Dragons and damsels: Inside the world of romantasy, a publishing phenomenon in Ireland and beyond

Fuelled by BookTok, the romantasy genre has taken off in recent years, particularly among female readers 

Catherine Doyle and Clair Wright are among the Irish authors who are writing books in the hugely-popular romantasy genre.

It's hard to imagine that a genre that did not exist – or, at least, did not have a name – a decade ago is now one of the key drivers of sales in publishing and bookshops worldwide. Welcome to the age of romantasy, a blend of fantasy and romance which shows no sign of slowing down, and it has the power of social media to thank in part for its success.

Content creators on BookTok, a subgenre of TikTok, have been passionately championing romantasy reads, particularly since 2020. Think damsels in distress who save themselves, forbidden love in a dragon-riding academy, magic powers that spice up intimate encounters. A quick scroll through the app shows romantasy is undoubtedly the genre of the moment, including for Irish readers.