Revisiting Romantasy from A Jewish Lens for Tu B’av

Tu B’Av, a Jewish holiday celebrating love akin to Valentine’s, falls each year on the evening of the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Av. Early mentions of the day reference dances in vineyards where the tribes of Israel were allowed to intermingle, women often wearing white gowns and men seeking future brides. This ethereal image has lingered with me—and made me think of the many representations of love that have been growing in a particular strand of literature, known as romantasy. 

‘Romantasy’ was shortlisted for Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year in 2024, and defines a genre that combines romance with fantasy—and its modern popularity has largely been driven by one Jewish woman: Sarah J. Maas. Born in 1986 and raised in Manhattan, Maas cherished the cultural abundance of the city, something that fed her creativity when she began writing her first book at the age of 16. On her Birthright trip to Israel, Maas tucked two prayers into the Western Wall: one for world peace, and the other for her own aspirations of becoming a published author. 

Even as Maas’ first wish may still be in progress, her second wish has most definitely come true: Maas is a bestselling author who is credited with reviving a reading culture among many young adults by combining detailed fantasy worldbuilding with intense romance. Her series, though not explicitly Jewish, indeed draw on Jewish culture, with Celaena from Throne of Glass leaving stones on graves to honor the dead, and A Court of Thorns and Roses explicitly having a holy book written in “Lashon Hakodesh,” directly translating to a reference to the “holy tongue” of Hebrew. In addition to these Jewish cultural weavings into her work, what makes the work of Maas particularly revelatory is her focus on female empowerment rather than objectification, something that has ultimately led to lasting changes within the industry. 

As an avid reader since childhood, I gradually grew disenchanted with fantasy novels, in part because of the monotony of who got to experience fantastical things. An average guy would discover he was the chosen one destined for a quest, the only one able to ride a dragon or wield a sword or change the world. He would meet a powerful and perfect woman who at first would seem distant, but he always charmed her, and eventually they would end up together, even though she was objectively way cooler than him in every imaginable way—almost to the point that her perfection was grating. 

Enter the works of Sarah Maas. With her first two bestselling series, Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, led by female protagonists, her fantasy work was immediately a departure from the “chosen male” trope. That’s not to say that her female protagonists were not chosen in some way or compelled to rise to extraordinary circumstances—they both were. But they also both handled this extreme pressure with a humanity and agency that women in the genre had previously not often been ascribed. Feyre (A Court of Thorns and Roses) and Celaena (Throne of Glass) launched Maas into stardom—are both flawed people. And their flaws are no secret. 

In particular, Celaena’s arrogance is a recurrent downfall, a character trait not often ascribed to women. And that is perhaps where Maas makes the most feminist move of all—she (rightly) asserts that these women with human faults also have redeeming qualities that lead to them building strong friendships and connections with lovers. Women can be flawed and lovable in romantasy, something that undeniably has increased the popularity of the genre in an era where women feel pressure to keep pace with home life and work life.

Further in the work of Maas lies another shifting revolution—with women as active decision-makers in their own stories, they are also more active in their sexual choices. This can be seen in Maas’ dedication to understanding both the emotional nuances of her protagonists’ relationships with lovers and the inclusion of female-centered sexual enjoyment. Having read many fantasy books where sexual violence against women was normalized, this alternative perspective of fantastical spaces stands in stark contrast.

While Maas is an exemplar of the romantasy genre, she is not the only one. Numerous authors have joined her in writing empowering stories of romance. Even as there undoubtedly can always be growth and opportunity in the types of stories we tell, here are a few romantasy and contemporary romance novels I recommend for anyone looking for love this Tu B’Av:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas
2. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
3. Lit for Him by Lainey Davis
4. Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer
5. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
6. The Rebel Girls of Rome by Jordyn Taylor