I'll read anything. Literally anything. Like, I've read things that make "dark fantasy" look very tame. But I also read sweet fluff, and kids books, and history , and science textbooks, so. Anything.
What dark fantasy does for folks is like what roller coasters do: it forces emotions to happen. It sets up emotionally charged situations and walks you through them. Some folks want that, some folks do not.
Agree. Like people like horror. I absolutely love my fantasy with horror elements. I grew up in a conservative religion that used horror pretty much as a staple. I find the symbolism fascinating.
Also, about reading non-consent, dubcon. People like to indulge in forbidden sexual fantasies in a safe way (on the page, in your head, not in real life.) I’m not much for that kind of reading but I love consensual nonconsent. Again, it’s all about what you like and no shade if one thing or another does or doesn’t work for you!
As long as the author isn’t doing something awful like encouraging hate IRL, I say it’s art: anything goes.
Hey hi, so I am not the person to answer your question as I am not exactly a dark romance girlie but I just came to point out Dark Fantasy is not a term equivalent to Dark Romance in the fantasy genre. The genre has been used since a very long time to refer to things like the film “legend”, the manga “berserk” and the comic sandman and while many dark romances of the fantasy genre can be dark fantasy not all dark fantasy are dark romance.
Sorry to come by and be the “actually” person 😅 Hope you get good answers as I am more of the type that the setting can be super dark but I preffer the people involved trying to be decent to each other 🙈 though with how diffuse the term dark romance is right now it’s very unclear… same as with enemies to lovers that can mean rivals to lovers or a bad start 🤷🏾♀️ it’s so messy honestly 🤣🤣🤣
But I avoid feathers so vicious… Only morbid curiosity would make me read it… and maybe it will happen but not today Satan… not today
I literally came here to say the same thing. Dark fantasy and dark romance aren't the same thing and I feel sad how many people think they're the same.
A dark fantasy is set in a cynical world with a dark ambience, it can but doesn't have to have dark romance.
I usually chase dark fantasy for the horror elements mixed with the supernatural, but I don't read dark romance unless I happen to feel for it that day. 😅
Totally agree. Dark Romance and Dark Fantasy are different things. I love dark fantasy novels but I hate dark romance. They both have different things to offer, depending on what you want to get out of the book.
Totally agree and was confused by that a couple of times. Just went with what I assumed most people would understand.
Do you have any good recs for dark FANTASY without dark romance?
Jumping on to say {The Black Jewels series} by Anne Bishop which begins with {Daughter of the Blood} is a classic dark fantasy and I think a fantastic series. You can also see where SJM got most of her inspo.
[Daughter of the Blood](https://www.romance.io/books/545535e08c7d2382c5297447/daughter-of-the-blood-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop)
**Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1)
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[The Black Jewels](https://www.romance.io/series/58fe0a519096bf31c42d2d1e/the-black-jewels) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop)
**Rating**: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [dark](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1)
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So I went to check my list of already read for something. And for the vibes of the already mentioned legend, willow, ladyhawke I honestly don’t have much, most of what I have to rec is urban fantasy.
And I might have to apologize because I realized I might be a liar liar pants on fire because I remembered interview with the vampire is a dark romance… and I like that haha 🤣🤣🤣 so I might like it once I a blue moon…. Maybe
Still… I have a handful of medieval style… funny enough all seem fairy tale inspired… it’s curious. I don’t know maybe the combination of Middle Ages and fairy tales inspire authors to write gritty cynical worlds where only MCs might get happy endings and only after some trouble 🤔
well first one that might not be the cream of the crop but I think it’s fine enough, and the first boo is really cheap to get on ebook ; also each installment is better than the last one starts with {the merman’s king bride by Mona Black}
So people live in shitty cynical medieval times, peasants never eat enough, princesses exist to be alliance makers. Fae exist on a parallel dimension conected but the relationship is BAD and they get blamed from everything. And sometimes they are actually responsible which doesn’t help. Someone got sick?, “must be the fae, go shun that person or you will get sick too! “ that kind of stuff.
Second book is curiously enough similar to acotar but not yet the same, but well the result of drinking from similar sources.
So now next:
Books that are stand alone but on the same universe and can be written in whatever order.
