The romantasy genre has destroyed book cover design

Romantasy book covers — (Image credit: Building Bridges Publishing/Bloomsbury Publishing/Silver Wing Press)

Romantasy (romance+fantasy) fiction has exploded in the past few years thanks to the influence of BookTok and a post-pandemic urge for escapism. While you may not have read one of these notoriously steamy books, you've probably seen one without even knowing, thanks to their formulaic book cover design.

With gloomy jewel tones, script font titles and gilted gold galore, spotting a romantasy novel isn't exactly hard. While the temptation to follow design trends is by no means restricted to book covers, this saucy story invasion has left me feeling a little jaded at the stunted world of book design.

What is romantasy?

Romantasy books are often defined as fiction featuring magical world-building, shaped by romantic relationships. Renowned for being 'spicy' (erotic), these novels have developed a reputation for being low-brow, but continue to gain popularity among readers (especially on BookTok).

With common tropes like enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, fated soulmates, forced proximity, and morally grey love interests (called 'shadow daddies', as I've just discovered), these books focus heavily on relationships. The fantasy element offers a level of escapism and detachment that appeals to many readers who find the 50 Shades era 'romance' too close to home.

Popular examples include Stephanie Garber's 'Once Upon a Broken Heart' Series, Jennifer L. Armentrout's 'From Blood and Ash' Series and Sarah J. Maas' 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' Series.

How to spot a romantasy book

While naturally the styles may vary, there are a handful of tropes that most romantasies follow. These design aesthetics aren't just pretty for the sake of it; they appeal to a growing interest in bookshelf curation, collecting visually stunning works that transform books into display items. Many romantasy books are created in series, adding to their collectable appeal.

Jewel tones: Rich reds, blues and greens are a staple of Romantasy book design. Paired with black flourishes to deepen the design, they carry a signature 'brooding' look.
Fantasy illustrations: Often featuring intricate character art, mermaids, corvids, serpents, skulls and plenty of swords. (Learn to paint incredible fantasy book illustrations with IFX)
Floral patterns: With thorny roses, weeping peonies and winding vines, these covers often use these as a framing device for the book title.
Script font: Overexaggerated cursive, classic serifs and bespoke calligraphy are a staple of romantasy books, often paired with a simpler serif for a clean look.

What's the problem with romantasy?

@read_with_elly

While traditionally, I've been quite the book snob, I can see the value of romantasy fiction as a good method of escapism. While there are certainly ethical concerns around romantasy's depiction of toxic romance, I am but a mere design journalist. The controversial plots inside are a discussion for another day; it's what's outside that counts.

While many romantasy covers are beautiful, they're also easy to replicate, leading to a complete over-saturation of the genre. Many romantasies have been criticised for being formulaic, and that includes the cover design tropes which can be appropriated by any ol' book that's cracked the design formula.

The rise of BookTok recommendations is also to blame. When influencers are blinded by aesthetics, there's no quality control to the genre. You simply can't judge the readability of a book by five chilli emojis and how it looks on a shelf. As a result, quality fiction of all genres is easily outshone by what's trendy and aesthetically pleasing.

What's the solution?

Lord of the Rings book covers — (Image credit: HarperCollins )

I believe romantasy has a place in fiction – lazy design does not. It's down to the author and the reader to escape the clutches of derivative book cover design.

Looking back at alternative covers for iconic series like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, we can see a vast range of book styles, from minimalist to illustrative, each with a distinct fantasy feel. Romantasy authors need to feel confident to explore different book cover styles and pave their own identity within the genre. But that also falls upon the reader.

As I lamented many moons ago, being a book cover design snob is a curse – I myself am guilty of getting stuck in a genre rut defined by book cover aesthetics. I suggest it's time to break up with BookTok and get yourself into an independent bookshop. Your perfect match starts with a blurb, not a book cover.

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Natalie Fear is Creative Bloq's staff writer. With an eye for trending topics and a passion for internet culture, she brings you the latest in art and design news. Natalie also runs Creative Bloq’s Day in the Life series, spotlighting diverse talent across the creative industries. Outside of work, she loves all things literature and music (although she’s partial to a spot of TikTok brain rot).

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