Romance lovers queued for hours in the middle of the night to get their hands on the latest raunchy fairytale – dubbed the 'most exciting book since Harry Potter'.
Hundreds of fans of the 'fairy porn' genre waited outside bookstores across the UK to be the first to get their hands on a copy of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.
It's the third in the five-part Empyrean series from the bestselling author and supporters who have been signing up in droves to attend midnight release parties.
In videos posted to social media, bookworms appeared in costumes, took part in dragon-themed quizzes and bought a coveted copy of the viral hit.
The genre of 'fairy porn' or 'Romantasy' has taken the world by storm, with its fans mainly being young, middle-class women.
The books contain a range of mystical creatures, but especially very detailed sex scenes.
Ms Yarros' British publisher Rebekah West told The Telegraph that Onyx Storm is “on the verge of breaking British publishing records”, giving her company Little Brown the biggest pre-order numbers for a book since Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
It was so popular that the novel entered the bestseller lists as early as August last year as a result of pre-orders.
Romance fans queued up for hours in the middle of the night to get their hands on the 'most exciting book since Harry Potter'
Videos posted to social media saw bookworms attending these events in fancy dress, taking part in dragon-themed quizzes and buying a coveted copy of the viral hit
Fans across the UK waited to be the first to receive a copy of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
The latest story continues protagonist Violet Sorrengail's story as a dragon rider at a fictional war school and her romance with fellow rider Xaden Riorson.
Ms Yarros' first novel Fourth Wing, described as 'The Hunger Games meets 50 Shades Of Grey', became a viral sensation thanks to BookTok – the corner of TikTok where users share their love of books and literature.
Goodreads revealed that Fourth Wing was the most read book of 2024, with more than one million readers.
Its success has led to the story now being developed into a television series by Amazon MGM Studios, along with Michael B. Jordan's production company.
The sequel, Iron Flame, took second place with 999,000 readers and told the story of the second year at Basgiath War College.
The romance genre – in which writers combine romance and elements of high fantasy – is particularly popular with young women and has made Sarah J Mass a bestselling author with her A Court Of Thorns And Roses (ACOTAR) series.
Romantasy was first posted on Urban Dictionary in 2008, but it's thanks to TikTok and Maas – whose books have sold 37 million copies – that it has really taken off.
The hashtag alone on the social media platform ACOTAR has been viewed more than 14 billion times, with its appeal due to its high content of 'spice' and 'smut'.
Rebecca Yarros' British publisher said Onyx Storm will give her Little Brown the biggest pre-order numbers for a book since Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The latest story continues protagonist Violet Sorrengail's story as a dragon rider at a fictional war school and her romance with fellow rider Xaden Riorson. In the photo: delighted fans at the book presentation
Fans stood in long lines for a chance to win the new release
The latest book was already in the bestseller lists in August last year as a result of pre-orders. Pictured: Fans enjoying arts and crafts during a launch
In the romance genre, writers combine romance and elements of high fantasy. In the photo: a fan gets a temporary tattoo during a book launch
A tamer line from A Court Of Mist And Fury reads: 'His mouth found mine, the kiss open and deep, a clash of tongues and teeth. He laid me down on the pillows and I wrapped my legs around his back, gently using the wings.'
And later: 'With one long claw he tore through silk and lace, and my underwear fell away in pieces.'
The books repeatedly repeat Welsh language and lore, critics say, with the American author's characters named Rhysand, Gwyneth, Alis and Morrigan.
This decision has upset some within the literary community, who say tapping into this culture “creates an image of the country that is not realistic.”
Fantasy authors have repeatedly drawn on the country's mythology, which has strong ties to the legend of King Arthur, to make novels more appealing to a global audience.
Legendary writer JRR Tolkien would 'open the floodgates' for the trend when he used the Welsh language as the basis for Elvish in his The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Professor Dimitra Fimi, a lecturer in fantasy literature at the University of Glasgow, told The Telegraph: 'Wales in particular has a very rich tradition and there is a chain of important fantasy authors who have played with that material.
'It's positive when it comes to discovering a very rich new culture or opening up to other perspectives.
'What worries me is that within the imagination there is a certain perception of Wales that it is a magical, rural, romantic place.
'It can be quite patronising. It creates an image of the country that is not realistic. That's not all Wales is.'
It is estimated that Romantasy's UK sales totaled £27m last year, up from £15m in 2022.
The books are a big hit with young women and feature a range of mystical creatures, but especially very detailed sex scenes
It is estimated that UK sales of Romantasy totaled £27m last year, up from £15m in 2022. Pictured: A rendition of Yarros' previous hit, Fourth Wing
