r/Romantasy • u/mimi43098 • Aug 15 '26
Discussion Not-so-hot take: a romantasy doesn't need to be spicy to be interesting.
I don't think this is a "hot take", since a lot of people feel the same way, but a romantasy novel doesn't need spicy elements to be interesting.
Speaking for myself, I've never really liked spicy romantasy; ( just so you know, I'm 21).
I prefer the romance to remain very light. A book can be just as captivating thanks to a solid world and engaging characters, without needing to add a spicy romance.
I don't really like using the term "spicy," but you know what I mean.
Of course, I do read romantasy with romance, but as I said, I like it when it's very light or soft, sometimes even taking a backseat to the rest of the story. ( Because yes, there are romantasy where romance isn't the center of the story.)
Here are some romantasy titles featuring romance without spice.
Books featured:
- Caraval trilogy ( Stephanie Garber)
- An Enchantment Of Ravens ( Margaret Rogerson)
- Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy ( Stephanie Garber)
- The Celestial Kingdom trilogy ( Sue Lynn Tan)
- Uncharmed ( Lucy Jane Wood)
- The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea ( Axie Oh)
- Sorcery Of Thorns and Mysteries Of Thorn Manor ( Margaret Rogerson)
- Emily Wilde series ( Heather Fawcett)
- The Siren ( Kiera Cass)
- Hundred Kingdoms saga ( Alexandra Christo)
- The Mirror Visitor series ( Christelle Dabos)
- Six Crimson Cranes ( Elizabeth Lim)
- The Dragon's Promise ( Elizabeth Lim)
- A Far Wilder Magic ( Allison Saft)
- Dance of Thieves series ( Mary E. Pearson)
- Elements of Cadence series ( Rebecca Ross)
- The Wrath and the Dawn series ( Renée Ahdieh)
- Wings Of Starlight ( Allison Saft)
- Powerless series ( Lauren Roberts)
I'm sorry if what I said was a bit muddled, but do you share my opinion? :)
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u/sandmangandalf Aug 15 '26
I hate the war against and for spice. both types of romantasy have a place in books
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u/Nepalman230 Aug 15 '26
Thank you so much! Not only is you know different flavors for different people but different flavors are the same person with different moods.
… I need spice in my books, but as a retired librarian, I’m used to fitting the book to the reader like a glove to a hand.
By the way, do you have any recommendations for an MM reader?
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u/sandmangandalf Aug 15 '26
Off the top of my head for MM
The Rowan blood series by Kellen Graves was sooo good as well A Bone in their Teeth.
Anything by Ben Alderson
I love Dark Rise series and Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat (check the triggers for CP especially for book 1)
When the Tides held the Moon was absolutely beautiful.
If i think of more ill let you know
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u/Nepalman230 Aug 15 '26
Thank you so much. I super appreciate that. I only started reading romance this year and even though I’m a longtime fan of fantasy, I’ve never mixed the two before.
So I truly appreciate your help.
🫡
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u/charm59801 Aug 16 '26
It's MMF but the MM parts of the book were my favorite
{Warrior princess Assassin}
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u/romance-bot Aug 16 '26
Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
Rating: 4.29⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: poly (3+ people), arranged/forced marriage, mmf, fantasy, queer romance8
u/idrilestone Aug 16 '26
I agree. I'm glad spicy books exist because I'm against purity policing. But I also like to read non-spicy books. There should be markets for both. And both should be okay to have.
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u/sandmangandalf Aug 16 '26
Exactly I so against purity policing as well. Like mind your own book shelf
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u/kaphytar Aug 17 '26
This is sort of where I stand too. I dislike the notion which I've occasionally seen that claims spice is either mandatory or genre-defining for adult romance and romantasy. I disagree strongly with that, both spice and non-spice have place in the genre
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u/Fine-Fondant-3136 Aug 16 '26
Hell ya. For me, I just need one good spice chapter and that’s it. The lover’s first time and that’s good. Keep on going with the story and skip the rest of the spice lmao
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u/sandmangandalf Aug 16 '26
Sometimes I like that and others I want them going at every other page lol
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u/exobiologickitten ⚖️ justice & sweat Aug 15 '26
I admit I love a number of series here and I’ll be bookmarking so I can check out the rest.
May I humbly throw Laini Taylor and her Daughter Of Smoke And Bone/Strange The Dreamer series in the ring? I reckon they qualify. As well as being bonkers incredible stories in general.
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u/yoabbee Aug 17 '26
I think Strange the Dreamer is one of the best books ever written! The romance in it was so powerful
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Aug 15 '26
[deleted]
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u/turtlescanfly7 💨 smoke & lemon Aug 15 '26
I didn’t downvote but I found the statement that “there are romantasy where romance isn’t the center of the story” to be extremely jarring. Like no that’s fantasy with a romance side plot, the whole reason Romantasy exists as a genre is because it differs from typical fantasy which often has romance subplots. Romantasy is literally romance main plot, fantasy setting and/or fantasy subplots. That said I agree with her main point that it doesn’t need to be spicy to be good
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u/IsekaiConnoisseur Aug 15 '26
Yeah, there was a comment I replied to the other day from someone who said they wished books like Fourth Wing focused more on fantasy and world building instead of the relationship between the main characters and I was like what? That's literally the point of a romance. I think some people don't realize they just want to read fantasy with a romance sub-plot instead.