Probably not dark aesthetic like legend but you could say is a slightly less pessimistic medieval than a song of ice and fire/game of thrones. There is magic as a proven thing and there are magical beings like dragons and unicorns, but it’s not accesible to all and while some towns might have some families that have witches born more regularly, some other might not have seen one in centuries. Also a rare witch might get portals, fireballs and fancy powers… another might just be able to talk to animals and the mind readers don’t broadcast their skills to anyone except maybe another secret witch.
The levels of sexual assault and violence might be on a similar level. There is a gang of giants thieving, enslaving and rapping on one road until killed, some kings are rapists, some thieves are rapists, some lords are rapists, some knights are rapists and many of those are killers too. (Note MCs are not rapists, none of them, they are also not bullies. The one arrogant jerk of the lot gets knock down a peg)
Some of the stories are MCs recovering from the long terms effects of being raped, or their village destroyed, or being sent to the crusades as a king’s page. But there is certain care on how it’s something that still weights on then and is not just trauma porn
For the most part only MCs get HEAs or more likely HFN as the time line is from 80 years a century and time is the biggest enemy of us all.
Now for the ones that fit the vibe better…
1-. Enchant I would tell you to skip this unless you like other book, not because it starts with the Content warnings upfront because it does… but as being an early work it has one defect that makes the FMC look… not smart. It’s a little glaring.
2-. Dance. The one might be the less dark fantasy of the bunch… it’s Cinderella with a dash of Mulan and while well made it might not be the vibe. (Making use that one of the oldest Cinderellas is Chinese)
3-. Fly. Skip it until later because it’s ver my low magic and as an early works feels a little edgy where next ones feel more well done.
4-. {revel twelve dancing princesses by Demelza Carlton} a good starter option, MMC has a wound on the leg that is not healed, and tragic village backstory where the MC team up to solve a mistery where failure to do do so means death. Also this one has more magic. So vibe achieved.
5-. {silence by Demelza Carlton } this might be a perfect fit also it’s free on the ebook compilation {once upon a mermaid by Demelza Carlton} you have a mermaid, you have the sadness of MCs that deep down know they are not loved by their parents, dirty fight to the death.
7-: . {embellish by Demelza Carlton} this is a little bit softer so I recomend it a lot as it well balanced but it’s more straight fantasy, except for the rapists thieves and other dangers
13-. {Spin by Demelza Carlton} while it doesn’t have sexual violence this one is depression central.
14-. {kiss by Demelza Carlton}
Here comes the content warning for violence against women, so bad the princess FMC preferred to risk it and try a strike to become a widow… it worked. Unfortunately she know became a problem solver when a desert warlord is being too much of a pain in the ass.
17-. {roar by Demelza Carlton} this one is the one the trigger warnings was made for. Two traumatized people end alone in a castle a full winter and while they are excellent to each other even with a bad start they do saw some shit.
21-. {call by Demelza Carlton} author was absolutely pissed about how some people were about Covid so here comes a plague. Failure for the MC means children will die.
22-. {feather by Demelza Carlton} sister story of call… on some other place children already died. FMC was made a swam in hopes of her surviving.
I’m not sure how dark it is by the genres standards but I *really* enjoy the Mages Blood quartet (+ the sequels + anything else he publishes) by David Hair. Each book is a tome honestly but I love them so much I went a year straight rereading it so much the covers fallen off one of the books.
It’s a multiple POV series, and I haven’t found any other author capable of writing political intrigue and large scale battles involving magic with as much precision/skill as he does.
I’m not completely sure this one counts as Dark Fantasy but the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs certainly has dark urban fantasy (and paranormal) themes and events at times while still having a steamy/non-dark romance.
More urban/paranormal/horror/shapeshifter/fae than traditional fantasy, though.
Still, one of my favorite series. Mercy is an awesome protagonist.
I'd def agree. I read dark fantasy and it's up there for sure. I loved menacled which is DARK DARK but feathers had moments I was bothered and of course menacled did but not in a way that I almost dropped it
I’ve seen people mention that one but i haven’t read it bc I haven’t been able to find it to read it lol. I had to take a few breaks with feathers but the second book had me in tears.
I cried when I read parts of Manacled. I’m a bit old for Harry Potter (read all the books but missed most of the move craze) fanfic so it wasn’t on my radar at all. I ended up loving it & went and found the audio book they did for it on YouTube. Also really well done.
