My husband, Paul, at 5’10,” is only a couple of inches taller than I. I’ve always appreciated how we can see each other eye-to-eye when we are dancing, or arguing. How when we walk in the world, we can view it from a similar perspective. When I squeeze his arm, his flesh is firm and springy—like a hotdog in its casing.
In the last several books I’ve read, the “MMC,” —or “Male Main Character,” as readers on Reddit call the lover interest—is, without exception, over six feet tall. In each book, there is a moment where the protagonist, or “FMC” (female main character) comes close to the MMC and is shocked to discover that her head only reaches his chest, or, at most, his collarbone, When events conspire to throw her against him, she is further surprised to find his muscles are carved from stone.
When his hypochondriacal tendencies flare up, Paul asks me to sniff his pee and tell me if it smells weird. (I gingerly lean over the toilet, then tell him it smells normal to me.) At bedtime, he buzzes around our bedroom, hair brushed up crazily, hands small propeller wings at his sides, saying, “see, I’m the manic pixie dream person in our relationship.”
The MMCs in my books have gravelly voices and stoic or mocking demeanors that are maintained until the FMCs breaks past their emotional walls. The MMCs are not hypochondriacs, but they are wounded, with capital T Traumas that wake them up at night. They are not a manic pixies, but faerie high lords, dragon riders, or shapeshifters.
What have I been reading? That’s what I’ve been wondering, too!
A few weeks back, I wrote about doing a writing challenge that led me to research “enemies to lovers” as a trope and finding a Goodreads list of “best enemies to lovers” books.
After the challenge ended, I had an unread audio book I’d downloaded to my Hoopla app. I was hesitant to begin A Court of Thorns and Roses, unconvinced that I’d be captivated by the story of a woman who, Beauty and the Beast-style, goes to live with a monstrous faery lord in order to pay a debt. But the book turned out to be just the drive-time distraction I needed as I headed into my production-work season. Listening to our current news in heavy traffic on the way to a job-site can be anxiety-provoking—faerie politics are less so. When I’d finished ACOTAR (the acronym fans have assigned to A Court of Thorns and Roses), I consumed the other four books in the five-book series in quick succession.
What genre was I reading? I struggled to define it. My first guess was YA (Young Adult). Though the characters were adults, their emotional dysregulation and inability to communicate smacked of adolescence. On the other hand, the sexual tension and bedroom activities—continually “spicier” as the series progressed—pushed well beyond those depicted in any classic YA books I’d read as a teen. The fantasy world building would put the books in the realm of fantasy, but the attention to the romantic relationship was greater than other fantasy books I’d read. But romance didn’t seem to quite fit either—I couldn’t recall ever seeing a Harlequin novel with faeries or shapeshifters on the cover.
In the midst of these ruminations, Paul came home from lunch with a friend who works on the business side at one of the studios. He reported that this friend had mentioned that “romantasies” are the new popular trend.
Romantasy. I googled the term and found an article that laid it out pretty well. To quote:
Books with a heavy fantasy plot with romance scattered throughout, like The Night Circus, would NOT be considered Romantasy, as the primary storyline is fantasy.
Books with a heavy romantic plot with fantasy aspects scattered throughout, such as The Princess Bride, would also NOT be considered Romantasy, since romance is the primary storyline.
Romantasy is the balanced combination of the two genres, with the primary storyline appearing both as romance and fantasy. They’re commonly set in fantasy worlds consisting of magic and mystical creatures (like dragons and fairies) but also feature the classic romance themes, and are known to be rather “spicy.
When Paul’s friend mentioned the The Fourth Wing, he was not the first to do so. I downloaded it next, despite a smidge of inner resistance: Just because I’d gotten pulled into the faery realm didn’t mean I was going to be able to buy into a story about dragonriders! But The Fourth Wing entertained as well.
It also echoed many of the patterns I’d been observing— a feisty but overpowered FMC is thrown against her will into a new world with enforced proximity to the MMC. She is obliged to undertake intense physical training that results in her uncovering her hidden strengths.
