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It is fine to have romance IN a fantasy story but not dominating it.

Halo: Reach mentioned😭🙏 my favorite piece of media of all time 6:30

Yeah, I completely agree. There's lots of potential in romantasy. However, I'm part of a big romantasy Facebook group, and the overwhelming majority of romantasy readers WANT the dark-haired, ethnically ambiguous, abusive, possessive male leads (bonus points if he's like 500 years old and the heroine is 20). The demand is high for enemies-to-lovers, one-bed, touch-her-and-die, and it seems like every romantasy book now is just a checklist of tropes and the author is trying to fit as many as they can in one book. So I'm laying off reading romantasy until A) we can get some more diversity in the love interests we're getting and B) we can get literally ANYTHING besides enemies-to-lovers. Why is bodyguard romance not hugely successful in romantasy? Where are the friends-to-lovers couples? I'm so tired of crabby and stabby, I just want something NEW😭

Ancient Mandinka mythology particularly ancient wagadu soninke heroic age is really something else but gets no love.......

Off topic. Most, but not all, authors forget that most, but not all, fantasy and science fiction tales are translations into a modern Terran language. Thus, not only do you have untranslatable terms like simpels (sic), a type of hat?, but you have odd turns of phrase. I was listening to an old book while falling asleep and they used the old formula of 'five and thirty'. A foreign culture might consider three lucky and so every year of a person's age would use a formula where a three word always starts, as in 'thirty less one' or 'three and a handful of years'. They could have odd customs like no man can speak until the woman present has initiated the conversation. I point these things out because worldbuilding is often restricted to just sights and sounds, which require description. I can imagine a reader's shock when mid-story, a man is rebuked for speaking first. They would have to go back and check to see if a male had spoken first prior to that. People in that culture would not mention such a rule until it was broken. And if someone said eight instead of three and a handful, perhaps the listener would need to perform ritual, like touch their heart and then each shoulder (triangle). Such odd turns of phrase would not interrupt the flow of the story, but add an exotic element to remind the reader that they are not on Earth.

the whole point of romantasy is just dumb fun and harlequin romance. Its nothing new. its just a niche that is exploding in popularity. the only problem i have is the marketing and how inaccurate the descriptions are. I would try these books cause the premise sounds interesting but the story has to nothing to do with that.

From a woman perspective. Personally I am not fan of the genre probably do fact I don’t like romance genre. However, I do find the criticism is not being like traditional fantasy I really dumb criticism. When if you wanna be technical, there’s no such thing. Like there’s plenty of fantasy before token, and even after token where the plot is on this grand scale.

To make an excellent meal you need many ingredients but you have to add them in the right measure. And this this new authors need still to learn. My only concern is that toxic dominance (no matter if on the men or the women's side) gets romanticized.

I don't feel that romantacy is a sub genre of fantasy, but rather a sub genre of romance. It is a romance with fantasy decor. Just like western romances are romances with cowboys, and not cowboy fiction with romance. The plot structure in romantacy sticks closely to the structure of any other romance book. People who already read romances will feel at home in a romantacy, because it is a romance first, and it sells well because romances always sell better as a genre than most others.

I'm not convinced that Romantasy readers generally go on to become fans other kinds of Fantasy (except maybe so-called "cozy" versions of other Fantasy genres). It seems---to me, at least---that Romantasy only makes them crave more of the same as well as make them begin to expect other kinds of Fantasy to be more like it. Romantasy readers tend to have a very solipsistic disposition, imo

I struggle with the realism aspect. How much realism is too much?

Controversies over accusations of "cultural appropriation" and "colonialism" have discouraged a lot of creators from venturing into different mythologies. Lord help you if you're a white American and someone finds a problem with your African or Native American-inspired setting. Creators have been scared into playing it safe.

All these books are aimed at YA and NA! I would like to have more world building and adult themes not just young smut and love triangles.