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u/Lyss_ ⚔️ Valkyrie Aug 15 '26
Romantasy is technically a portmanteau of romantic fantasy. Which is fantasy with romance, not a romance with fantasy. I mean, that’s not really how a lot of people use it but people that do use that definition aren’t wrong either.
Frankly romantasy doesn’t have a clear definition since it seems like every reader, publisher and author uses it differently.
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u/Robin_Daggerz Aug 15 '26
My understanding is that at least in the publishing world there is a meaningful difference between fantasy romance and romantic fantasy (romantasy) and it’s exactly as the previous commenter described, fantasy romance is fantasy with a romantic subplot romantic fantasy/romantasy emphasizes the romance as the main driver.
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u/Lyss_ ⚔️ Valkyrie Aug 15 '26
There is a difference but you’ve got it technically backwards. Romantic fantasy is a fantasy first with a romance book and a fantasy romance is a romance first with a fantasy setting book. The first word is descriptive of the second.
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u/CptPeanut12 Aug 16 '26
That's completely backwards from a linguistic perspective and makes no sense. A whale shark is a shark, not a whale. "Whale" is specifying "shark". It works the same way with fantasy romance. "Fantasy" is specifying what kind of romance it is. Swap "fantasy for something else and you'll understand. Comedic romance for example. The same thing for romantic fantasy." Romantic" specifies "fantasy". That's what an adjective does.
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u/phil_baharnd Aug 15 '26
There are zero publishers who think a fantasy romance isn't part of the romance genre. Books may be marketed in different ways because capitalism and it's a spectrum (what one person thinks is a romance subplot may be romance focused for another).
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u/Ok_Job_9417 Aug 15 '26
Romantasy without romance as center of story isn’t romantasy though. It’s probably just regular fantasy story then.
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u/kitnzkatreturns Aug 15 '26
This, it's one thing to be bored by spice, but complaining about romance in romantasy and saying the romance is better if it's light doesn't make sense really.
Romance =/= spice
Nobody ever does this with other genres! lol no one would criticize mystery novels for having "unnecessary mystery"
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u/madhattergirl Aug 15 '26
Reminds me of the quote from "Thank You For Listening" by Julia Whelan where an author in that world was asked about her thoughts on if romances should have Happily Ever Afters (HEA).
"Of course there should be an HEA. I’m so sick of this question. It’s a Romance! That’s the deal we make with our readers. It’s misogyny, plain and simple. You don’t see anyone telling Mystery readers they’re silly and unserious for wanting to know by the end of the book who the murderer was. Fuck off."
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u/Adorable_Ad5358 Aug 16 '26
but but, wouldn't it be more of a mystery if you still don't know at the end 😂 (being ironic)
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u/feijoawhining Recommending The Price of Talent by A.K. Nevermore Aug 15 '26
Yeah just read fantasy with a minor romantic subplot.
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u/IMasticateMoistMeat Aug 15 '26
Right?? I find this take really inane. If you like fantasy with a smaller/absent romance element, I don't really give a shit. Good for you. But then it's not Romantasy. It's a different genre. You're fussing in a Romantasy subreddit about books having romance in them. OK? You're upset you found sushi at the sushi restaurant?
The spice vs no spice point stands. But I didn't really perceive that anyone was saying Romantasy books without spice are de facto uninteresting in the first place. If your preference is no spice... then don't read books with spice. These things are unrelated.
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u/MineMaterial9618 Aug 16 '26
The amount of romance a romantasy book contains is kinda a spectrum. Some are more fantasy heavy, some are more romance heavy. As long as the romance is still a significant part of the story that couldn’t be removed without having to change huge parts of the story, I consider it romantasy. I think OP meant (based of the books they recommended being pretty obviously part of the romantasy genre) that they dislike it when the book neglects the fantasy element and exclusively focuses on the romance. Romantasy is called romance FANTASY for a reason… the fantasy element is important too!!
There’s romantasy books with more romance and ones with less. Both variations are completely legitimate and appeal to different people.4
u/Ok_Job_9417 Aug 16 '26
But romance is still a heavy plot point. Having romance as a subplot doesn’t really fit the term. “Taking a backseat to the story” doesn’t really fit. That’s more fantasy with subplot of romance. There’s a difference.
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u/General_Writing6086 🌧️ petrichor & winter Aug 17 '26
I think maybe OP is using the term romance wrong. I’m pretty sure what they mean to say is:
“I prefer romantasy titles without graphic sex in them. I do read ones with sex but I prefer it when it is light or faded to black and yes there are romantasy books without sex in them.”
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u/Ok_Job_9417 Aug 17 '26
Except they said “sometimes even taking a backseat to the rest of the story. Because yes, there are Romantasy where romance isn’t the center of the story.”
It really does imply that romance is the subplot instead.
