Okay, some are going to laugh but I had no idea there’s something called regency fantasy. So this genre is set in a regency-era fantasy world. I had to do some research.
The Regency era in England, approximately 1795 and 1837, toward the end of the Georgian period and is characterised by distinctive trends in architecture, literature, fashions, politics, and culture. How do writers fit fantasy into this time period? Here’s how fantasy writer J.A. Andrews describes one such novel: “What would happen if Jane and Bingley from Pride and Prejudice were transported into the Scarlet Pimpernel, but had to rescue stolen children from scary fae, instead of smuggling rich people away from France?” That’s intriguing, right?
So Jane Austen is considered “regency era”?
According to some, regency fantasy is an example of genre mashups – fantasy for Austen fans. I haven’t read any of this genre, and am only peripherally interested in Jane Austen’s stories, but I discovered that Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell can be considered “neo-regency.” So some are going strictly by the time period with this term and others perceive it as Austen-esque. The Strange and Norell novel is compelling, with ghostly overtones. Definitely in a category of its own. It kept me going, drawing me into its darkness and intrigue.
I guess this is all to say that, like epic fantasy, there’s a general notion of the definition, but you don’t have to be an old fashioned romantic, longing for a bygone era of pomp and ceremony, to find some rich veins in regency, or at least neo-regency fantasy. I’m hoping to find out what magics lurk at the edges of that genre mashup.
Free fantasy novels, anyone?
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