an there is diversity; gay and 'straight' smut--- though they are all queer characters, lol. There are three characters who are ,characteristcaly, the most likely to go have some fun, and it is very character driven, character motivated. Once included, our goal is to show how characters interact, and how they use sex in order to connect, distance, or simply use as an outlet with other people. The focus was on the characters on an individual level. Also, the romance happens (for the gay pairing specifically) AFTER they have 'done it' (its also an ode to sexual exploration; bisexuality and poly relationships). And not every single scene is shown and is instead mentioned/hinted at, and there is really only a couple scenes written so far but they are there. I find using smut in many different factoids is what, I think, can make it enjoyable (for me at least) and I wish I saw it used as a world building or character thing than just something you wait for in a romantic plotline.
@emilyh.9137
2 күн бұрын
Right away I wanna thank you for your “disclaimer” about how people can read and enjoy what they want, it’s not that that deep and everytime I see people get attacked for enjoying popular books or romance novels for some else’s morality complex or accusing them of being “p0rn addicts” I get so angry. I love both a classic literature study AND a silly smutty romantasy. But the modern trend of trope stuffed, half baked, written only for marketing books is just genuinely SO bad at times. And concerning with the lack of creativity, seemingly using copy and paste and just getting away with it because it sells.
@GhostCake27
2 күн бұрын
The greatest difference imo between Zuko turning good and becoming a friend and these romantasy books is that his change started within himself and his personal world. It wasn’t because he necessarily liked Aang or any of the gang but because he was changing himself. He saw injustice in his own world and learned to stand up for his own beliefs. I mean he even betrayed his uncle but his love for his uncle and eventually himself was what moved him. The romantasy men change for the girl and it’s so shallow
@emilyi8080
2 күн бұрын
The unfortunate reality is also that books like these get popular not because they're good, but because publishers know they're what will likely become popular, especially with younger audiences. So they're marketed to death, the covers are deliberately made to look as pretty and attention grabbing as possible, etc. At the risk of sounding like a snob, if it's something likely to attract people who aren't actually well read/the lowest common denominator, then it will be picked up over an actually good story. And in the romantasy case, overwhelmingly it seems that people who have never actually read fantasy are the ones who like the genre/push bad stories into popularity. It sucks
@klake4773
3 күн бұрын
This has been my biggest complaint for a long time now. I like fantasy, I like romance. But I like the romance to be a subplot with actual relevance to the story. I have no problem with smut, but that also needs to be plot/character relevant if it's going to be in there. Too many of these stories are just the writer's excessive horny wet dreams and they make for juvenile and boring reads with hollow relationships and excessive text porn. I've given up trying to find anything decent to read because of it.
@TheJadedJames
3 күн бұрын
Realizing how books are slowly getting broken down into marketing tropes for is hard for me as a writer because there are a lot of times where I just feel like that's a spoiler. I get where this comes from, the language of fan fic comfort reading full breaking into the mainstream. But like ... what if I want to write a story where there is an element of uncertainty about where the hero's love life is supposed to go, but we've tagged it "second chance romance" so now everyone knows they'll get back with their ex.
@Angela41541
3 күн бұрын
this made me so annoyed. not every book is for every reader. if you don't like it, just don't engage with it. who are you to tell others that the whole genre, that clearly has a lot of ppl who love it, is trash and only has merit as a guilty pleasure book, if that.
@theatomicannie
3 күн бұрын
@@Angela41541 you guys are engaging with content like my video that you know you don‘t like and then get worked up about it… (after seemingly ignoring my disclaimer). So don‘t tell me I cannot voice my opinions of why I find this book trend problematic. If you people like these books so much why should everyone else be relevant to you that is not attacking anyone for liking them.
@Angela41541
3 күн бұрын
@@theatomicannie you are right, it is my fault for expecting an actual interesting essay on the topic from smb who made a whole genre that /other/ ppl like "the bane of their existence". should have known better. for anyone who is interested in an actual analysis of the genre, and not just a negativity rant, the book leo made a couple of videos reading romantasy and discussing the books and the genre in detail [without attacking the reader] as well as other video essays on booktok tropes
@gingko_maple
22 сағат бұрын
Don't like, don't watch.
