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Life and Art from FT Weekend

Culture chat: How ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ broke the romance lit taboo

Jul 26, 2024
Bestselling author Sarah J Maas discusses the 'romantasy' genre, her series A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the appeal of fantasy romance. The podcast explores the evolution of romance book covers, the portrayal of alpha male characters in novels, and desires for cultural shifts towards more uplifting content.
22:33

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Romance novels like 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' are gaining mainstream acceptance through engaging storytelling and satisfying conclusions.
  • Gender dynamics in romance novels, exemplified by ACOTAR, are evolving to challenge traditional masculine tropes and reflect changing perceptions of masculinity.

Deep dives

Overview of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a book that has captivated audiences worldwide since its release in 2015. The story follows Farrah, a 22-year-old hunter taken captive by fairies after inadvertently killing one of them. She finds herself imprisoned by an attractive high lord beast man, leading to a steamy romance intertwined with battles against beasts and immortals. The book's rising popularity, driven by the booming romance genre, has raised its status in the book industry.

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