Romantasy's Billion-Dollar Rise Sparks Brand Interest

Bookstores and e-tailers worldwide are anticipating the release of Sarah J. Maas’s sixth novel in the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series on October 27th, marking a five-year wait for fans.

A Genre Explodes in Popularity

The literary genre, a romance-fantasy fusion focusing on “spicy” scenes between fantastical beings, is now estimated to be a billion-dollar industry, a decade after the first ACOTAR novel debuted in 2015. Bloomberg declared this just last week, triggering international launch events, including ACOTAR parties at 76 Waterstones stores in the UK, featuring bone readings, cake, parlor games, and themed dress codes.

Upcoming Releases and TV Adaptations

Alongside the ACOTAR release, authors Rebecca Yarros (Fourth Wing), Rachel Gillig (The Shepherd King), and Penn Cole (The Kindred’s Curse Saga) are all releasing new titles in the coming month. Fourth Wing is even being adapted into a TV series by Amazon MGM studios, with Michael B. Jordan involved, though a release date has not yet been announced.

Brands Entering the Trend

Luxury brands are now increasingly interested in the trend. While fashion has flirted with romantasy, significant tie-ins have been limited. Tory Burch was an early adopter, inviting Maas to its Fall/Winter 2024 show. “Romantasy arrives at a time when consumers are looking to escape and imagine a world filled with magic, hope and excitement, but also moral complexities,” says Elizabeth Tan, senior marketing and culture strategist at WGSN Insight. “Awe,” “imagination,” and “glimmers” are currently highlighted as key consumer sentiment drivers.

Dedicated Spaces for Romantasy

Previously, indulging in romantasy was considered a private pursuit. However, with the embrace of “cringe” as authenticity, openly discussing the genre is now commonplace. “It’s a perfect storm for it to be culturally relevant right now,” says Starlin Marot, founder of Bad Girl Books, an Oxford-based bookstore stocking over 2,000 titles categorized by themes like “Unhinged” and “Monster Smut.”