Why Are We So Obsessed With Fairy Porn, Anyway?

The enduring allure of ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, Crescent City and more

photo by Elin Melaas on Unsplash

I’ve just finished Sarah J Maas’ Crescent City series, the latest in my foray into romantasy, a genre that is, FYI, in 2024, the subgenre — a hybrid of romance and fantasy, often involving faeries, werewolves, witches and assorted magical creatures, and always involving love and, frequently, steamy sex scenes — sold 30 million print copies, up 50 per cent on 2023¹.

Those familiar with the subgenre will undoubtedly be familiar with Maas, whose other two epic series — A Court of Thorns and Roses (a five-book series) and Throne of Glass (eight) — have been translated into 38 languages and sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, making Maas the bestselling author of 2024².

But what is it about romantasy that’s drawing in so many readers — and is its allure likely to fade any time soon?