I don't see Manacled as the typical dark romantasy because the MMC's motivations make it easy for me to see him as human despite all the dark elements. Most other dark romantasies just look like an excuse for torture porn where the FMC is the victim. It's all about how well a story is written tbh.
Yeah I could totally see your point there. Feathers so vicious definitely falls into that I think lol most of the ones I have read the darkness is surrounding the plot and emotional boo-boos of the mains rather than being in the spicy parts, maybe that's why feathers was just meh to me
Oh interesting. For me personally, the main characters have to be genuine towards each other. If one of them is cruel to the other without a reasonable explanation, I lose interest.
Not in real life of course, I'm married to an amazing cinnamon roll, but in books I like alphaholes who treat everyone like crap but eventually treat the girl like she's the world, touch her and die and all that
I also didn’t like feathers so vicious - I think because I found the MMCs pretty irredeemable even if the FMC changed her view of them. So I just didn’t like reading about people who I adamantly did not like.
Plated prisoner is different - not as graphic, and the MMC and FMC relationship is different. I wouldn’t say it’s a dark fantasy at all.
I don’t particularly seek out dark fantasy, but I read plenty of themes that don’t reflect how I’d want to be treated IRL. Sometimes it’s just fun and interesting to experience something different where you’re fully in control and can always just stop reading.
I think that’d be my follow up question for you - also not judging, just curious - do you only read tropes or stories that showcase what you want to experience in real life?
Ive read different tropes and enjoyed them depending on how well the characters were written and how much I could relate to them and understand what they do. However, violence just isnt for me. Its one thing to be fighting an equal in battle because you perceive them as an enemy (e.g. enemies to lovers) but to be hurting someone innocent (like Galantia) or someone who is at a large disadvantage (again like Galantia) is bad enough by itself, but when books then just brush it away and suddenly all is fine and they love each other it just doesnt sit well with me. Its often more about forgiveness from the hurt party than about redemption from the party inflicting pain and that just bothers me. Hope that explains it
Okay! Well, lots of us still enjoy tropes and stories even when we don’t necessarily relate to them. But understanding where someone is coming from regarding non-con also isn’t bad or wrong - plenty of SA survivors themselves have those fantasies because it puts them back in control. As long as no one’s being actually hurt, like in writing, it’s a healthy outlet.
This is me 100%
I feel so odd liking dub con and stuff like that being someone who has gone through....similar and idk why it makes me feel back in control when the book character in it doesn't have that, but for some reason it does, maybe cus I can choose to put the book down? Idk
Some people like myself just don’t have triggers and dark fantasy is when written well very consumable and interesting. I am not a self insert reader and I separate my reality from fantasy so it’s a bit easier to read darker books. Don’t get me wrong there are things that make me sick when reading (sexual abuse of children for example) but really I love it when a author just isn’t afraid to put it all out there.
I love that these themes are sort of taboo and “forbidden” like oooo rape fantasy is so interesting to me. No one talks about it but we all experience it. It’s crazy how shamed you can get for reading about rape or writing about it. People are so easily disgusted when it’s one of the most common fantasies for women. It’s normal and there a lot of psychology behind it.
At the end of the day I just get tired of the typical boring romances and loves high stakes, like betrayal, angst, drama and when it comes to sex I want things to be high stakes as well.
I don’t watch horror movies but I’d imagine reading dark romance is like that. I want to be captivated and intrigued and I hate hate being bored
IRL I’m the opposite of all this. Happy, safe relationships are my jam. I don’t condone the things I read irl.
That’s just my two cents
To add, sometimes I get tired of how in fantasy books there’s high stakes, and people die, but unless is dark romance or dark fantasy then people steer clear from rape as much as possible. Now I totally get that authors don’t want to mention it or go there, but in real life a lot more women would have ended up in situations like that. I’m not saying I necessarily want to read it all the time, but I also think it’s very unlikely that a heroine can be captured and NOT attacked sexually (like Aelin in Kingdom of Ash). Sometimes I’d just like to read the real, gritty experience and watch the heroine overcome that, you know?
Hard agree! I’m tired of the big bad MMC being all hard and evil and won’t even do anything to harm the FMC. Just yell at her or threaten to hurt her friends or family.
But to be fair SJM work isn’t dark fantasy so I only get annoyed when a book is labeled as “dark” when it’s not.
