Fantasy vs. Romantasy

Written by: Morgan

You would think fantasy and romantasy to be the same thing that romantasy is just fantasy with romance. You would be almost correct, but there’s a big difference between fantasy and romantasy. 

Let’s first define fantasy and romantasy before we go into the differences. Fantasy is a genre that is purely fiction with a fictional universe/world that can sometimes be inspired by myth and lore. Romantasy is purely fiction and set in a fictional universe also can be inspired by myth or lore but it’s solely focused on a romance/love story. 

Let’s look at the differences now: 

The biggest difference between the two is romance or the level of romance. In fantasy, you could have a love story or a romantic interest, however, it’s not a guarantee. In romantasy, you are guaranteed a love story and possibly more depending on the level of spice. 

Another difference is world-building. In fantasy, the world-building is usually very strong and at the forefront of the novel. Romantasy can have great world-building but it can take a back seat for the love story to shine. 

Lastly, in fantasy the villain or antagonist is usually someone or something after the main character/characters and usually not in a romantic way. In romantasy, that someone or something is usually after the couple or trying to break up the couple in some way not necessarily after just the main character. Now, it’s not always like this in every Romantasy book. Sometimes, that someone or something is after the main character but in trying to take the main character down it ultimately does something with the couple to either try to break them apart or does break them apart. 

Whether you like just fantasy, romantasy, or both, finding a novel that can take you to a place of dragons, myth, and lore can be magical with or without a romance.