Constructed in 1903, few places in Eugene are better suited for Daffodil Romantasy Books and Gifts than Lane Building, sometimes called Lane Hotel, just east of the 5th Street Public Market downtown.
Daffodil opened in late October this year and stocks only “romantasy” books, an emerging, wildly popular literary genre blending aspects of romance novels with Lord of the Rings-style fantasy. Lane Building’s old-timey charm sets the romantasy mood before stepping inside Daffodil’s cozy space, decorated — according to owner Bailey Prusz — with a dark academic aesthetic.
Think a mysterious wizard’s study with mahogany shelves and overstuffed chairs, or perhaps the bed chambers where a misunderstood romantic hero pens longing verse for their dead lover. Faux candlelight fixtures and book pages hung from the ceiling add some whimsy.
Daffodil’s space adjoins O’My Mini Donuts, another Prusz family business, for a sweet treat and coffee while browsing or to sit and talk with a friend about books you are reading. The bookstore also offers locally made crafts and gifts themed around popular romantasy novels and series.
Daffodil opened amid a boom in romance novel sales and an unexpected — though welcome — revival for brick-and-mortar bookshops. In July, The New York Times reported that romance novel sales have more than doubled recently, and after years of decline, more and more new bookstores are sprouting up, some dedicated to the genre.
There’s debate about what belongs under the romantasy rubric, but a proto-typical example is the Scottish time travel Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, which kicked off in 1991 and is still going strong with nine volumes in print and seven seasons of a TV series on Starz. The A Court of Thorn and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas are more recent bestsellers about a teenage girl’s adventures in a mythical faerie kingdom called Prythian. The randy YA-friendly Twilight series sets the tone.
Referring to her love of the genre, Prusz says, as a kid, “I was a heavy reader, and fantasy was always my favorite genre, and then romantasy just became so big, it got me back into reading as an adult. It’s my passion, and I love it so much. The bookstore was a recent idea but felt like a natural progression.”
Prusz says she hopes Daffodil supports a “third space” revival, where people gather and connect outside work and home. For this reason, she wants the business to be welcoming and that people will host book clubs at her store or simply come and hang out.
Daffodil hosts a book club of its own, and to incentivize sales, for every hundred “pages” bought — one dollar spent equals a “page” — customers earn $5 off their next purchase.
Prusz thinks for many people, pandemic isolation reinvigorated their love of reading, and romantasy offers escape.
Lili Henderson is among Daffodil’s most loyal customers, Prusz says. “I have enjoyed the romantasy genre because I enjoy having all of the feelings,” Henderson explains, referring to the adventure of fantasy with the high-stakes romance melodrama.
“I dive deep into the books and enjoy getting to know the characters. It’s so nice to have such a beautiful, welcoming and cozy bookstore in town,” she says.
Stephanie Axley-Cordial, a Eugene poet and writer, is also a romantasy reader. The Immortals After Dark series is among Axial-Cordial’s favorites, a sexy yarn with werewolves, valkyries, vampires and more. She also likes The Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews, adding a little saucy modern corporate intrigue to a fantastic world centered on the high-powered Baylor family.
Regardless of what she’s reading, for Axley-Cordial, romantasy helps her feel like there’s some magic and mystery left in the world, which gives her hope.
She adds, “I’m jazzed there’s a space that those of us in the market for hope have a place to gather and get cozy-kinda church-like if you think about it.”