@Salukiprincess
3 күн бұрын
You described the exact problems I have with the "romantasy" genre. I subscribed in hopes that you make some book recommendation videos, especially for fantasy and speculative fiction!
@buttersticks7877
3 күн бұрын
many of the pop romantasy books i see on booktok absolutely REEK of internalized misogyny.
@undine608
3 күн бұрын
I want a fantasy series with a fml (written by a woman) that is plot centered with an only a splash of romance. Any suggestions???
@layunirocha7111
4 күн бұрын
Romantasy is basically books for people who don’t actually like reading. They like tropes and participating in online communities. It’s a good gateway for teens who don’t have much reading experience, but ADULTS reading exclusively romantasy trash (tiktok is filled with them)? I’m sorry but they should grow the fuck up and try reading actual literature for once.
@nonozworld
4 күн бұрын
while I age I feel like The Cruel Prince successfully does a lot of these tropes. First, when reading the first book I started to not classify their dynamic as enemies to lovers, since Carden was straight up bullying/harming Jude. Jude on the other hand I don't think fits into the tiny girl x massive man, or weak girl x tough man. Carden is immature, and Jude is literally trying to survive in a world not for humans, whilst also trying to manage a fucked political situation. Carden and Jude are like equals if not Jude outsmarting Carden most of the time in the series (By the second book btw Carden does switch up). Personally, I do think the romance is a big aspect of the book I don't think it's the main interesting part. The political drama, and conflict in the big focus of the book, with Romance being an equal if not second to this political plot. That's why Carden is literally the worst because it's highlighting how Carden is as cruel as the world he lives in and he's not going to swoon or change his behavior at the first human girl that challenges him. I say all of this because I feel Cruel Prince is different within the genre. When it came to ACOTAR I enjoyed the first book, but by the second book I was very very bored. I don't want to blame the actual plot I blame Sarah J. Maas and what she chose to focus on in the story. The pacing was weird, and yes the characters feel flat, and the romance was the MAIN focus of the story. OH yeah and in the Second book Feyre did become that weak girl x strong guy trope. I understand why she did because she got a new body and mental health but the way it was executed really made me start to hate BOTH of them. Whereas with Jude and Carden, Jude felt like a fighter the whole time like pure spunk to her character. She fought even when she knew she was significantly weaker. IDK tho maybe I just didn't enjoy ACOTAR but this is just how i feel :)) good video!!
@Joyride37
4 күн бұрын
I like a good romance, and I love fantasy. But romantasy is just contemporary romance with fantasy aesthetics. The worldbuilding is thin and uninspired a lot of the time, and it rehashes the same tropes. It kinda feels like the state of sword and sorcery novels of the 80s, where fantasy wasn’t respected as a genre
@elliecee2034
5 күн бұрын
I know it's definitely out there but I really DO WANT a good romantasy because it's two of my favorite genres. And one with adults who act like adults and where everyone isn't white 😭
@camsreellife
5 күн бұрын
this is why I stopped reading YA fantasy years ago when I was around 16-17 and just started reading it again! I was looking at the summaries and was like "why does this sound like the same story over and over again? maybe I should just write my own stories instead" and I've been writing some of my own ideas ever since these all sound like the same guy and I'm going to start reading adult fantasy now
@ellyghost
5 күн бұрын
you ate and left no crumbs tbh
@katerrinah5442
6 күн бұрын
Honestly if it's not Aragorn and Arwen/Beren and Luthien levels of intensity and dedication I don't want it. If it's not "ungloved dancing in 2020 Emma" I don't want to hear about how scandalous it is. I love romance and fantasy, but I want both to be good and have actual characters
@isa-belva
6 күн бұрын
I genuinely don't get why they (publishers, book stores) are trying to market these as fantasy first and romance second - they're all more fantastic romance than romantic fantasy. Why not just put the romance as the first bullet point and mention that there are faes and dragons involved, since most readers are here for the -smut- romance anyway? Does the "fantasy" genre actually attract more people in the romantasy crowd?? Sheesh, leave the fantasy shelves for the authors who have thought their world and plot through.
