2023 was a great year for readers and authors alike. Authors banded together to fight against artificial intelligence (AI) displacing the human artist. The Writer’s Guild’s protests drove home the point that we must protect our writers. Meanwhile, readers and librarians across the United States united to stand against book bans. Reading became cool again, thanks in part to #Booktok, and the sale of print books consequently surged.

Fantasy and science fiction make up a huge portion of book sales, generating over $590 million in sales yearly just in the US. Even on Amazon, the fantasy book category ranks number eight among the most competitive book categories. Safe to say, people love themselves some good ol’ fantasy novels. This year, too, the genre saw a slew of books flood the markets, with multiple titles becoming extremely popular. Popular trends in the genre included new settings, a disdain for Tolkien copycats, and a heavy helping of romantasy.

Season of Romantasy

Romance was in the air this year, again, partly because of # Booktok, , especially when it came to fantastic tales of love and lust. ‘Booktokers’ named Colleen Hoover the Queen of young adult romance.

But it was romantasy that rose as #booktok’s favorite genre, with titles like Fourth Wing, the first novel of The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sara J. Maas, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, from the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent dominating the scene for most of the year. 

That said, standalone romantasies have also been in vogue. Margaret Rogerson again stole the show with her Sorcery of Thorns while readers ate up Grace Draven’s enticing Entreat Me. 

New Settings and Landscapes

The era of fantasy novels unfolding almost unfailingly in European medieval settings seems over for now. More and more authors are setting their fantasy novels in non-European spaces. Jade City by Fonda Lee and Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse are fantastic tellings, set in new places. Asian fantasy is a hot favorite among these spaces, with authors exploring non-European cultures, histories, and timelines in their novels. 

Era of Inclusivity

Fantasy novels, epic or otherwise, are also becoming more inclusive in general. More and more female protagonists are taking over the fantasy scene. Queer narratives like Malice by Heather Walter, a sapphic retelling of the tale of Sleeping Beauty, and Lies We Sing to the Sea — another sapphic tale that delves into Greek mythology — became immensely popular. The Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn is a popular YA fantasy novel that tells a story of grief and love and Arthurian legends while exploring the history of slavery through the eyes of black women with magic in their veins.

Standalone Fantasy 

The popularity of standalone fantasies also soared to new heights. This is probably because of how accessible they are when we compare them to long four or five-part epic fantasy series. The lack of commitment needed to read these doesn’t take away from their quality, though. In fact, authors need to build entire worlds and spin a tale worth reading all in the space of one novel. Novels like The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood, and The Magician’s Daughter by H. G. Perry.

Myths and Fairies

Retellings of popular fairytales or spinning new tales exploring mythologies of different cultures are also having a moment in the fantasy scene right now. Many are building their brands around this, from the wonderful Madeline Miller to Susanna Clarke and Guy Gavriel Kay. Popular books include A Court of Thorn and Roses, Circe, the Percy Jackson series, and even Good Omens. The latter two have seen newfound interest thanks to streamers creating popular shows based on the literary works.

Industrial, Political, Progression, and a Slice of Life 

For a while, after the epic success of George R R Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, it seemed that people were veering toward grim political fantasies. And these books did dominate the scene for a while. Think The Goblin Emperor and The Cruel Prince. That said, none of these novels’ popularity can even begin to compare to George R R Martin’s epic fantastic tale full of political intrigue.

Recently, though, readers have shown a newfound love for lighter fantasy, with a focus on magic systems and world-building. Brandon Sanderson, following in the footsteps of Robert Jordan with his Cosmere series, is a good example of this. Since the bleakness of COVID-19, there is also a growing interest in comfier tales with a hint of a slice of life. Legends and Lattes, for example, is a popular high fantasy cozy story that leaves you feeling warm and comfortable. 

This article was produced by Bookworm Era and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.