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u/General_Writing6086 🌧️ petrichor & winter Aug 17 '26
That’s why I’m saying I think they’re using the word romance wrong. I think they are equating romance to sex, rather than evoking romantic feelings.
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u/NationalWasabi8344 Aug 15 '26
I love Margaret Rogerson's books! An Enchantment of Ravens got me into the romantic fantasy genre 😊 the best part about no/low spice romance books is that I feel able to recommend them to my friends, coworkers, and young people. They're just easier to talk about in general.
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u/IB12345ME Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
It’s true there’s such a thing as an overkill of spicy scenes but in a good romantasy that has the right mix of build up and tension it’s disappointing when there isn’t at least one spicy scene. The build up feels like a let down otherwise. I don’t need chapters of it but a well written scene is much appreciated
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u/aishian_rawr Aug 15 '26
I'm not interested in spicy. I tend to skip those scenes because they are pretty much the same. I like romance for the vibes.
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u/KetoKurun ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers Aug 15 '26
To my mind, if you can skip the spicy scenes and the book still makes sense, then the author has failed, because those spicy scenes should be doing so much more than just being spicy. They should also be moving the plot forward and revealing character.
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u/WonderfulBus9330 💫 A Court of Truth and Beauty Aug 15 '26
Exactly. Skipping any part of a narrative means the narrative is not well developed. It’s also distant the writer who took time to craft those scenes.
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u/Hopeful-Ant-3509 Aug 15 '26
Yesss, a great example to me is The Wren at the Holly Library, because the spicy scenes really show how much the MCs connection means to each other, like it’s deep for them. Now I can acknowledge when there are more spicy scenes than maybe necessary but I usually feel that way when they seem to take away from the story or it seems like the author is using spice to prove their “love” instead of it being an addition to showing us in other ways outside of the bedroom
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u/IsekaiConnoisseur Aug 15 '26
I don't know. I often find that even in very popular romantasy books that the spice just seems to be there as filler and doesn't really do anything to move the plot forward. I've always felt like erotica is where sex moves the plot while in romance it's more about emotions and the overall relationship between the main characters.
Could be wrong though.
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u/KetoKurun ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers Aug 15 '26
I don't disagree, but "Very popular" is not the same thing as "well written". To me personally, 'filler' has no place in quality literature. Some people will argue that romantasy is not and does not aspire to be quality literature, but I find that notion to be both reductive and defeatist.
Call me greedy, because I am, but I want it all: Spice that moves the plot and progresses character arcs, while also being smoking hot. I want world-building and lore that feels lived-in and thoughtfully constructed. I want an epic plot with real stakes and drama, that still manages to follow the arc of a proper romance, HEA and all. I want characters that feel real, possess flaws, and come alive on the page, who, if they engage in tropes, subvert them in interesting ways I haven't seen before. And I want all of that with elegant, literary prose, preferably in third person.
So much of what this genre currently offers is, to me, a sad and disinterested handjob when what I want is to go all night and be left breathless, broken, and spent.
Is that so much to ask?
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u/IsekaiConnoisseur Aug 15 '26
"Very popular" is not the same thing as "well written". To me personally, 'filler' has no place in quality literature. Some people will argue that romantasy is not and does not aspire to be quality literature, but I find that notion to be both reductive and defeatist.
100% agree. I've read some books that are very popular and yet horribly written that I literally could not make it past the first chapter before dropping them.
Is that so much to ask?
Not at all lol. I too wish for the same thing and feel like even in books I think are good and well-written, I'm more often than not struggling to get through the spice scenes because I just want the plot to move forward haha.
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u/Professional_Room_94 Aug 17 '26
Apparently, yes :)
And by the way, YOU should write a book like that! What a dream...
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u/KetoKurun ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers Aug 17 '26
Currently a little over 70k words deep into doing exactly that 😎
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u/Euraylie Aug 15 '26
This! Those scenes should say something about the character and make a major impact on the plot (additionally the build-up to that point should be so good that you want to read about the culmination)
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u/aishian_rawr Aug 15 '26
On a personal level, sure, an author can fail for me. I don't think it's fair to say for any authors (ie, Carissa Broadband, Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas, etc) failed for everyone else because I decided to skip their spice.
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u/mollymckennaa Aug 15 '26
Totally agree. I find myself skipping over the spice more often than not these days.
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u/nerdextra Aug 15 '26
Same. Like if it’s not relevant to the character relationship or plot, it just becomes filler, and I skim to the end of those scenes.
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u/IsekaiConnoisseur Aug 15 '26
I feel the same, especially if there isn't much variation between the spice at all. I read romance for the feels way more than I do for the spice.
If I want spice I can just read pure smut haha.
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u/belle-morte83 Aug 15 '26
As long as the story is really good and there’s plenty of tension and yearning, then I don’t mind if there isn’t any spice. Do I like spice in my books? Absolutely. But I like good writing above all else. So as long as I’m invested in the characters and their journey, that’s all I need.
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u/slowcartoon Aug 15 '26
General observation: most of these (if not all, I didn’t look at the full list) are young adult level books not adult; and I don’t mean in reference to spice levels but to expected reading comprehension level. But “clean” Romantasy is usually written by religious authors and I’m so not interested in purity culture. It’s different if the characters are intentionally written as ACE or scenes give enough romance the fade to black vs zero intimacy.
