Romantic fantasy

See also: Romance novel and Chivalric romance

Romantic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the chivalric romance genre.^[1]

Abaelard und seine Schülerin Heloisa (English: Abaelard and His Student Heloisa)

One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, political, and romantic.^[2] Romantic fantasy has been published by both fantasy lines and romance lines.

Some publishers distinguish between "romantic fantasy" where the fantasy elements is most important and "fantasy romance" where the romance are most important.^[1] Others say that "the borderline between fantasy romance and romantic fantasy has essentially ceased to exist, or if it's still there, it's moving back and forth constantly".^[3]

Examples of romantic fantasy in literature

• Catherine Asaro's Lost Continent (aka Aronsdale) series;^[4] The Night Bird.
• Mercedes Lackey's Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series;^[5] Fairy Godmother, One Good Knight, Fortune's Fool, "The Snow Queen", "The Sleeping Beauty".
• Tamora Pierce's The Immortals quartet;^[6] Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, The Realms of the Gods.
• Wen Spencer's Tinker (Elfhome) series.

See also

• Romance novel
• Medieval fantasy

References

1. William C. Robinson (October 2004). "A Few Thoughts on the Fantasy Genre". University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Archived from the original on 2009-03-02. Retrieved 22 Dec 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
2. John Snead. . Green Ronin Publishing. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
3. Fantasy Reviews
4. Reader's Advice
5. Auburn Hills Public Library - Booklist
6. Notes from RWA National Conference Panel - July 16, 2009