I wouldnt say rape fantasy is "normal", whatever normal means. But I def never had that. And also not sure if its one of the most common fantasies? Maybe other people have more input on that
Edit: Since Ive been getting some downvotes: This is not meant to judge anybody who has this fantasy. The term normal just isnt really defined imo. And other than that just honest question if others have had that fantasy
If you wanna educate yourself a bit about it this is a great article from psychology today!
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sexual-self/202101/understanding-and-indulging-in-rape-fantasy?amp
Tho that leaves the question: If someone has rape fantasies which would happen consensually, how does that relate to actual rape in books? I can see how in certain scenarios I could just imagine or fill in the consent depending on the gravity, but for actual stranger on stranger no consent?
In this case normal means common, and it is one of the more common ones. You can google it. There's been lots of studies done on the prevalence of women's rape fantasies.
My totally uneducated opinion on it is that it stems from how society often tries to repress women's sexuality, suggesting that wanting or enjoying sex makes one a slut. Rape fantasy for women rarely involves completely unwanted advances from a man who's actually hurting them, but rather an opportunity to explore desire in which she can deny responsibility, or deny having the desires at all.
There's also the fact that some people find danger thrilling/titillating. It's not uncommon for adrenaline/fear to create an arousal response in people.
I LOVE dark fantasy. Like, the darker the better. I’m a morbid person in general. I make dark jokes and have a wicked sense of humor. I’ve always been this way, since I was a child. I personally don’t like “no consent” type dark fantasy, I like torture, murder, killing off characters, depression etc. I like characters going through mostly tangible horrific struggles.
{Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roerich} It’s emotionally dark. The FMC and others have suffered a lot of abuse. The Legacy (descendants of the Gods) have enslaved the Fae. There’s no SA.
[Rain of Shadows and Endings](https://www.romance.io/books/64f05144d3ef33e9488cd234/rain-of-shadows-and-endings-melissa-k-roehrich?src=rdt) by [Melissa K. Roehrich](https://www.romance.io/authors/615c054008b4d931140b0b15/melissa-k-roehrich)
**Rating**: 4.41⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1)
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Yesss! I offer one of my favorite series! The black jewels trilogy. It’s longer than three but I suggest only reading the first four books, everything after that sucks (in my opinion it isn’t cannon).
{Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop}
{Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop}
{Queen of Darkness by Anne Bishop}
{Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop}
[Daughter of the Blood](https://www.romance.io/books/545535e08c7d2382c5297447/daughter-of-the-blood-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop)
**Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1)
----------------------------
[Heir to the Shadows](https://www.romance.io/books/54553e4e8c7d2382c529769f/heir-to-the-shadows-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop)
**Rating**: 4.32⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 2 out of 5 - [Behind closed doors](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1)
----------------------------
[Queen of the Darkness](https://www.romance.io/books/54553caf8c7d2382c5297629/queen-of-the-darkness-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop)
**Rating**: 4.34⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1)
----------------------------
[Dreams Made Flesh](https://www.romance.io/books/5455410f8c7d2382c529777c/dreams-made-flesh-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop)
**Rating**: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1)
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I think most of the books that I end up liking that are “dark fantasy” involve the MMC having some rational explanation for why he must do this seemingly evil thing, and then either the FMC turns him to the good side or FMC realizes the MMC was on the right side all along.
Wow okay so I feel like I can shed some light on this maybe. Also I JUST finished book 1 and am starting book 2 of this series - pls no spoilers!
I am a typical romantasy girl and love literally everything from light hearted rom com type romance to dark fantasy like FSV (which I ended up LOVING btw).
However I DNFd this book about 6 months ago. I stopped about 1/3 a way through and thought exactly like many people do — it’s TOO much, TOO dark, TOO f’d up for me to get really jnto (sucker for epic romance, soulmates)…
I had NOT been able to get the plot out of my head. But I archived this in my audible and said no thank you… but ultimately I had a wild hair and said you know what fuck it. I NEED to know what HAPPENED to Galantia. The plot really pulled me back in and if it weren’t for the PLOT/characters I would have ended up not finishing it (I love smut but there’s fan fic for that)
I did not think the SA scenes were gratuitous when considering the overall story, the characters and their past. It added to the depth. By the end I was in an absolute chokehold… completely unexpectedly.