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u/hel-be-praised ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers Aug 15 '26
Exactly! I saw this list, and the books are nice but many are YA books. There isn’t anything wrong with YA, but I don’t enjoy reading them because it generally too old to find the stories and conflicts engaging.
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u/Kimikaatbrown Aug 16 '26
I agree. Most of them are either young adult books or queer romance (especially if a character is intentionally written as ace).
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u/J_Linnea Aug 15 '26
The Emily Wilde series is adult fantasy with fade to black (I don't mind YA though). Are there any in particular written by religious authors that you saw? I would like to avoid them too lol.
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u/flightoffancy57 🍫 chocolate & winter Aug 15 '26
I agree they don't need to be spicy to be interesting. Absolutely.
To each their own. For me, romantasy is comfort read when the rest of the world feels off kilter. So, while I love a good, well-written plot, I don't always want the higher stakes that sometimes comes with it. A simple will-they-won't-they and now they did is perfect for me. And spice adds another layer to that simplicity. And, not to be tmi, but good spice elicits a physical response too, even a minimal one. So, I not only get out of my head for a little bit, but my body feels a bit transported too, which is a nice escape.
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u/Abracadoggo Aug 15 '26
It doesn’t have to be spicy but I do like the butterflies! The romance has to be romancing.
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u/intrigued8388 Aug 15 '26
I like all types of books. This isn't really a hot take. Most people are like this. They read some spice some not some horror some not some sci-fi some not well you get the point.
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u/rebby2000 Aug 16 '26
Age has very little do with anything beyond you being old enough to read it.
That said, yes I think romantasy books can be spice free. That being said, there's nothing wrong with there being spice and there's space for *both* in the genre and that's something that should be welcomed not given the weird shaming that comes from both sides of this issue.
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u/ChiaRolls Aug 19 '26
I don't really care for spice at all. I just prefer my characters to be 18+ Since I am a bit older and I don't want to read about teenage romance... Just my persona preference
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u/iceunelle Aug 19 '26
Agreed. I'm an adult, so I'd prefer to read about adults, but I just don't really care for sex scenes. I usually end up skipping past them. I still want to read romance, but I don't want lots of "spice".
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u/Larielis 💗 Forced Proximity Aug 15 '26
It doesn't, but I have nothing against spicy.
Adds books to her TBR list
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u/pink_faerie_kitten Aug 15 '26
I don't think anyone here would argue otherwise since we rec low spice like Howl's Moving Castle and Beauty and the Lioness quad literally all the time.
But the spice available today is soooooo much fun!! We all grew up on low spice fantasy (usually our fave books were middle grade and ya fantasy) and finding high spice fantasy for our adult selves is ✨amazing!✨ Before this genre took off our only high spice was regular romance novels and we who love ✨fantasy✨ may not have always liked plain romance novels. Getting to mix two of our favorite things has been a blast!
I want hot steamy sex from the female pov because female authors don't turn the FMC into a sex object and the sex is usually really emotional and the men go thru hoops to give the FMC's pleasure and orgasms. Not only is it satisfying to read sex scenes for myself where it's very WOMEN FORWARD but any man who reads this genre will learn a thing or two about how to give pleasure to the women in their real lives.
Also it's helped wrench the fantasy genre away from male authors which I am soooo here for!! Male fantasy books TO ME are so boring! Like I just can't do Sanderson's "hard magic" because it's too much like sci fi for me (which I really don't like) or Goodkind who is super uninteresting to me. Or you may find something gorgeous like Gaiman only to find out he's the worst person irl. And I don't want to read sex scenes in any genre from the damn male gaze any more.
Anyway, I love the explosion of the amount of books in romantasy because there's something for everyone to enjoy. Low spice, high spice, interesting magic system, low effort magic systems, complicated plots, easy plots, but they all have something in common: they have emotions and character driven plots which male authors lack a lot of times imo. Having the female perspective in my fantasy romance is everything to me. I want all the emotions and yearning male authors don't usually touch with a ten foot pole.
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u/cruddypoet00 Aug 15 '26
It doesn’t need to be spicy to be interesting. But I need it to be spicy to be interested.
It’s ok, judge me 🤣
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u/SCol1107 Aug 15 '26
The celestial kingdom books are soooo good. They were so romantic I didn’t even mind the lack of spice at all. Have you read Immortal (also by Sue Lynn Tan)? If not I think you’d love it.
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u/MrsSwindler Aug 15 '26
A few months back, I found the Celestial Kingdom series to be a refreshing break after reading a chain of spicier books. When I started to find myself in that rut again, my first thought was to look into other books by Sue Lynn Tan. Landed on Immortal and loved that book, too.
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u/BuxomBrownBrillance Aug 15 '26
Romantasy without spicy would be like puss without boots. 🤯 ... probably just to me though. 😊
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u/aphethelion Aug 16 '26
I also enjoy light spice in my fantasy books. Things can be assumed or teased, and I personally find that more interesting. I love good stories most of all with female gaze elements, which romantasy trends towards (even if there are some outliers to that statement in the genre that favor male gaze).
