It turns out that Generation Z is addicted to reading, but the books they’ve become obsessed with are far from tame.
Loved on TikTok, the ‘Romantasy’ genre, a mix of romantic and fantasy fiction, has taken the world by storm and its followers are mainly young middle-class women.
The books feature fairies, mythical kingdoms and dragons and, most importantly, highly detailed sex scenes, to the point that the genre has been dubbed “fairy porn.”
In fact, Spotify’s most popular audiobook for 2024 was A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by American author Sarah J. Maas, who is widely considered to have spearheaded the popularity of the romance genre.
Romantasy was first published on Urban Dictionary in 2008, but it’s thanks to TikTok and Maas, whose books have sold 37 million copies, that it has really taken off.
ACOTAR features a protagonist named Feyre and her love interest, the High Lord Fairy Tamlin. Even more cowardly and attractive is the lord of the Night Court: Rhysand, the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, with great sex appeal.
Also popular is Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing, described as ‘The Hunger Games meets 50 Shades of Grey’, again with morally gray love interest Xaden Riorson.
Love Island star Chloe Burrows has enthusiastically recommended the ACOTAR series, telling her TikTok followers she is “in love” with hero Rhys and was feeling “depressed” that she only has one book left.
The ‘Romantasy’ genre has taken over TikTok and its racy scenes have readers ‘obsessed’. Pictured: TikToker Corrie recommends the Fourth Wing
Holding A Court Of Frost And Starlight, he said: ‘Guys, this is my request for BookTok. I just finished this and I’m depressed because now I only have one book left. I honestly can’t imagine a life where I’m not thinking about ACOTAR. I’m obsessed.
‘Sometimes I catch myself in the middle of a conversation thinking about it, I think about it all day. I think it’s because I’m in love, I’m in love with Rhys.
“I want to read it again and I didn’t even do it in English and I did it for A level.”
The TikTok hashtag for ACOTAR alone has been viewed more than 14 billion times, and its appeal is attributed to high levels of “spiciness” and “smut.”
A tamer line from A Court of Mist and Fury reads: “His mouth found mine, the kiss open and deep, a clash of tongues and teeth.” He laid me down on the pillows and I wrapped my legs around his back, careful with my wings.
And later: “With one long claw, he tore the silk and lace, and my underwear fell to pieces.”
In Fourth Wing, the main character Violet has the power to wield lightning and does so during intense moments of intimate activity.
On TikTok, Grace’s Book Nook said: ‘There are two types of people in this world. There are people who have read ACOTAR and there are some damn bastards!
The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is described as ‘The Hunger Games meets 50 Shades of Grey.’ In the photo: Angelina Frerk.
Alicia Whatmore from Manchester added that she “didn’t know what to do with herself” after finishing the ACOTAR series.
‘Listen, there’s only one way to live your life, and that’s on the Sarah J Maas train. Choo choo, all aboard.
“These books will change your life and you will want to buy them all.”
And Corrie, who runs the TikTok account @booksinmy30s, said of Fourth Wing: “There are two books in the series so far, so I didn’t find it too daunting.” They are so good that they got me out of my ACOTAR hangover.
‘The story is really good, it’s set in a war school where they train to be dragon riders. We have dragons in these books!
‘I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about dragons, but by the end of this book I was wondering why the hell my career path hadn’t ended with me being a dragon rider. It was all I really wanted to do. I promise you that you will like them a lot, we have romance.’
Alicia Whatmore from Manchester added that she “didn’t know what to do with herself” after finishing the ACOTAR series.
Romance novels, however, can be difficult to spot, as they often have discreet covers as readers seek to keep their saucy reading habits under wraps.
The Washington Post says: ‘The quickest way to tell if you’re watching a romance novel is the title. Is there a common noun, followed by two that imply something terrestrial and something corporeal? A house of earth and blood? A song of blood and stone. You have romance.’
Love Island star Chloe Burrows has enthusiastically recommended the ACOTAR series
Chloe told her TikTok followers that she is “in love” with hero Rhys and was feeling “depressed” that she only had one book left.
In addition to TikTok stars, the racy novels have caught the attention of celebrities like Margot Robbie and Dua Lipa.
Romantasy’s UK sales are estimated to have totaled £27m last year, up from £15m in 2022.
ACOTAR’s first book has over three million reviews on Goodreads, while Yarros’ Iron Flame was the title with the most pre-orders in a single day in November 2023.
Hulu is adapting A Court Of Thorns And Roses (ACOTAR) for television, and Amazon MGM Studios has acquired the rights to Fourth Wing.
The trend is led by Generation Z, but women of all generations are now believed to be joining in, and it is seen as a revival of the ‘bonkbusters’ popular in the 1970s and ’70s, such as Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rivals.
‘Of course the girls are reading horny fairy books. It’s cheaper than traveling and more fun than therapy,” wrote Emily Mulligan in the guardian.
Romantic books even inspire weddings, like now that he tiktok generation is getting married, their favorite online trends are infiltrating wedding ceremonies.
The trend is for social media users to take their avid adoration of fantasy novels, such as Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, and implement them on their special day.
On TikTok, Grace’s Booknook said there are two types of people: those who have read ACOTAR and those who haven’t.
The term ‘Booktok’ has seen an 8,500 per cent growth in popularity, with more than 110,000 Google searches in the last month for that phrase alone, according to wedding planning site Hitched.co.uk.
With a staggering 46.3 million views on the #HarryPotterWedding hashtag, the children’s fantasy fiction set in the wizarding world is the series leading the movement and inspiring book lovers to celebrate non-traditional weddings.
However, the romance genre has also raised concerns and has been accused of taking over young adult fiction, with teenagers exposed to racy readings.
Young adult (YA) fiction has become increasingly “adultized” due to a trend of “spicy” reads on TikTok, which have replaced works like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.
Books such as A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (both based in the US), and The Spanish Love Deception by Spanish writer Elena Armas, which contain adult themes and Explicit scenes are popular recommendations. in the application.
Avid readers of the platform often rate their daring literary finds with a red chili emoji based on how likely a reader is to find sensual themes and dynamics.
Romance author Sarah J. Maas (pictured in February) is considered to have spearheaded the genre.
More than half of readers who choose to read YA books are in fact over 18, according to WordsRated, which may be due, in part, to content that appeals to an older audience.
Previous classic examples of YA fiction include Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, and John Green’s books, which worked to bring “adult” concepts such as politics, mortality, and self-discovery to an audience. younger. .
But now the genre consists predominantly of what is known as “romantasia” and the predominance of racy subplots has left little room for those with other interests.
Some of the content is also difficult to spot, as books like Love Hypothesis have inconspicuous and even cartoon-like covers, meaning readers may not know what they’re getting into.
“Tell me why this was in our school library in the science section,” said one TikTok commenter about Love Hypothesis, which includes a very explicit sex scene.
Sarah J. Maas’s works are now considered ‘New Adult’, for readers ages 18-29, although they were first published in the YA category.