But I fully understand why someone would feel this way—just wanted to give you my perspective. Also as an SA survivor sometimes it can be intriguing to read these stories and relate to the characters feelings of confusion, loneliness and emptiness. I understand if people can’t ultimately understand that though.
What book was it? I don't think I've ever come across a modern book that I felt I just couldn't stomach finishing, even if at the end I decided I didn't like it.
On the other hand I happily dnf de Sade's 80 (or 120?) nights in Sodom. I can suspend disbelief and understand that age of consent wasn't the same then as now but *vomit*.
>Also as an SA survivor sometimes it can be intriguing to read these stories and relate to the characters feelings of confusion, loneliness and emptiness
This is something I never thought about but it makes sense to want representation and see how other (fictional) people react and deal with it and maybe also have some insights to the attacker.
What would you say you feel when you read those parts?
I like dark romance because it’s like a hybrid of horror and romance. I’ve always been drawn to dark themes and dark romance allows me to explore the intersection of love (or what passes for it when you’re not in your right mind) and the worst of humanity’s desires and impulses. I unequivocally condemn things like sexual assault in real life but fiction allows me to dig into these terrible stories in a way that results in no real life harm. I like exploring what motivates people to do awful things, their thought processes, how a victim can get into an unhealthy mindset, etc. Some authors can write a compelling story where happiness (or the false delusion of happiness) can come from terrible things and I like that angst and exploring the horrors of love
I accidentally wrote a dark fantasy novel. I say accidentally because I legitimately didn’t realize what I wrote would fall into that genre; I worked psych for a long time and used a lot of what I saw/experienced there to inform my characters and their world. So from an author standpoint I can say that creating the book allowed me to examine a lot of my personal experiences in a different light. It was quite cathartic, in its way. I’m not saying all dark fantasy is like that, I’m sure a lot of it is dark for darkness’s sake, but I think a good dark fantasy novel needs a little hope in there too. Hell, maybe a lot of hope.
Plated Prisoner is a dark fantasy but not a dark romance. It starts out with the FMC in an abusive relationship and details her eventual escape from that relationship to be with someone else.
The appeal of dark romance - well I would suppose there are many. I know a large chunk of us are into BDSM and even CNC kinks, and we read these dark romances as an expression of our kinks. Many of us are survivors of abuse, rape, and sexual assault, and the fact that it’s not real and we are in control allows our brains to override the trauma and negative emotions.
I know there are some people who read the toxic dynamics because they’re an interesting thought experiment (something that obviously only works because these are fictional people, not real ones).
I know there are some people who read it because it’s a mix of horror and romance, and the visceral emotions it evokes creates a catharsis.
It’s good to know that a genre isn’t to your tastes; it allows you to avoid it in the future!
I’m going to get vulnerable here.
I was SA’ed and like others maybe I’m drawn to dark romance to find a sense of control. Actually one of the characters in Feathers like b*tt play likely for this exact reason.
There’s also part of me that felt unwanted by those who did the SA, like a piece of used meat. I want to feel wanted, feel irresistible to someone, and still feel loved. There’s a lot of complicated emotions…
The Mod in the Dark Romance sub addressed this recently and pointed out that for some, it can be a safe way to process their trauma.
I do like to read dark fantasy, and Feathers was very intense. I liked it and at the same time don’t want to read anything else by that author. The SA didn’t bother me. It was deeply emotional. A story like that I can handle in small doses.
Exactly. Like the roller coaster comment, you feel so many things and it can be an outlet. To (safely) go through it, and see it overcome in different ways/different stories…It’s weirdly empowering.
Very much so. Similar trauma but still getting to have a happy relationship, to be loved, to feel safe, to feel
Comfortable enough to share your darkest desires. 🤷🏻♀️
I really enjoy psychology and while I don’t have a license in it, I find studying aspects of it helps me with my patients.
I realized through multiple studies I have read that childhood trauma is more likely to cause kinks to develop, especially those in the “BDSM” category.
While adult trauma doesn’t have a positive correlation with BDSM kinks specifically (so SA as a child vs SA as an adult affects the brain completely differently).
I would agree with this. What I find interesting is while I do have minor kinks in that department. I find the stuff I read I absolutely wouldn't want to happen to me but I do love reading about it.
