Would You Try Castlecore Sex?

Are you all aboard the romantasy train? With spicy fantasy love stories topping bestseller charts and BookTok discourse, it’s honestly hard to avoid them these days. And sure, maybe you don’t necessarily want to have sex with some 7-foot hulking warrior with a man bun and bat wings, but perhaps the idea of doing it in a chilly castle bedchamber lit with candles does sound kind of hot. It shouldn’t surprise any of us that castlecore sex is having a moment. So, here’s the DL on this intimacy trend, which might spark some ideas for bringing your romantasy fantasies to life (if your partner isn’t on board with wearing wings... yet). Plus, check out a few important warnings before diving headlong into a sexy medieval scenario.

What is castlecore sex?

Think furs on the bed, candlelit chambers, and medieval-inspired outfits, and you’ve got the gist. Castlecore sex is a trend rising in time with the popularity of romantasy novels, which follow characters in fantasy worlds as they fall in love, save the world, and, well, do what lovers do. Much like the books themselves, castlecore sex “offers an escape from the mundane,” according to a press release from Condoms UK, a sexual health brand following the trend’s popularity.

Participants often engage in roleplaying scenarios — the knight and the damsel, the forbidden lovers; you know, the fairytale roles — and incorporate lacy corsets, candles, and... dragon toys (more on that later). It’s a safe, fun way to try out different power dynamics in the bedroom. I mean, what’s a mortal human girl to do when faced with the majesty of an ancient fae king? And, because so many modern romantasy books center female pleasure, it can feel empowering to bring that to life IRL.

A word of caution about castlecore sex

In a story for The Daily Mail, British erotic retailer Lovehoney said fantasy-themed dildos and lingerie have been flying off the shelves at never-before-seen rates. That’s right — Lovehoney’s numbers show that “interest in sex toys with designs evoking the genitals of fantasy creatures, like dragons, had exploded ‘sevenfold’” between May 2023 and May 2024.

There’s zero judgment about your choice of toys here, but when purchasing sex toys that are, shall we say, not mainstream, you might find yourself considering buying products from websites that aren’t super reputable. In general, you should only purchase sex toys made of body-safe materials from well-known distributors. If you’re adding a dragon-inspired dildo to cart, make sure it has a flared base — lest you join the ranks of the nearly 4,000 people a year who end up in the ER for foreign objects stuck in their rectum, many of which are sexual devices, according to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. Lastly, be sure to clean between all the scales and grooves thoroughly. You don’t want your new dragon toy becoming an infection risk.

As for the corsets most medieval costumes and lingerie include, just be sure not to lace them up too tightly, says the Condoms UK release. Corsets can restrict breathing when they’re too tight and even compress your organs, leading to lightheadedness or fainting.

And one final safety note: Keep those candlesticks on a stable surface away from the bed. We wouldn’t want the furs you’ve so carefully hunted over the past few winters catching fire, now would we? (Wink wink.)

All in all, castlecore sex is a fun trend to try for fantasy lovers who want to add something totally new to their sex lives. Maybe it’s a one-time thing you try and laugh about later, or something you really enjoy and incorporate regularly. Either way, just be sure to do it safely (and blow out those candles before you fall asleep, your majesty).