Romantasy's royalty: Callie Hart

Callie Hart and her ‘Fae & Alchemy’ books entered the world by storm last year. The enemies-to-lovers relationship between Kingfisher and Saeris has captivated thousands of readers and we can’t wait for the next installment. Hear more about Callie’s take on romantasy and her favourite reads below.

I typically only read high fantasy and science fiction, so I’m afraid I don’t have a good answer for this question. I’m so sorry haha! I wish I had a better response. I loved the idea of writing romantasy because I love fantasy so much, and I love incorporating a romantic storyline into my work, so combining the two sounded like such a fun adventure. I love writing intense romantic connections, and the idea that I could also thread magic, fantastical realms, and mythical creatures into a storyline? That was too exciting an opportunity to pass up.

Romantasy has always been popular, I think. The term “romantasy” is on the newer side, though, so it’s kind of having its moment in the sun. There’s a huge crossover of readers who enjoy fantasy and romance, and these kinds of stories cater to both genres so well. A lot of people came back to reading during COVID, which was amazing to witness. A wave of new readers discovered these books and realized they’re a super fun, enjoyable escape when reality might be a little too much to handle sometimes.

I’ve actually been daydreaming about writing this book since 2017. I was neck-deep in a couple of different dark academia series at that time, so I wasn’t able to run with it back then. It was always the passion project I told myself I’d write once I finished the series I was working on, or reached a specific goal. One day in late 2023, I said enough was enough and decided to throw everything I had at it, if only for my own enjoyment and peace of mind. I’m so glad I did!

Lord of the Rings was a huge inspiration for me. Tolkien was a master of his craft. His world-building alone was just mindboggling. I definitely wanted to create a world (or worlds) that felt as rich and vital as Middle Earth. Alchemy was obviously a huge inspiration for me, too—being able to research and incorporate so many various aspects of alchemy into this story was so much fun

It has to be Carrion. We have the same dumb sense of humor for sure. He’s more carefree and confident than I am, though. I aspire to be more like him (for better or worse) every day.

It has to be Lord of the Rings! I wonder how many authors say that…