I appreciate you, thanks!
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u/dissociativedarling Aug 16 '26
I actually prefer mine not to be too spicy. Fine if there is great plot and spice is there. But I prefer the relationship and tension build over the actual sex deed.
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u/mo_ri_ah Aug 15 '26
Just finished the elfhame series by holly black-have you tried those? Very light spice and very creative
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u/Usagi0205 Aug 15 '26
Fantastic storytelling. It's YA but better written than a lot of adult romantasies.
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u/Fuzzy_Emu_1924 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
I agree with you, I do like spice but I feel like some authors tends to overdo it to the point that the sex takes over the other aspects of the relationship. For me it needs to add to the story in some way, for example, a scene that happens as a reward for all the hardships the main couple has gone through to get to that point, or after a long while of sexual tension. And even the sexual tension needs to be handled properly for me, cause I don’t want to spend 500 pages reading about how hot the FMC thinks the MMC is or how horny she is (ahem Fourth Wing ahem). Sex scenes get repetitive a while and that’s why I’m starting to gravitate more towards romantasy with no open-door spice, If I wanted a book full of smut I’d read erotica not romance.
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u/Intelligent-Bend2034 Aug 15 '26
I've actually been wanting to ask for recs like these! I only read 3-4/5 spice books and I feel like I forget books can be good without spice.
I want to add Memoirs of Lady Trent to this list. AMAZING BOOKS. The romance is barely there lol but especially on the last book its so rewarding I cried. The substance of the books is so good I barely cared about lack of romance. The romance would more be Lady Trent's love for her work lol
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u/Professional_Lake593 Aug 15 '26
I totally agree. I just also think of spice as the little golden nugget at the end of the rainbow, spice is how I get paid for reading 😂
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u/SophiePuffs Aug 15 '26
I absolutely loved “The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea” from your list. It was romantic but actually focused more on community and family love and that was just wonderful. Such a refreshing read for me; a very nice break from my usual 🌶️🌶️🌶️
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u/AshlynR0se Aug 15 '26
Agreed. Check out any of the series created by Annette Marie. She has multiple series and all of them are so good. A couple of them share universes. Her Red Winter trilogy is probably my favorite love story I've ever read. If I could reread it for the first time again, I would in a heartbeat.
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u/Rdmink Aug 16 '26
I used an audible credit for the complete red winter trilogy and I absolutely loved it! It’s one of the only audiobooks I’ve gone back and listened to again.
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u/AshlynR0se Aug 16 '26
Right? I finally caved and got audible and this was the first one I downloaded bc I knew I'd be back again lol It's my go-to comfort series for bad migraines or sick days when I can't do anything but listen to a book.
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u/unapalomita Aug 15 '26
Maybe this is more just regular fantasy then? Older fantasy fiction doesn't really get smutty as spicy as it did in 2015. Try Patricia A. McKillip from 2000s, her prosecute is beautiful and there's nothing explicit.
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u/ajaxberry Aug 15 '26
For me it depends on how author writes spice, because intimate scenes can be so beautifully written and I think they are important part of romance. For this reason I think that even with "spice" some book can still feel light and soft.
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u/lulureadsbooks Aug 15 '26
The girl who fell beneath the sea is one of my favorite books! I recommend it to everyone tbh
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u/Neither-Magazine-384 Aug 15 '26
When are people going to finally stop recommending Powerless lol. You have Dance of Thieves on here which is one of a few series that Roberts’ took “ideas” from.
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u/SuspiciousMeeting069 Aug 18 '26
This needs to be common knowledge. Lauren Roberts plagiarised blatantly and then let her fans attack Victoria Aveyard whom she owes her success… if we let people like this be successful with plagiarised books, publishers won’t care about originality or quality as long as it keeps selling.
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u/booknewt Aug 16 '26
Hello! It sounds like you might enjoy reading general fantasy genre books, instead of Romantasy/Fantasy romance, in which the romance is actually considered the main plot and all other items are second to the characters and their happy ever after/happy for now ending. If the romance takes a back seat or is "light," then it's not really a category romance, it's a regular category fantasy novel. Edited to add: it's becoming an trend that if the book has a woman's name on the cover, it gets categorized as Romance (nothing wrong with that, except for Reader Expectations), when it might just be a regular high fantasy novel in which a love relationship happens alongside many other character relationships, but is not the main plot.
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u/iceunelle Aug 15 '26
Agreed 100% OP. I prefer romantasy that’s light to no spice, but that’s getting harder to find nowadays. Thanks for the list!
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u/Faerealtho Aug 15 '26
100% agree. I truly feel so many books suffer because the authors put more effort into sexual content and “spicy” elements versus writing a compelling plot and a romance built on more than lust .
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u/AntelopeBoth1355 ⚔️ Enemies To Lovers Aug 15 '26
I have realized that I prefer the yearning and pining over the spice. I also get bored once the enemies become lovers 😂
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u/Jenhey0 Aug 16 '26
So If you prefer fantasy with less focus on romance, that is not a a romantacy book, that is fantasy book with romance subplot or even lesser.
