Let people read whatever they want in peace. That’s the call from angry book lovers after an author took to TikTok to roast women who read what’s become known as the romantasy genre. In case you’ve not heard of it, as the name suggests, it’s a blend of romance and fantasy.
Author, poet and critic, Willow Heath went on a rant, claiming that “romantasy girlies are not the brightest sparks.” She later deleted the video but it was too little too late. Booktokkers shared the original video and posted their responses, with some calling on readers to cancel Heath.
The author has since posted what she calls a “genuine apology” and in it, she explains why she’s become so bitter and jaded. You can view that video, and others, below…
Plenty of women enjoy getting lost in a good romantasy novel
Image credits: Jubéo Hernandez (not the actual photo)
But according to author, Willow Heath, these women are “not the brightest sparks”
Image credits: b.i.t.n
“Conservative propaganda for straight women”: here’s the full transcript of Heath’s original video
Image credits: Alexandra Fuller (not the actual photo)
Image credits: b.i.t.n
And, in case you missed it, you can watch Heath’s video below
@.b.i.t.n Full video repost. #problematicauthors #booktok #romantasybooktok #romantasyreaders #willowheath ♬ original sound – booksinthenight📚
Readers didn’t take kindly to the author’s insults and a slew of responses followed
Image credits: alexintheabstract
@alexintheabstract appealed to Heath and others to stop bashing genres
Image credits: alexintheabstract
@alexintheabstract another day, another person trying to 💩 on an entire genre of readers #booktok ♬ original sound – Alex ⚔️🦋📖
Another reader accused Heath of having internalized mysogyny
Image credits: libraryofvelaris
Image credits: libraryofvelaris
@libraryofvelaris I couldn’t even watch the entire video. Yikes. #hottake #booktok #bookreview #booktokfyp ♬ original sound – 📚🖤Hannah🖤📚
“Swiss Army lit”: here’s why so many women are falling in love with romantasy, according to experts
Romantasy really took off in 2023, with readers going wild over the genre that marries romance and fantasy. “Swiss Army lit” is how bookseller and romantasy fan Gideon Ariel describes the subgenre – something that appeals to a diverse range of readers from longtime fantasy nerds to newcomers.
Think fantastical worlds, fairies, dragons, magic, self-discovery, and of course, steamy romance. “Romance readers have discovered that romantasy has all the tropes they adore, but set in a world they can escape to and get lost in,” says one of HarperColins’ editors Ajebowale Roberts.
Bloomsbury’s Kathleen Farrar believes the “bold heroines” and “strong yet nuanced female characters” are what appeal to readers. “These stories have attracted huge numbers of female readers who may previously not have felt particularly welcome or catered for in the fantasy market,” she told the Guardian.
It’s a sentiment echoed by other experts and readers. Romantasy fan Christina Clark-Brown says the novels allow women to “have it all.”
“There is no damsel who needs saving but rather women are allowed to be powerful, go on epic quests, and find love with a partner who is an equal to them in every way,” Clark Brown explains.
Giving women a feeling of power is more important than ever, says president of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance, Jayashree Kamblé. The English professor adds that we live in a time when many women “feel powerless against forces that seek to steal their agency.” And that’s big part of why they get lost in romantasy.
“Many romantic fantasy novels give female characters power that reduces female vulnerability and expands choices,” Kamblé said. “So of course we seek creative ways to envision those truths, especially when existing power structures actively want to deny us access to them.”
Social media, in particular TikTok, has helped to drive the romantasy genre’s popularity. Fans love to gather on what’s become known as “BookTok” to discuss their latest reads, rank books, exchange theories about what could happen next in a novel series and even share their fashion fits that have been inspired by books.
“She’s not like other girls”: netizens were quick to point out the irony in Heath’s video
Willow Heath has since posted an extensive “apology to romantasy fans,” explaining why she said what she said
@willowtalksbooks An apology to romantasy fans #romance #fantasy #books ♬ original sound – Willow Heath, author
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