by zelaughingqueen

What is Fantastic Romance? Well, to put it simply, it's a Fantasy subgenre that has a fantasy backdrop but has more emphasis on the characters' romantic interactions. It is a combination of two of the world's most popular genres: Fantasy and Romance.

Now, this subgenre goes way back to the medieval European era and the Renaissance period. More people began to learn about literature during these times and combined literary fiction with earlier myths and legends, which then created the Fantasy subgenres. And Fantastic Romance was one of the first that appeared.

Romance was already a well-known genre and Fantasy was a perfect match. Together, they not only followed traditional myths, legends, fables, etc., but added new fantastical elements with the love story. During the Renaissance, the trend with Romance began to lean towards fantastic fiction. A great example would be The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser. It's a poem, notably one of the longest poems in the English language, but it has romantic and fantastical features. It was a typical knightly romance with duels and combats against sorcerers, giants, and goblins.

A common plot or theme, which you may have already encountered, in this genre, would be a group of adolescents who may have been orphans or outcasts, who are drawn together through destiny, only to discover they possess special abilities. Their destiny might be saving a kingdom from an evil villain, but along the way, they fall in love. One example similar to this could be the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard, stories in which romance and revolution collide.

Settings usually vary. The characters could be in present time, living in a city. Or they could be in the 1800's and trying to survive through the Seven Years' War. Magic exists in any time period or place and so does love.

Characters in Fantastic Romance are generally young and lost in the world. Throughout the story, they grow to be strong and usually discover they come from a magical background. Either that or they fall in love with a magical or supernatural being and encounter fantastic issues they have to overcome. A fairly popular example of this would be the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, where Bella Swan falls in love with Edward Cullen who is a vampire.

More "classics" of this subgenre would be: the Graceling Realm series by Kristin Cashore, the Tairen Soul series by C.L. Wilson, and Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop.

Furthermore, I personally love Fantastic Romance because it's so unpredictable with its overall story but also gives the readers a couple or couples to root for. In this subgenre, normalcy is forgotten and new love blooms, even in the darkness. It is one of the reasons why I love the Fantasy genre and why I always will.

Example of Fantastic Romance Fantasy on Wattpad:
Blue Assassin by zelaughingqueen

Synopsis:

Blair Ambrose, an innocent little girl and a terrible romantic. Ever since middle school, she's been in love with River Ashmore, and when he transferred to her high school, her love for him only increased.

But there was one small detail she didn't know about River.

On a walk home, she discovered who the love of her life truly is: her worst nightmare.

River Ashmore is the leader of the Blue Assassins, and now Blair has to join him.

Some say nothing good comes from violence.

The Blue Assassins must be an exception.

Excerpt:

"You see, when someone becomes the leader of our organization, they have to drink the Age Water."

  "What's that?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

  "It's a special kind of water. You have to drink it every morning and night. Then, your aging process slows down and it also protects the leader from illness. Every leader has drunk it for centuries, " Alexander explained and I gaped at him.

  "What? Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this? That's amazing!" I exclaimed.

  "Yes, but it won't work on River if he is not healthy or happy. Health and happiness are what fuels the water. And if it doesn't work on him, River will not be able to become the leader." He paused, his expression saddening. "Right now, River is healthy nor happy."

  I let out a breath and bit my lip, thinking. Alexander looked down, but before he did, I caught the look in his eyes.

  "There's something else, isn't there?"

  He closed his eyes tightly, nodding. "If the next leader does not have the requirements for the water... the Age Water will disappear. It'll be gone. No other generations will be able to use it."

  Alexander locked eyes with me again, his gaze intense. "Everything would be chaos... And River would die."

"What?"

  "My son will die because he'll cause the Age Water to disappear and he will become terribly ill, " Alexander continued while I could hear my heartbeat echoing in my mind.

  "What? He'll become ill? Why?"

  "Because of the Age Water. After it disappears, it leaves a disease to the person who made it run dry, " Alexander answered solemnly.

  "A disease? What disease, exactly?" I questioned, feeling faint.

  "It's a combination of the two most deadliest diseases. Small Pox and the Black Death."

   I gulped as I tried to stay calm. "But, Alexander...why are you telling me this?"

  He was silent for a moment. A long moment.

  "River needs a wife to be happy and to keep him healthy, " Alexander said, completely oblivious to how much the thought of River with another girl affects me. "And I know just the right person."

  I took in a deep breath and quietly murmured. "Who?"

  While I was practically in pain, Alexander was smiling as if he found a million dollars.

  "Well, I'm thinking about a girl who's mature, beautiful, focused, friendly, intelligent, independent, trustworthy, and...pure, " Alexander listed, my eyes widening at each word.

  Who was this girl? She sounded incredibly perfect.

  "Who is she?"

  Alexander chuckled. "Why, you, of course!"

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Music

https://youtu.be/F0Aqv2V_H8g