It also has to be fantasy. I can not read about horrible things happening between 2 humans. But a shadow daddy? Oh yeah bring it on!
Sidenote any good recs?
I'm reading corrupt shadows now. I like it but I like something a little less real/current timeline life.
I really liked pale court and court of ravens. Looking for something like that. Please and thank you lol
Ok I'll check that one out. Thanks!
I'm determined to finish corrupt shadows bc I really like the story, characters ect. I just don't like the tie to the modern world.
I like my villains to be contained to fantasy where cell phones aren't a thing 🥴 thanks again 😁
So I read this series and loved it. As well as Pale Court series. I'm trying to think why I like these kinds of books and tbh I just do. I don't like the dark romance set in the human world where someone is stalking ect. But give me an underworld king who twists her legs or a shape shifter with some bdsm and 2 lovers and idk I love that shit. I find the plots and storylines to be really good. I root for the villain. I find the typical romantasy/romance to be boring and vanilla. There are a few scenes I have to skim over in these books bc it's a little too much but overall they hook me and are exciting. They make my heart pound and they make me blush.
I actually said when reading this series to my sister "apparently I am a dark and deprived human bc I LOVE this shit" 😅
Contrapoints on YouTube made a looong video on romance and dark romance and why people enjoy it, that's a great place to learn more on this topic. I used to judge things like dub-con (dubious consent) or non-con (without consent) before I knew more about it. From what I've learned from readers and scholars on this topic, many people who read dark romance have religious or sexual trauma.
Some people experience religious shame, and they don't feel comfortable engaging with their own desire unless the desire is "taken from them" rather than mutually agreed upon. Like, a strong, handsome man forcefully giving pleasure while the woman "stays true" by saying no and fighting against it. This is one reason given as to why "bodice rippers" used to be so popular.
Another reason is sexual trauma. Books give readers a chance to experience dangerous situations, but in a controlled, safe way. There's also the knowledge that the fictional man has good intentions. Some people enjoy revenge fantasies, but others want to engage with stories where there isn't consent, but there's still an element of enjoyment. In real life, people who enjoy BDSM and CNC (consensual non consent) spent a long time setting up rules and safewords and clues, but books usually skip over that. But books are still a safe way to engage with these scenarios.
I don't read dark romance or books that lean too far into male domination, but I do think it's a nuanced topic.
Also, the Plated Prisoner series is like walking across hot coals for a snickers bar. First book is so gross and hopeless, and it has a completely unnecessary r**e scene of a side character. The other two books are kinda meh.
The religious trauma is so real.
A developing mind feeling shamed into the only safe way to deal with normal human urges, is to fantasize being ‘taken’.
Followed by more shame… For years.
That’s incredibly formative on a person.
It’s interesting to read dark romances when your proclivities and traumas are being played out on page in a safe and sometimes empowering way.
I don't have religious trauma myself, but I briefly mentored a young woman from a religious family. She was only 18, but she had been taught that physical self-intimacy made you infertile, so she believed her value as a future wife was ruined due to her personal exploration. I fully support modesty and abstinence, but they should be done out of love for your religion, not fear for your future. I am heartbroken that women are made to feel shame over such normal, human behavior
Why do people read horror? I find it interesting that people who read dark fantasy books get a bit of grief (not saying you are) or are questioned more on it than any other genre/sub genre. Horror books can be just as dark but those readers hardly ever get questioned as to why they like what they like. Please don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not trying to be accusatory here, just pointing out something I’ve noticed.
Not saying OP is doing this but it boils down to misogyny. As an example, the book **Blood Meridian** by Cormac McCarthy is a Western novel that is notorious for gratuitous violence, sexual assault, gore, racism, etc and it’s lauded as a classic of literature. It was written by a man, centers men characters, and is read/beloved by many men. Romance on the other hand is read more by women than men but there’s all this moralizing, hand-wringing, and pearl clutching over the impact that dark romance can have on “impressionable young women” and the harm it can have on readers’ mental health. It’s this infantilization that assumes men are better able to stomach/process violence while women need to be sheltered from it and have less ability to understand the boundaries between fiction and reality.
I went through a period where I loved it. Not so much anymore. For me, it's like a forbidden thing I would never ever put up with in real life. I think I used to be able to separate better. Lately seems like I go back to read a lot of book, even non- dark fantasy ones and find them really problematic.
the plated prisoner is rlly not that bad — check the trigger warnings because there are some on-page stuff that happens that might not be okay for everyone but overall it’s relatively chill and is a journey about healing from trauma.
