current social order (often to restore it to the realm's previous idyllic state) or overcoming some threat that no one else is aware of or able to face. Character development Characters may start as solitary wanderers in romantic fantasy, but they never remain that way for long. One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on social, and to a lesser extent, political relationships. The characters all find close friends, lovers, and other companions with whom they either live or travel, as well as a larger social circle where they all belong. In addition, many character have significant ties with the larger world. Many of these characters have noble titles, or a sworn duty to their kingdom. The rootless travelers of sword and sorcery novels are rarely found in romantic fantasy. Examples of romantic fantasy in literature Catherine Asaro's Lost Continent (aka Aronsdale) series; The Night Bird. Mercedes Lackey's Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series; Fairy Godmother, One Good Knight, Fortune's Fool, "The Snow Queen", "The Sleeping Beauty". Tamora Pierce's The Immortals quartet; Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, The Realms of the Gods. Wen Spencer's Tinker (Elfhome) series. See also Romance novel Medieval fantasy References Fantasy genres Romance Film genres Fiction by genre Literary genres Romance genres