# James Patterson's Romantasy Book Sparks BookTok Outrage

> James Patterson's new romantasy book Firedance faces backlash for claiming to skip tropes, angering BookTok readers.
- Title: James Patterson's Romantasy Book Sparks BookTok Outrage
- Summary: James Patterson's new romantasy book Firedance faces backlash for claiming to skip tropes, angering BookTok readers. James Patterson's Firedance, a romantasy…
- Keywords: james patterson, firedance, hazel mcbride, romantasy, booktok, thursday, booktok backlash, romance fantasy, book cover, author collaboration, entertainment, culture
- Source: ScreenRant — https://screenrant.com/james-patterson-online-controversy-romantasy-comments-explained
- Author: Amanda Kay Oaks
- Published: 2026-10-28T18:38:18+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: james patterson, firedance, hazel mcbride, romantasy, booktok, thursday, booktok backlash, romance fantasy, book cover, author collaboration, entertainment, culture
## James Patterson Announces Romantasy Book
James Patterson announced his new romantasy book Firedance with co-author Hazel McBride.
## Firedance Planned as Duology
Firedance will be the first book in a planned duology, potentially expanding into a trilogy.
## Firedance Features Magical Creatures
Firedance includes mermaids, ogres, fairies, dragons, and griffins in its story.
## Patterson Claims Trope-Free Romantasy
Patterson said Firedance would skip common romantasy tropes like fae court shenanigans.
## BookTok Reacts to Trope Claim
BookTok readers criticized Patterson for claiming to avoid tropes, trending on social media.
## Patterson's Trope-Free Promise Fails
Patterson's attempt to write without tropes angered readers who expect genre conventions.
## Key takeaway

James Patterson's Firedance, a romantasy duology with Hazel McBride, faces criticism for promising to avoid genre tropes, sparking social media backlash.