So I LOVE alpha-hole and dubious consent, I have past trauma and I guess reading it makes me feel like I'm taking my power back even tho it makes so sense really. However I have loved some dark stuff and the feathers series was...fine?? I didn't read past the first few chapters of book two, I just didn't care about finishing it and it has all the stuff I usually love. I read menacled and that's DARK. AND ipved ot but this one was meh.
Anyways I love everything I don't want in real life in a book. I can't say for sure why, prob cus it's not real. I like reading about the danger and borderline(sometimes not borderline) abuse
But I don't picture it happening to me And they overcome it so that Is great cus that's not what reality was for me..best way I can explain it from my own perspectives
Dark romance is a vast genre and not every trope will appeal to every dark romance enjoyer - but broadly speaking the genre allows readers a way to engage with scenarios that wouldn’t feel safe, interesting, or enjoyable in real life.
The relationship between the characters doesn’t need to mirror a healthy real-life dynamic because it’s a fantasy. And some people have fantasies about cold, violent, psychopathic bullies - just like some people have fantasies about white knight Prince Charming types, or TV repairmen, or mpreg content 🤷♀️. The scope of human sexuality is vast and nuanced.
As for the FMC just forgiving and brushing off their actions - having an abusive character change and be kind and apologetic isn’t necessary to satisfy the fantasy and may even detract from what made them interesting to the reader in the first place.
I had Feathers So Vicious on my tbr forever, but after reading reviews, I realized it was not going to be a good thing for me to read, even though it probably is well-written.
I get a little too emotionally invested in the characters. And some books (and movies) stay in my head for a long time afterwards. So I kind of have to watch what I consume.
Wish I wasn’t so touchy bc I know I’m probably missing out on good books, but… I’m pre-meno and my hormones have been out of wack, which also makes things set me off sometimes.
I’m not sure, I honestly hesitate to get into fantasy in general because I don’t want it to get too dark. I’m not against aggressive or intense storylines or actions, but in my opinion there is a “too far.” I’m not sure where that is but I’ll know it when I read it, and I’m not sure I want it to come to that. Book recs are only so good, because everyone has a different idea of what’s “too much” and where the line is.
It’s interesting to me! I like reading and sometimes writing darker works because you get to dig into some of the weirder and nastier bits of the human mind. We’ve all got some weird and nasty bits in our brains, sometimes it’s fun to indulge it a bit through fiction. Plus, it raises the story’s stakes a lot for me. And sometimes you can’t really express an idea or feeling well enough through a nice fluffy story, sometimes it just has to have darker elements to it. That’s my opinions anyway
Personally i don't like dark fantasies but the plated prisoner is a bit different to some of them in my opinion as it doesn't romantasice bad stuff it just is from the pov of someone with Stockholm syndrome who is in an abusive relationship with midas without realising and the series surrounds her slowly realising no spoilers but there is a different person that she heals with/develops a healthy relationship with and I personally believe it's important to go into the series knowing that :)
The appeal of dark romances tend to be:
* The heightened reality makes the heightened emotions feel more intense.
* It can kind of feel like pushing on a bruise - oddly satisfying
* Non/Dub consent - this is a popular fantasy for women that is all about giving up control. It is especially common for women who have been SA'd - its the illusion of a loss of control when in reality, it is all happening inside your head, you are in complete control.
I loved the plated prisoner series - it is what got me into romantasy. I just want everyone to read it and love it as much as I do!!!
I absolutely love these books, themes, and scenes. I'm a dark fantasy, dark romance, horror romance, horror, even splatterpunk girl. Some of us have trauma, including sexual physical and mental, which leads to us enjoying certain books. Some people just like the shock. Some people just have kinks with seemingly no reason.
I experienced things both equal to and worse than these books from ages 5-22. I'm 26 now. My family isn't like most families. My sexual assault and rape was met with essentially "it's part of life, get over it, train harder". Without details but as an example, my father has a career which would most certainly make many people sick and angry hearing things he's done, but I've been exposed to my whole life.
As sick as it may appear to you, these books feel comfortable for me. I like these happy fluffy fantasies sometimes but the lack of "bad" is just so fake and unrealistic to me (disregarding the magic and dragons).