Two issues with the genre: 1) it’s used as way to abuse writers. Some of the most popular “authors” are actually underpaid authors churning out chapters of enforced tropes on miserable deadlines. 2) toxic relationships: you mentioned this briefly, but it’s BAD. Girls are growing up with visions of older, predatory men being normal. Boys are growing up thinking that they are always expected to meet the “master” role. There are exceptions - the Anita Blake series has men in both dominant and submissive roles - but the large majority picture women as passive recipients and brats. The relationships are constantly full of drama and intensity.

I love romance. I love fantasy. I would love to read a sweeping epic the likes of GOT (where it has an ending lol), set in a dark world with deep and intricate world building with a slow encroaching evil and two people from different worlds thrust together and have to learn to trust each other and survive the odds, becoming fire forged friends that then slowly burns into something else, while managing the obstacles of the plot - political intrigue, revenge, existential terror, race to a lost ancient city, what have you. The romance is important, even central, to the plot. But the story is more about the characters journey together than if they bang or kiss Romantasy, however, is not that. It usually feels more like contemporary romance genre with a thin fantasy veneer slapped on top of it

Bruh, you need to expand on that Amazon mythology subject. The kind of information we won't find anywhere else on the Internet.

Where did you get your info about Cernunnos? Cause through all my research, noone is quite sure exactly what he is the god of

Season 3 of American Gods actually had a whole arc about Bilquis realizing that she's an ancient Yoruban goddess. As cool as it was, i hate season 3, because it went off the rails from the source material. I get wanting to expand the setting, but do it subtly, like with Vulkan in season 1. Bilquis wasn't even a serious character in the book, getting brutally murdered by Technical Boy early on. 😒 Then there are Chernobog and the Zorya sisters which are Slavic. In the book Chernobog mentions having a brother - Byelobog - whom he hates, and closer to the end there's a small twist regarding him. That said, there's been some confusion as to whether or not Chernobog and Byelobog are real deities or just a misinterpretation by researchers. Their names literally mean "Black god" and "White god", but no Slavic nation is known to have actually had such deities, historically. As to the Zorya sisters, I don't remember, but I read somewhere that's there's only ever been one Zorya goddess, since 'zorya' in Slavic languages literally means 'dawn lights'.

Talk about underexplored mythologies: you mention the strigoi as a Slavic creature, but it's actually Romanian (and no, while Romanian folklore does take a lot from Slavic, due to being surrounded by mostly Slavic nations, it's its own culture, based on a mix of Dacian and Greco-Roman with loans and influences from Hungarian, Turkic, and Slavic). The Slav equivalent is upyr/ upyor, and, yes, vampyr (the english word 'vampire' originates from it, I think vampyr is Albanian, though?). The word dhampyr/ dhampir is related, and, as you probably know, means a half-blood vampire, an individual born from the union between a vampyr and a human. That said, a strigoi can be several things: a vampire, a witch, a zombie, or a 'striga' (a creature from Roman and slav myth, similar, but not equivalent to a banshee).

Actually I will share my work with you I looked at your channel It looks up your alley ruclips.net/p/PLYXHIS9GMnRikbE_By1j9GV6eezA1uudv&si=LA7wLtIWSjpuRcZM

Bear god of the Paleolithic time period. Very little research a ton of ideas you can add to a story.

I am an author, and I sometimes write in the romantasy style your video was really good

If you want to keep in simple but have fun fantasy of the Paleolithic time period and bear worship. What is documented is short and sweet so you add as much ideas to the prehistoric bear god and how he or she or whatever relates to early humans.

I read most Romantasy Books...On Positive side, they are very easy to read, they have a lot of dialogue and very familiar, no need to wreck your brain for critical thinking and wild imagination but yes, they would involve more on 90 % Romance 9% filler and 1% Fantasy

It could be that only non-white and non-male authors are published. DEI isn't known for producing quality results.

I agree, I don't mind romance in fantasy but those specific books aren't well executed. I'm writing an epic fantasy/romance but am working hard to make it a well structured book with all types of relationship arcs, in a rich magical world with complex political systems, cultures and histories. 🙂

The Wheel of Markets turn, Romantasy is on top just as Grim Dark was, they will phase out and probably come back in vogue in another 25 years or so. Human taste goes in cycles.