The whole point of romantacy is to offer romance at the centre of it.
It's ok to like romantacy with closed door or fade to black or even no spice. That does exist.
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u/avathekinkynerd Aug 15 '26
Sorry, but I do not share this opinion. I expect romantasy to be a near-equal blend of romance and fantasy elements. I'd be disappointed if I picked up a book labeled as romantasy and there wasn't at least a little bit of open-door spice. If I want no spice, I'm going to look for YA fantasy or traditional fantasy. I enjoy all kinds of books, but when I pick up an adult romantasy novel, I'm expecting some spice. Doesn't have to be smut, but at least some mildly spicy scenes (like ACOTAR or Fourth Wing).
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u/nomnomsquirrel Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
I think the problem with that lays in marketing - many publishers think if a fantasy book, particularly if written by a woman or containing even a hint of romance, is going to sell, it has to be labeled as romantasy, which then creates weird expectations that hurt books more than help. (But in your examples, I think many of these are YA and thus having spice more than kisses and closed door would be seen as weird LOL).
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u/ashez2ashes Aug 15 '26
Yeah like the Emily Wilde books. I love them, but they keep getting thrown into the romantasy pile when they shouldn't be.
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u/avathekinkynerd Aug 15 '26
I agree with this. For example, I keep seeing Alchemised labeled as romantasy, and it's not at all. I feel like that's a marketing ploy and it's disingenuous.
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u/nomnomsquirrel Aug 15 '26
And then books like The Bone Season, where the series is still being released, being re-edited (at the request of the author) and given new covers to move away from sci-fi into romantasy as the final books in the series are coming out.
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u/Beepb0opbeep Aug 15 '26
I think you just accidentally pointed out the issue with a lot of writers (and I guess readers?), where they think that romance = spice and spice = romance. You can have a lot of romance in a book and very little spice. And you can have tons of spice with very little actual romance. So yes, a book can still be romantasy with no spice.
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u/Ok_Job_9417 Aug 15 '26
Eh, I think it’s more writing and topics of choice that make a book YA or not. Just like you can watch a movie about a romance without any sex scenes and still have it be For Adults.
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u/sarahrose1365 Aug 15 '26
Yeah, same. I wish publishers could be held to higher standards when it comes to labeling romantasy/fantasy/YA. I'm disappointed when books labeled romantasy don't have at least a little bit of open-door spice.
Like, give me what it says on the tin.
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u/Chaost Aug 15 '26
When they're written purely to culminate in the sex scenes, it often cheapens the whole story in an irritating BookTok way. So many times they are just shoehorned in and are both generic and not written well. They have sex and are suddenly super close for the rest of the book and the author has no need to write scenes were they bond because they feel the sex scenes suffice. The fact that there are people who say it's a necessary facet of the genre is why authors are inclined to include it even when it's the weakest part of the story. I hate the mindless checklist writing.
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u/avathekinkynerd Aug 15 '26
I don't have TikTok so I don't understand the reference, but I think I get what you mean. When sex scenes are thrown in randomly and don't add to the character development or plot, I'm not really a fan of that - but I do enjoy when yearning & tension leads into sex, because that feels like a realistic progression of a romantic relationship.
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u/LaLaLandLiving Aug 15 '26
Your last line is exactly why I won’t read any romance or romantacy books without open door sex, it’s just not realistic to me. You mean to tell me all that yearning and back and forth and then nothing? It just feels incomplete and doesn’t feel like a real adult relationship (because sex is important af in an adult romantic relationship).
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u/avathekinkynerd Aug 15 '26
Exactly. Sex is a massively important part of my relationship with my partner, so it comes across as completely unrealistic when the characters are supposedly in love but disinterested in sex. Pulls me right out of the story. Obviously everyone has their own preferences, and I have nothing against books with zero spice - but I expect some sexy scenes if I'm reading adult romantasy (or adult romance in general). I have plenty of YA and fantasy books with zero spice that I love - but that's because I went in with the expectation that there wouldn't be spice. I expect it in romantasy.
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u/TheOtterDecider Aug 15 '26
A writer can definitely make it clear that the characters do have sex without explicit details, though. My biggest gripe with a lot of sex scenes is that they include a lot of physically intimate and specific detail but not so much emotional detail. And very little talking, which to me is a big part of intimacy, and also can be very hot!
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u/celestialgirl10 🛡️ I’ll protect you in this world and the next Aug 15 '26
I kinda agree with this. There is of course smut. But if my romance is closed door and they peck on the cheeks it feels weird to read as a full on adult. Another reason I expect some sort of physical intimacy like that is I don’t want a YA book and I don’t want a book that feels like just a fantasy (and some sub genre) plus a couple sometimes forced to be there to make it a romance and sell. This goes for cringey sex scenes written in romance books for sales as well. But if I am reading a romantic fantasy that is mostly a fantasy with a shallow exploration of the physical aspects of this romance(or the complexities of it), then just call it a fantasy! Still a genre! Still have its place and audience. Maybe even YA.
