Festival 42

It’s no surprise that romantasy, a subgenre that combines fantasy with the kinds of stories found in romance novels, has become a major phenomenon all over the world. It has taken root among readers here, too, and gradually, certain Spanish names have stood out from the crowd and received attention, despite the many English-language books they have to compete with. For the first time at the 42 Festival, we are bringing together leading authors in this subgenre in a group conversation. First, we have the Hermanas Greemwood, who are presenting their new book El mar de los Ocultos (Planeta), featuring Nordic mythology, dragons and epic action in a story where the romantic plot is more prominent than in their previous work. Also incorporating mythology and folklore as key elements, but with a more intimist approach, is the new novel by the rising star Carmen Romero, Reina del Estío (Umbriel), following the success of Ritos de primavera. Meanwhile, another popular author,  Aloma Martínez, has drawn inspiration from Greek legends for her second book, Obsidiana (Grijalbo). Completing the round table will be Manel Medina, whose début was the fantasy love story Donde siempre hay luna llena, and who is now presenting El libro de los tres reinos (Cáprica). Communicator, romantasy expert and co-founder of the Saturno Book Club Carla Plumed will be leading a stereotype-shattering conversation celebrating the literary quality of a subgenre on the up and up.