Romantasy Deep Dive From Tolkien & Austen to ACOTAR

It’s Onyx Storm release day, and we’re diving into the world of romantasy! In this episode, we explore the irresistible magic of fantasy romance: why it resonates with millennials, how it blends Tolkien’s epic world-building with Austen’s swoon-worthy romance, and what makes the genre thrive (and sometimes fail). From closed-door YA to spicy, explicit favorites like Zodiac Academy, we share our top recommendations and air our biggest gripes about modern romantasy—like bloated page counts and rushed writing. Plus, we reflect on the genre’s fairytale origins, debate the perfect balance of spice and story, and talk about what makes a romantic fantasy truly unforgettable. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the genre, this episode has something for every romantasy reader. Business inquiries: [email protected] Patreon: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhood All our links: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast   / 41424.beauty   A Bio of Charles Perrault (author of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles... Origins of Cinderella https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella Dragonriders of Pern series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonr... Grace Draven (monster romantasy author) https://gracedraven.com/home Mercedes Lackey Bio and Heralds of Valdemar Series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercede...  / valdemar-heralds-of-valdemar   The Mists of Avalon Series by Marion Zimmer Bradley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mis... FANTASY ROMANCE RECS Introductory Fantasy Romance: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Beauty and the Beast retelling with a deadly trials component, less than three spice scenes) OR Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros (military school fantasy featuring spice and dragons) Favorite Long Romantasy Series: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (the first three books are young adult, and then the series becomes adult, no explicit spice) Gothic Romantic Fantasy: Belladonna Series by Adalyn Grace (no explicit spice) Spicy Fantasy Romance: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (vampire romance, includes a deadly trials plot, less than three spice scenes) Pining Romantic Fantasy: Letters of Enchantment duology by Rebecca Ross (World War 1 vibes, closed-door spice) Upper Young Adult Fantasy Romance: Folk of the Air Series by Holly Black (coming of age focus, with romantic subplot, enemies to lovers yearning, but not explicit spice) Upper Young Adult Romantasy: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (more a love story, no explicit spice) Spicy Romance: Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti Fantasy Romance About Adults That Feels REAL: A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless (Isles of Cadence Duology) By Rebecca Ross Dark Romantic Fantasy: Manacled by Senlinyu (Harry Potter fanfiction featuring Draco and Hermione with spice) Fantasy With Subplot Romance: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang (no spice, check trigger warnings for this military fantasy) Masters of Death by Olivie Blake (Male/Male romance that ACHES) Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb (High fantasy with subplot character romances with VERY minor spice implied not explicit) SCI-FI STORIES WE LOVE • Red Rising by Pierce Brown • Silo by Hugh Howey (show on apple tv) • The 100 by Kass Morgan (show on Netflix) • The Expanse by James S. A. Corey (show on Amazon Prime)