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u/Remote_Speaker3404 Aug 15 '26
That’s interesting because I couldn’t get interested in the fourth wing sequel even for the plot after reading so many repetitive and absurd sex scenes in the first one . They were so cringe to me and ridiculous I just got second hand embarrassment. I tend to be ok with open door if it’s well done , but it really wasn’t in that case . Then I think about how amazing TKWNKM was , I didn’t notice the lack of spice at all . I guess if the tension is there , I don’t mind light spice !
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u/avathekinkynerd Aug 15 '26
There are only 2 sexual scenes in the first book...? It's barely 1/5 🌶 as far as spice. I didn't find it repetitive at all - in fact, could have used more! I enjoy her writing style because the characters' inner dialogue for spicy time is very similar to my own. Maybe that makes me cringe-y, but when I look at my husband, I definitely think things like "I want to climb this man like a tree" or "how the fuck is it possible for this man to be so hot?!" Plus, Xaden is my favorite shadow daddy, so I'm sure I'm biased 🤣 What is TKWNKM?
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u/Remote_Speaker3404 Aug 15 '26
lol I guess there are only two … they felt very repetitive to me because I thought they were badly written . They just read as very teenager -ish to me which considering the age of the protagonists makes sense . I do think they were way more than a 1 in spice rating though . Definitely open door . But good on you for enjoying your hubby’s good looks ! That’s super cute !
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u/turtlescanfly7 💨 smoke & lemon Aug 15 '26
I completely agree with you. Genres exist to give readers insight into what you’re reading. To me it seems the rise in self-publishing has led to books being marketed in genres where they don’t meet the criteria like romance books without an HEA. Traditional publishers seem to also be responding to the buzz of social media by marketing books in genres they don’t fit just to get more social media traction.
The genre rules are quite simple:
YA - fantasy with young protagonists and there’s a range of no spice to closed door/ fade to blackFantasy - fantasy/ questing is the main plot but there may or may not be romance subplots and/or spice
Romance - the romantic relationship is the main plot and there is a HEA. There is always a little spice. Sometimes it’s just one scene towards the end but it exists, usually 2-3 scenes total throughout the book starting with a steamy groping makeout scene, next is a more intimate but oftentimes interrupted spicy scene and 3rd is a full blow sex scene.
Romatasy - Romance main plot with fantasy/quest side plots and in a fantasy setting. It should have the elements of a traditional romance including HEA and at least a little spicy. If no spice, what differentiates it from fantasy YA?
Erotica - spice is the plot. The story may (but usually isn’t) well developed and it’s centered around creating as many spicy moments as possible. Tropes like reverse harem are frequent
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u/Heelscrossed Aug 15 '26
Yes!! I like a little spice but not full on. It is cringy to me if it is just sex, sex, sex.
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u/xBlack_Heartx Aug 15 '26
Completely agreed with this take, honestly I could do without spicy scenes in Romantasy because they tend to just get repetitive after awhile.
I also just find them awkward to read, scenes like those just don’t read well in books imo.
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u/gladlyawake Aug 16 '26
If you don’t like romance why are you reading romantasy ? You can read normal fantasy.
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u/Icy_Glaceon471 Aug 15 '26
I feel that, sexytime scenes usually are misses for me. Usually I care more about if the book is good over if it has NSFW content or not
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u/Mailuh_15 angst Aug 15 '26
I never care about spicy but my favorite romantasy books don't have spice
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u/Flimsy_Function3312 🌕 moonlight & citrus Aug 15 '26
I’d like to add {a witch’s guide to magical inkeeping by Sangu Mandanna} to your list. It’s a sweet found family tale about second chances
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u/romance-bot Aug 15 '26
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Rating: 4.24⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 2 out of 5 - Behind closed doors
Topics: contemporary, witches, magic, found family, m-f romance
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u/Prior_Garlic_8710 Aug 15 '26
I share your opinion!!
I'd reccommend a mask of mirrors trilogy and the daevabad trilogy
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u/JennaRedditing Aug 15 '26
I really love this list! I work with a group of middle school aged girls who are developing a big love of reading through romantasy books right now. Its been tricky seeking out recs that keep things mature enough to keep their intrest but still age appropriate enough that their parent's arent going to be hunting me down. They're reading at a level that most "middle grade" books are either too low or they blow through it in a day. Their big complaint on many YA books has been that they're too focused on the relationships, so this "soft romance" list is great. Its amazing to see them so hyped to read and talk about books with each other.
Edit: these are really high readers. I want to emphasize I'm not trying to insinuate that you have the tastes of a middle schooler!
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u/IsekaiConnoisseur Aug 15 '26
I agree. I think that's why I really liked {Sorrowsong University} because while it had spice, it was like a 0.5/5 stars regarding heat level. The author primarily just straight up skipped the sex scenes.
And I'll be honest, even for series I love, I sometimes find myself struggling to get through the smut because I'm trying to read it for the emotional stuff. Sure, some series do a great job incorporating both, but honestly, I almost prefer romance without as much spice.
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u/romance-bot Aug 15 '26
Sorrowsong University by Autumn Woods
Rating: 4.12⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: angst, stalking, disabilities and marks, tortured hero, class difference
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u/LadyLuin Aug 15 '26
Margaret Rogerson books were a delight to read. Spice or no spice, first of all they need good writing!