@kookoo9800
6 күн бұрын
I LOVE LOVE LOVE romantasy… HOWEVER this was BEFORE it became a popular/official(?) genre and it was always fantasy that had a romance subplot that i loved. Literally ever since it became popular online it’s become something else that i can barely stand to read.
@claudiameier666
6 күн бұрын
its also a stupid wish fantasy that a thiusand year old magical being will find a twenty year old girl attractive in any way
@herbst.zeitlose
6 күн бұрын
Did not expect the My Tender Knight shoutout lmao honestly if your book reads like historical romance with a shirtless guy on the cover it shouldn't function as fantasy in the same way those historical romances aren't equal to 1000 page Ken Follet novels (not that those are perfect just. different level of historical fiction innit...)
@LaMerleNoir216
6 күн бұрын
I have read my fair share of the faerie smut. But I never go into it for the amazing writing lol. It's just a trashy novel. like the book equivalent of the jersey shore. I feel like it has its place but I dont like that it's taken over. I want to see a wider range of stuff. Booktube and Booktok both only suggest YA romantasy stuff to me. I enjoy stuff from all genres so how I got pigeonholed like that in the algorithm is crazy. Oh I wanted to add I read The Blood Ties series by Jennifer Armintrout (now goes by Jenny Trout) many years ago. It's out of print I think but still lives on kindle. Not sure if it would qualify as urban romantasy but it def had some smut in it. Compared to newer romantasy I think the story was better. The whole love triangle and enemies/lovers thing wasn't as cut and dry and there were a lot of things going on to make everyone do what they did. But it was a good read.
@miyayume_eclectic_dream
6 күн бұрын
Unique movie: MONSters by Kore Eda Shoplifters by Kore Eda . The Man From Earth 2007...heads up...there is religion as topic...I don't watch religion-topic movies...I do very much enjoy this one and have re-watch is multiple times as I love the phylosophy and psychology aspects in it.
@miyayume_eclectic_dream
6 күн бұрын
Video is worth your time! ✨️☺️✨️ The only fantasy romance books that I can suggest to you are Radiance by Grace Draven [with 10% sexy time] and Elf Prince and Fierce Heart by Tara Grayce [0% sexy time]. Most unique one: Long may She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas...smart FMC, good side characters + NO ROMANCE 🙀
@miyayume_eclectic_dream
6 күн бұрын
8:00 till 9:00 is THE BEST PART OF THIS VIDEO FOR ME! That are the book woman write for [young] female readers? 🤨 The woman write their wishfull fullfillment! Man with no brain cells and waaaits for women to decide when she is going to be ready and fall in love with him and say the L word 🙄 Apparently in RL you want a healty communication in relationship but in books the men is just a body with 1✨️ or 5✨️ smut to it 😮💨 . To me it looks the woman writters want to bully man back because of wrongs done in the past. What was that saying about POWER....😑 . I really get sooo angry! I have read a book where I was literarly wishing for the MMC to drop the woman....but noooo he has stars in his eyes and worships the ground she walks 🤢 ... I wonder if that book was a sapphic romance would the Elf Queen allow being treated 😈 like that by a Human Woman? Thank you for reading my rant ☺️
@Enoemen
6 күн бұрын
Then maybe... Don't read it?
