Fantasy Romance vs. Romantasy: What’s the Difference?

Okay, but… aren’t fantasy romance and romantasy basically the same thing?

That’s a question I’ve asked myself more than once.

If you’ve been anywhere near the book world lately, you’ve seen the word romantasy everywhere. It’s on bookstore shelves. It’s all over social media. People are recommending romantasy books, arguing about romantasy tropes, and debating whether a particular book is actually counts.

Which brings us to the obvious question: what is romantasy, anyway?

The short answer is that romantasy is a blend of romance and fantasy. The slightly longer answer is that both pieces matter enough to the story that pulling either one out would break the book.

And that’s where things get fuzzy, because fantasy romance and romantasy overlap. A lot.