‘Romantasy’ ball blasted as epic scam over false promises, sparse turnout: ‘Fyre Festival of BookTok’

A imagination romance caller normal quickly went from Velaris to very messy.

Romantasy fans — nan highly celebrated book genre among millennials and Gen Z women that blends imagination fabrication pinch smutty romance tropes — were baffled erstwhile they arrived astatine nan A Million Lives Book Festival successful Baltimore connected May 2 and 3. What was promoted arsenic an immersive gathering of hundreds of book lovers, dozens of authors and publishers, and themed intermezo quickly devolved into what is being dubbed nan “Fyre Festival of BookTok.”

Organized by Archer Management, A Million Lives promised writer panels, romantasy cosplay meet-ups, a costume contest, a contented creation room, a vendor hallway stocked pinch caller releases and bookish items and a glistening shot taken correct disconnected nan pages of Sarah J. Maas.

Author and attendee Stephanie Combs mockingly shared a video of her and her friends strutting done nan edifice lobby wearing floor-length shot gowns.

“When you’re going to a bookish fantasy-themed ball,” she wrote successful a TikTok station earlier showing a sparsely populated normal hallway pinch nary decorations. “And this is what you get.”

Tables astatine nan arena were shockingly empty, pinch immoderate lazily thrown clone roseate petals and books connected them. Guests dressed for a shot of epic proportions were sadly disappointed arsenic they idled successful nan room, which didn’t moreover person nan lights dimmed.

“When you gotta laughter truthful you don’t cry,” Stephanie joked. “A cardinal lives aliases a cardinal lies? I was an attending author…at slightest we looked fantastic.”

Perci Jay, an writer attending nan event, showed disconnected nan “absolute chaos” of nan ball, which only attendees who bought nan astir costly summons had entree to. The matter costs $250 and had nary food, pinch h2o and drinks for acquisition astatine a rate bar. The only euphony astatine nan shot was from a mini speaker a information defender had connected him.

“So yes, friends, that intends nan scheme for this shot was for america to guidelines successful nan elephantine quiet room, pinch nary food, a rate barroom and guidelines location successful silence,” she said connected TikTok.

Authors looking to waste their books were told that astir 600 tickets were sold for nan event.

In reality, only astir 30 guests attended.

Romance writer Kait Disney-Leugers blasted nan show arsenic nan “worst event” she ever attended, adding that she did not make immoderate money astatine A Million Lives, a immense blow, saying authors usually salary for their ain tables

“I hardly made capable to screen my fucking parking for 2 days,” Disney-Leugers said successful a TikTok, adding that “It felt for illustration Fyre Fest of book festivals,” referring to the disastrous 2017 euphony show whose ritzy advertizing ended up being a multi-million dollar scam.

“Advertised arsenic thing really awesome, but nan existent execution of it was horrible. We were told location were much than 610 tickets sold. I did not spot those people.”

An writer told The Cut that nan conference’s committedness that authors’ edifice rooms were comped was not met. Grace Willows, who organized nan event, reached retired to nan author, allegedly asking her to salary for her ain room astatine a different hotel.

Willows, an author, apologized for nan arena — which is being compared to nan woeful Willy Wonka Glasgow and the scam “Bridgerton” ball that had stripping fairies alternatively of Regency waltzes crossed nan ballroom.

“I americium wanting to rumor a general apology. I do understand that nan shot coming was not group up to standard,” she said successful a TikTok video connected Sunday. “There were a batch of issues pinch getting group up, and it was not handled well. I’d for illustration to apologize. If you would for illustration a refund, please interaction maine and I will rumor a refund immediately.”

Archer Management released a connection nan adjacent time saying that each attendees will beryllium refunded by May 31.