@princessjello
6 күн бұрын
Omfg i was sooooo fucking pissed when i got invested into the world of The Cruel Prince and in the finale, THE MC AND SAID PRINCE ENDED UP TOGETHER 🤢 Fuck. My. LIFE. 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Commenting as im going so edit: youre so right. Zuko set the bar so high and we've been chasing that feeling ever since
@RayDrawzDragonz
6 күн бұрын
im writing a fantasy with a romantic subplot... im genuinely tired of romance being forced with no adding to the themes and or being toxic... itll add to the themes becayuse the themes are about loving eachother despite our differences, and being ourselves ((ik its chliche but its important)) , Their relationship will work towards this theme because they are technically on opposing sides in a civil war... ((though not qualifying as enemies to lovers cuz they dont hate eachother when the romance starts, its more like enemies to friends to lovers yk)) also the two will slowly open up to one another and encourage them to be themselves :) also ima make em not toxic, i hate it when romance is toxic and has really stupid beef in it, or is just straight up abusive... they are gonna be wholesome, maybe theyll argue but theyll always stick by eachother at the end of things :) its gonna be wholesome af and no one will stop me mwahahahah !!!! also i wont force it, itll go slow; theyll become a thing roughly a third way in, maybe half mark at the earliest... im gonna attempt to make them be really close and wholesome with one another before becoming a thingy cuz imo the best romances is when you want them to be a thing even before it becomes one; or even implied to be one... also side not but as a guy i hate how theres not really much diversity in love interests, also why are they all assholes ??? ive felt more emotions than just being angry at people 😭, also this sets up really bad expectations in romance for both women and men .... people need good role models :) especially when it comes to YA cuz mostly teens read it. also about diversity, i hate it when theres like no disabled characters sm in fantasy, im disabled and i can name a total of three disabled characters in fantasy; Hiccup + toothless httyd, Starflight wof, toph atla, ((2/4 of em are dragons)) ... This issue of lack of representation everywhere is across all genres but seems to be very present in fantasy :/ also where are the mobility aid users ??? the invisibley disabled characters, and the neurodiverse ??? Another thing that bugs me is so many villans have burn scars and generally are just scarred up, like dude i have a burn scar and im not planning the end of the world 😭chill tf out...(also this negative rep made me feel gross and has had negative consequences on my life cuz i thought my friends wouldve hated me if they saw how "gross" my burn scar was, or that theyd think im evil or something... representation in media affects real life)
@Stephnbeans
6 күн бұрын
the only romantasy i’ve read and liked is Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries and T. Kingfisher’s Paladin books. But maybe it’s because I’m getting older and want older protagonists? I read SJM books when they first came out and went through an obsessive phase but I’ve been burned out for years 😂
@deviousskylark5767
6 күн бұрын
Thank you for voicing so eloquently my issues with romantasy these days. I thought I just became more conservative with age.
@jinphany.
7 күн бұрын
I mean doesn’t violet literally have two dragons, so that if one of them does die, then she has got plot armour and she won’t?💀
@cutecat3004
7 күн бұрын
Didn't realize how good we had it with older YA until booktok... Honestly my biggest problems are with the trend-chasing, shoving smut in everyone's face, and "dark romance" that's literally just abuse. Then you put those things together and you get young folks being taught that actual abuse is just kinky quirky spice. Enemies to lovers and "dark romance" has so much potential, and yet everything is so shallow. Like you mentioned in the video, things like enemies to lovers needs complex characters, and romantasy can't even commit, they're just checking off boxes. "Dark romance" that I'd like to see is either tragic (think characters in a horror story/messed up situation, or characters who are co-dependent or clash) or a relationship where one or both are dangerous, but not purposefully to each other (like someone who would go to any lengths to protect their partner, or they have ~dark magic~ but do their damndest to not let it touch their partner). It doesn't have to be the healthiest relationship, but there's a difference between "we have issues" and "one literally owns the other or whatever and they purposefully hurt each other"
@nebuluna
7 күн бұрын
20:02 who are they?
@theatomicannie
4 күн бұрын
Kaz and Inej from the Six of Crows duology :) the show is called Shadow and Bone.
@lemnlyme
7 күн бұрын
fantasy romance books with non head strong bland stupid protag’s? and actually interesting love interest? PLEASE RECOMMEND
@SickegalAlien
8 күн бұрын
s3x with emotional connection? 🥱 Boring. Been there, done that. Available whenever I want. s3x _without_ emotional connection? Or even better, with _negative_ emotions? 😎 Exotic. Unattainable. Fascinating. Can't look away.
@maria_____.
8 күн бұрын
I'm so glad I've found this video. I love fantasy and it genuinely pisses me off how many books are marketed in the fantasy genre when they're actually just badly written romance (sometimes even just porn on paper) with pretty much no fantasy elements. And there's nothing wrong with books like that but put them where they belong!! In the romance section!! I hate to say this but I've started avoiding contemporary fantasy books written by female authors because it's a disappointment every time
@silversolar7181
8 күн бұрын
Shout-out to The Invisible Library for being a fun fantasy detective story with strong romance elements while also being slow-burn. I recently finished the whole series and it hits all the reasons why world-building makes a fantasy story functional, so that when the romance develops you can actually enjoy it, while not having to be confused about how the world works.
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