Omegaverse: A Romance Genre of Primal Passion

Like romance books with mates, overprotective partners, and steamy scenes? Well, look no further, Omegaverse is what you’re looking for.

Book Culture Bookish Trends Just For Fun Pop Culture Recommendations Romance
omegaverse-romance-crazy-book-genre-article-featured-image

Recently at Bookstr, we’ve been taking an in-depth look into romance subgenres through our Crazy Book Genre series. So far, we’ve brought you Rockstar Romance, Gay Bear Romance, and Amish Romance, among an assortment of other lust-fueled topics. We’ve even talked about the supernatural and what is considered acceptable to be included within that subset of paranormal creatures (btw there doesn’t seem to be a limitation on what can be made sexy). Today, I am excited to share with you a subgenre that I discovered through KU about a year ago called Omegaverse Romance.

What is Omegaverse?

What has been a relatively small subgenre that is steadily growing in popularity is sometimes mixed up with Shifter Romances. Regardless of the terminology, these characters do not shift into wolves or any other animal; they just have biological animalistic instincts given human form.

Omegaverse, aka A/B/O (Alpha/Beta/Omega), is a subgenre of speculative erotic romance that originated as fan fiction. The Omegaverse is an alternate universe to ours, however, there is a biological dominance hierarchy that exists within humans, much like animals, that is divided into three categories. It’s a world where biology dictates love matches and males can sometimes get pregnant.

What’s the Hierarchy?

Alphas are the assumed leaders of society; they’re at the top of the dominant hierarchy. Alphas are more aggressive, stronger, have better senses, and have what is called a knot (more on that later). Beta’s are the workforce of society with little to no extraordinary physical qualities. In other words, a typical human. They usually mate with other betas, but there are the rare few who find themselves in the clutches of alphas and omegas. Omegas are at the bottom of the spectrum; they’re often submissive, smaller, and far more gentle leaning than the other two. Omegas go into a heat where their sexual appetite controls them, often for days at a time.

Romance and Spice

A/B/O anatomy makes for some interesting smexy scenes. Alphas and Omegas “lock” their respective parts together during intercourse through the use of a knot which enhances orgasms and familial bonds. This is true for both male and female alphas. Spice levels of these novels run the gamut from slow-burn Pack Darling by Lola Rock to fast-burn I Think Knot by Sinclair Kelly. Knot Your Damn Omega by Devyn Sinclair is a middle-of-the-pack option.

omegaverse-kelly-sinclair-rock
IMAGES VIA AMAZON

One of the appeals of this subgenre is the fluidity in gender and sex that the authors utilize. LGBTQ gender preferences are normalized; polyamorous relationships are just as prevalent and accepted as monogamous ones. Kathryn Moon’s Sweetverse Series which begins with Baby and the Late Night Howlers is an example of a polyamorous novel that also includes a mated beta. A polyamorous relationship with fated mates can be bound in Sam Hall’s Good Girl. Both of which include same-sex partnerships.

omegaverse-moon-hall-book-covers
IMAGES VIA AMAZON

Pack and Mate-bonds

Regardless of the number of partners in the relationship, family units are called packs. Mated pack members are solidified by bite marks that create a mate bond. Typically this takes place during intimate scenes, but the bites require attention over the course of several days. These marks are hypersensitive to touch, adding fuel to the foreplay. The bond between members is multifaceted in its importance. It actively lets each partner know the emotional state of their bondmate. It can sometimes behave as a type of GPS, allowing the pack to find each other. Due to the intrinsic nature of the mate bond, mating is a serious endeavor and can lead to mental health issues and death for those who lose a partner.

If you’re looking for growly possessive alphas who take care of their omegas every need, this is the genre for you!

Read our article on Horror Romance by clicking here.

FEATURED IMAGE VIA BOOKSTR / KRISTI ESKEW