Essie fox

“Hands of Saint Dominic” by Albrecht Dürer, 1506; ...

What makes a novel of ideas?

The Möbius Book Catherine Lacey (Granta, £16.99) ...

The last time erotica had a moment, Fifty Shades turned bondage into water cooler chat. Now, the genre’s back – only this time, the safe words are spells. But while fans of ‘romantasy’ say the sex is out of this world, what does our collective appetite for so-called ‘faerie smut’ say about the sex we’re really having...or not?

FOUNDATIONS ROME BEFORE ROME The legends that ...

These days, we’re all craving a bit of escapism. And is it any wonder that, for so many of us, it involves losing ourselves in a steamy book? The UK has reportedly seen a huge surge in ‘romantasy’ – r