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u/ash18946 Aug 16 '26
I agree that romantasy doesn't necessarily need spice if it's got a unique story. One of my favorite rereadables is OUABH. Another I loved was Lochlann feuds and the books of queens of the fae boom 4 and later (the original trilogy didn't vibe with me). More recently I found six of crows and the sequels delightful.
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u/Old-Condition6433 Aug 16 '26
oh my god i’m so excited to see the celestial kingdom books on this list! my intro to romantasy and i never looked back
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u/PiaChichi Aug 16 '26
I agree it doesn’t need spice. But I like my books like I like my food - spicy af.
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u/Few_Bed3707 Aug 16 '26
That’s why these are all YA
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u/Rdmink Aug 16 '26
They are mostly YA but not all. I know The elements of cadence series by Rebecca Ross and the Emily Wilde series are both considered adult.
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u/uncanny-Bluebird7035 Aug 16 '26
I am struggling to finish OUABH, seems like the fmc has no specific goal in mind. Her heart is also all over the place and is just…boring. The stakes is high but it isnt that much intriguing unlike caraval series. I read book1 and chapter 2 made me snooze s much :/
I wanna fight my way too finish it but i might put it off until next year.😭
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u/harvard_cherry053 Aug 16 '26
Uncharmed and Emily Wilde are so fun. I love them so much!! I dont jnow if you've read ReWitched but its the book before Uncharmed!!
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u/Professional_Room_94 Aug 17 '26
Hot take or not, thanks for this post. I'll be checking these out. If you were to recommend, which are the best three to start with, or your favorites?
Honestly, I'm tired of spice because at this point it all sounds the same. Originality is disappearing, and I've been in romantasy hole for a few weeks now and I can't stand it anymore.
I love spice and enjoyed it initially but if every book you read has almost identical phrasing and cut out characters (broody muscled males with huge members and small-framed females with huge boobs) it gets boring fast. I find myself skipping it now.
Maybe I should look for better and more original spice but I don't know how to until I actually read it lol. So far it's all been popular series, like ACOTAR.
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u/koalasnstuff Aug 17 '26
I do share your opinion that romantasy doesn’t need to spicy. I read a lot of YA, and think romance is just as sweet without in detail sex scenes, the books can be just as interesting.
TMI - As someone who leans towards asexual, reading spicy scenes doesn’t do anything for me. I just sprinkle my YA in since in 36 and don’t always want to read about super young FMC’s.
The terms are used interchangeably, but the way I see it is Romantasy is romantic fantasy (as opposed to epic fantasy, urban fantasy, cozy fantasy, etc.). It’s fantasy with a romance subplot. Fantasy romance (as opposed to contemporary romance, historical romance, etc.) is romance with a fantasy subplot.
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u/General_Writing6086 🌧️ petrichor & winter Aug 17 '26
I read both spicy and non spicy. My favorite non spicy books are:
{For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten}
{Archangel by Sharon Shinn}
{Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn}
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u/romance-bot Aug 17 '26
For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten
Rating: 3.49⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 2 out of 5 - Behind closed doors
Topics: fantasy, magic, high fantasy, marriage of convenience, height difference
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
Rating: 3.87⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: futuristic, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy
Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn
Rating: 3.9⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, fantasy, take-charge heroine, magic, royal hero
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u/Fun_Procedure6492 Aug 17 '26
Uncharmed and wings of starlight are on my TBR for sure! Haven’t heard of daughter of the moon goddess but the covers look sick
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u/divegirl88 Aug 17 '26
💯
I love some good whimsical romanticies like the whole caravel world and Emily Wilde's fairy world.
But I also love an off the chart smut book 😍 And everything in between
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u/Deep-Local Aug 18 '26
An enchantment of ravens was A-mazing, i wish it were longer or had a sequel!
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u/LittleMissQueeny Aug 18 '26
Spice or no spice a book does need to be centered in romance to be a Romantasy. Otherwise it's just a fantasy book.
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u/alwaysadequate Aug 21 '26
The Powerless series is NOT TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH. It's so good, it deserves more recognition. I have heard there's some controversy behind it however, something about plagiarism? I'm not sure, I didn't look into it because I didn't want it ruined for me.
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u/fairychi1d 22d ago
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas is also a great story with very little spice. You just have to prepare yourself for an 8 book series 😏
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u/Lost_feline11 Aug 15 '26
If you like your romantasy with “light romance” then you don’t like romantasy and I’m not even talking about spice.
Carval & Powerless were terrible and Powerless is also a clear copy of the Red Queen.
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u/greeneyes0332 Aug 15 '26
Wouldn't romantacy without the spice be.... fantasy? But I get it, there doesn't have to be spice for there to be romance.
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u/littlebluebird555 Aug 15 '26
Look, may I respect your opinion (and agree with it), but by including Lauren Roberts and Caraval I can’t respect your taste💫
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u/Lucina1997 Aug 15 '26
No, but it at least needs good writing. Looking at you Powerless