The Truth About Romantasy: Tropes, Trash, and the Female Gaze

This video is a bit different from my usual content, but I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot, and I’m so excited to finally talk about it. Romantasy gets a ton of criticism—some fair, some very not—and as always, I have thoughts. Romantasy (romantic fantasy) is one of the most popular genres right now, yet it’s constantly dismissed as "bad fantasy" or "shallow wish-fulfillment." But is that really fair? In this video, I break down the criticisms of romantasy, its reliance on tropes, and why stories centering on women’s desires are often devalued. From Sarah J. Maas to Fourth Wing, let’s talk about why romantasy isn’t bad—you’re just using the wrong rubric. Contrapoints' Twilight Video:    • Twilight | ContraPoints   Diversity in Romantasy: https://www.pastemagazine.com/books/f... https://www.isaluzarraga.com/post/can... https://www.hybridmag.co.uk/p/romanta... Want to hear even more of my thoughts? nichellegiraldes.substack.com My second book,THE FOREST OF MISSING GIRLS (out fall 2025)   / the-forest-of-missing-girls   My book NO CHILD OF MINE (Out NOW!): https://www.nichellegiraldes.com/no-c... Instagram:   / nichellegiraldes   (@nichellegiraldes) Tiktok:   / nichellegiraldes   Email: booksbynichelle [at] gmail.com Sections: 0:00 What is Genre? 3:36 What is Romantasy? 15:11 The Tropification of Literature 20:35 The Spicy Stuff 23:35 The Biggest Problem in the Genre #bookrecap #OynxStorm #Romantasy #romantasyreads #sarahjmaas #booktok #acotar #videoessay