I’ve got a lot of thoughts—they are not developed, full thoughts… I just have things I notice.
I notice how, although it’s 2024, readers must be responding to a MMC who is a rugged cowboy-soldier John Wayne simply revamped as high-fae, or a dragonrider.
I notice that the FMCs begin as damsels in distress, but develop into assets on the battlefield… which feels kind of like feminism— of the sort where traditionally masculine militaristic strength and skill is upheld up as the bar. I also notice how in every book, a war is imminent, and unquestionably warranted.
I notice that the friend who encourages the FMC to relax a little, is ultimately revealed to be a villain, while the gadfly MMC who goads her on becomes the hero. Both figures have some paternalistic qualities, but the latter paves a path to empowerment…
I notice that despite the possibly problematic nature of the things I notice, I’m sucked in. I’m rooting for the dysfunctional couple to work out their differences and to spill their secrets. I imagine what it would be like to have a personal trainer force me into the best shape of my life, and to get to fly–with my own wings or a dragon’s. And I’m not immune to “the spice.”
I’ve decided that romantasies are like chocolate cake, not perfectly nutritious, but definitely tasty.
After finishing The Fourth Wing, I was ready to dive straight into its sequel, Iron Flame, but it’s not yet available on Hoopla and my Audible subscription is currently on hiatus until May. On the recommendation of an enthusiastic Redditor, I decided to try Broken Bonds. It had 25,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and five more books in the series if I needed to binge.
But instead of beginning a binge, Broken Bonds brought about the end of my romantasy honeymoon. Possibly because the writing was less skilled, or because the audio narrator hit the same few emotional notes repeatedly. This time around, the protagonist’s willful blindness to every signal became impossible to rationalize. Maybe I’d just eaten too much chocolate cake, but by the time I finished the book, I was ready for a break from romantasy.
Currently, I’m listening to Anne Patchett’s Tom Lake, about a woman passing a pandemic summer with her three adult daughters who press her to tell about a summer before they were born, when she had a love affair with a well-known actor. The prose is clear and controlled, the descriptions lush and lovely. The protagonist is a grown-up able to observe her life, past and present, with emotional intelligence and perspective. And the audio narration is performed by Meryl Streep–enough said!
I’m sure at some point my romantasy romance will resume, though it’s hard to imagine recapturing those first heady days. Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros apparently have plenty more to offer.
I don’t know what my next book will be, but now that I’m working from home again, I’m looking forward to a trip to the library for books with pages.
What are you reading these days?
xo
Barrington
I appreciate this post about 'romantasy'. I recently started reading books by TJ Klune. I started with The House in the Cerulean Sea. I didn't really know what I was reading at first, but I enjoyed it. I would categorize it as YA but with hints of fantasy and romance. I followed that up with Under the Whispering Door, which also has fantasy elements in it, but I think it's supposed to be a romance. (I didn't connect with that one as much.) I just finished In the Lives of Puppets a few weeks ago. I would describe it as relentlessly intertextual dystopian sci-fi with a touch of romance and lots of humor. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I'm not sure how to categorize it.
I love reading your thoughts on neo-feminist fiction. (Is that a thing? Or did I make that up?) In any case, thank you for the post. Please tell Paul 'Hi' from us. He should cut back on the asparagus.
Well, I'm reading a lot of articles for my Masters, one class I'm in is Critical Disability Studies and the information I'm getting is fascinating! One thing I'm reading for my Capstone is called "Bowling Alone", and it's about the decline of membership in clubs, bowling leagues (thus the name), and other organizations. I'm audio booking it. It's interesting and I feel important, but it's a bit dry for sure. After I get done with my Masters in May, I am looking forward to reading "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky.
I wish there was a style called Tom Robbins style, but I'm not sure what that'd be...it's kinda romance, kinda fantasy, kinda weird?