James Patterson Has Enraged BookTok With His Controversial Release Announcement

Published Oct 28, 2026, 2:38 PM EDT Amanda Kay Oaks is a writer and lifelong book nerd. She has been writing about books on the internet for over 10 years, with prior bylines at Book Riot and ComicBook.com. Though she reads across most genres, Amanda Kay is particularly fond of romance, cozy fantasy, and books with strong female characters. James Patterson is one of the most prolific modern authors, with a near-ubiquitous presence across genres from children's lit to thriller, history, and beyond. His tendency to team up with big names and experiment in new genres is, in part, why Patterson's name is impossible to escape. But lately, Patterson's been showing up all over BookTok and the broader bookish internet for quite a different reason. He has, quite possibly, messed with the wrong readers. Recently, Patterson spoke with USA Today to announce his plans to jump into a new subgenre: romantasy. Though romance and fantasy have gone hand in hand for most of literary history, books like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing have earned the spicy side of romantic fantasy its own genre nickname. Now, the bestselling Patterson wants to try his hand at the genre with his forthcoming Firedance. He won't be going it alone, as the author will team up with Hazel McBride, a name much better known to romantasy fans. But even with McBride's byline to help recommend him to longtime romantasy readers, Patterson may already be off to a difficult start with his target audience. What We Know About James Patterson's New Romantasy Book (So Far) Little Brown Most of James Patterson's recent books have involved team-ups with big names. He has collaborated with everyone from the late Dolly Parton to YouTuber Mr. Beast. So, it's no surprise he won't be stepping into the romantasy space entirely on his own. His co-author for Firedance is already well known in the romantasy space thanks to her popular Celtic-inspired duology, which started in 2025 with A Fate Forged in Fire. McBride has another book of her own on the way, but now, she'll also be putting her name beside Patterson's for his first foray into romantasy. Firedance will be the first book in a planned duology, though Patterson has already teased spinning it out into a trilogy if the series, "takes off like Rebecca Yarros." Firedance will supposedly offer "the momentum of a thriller and the emotional intensity of an epic fantasy romance," according to publisher Little Brown and Company. It is set in a kingdom where a pair of silver-haired, cruel princes have imprisoned magical creatures and marked shapeshifters for death. Our heroine, Julianna, has made a life tending to those same magical creatures. But when she sees a chance to dismantle the princes' court, she seizes it. Basically, we've got a young woman determined to overthrow a corrupt government that's tamping down magic. A promising, if not entirely unfamiliar, start for a romantasy. Patterson has teased some familiar magical creatures, as well. Mermaids, ogres, fairies, dragons, and griffins will all make appearances in Julianna's story. But one thing the author claims readers won't find in his new book? The familiar romantasy tropes often used to sell new stories to readers, such as fae court shenanigans and enemies-to-lovers. He claims his duology will skip the genre's beloved tropes, citing the limitations of following these "rules." And therein lies the problem, as far as many romantasy readers are concerned. Patterson's "Trope-Free" Romantasy Claim Misses the Point, And Readers Aren't Having It Recommending books based on their tropes is common practice on BookTok, particularly for the romance and romantasy genres. So, it's not terribly surprising that Patterson's comment about trying to write a romantasy without tropes has landed poorly with many of his would-be readers. Not long after the Firedance announcement, readers began to lash out at the author on social media. In fact, for a few days after the initial reveal, James Patterson was trending on BookTok, Threads, Bookstagram, and beyond. And not because readers are excited about his upcoming release. "Immediately saying 'no tropes!' is giving a major hater and party pooper vibes," says one reader on Threads. Along with general frustration that Patterson announced his debut in the genre while seemingly disparaging it, readers have quickly begun pointing out various tropes spotted from the book synopsis alone. So far, it sounds like Firedance could in fact lean into many romantasy tropes, including a prophecy, second-chance romance, love triangle, and frankly, a menagerie full of misunderstood magical creatures. Clearly, Patterson's comments have missed the mark in two major ways. First, tropes have been a part of literature for most of human history. All genres, including his tried-and-true thriller territory, have conventions that readers look forward to seeing. In fact, bending and playing around with those "rules" is often what makes genre books exciting. That's especially true in fantasy, which has never met a quest gone wrong it didn't like, and romance, where tropes like second-chance and enemies-to-lovers reign supreme. Not only is writing a romantasy book without using at least a few tropes basically impossible, it's ill-advised. As some reactions on social media have pointed out, Patterson's comments suggest he's trying to replicate the success of books like Fourth Wing while ignoring what readers actually like about them. Of course, it's important to remember that Patterson didn't write this book on his own. His comments have rubbed readers the wrong way, but co-author Hazel McBride presumably knows her way around a good romantasy trope. So, as readers have already spotted from the synopsis, it's likely his "trope-free" romantasy duology will be anything but. You can pre-order Firedance here.