I think its a case of literacy being higher in girls than boys these days, or more boys literacy is dropping. My son who is 18 and niece who is 15 both adore fantasy as a genre, but consume it differently, my niece reads more, my son plays video games. Maybe thats because girls are more cerebral and boys visually orientated and this flow onto what media the genre is consumed in. But fantasy is killing it in both mediums so maybe its a win/win in the end.

What about Islamic Mythology

In all honesty, I don't hate Romantasy; however, it feels as though it is strictly women and girls. Now it enforces a negative that us men have to look like a Renaissance statue and be perfect in some redundant way. I remember in highschool a lot of the guys in my class, myself included, with all the girls expecting us to be like the vampire or werewolf in twilight. Essentially, subgenres need to appeal to a wider demographic .

How about Portugal Mythology? It's full of great beings & creatures, including legends of two different Bat-Winged Horses.

Women ruined fiction.

The originals was one of the best at this. Ichabod avoided it but barely.

“Mythology is the backbone of fantasy” 👌🏼

It needs balance.

When I was growing up, certain males stated that a man and a woman cannot be in close proximity without chemistry happening. I didn't like that attitude then and I still don't. But in a culture where one sort of person can find success only through the attention of another class (like the elves in Ella Enchanted), then both play that game and both will oppose changing the rules. I live in a matriarchy and those rules don't apply here because no assistance is needed to achieve self-fulfillment. I would say the answer to romance is the same for violence; both are being used to cover up poor writing and to generate interest in spite of it. I, for one, would not like to see a romance between Legolas and Gimli; friendship is more plot friendly. So, if a writer is adding romance because it advances the plot, like in Shrek, then great. But if it is just to generate enthusiasm for weak writing or because a publisher demands such an addition regardless of the story's needs, then I oppose it.

A recommendation: Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard. It's basically a fantasy detective novel using Mesoamerican folklore.

Honestly? I hate it.

Any good Romantasy recommendations?

I really like that you bring this topic up. I have been worldbuilding a sci fi/fantasy world that leans on Hindu mythology with different mythologies inspiring racial cultures.

Okay, since nobody's saying it, I will. Watch the Fate series y'all. You will get to see many underrepresented cultures and mythologies utilized in a way that caters the narratives, but respecting their origins enough to create a compelling story. Yes, they do grossly misrepresent certain aspects and exploit their creative liberty to its fullest, but imo, if you are going to do it, go all in and never look back.

From the Fantasy books I've read... Only three writers out of hundreds have actually utilized Finno-Ugric myths in meaningful level as a plot element or inspiration and of those only Tolkien is mainstream anglophone author.

Oh. Baba yaga from Supreme magus was inspired for here.

My kingdom for Mesoamerican and Andean mythologies in media! I can think of very few examples, and even fewer done _well._ And by that I mean _distict from one another._ While part of me digs the aesthetic (I like the Pre-Columbian art traditions from both regions), the whole "Mayincatec" style that conflates two radically different cultural regions with little (if any) contact with one another is nerve-wracking.

Bro what about the igbo mythologies 😢

If you ever do another list like this, think you could do Persian mythology? I also see you didn't do Arabic mythology. Is there a reason for that? Is it overused like Greek, Norse and Arthurian Legend? Also if you do list it next time, could you skip clips from the 2019 version of Aladdin and just use ones from the 1992 version like you did in the previous one instead? I want to forgot that that version ever existed. Thank you

Perun is also in the Wheel of Time. One of the main characters, Perrin Aybara, is based on him.

One thing that's a bit sticky in regards to Hinduism is the fact it's not a mythology, but a religion. That means that people still practice it and it's still living. Similar with Polynesian, at least in Hawaii. There's still plenty of folk tales that people tell about the kupua, like Pele disguising herself as a human to ask for booze and cigs. Again, you can still borrow from them, just remember that unlike with Greek and Norse mythologies, there are people who still actively practice these religions.

I feel like chinese myths have been overused in wuxia and cultivation fantasy stories.