‘Book Boyfriends’ and ‘Shadow Daddies’: the men cashing in on romantasy

Six hours into a fantasy ball, actor Zach Harrison is sweating. He’s been wearing handmade leather armor, huge boots, and heavy six-foot bat wings all night, all while ballroom dancing and taking pictures with hundreds of fans without taking a break. But they’re not here to see Harrison. They’re here to meet Cassian, Lord of Bloodshed: a 500-year-old faerie who commands the army of the Night Court. For one night at a time, Harrison dons his elaborate costume and brings to life a beloved character from Sarah J. Maas’ smash hit romantasy book series A Court of Thorns and Roses, performing at balls across the United States and beyond. Boosted by BookTok, the skyrocketing success of romantasy — a genre that mixes romance and fantasy — is changing what it means to engage with books. Fell in love with a faerie king on the page? It doesn’t have to be a private experience. With the help of TikTok’s book community and its own influencers, there’s a growing world of book-themed fantasy balls. ... Read full article.