How Fantasy Balls and BookTok Turned Romantasy into a $471M Industry

Romantasy books like A Court of Thorns and Roses have sparked a booming fantasy ball scene, thanks to BookTok.
Matilda
How Fantasy Balls and BookTok Turned Romantasy into a $471M Industry
Six hours into a fantasy ball, I found myself watching Zach Harrison sweat beneath six-foot bat wings, clad in handmade leather armor, surrounded by hundreds of enchanted fans. He wasn't just acting—he was becoming Cassian, Lord of Bloodshed, the 500-year-old fae warrior from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. And this wasn’t just a costume party. This was a movement. Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images, Zach Harrison Like millions of others, I got swept into the romantasy craze thanks to TikTok’s book community. I didn’t expect that my love for fictional fae warriors and dragon-riding lovers would one day take me to real-life fantasy balls. These events, where you get to dance with characters like Azriel or Rhysand, aren’t just cosplay—they're living fan fiction. TikTok has amplified this genre beyond belief. The hashtag #romantasy surged over 300% last year alone. Today, romantasy is not only dominating bestseller lists—it’s fueling an entire ecosystem of …