Raunchy romantasy books such as A Court Of Thorns and Roses increase lust for Leicester duo’s handmade fantasy sex toys

From A Court Of Thorns and Roses to Fourth Wing, the romantasy – romance-fantasy – genre has taken the world by storm in recent years.

Combining thrilling, imaginative fantasy worlds with intense romance and a heavy dash of sexy scenes, spicy novels by the likes of Sarah J Maas and Rebecca Yarros now sit pride of place on many readers’ bookshelves while indie authors are captivating audiences on TikTok, too.

Two friends from Leicester who combined their love of fantasy worlds with their skills and passion for special effects and model making to create a fantasy-focused sex toy brand Odyssey have found that the rise in popularity of these saucy fantasy novels has not only made the world “more accepting”, but “drives some of our creativity as well”.

Adam Breedon, 42, and Matt Rowe, 37, founded Odyssey Toys in 2022, combining their expertise in sex toy design, special effects and theatrical makeup with their love for all things fantasy to create a one-of-a-kind sex toy company that hand-manufactures a range of striking fantasy-inspired grinders, dildos, anal toys and more.

All of their products, Adam said, are “fun, interesting, have a story, or was a product that I wanted as a couple and then made”.

“It has to look as f****** cool as it can be, but be as equally enjoyable,” he added.

Both Adam and Matt have long been invested in fantasy worlds, from playing Warhammer – a tabletop miniature war game where players paint their own miniature models – and Dungeons & Dragons, to watching endless hours of Lord Of The Rings, and they both ended up working in sex toy manufacturing.

Odyssey came about when they noticed a gap in the market for toys that combined their passions for fantasy and, as Adam put it with a smirk, being “filthy bastards”.

“I was originally a fire breather for a while, and then learned how to do theatrical makeup and special effects, which led into moulding, and then down the line led into manufacturing sex toys,” Adam, who describes himself as having a “weird, creative mind”, told PA Real Life.

“That was just because I thought I could do a better job than what was currently on sale. So that was that!”

Similarly, Matt was working as a product designer in engineering before branching out into artistic design, and he found himself working in the sex toy industry when he applied for a job that, unbeknown to him when he applied, was for a sex toy brand.

“I thought I’d give it a go,” he said.

“Turns out, I’m pretty good at drawing strange dildos!”

Since romantasy’s rise in popularity, Odyssey Toys has seen a massive growth, with their social media marketing translating into real-world sales at a higher rate than they had imagined.

The aim of Odyssey, they said, is to create toys that people might never have imagined they wanted, let alone could buy, inspiring people to get creative in the bedroom with toys centred around mythical creatures, tentacled beasts, dragons, aliens, monsters and more.

As well as being functional, every product has a story. Whether it’s a grinder – a toy designed for external stimulation – that is shaped like a menacing vampire’s mouth or a dildo reminiscent of a tentacle, everything Adam and Matt design taps into a specific narrative-inspired fantasy.

“Everything we do is design and function led, but it has to be aesthetically pleasing as well,” Adam explained of the toys, which are generally priced between £50 and £100.

“People want pleasure. People want something that’s enjoyable and functional and looks cool, especially from Odyssey. So the story is a massive lead there.

“It’s about, essentially, creating a diorama you can f***.”

The first product that they created was the Tenox tentacle dildo, which portrays a tentacle coming out of a rock holding a pearl – designed to stimulate the user internally in all the right places.

“That was built around the fact that nautical themes and tentacles were popular, that we wanted to have a dildo,” Adam said.

To create each hand-made toy, Adam and Matt first create a concept sketch which they 3D print and use as a mould for the high-grade silicone. Buyers can choose the product’s size and firmness based on personal preference, making each purchase unique and tailored.

The hand-poured silicone is mixed and layered to give the toys an intricate, colourful design, creating a final product that not only gives the user pleasure, but looks cool, too.

They are then shipped in discreet, plain packaging because, as the website states, “your fantasy life is your business – and we like to keep it that way”.

“As creatives, we’re incredibly proud of what we do,” said Matt.

“We transmit that into a product that people can really appreciate and truly treasure, as more than a standard sex toy.”

Odyssey Toys’ customers are almost evenly split between men and women, with around 60% of buyers being female. The popularity of romantasy literature, particularly among women, has been a huge boon, Matt said, and it “drives some of our creativity as well”.

“We have people that discuss those sorts of books with us, and then you can visually see the sort of characters that form around those and the stories that form with them,” Matt said, adding that they often get requests for specific products from potential customers.

“It’s been insanely popular on TikTok and other platforms as well,” he continued – Odyssey Toys’ TikTok page has almost 280,000 followers and more than four million likes.

“It’s more and more on the forefront of people’s minds over the last couple of years.”

“The world is now a bit more accepting, because when Fifty Shades Of Grey came out, look at what that did to the sex industry,” Adam added.

“We create dioramas and stuff that people want to share, and people feel more comfortable talking about stuff. So it’s cultural and global changes…

“All we’re doing is creating the best things that we can, and we’ll continue to create those best things that we can, and give people the confidence and security to feel safe exploring.”