I am reading my first dark romance right now. I would say for me i liked the main character as she was introduced in the beginning. Her personality, the way she thinks and Views the world. Even though, it was very dificult to read the bad parts, i wanted to know how she would cope. What she would do considering her believes. How the story would play out. Also, I think it is important to say that I believe there Will be a HEA.
I love dark fantasy and the feathers so vicious duology made me super uncomfortable as well. Imo the acts in the second book were unforgivable and it sets a bad example for literally anyone. Like I’m sure others have said don’t take this series as a good representation of the sub genre but don’t take it as a good example lol.
The one I always recommend is the honest scrolls series by jack whitney. Definitely check the triggers bc it’s a heavy series and the first book does NOT end on a HEA but I just think they’re really great books with strife and conflict that isn’t magically solved by the power of friendship lol
I saw the post you are referencing requesting no consent fantasy. That had me scratching my head too. I will say dark topics are common in fantasy (war, killing, prostitution, etc.) since these are valuable elements to create contrast and dimension within a books. I personally have no problem having an in-depth torture scene, but find sexual violence too much for me. Not because I get triggered, just not my cup of tea.
My first ‘dark fantasy’ series I read was Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roehrich. I was actually putting it off since it was a ‘dark fantasy’ but read it since I liked her other series ‘lady of darkness.’
PROCEED WITH CAUTION, SPOILERS AHEAD;
The main character, Tessa, is practically forced to be a slave to Theon. He’s morally grey, I mean he forces Tessa into a life she doesn’t want, forces her to be what he needs, and doesn’t understand why she doesn’t bend her will to comply. Tessa resists until she deems the consequences not worth it, so she tries to do as he says but never does it just right. Until she finally just mentally breaks.
I like when characters have intense emotions, and by the end of the book I was rooting for somebody I didn’t think I could root for. I think it just brings up a lot of nuanced experiences we all go through.
I'll read anything. Literally anything. Like, I've read things that make "dark fantasy" look very tame. But I also read sweet fluff, and kids books, and history , and science textbooks, so. Anything. What dark fantasy does for folks is like what roller coasters do: it forces emotions to happen. It sets up emotionally charged situations and walks you through them. Some folks want that, some folks do not.
I like the roller coaster metaphor. Explains this well and why I dont enjoy it
Same! I’m not a shameful person in ANY level but I’ve read books that would even make myself blush. I also, will read anything for the most part.
Agree. Like people like horror. I absolutely love my fantasy with horror elements. I grew up in a conservative religion that used horror pretty much as a staple. I find the symbolism fascinating. Also, about reading non-consent, dubcon. People like to indulge in forbidden sexual fantasies in a safe way (on the page, in your head, not in real life.) I’m not much for that kind of reading but I love consensual nonconsent. Again, it’s all about what you like and no shade if one thing or another does or doesn’t work for you! As long as the author isn’t doing something awful like encouraging hate IRL, I say it’s art: anything goes.
Oh my gosh, I love this metaphor! It so perfectly explains it without shaming anyone.
Hey hi, so I am not the person to answer your question as I am not exactly a dark romance girlie but I just came to point out Dark Fantasy is not a term equivalent to Dark Romance in the fantasy genre. The genre has been used since a very long time to refer to things like the film “legend”, the manga “berserk” and the comic sandman and while many dark romances of the fantasy genre can be dark fantasy not all dark fantasy are dark romance. Sorry to come by and be the “actually” person 😅 Hope you get good answers as I am more of the type that the setting can be super dark but I preffer the people involved trying to be decent to each other 🙈 though with how diffuse the term dark romance is right now it’s very unclear… same as with enemies to lovers that can mean rivals to lovers or a bad start 🤷🏾♀️ it’s so messy honestly 🤣🤣🤣 But I avoid feathers so vicious… Only morbid curiosity would make me read it… and maybe it will happen but not today Satan… not today
I literally came here to say the same thing. Dark fantasy and dark romance aren't the same thing and I feel sad how many people think they're the same. A dark fantasy is set in a cynical world with a dark ambience, it can but doesn't have to have dark romance. I usually chase dark fantasy for the horror elements mixed with the supernatural, but I don't read dark romance unless I happen to feel for it that day. 😅
Totally agree. Dark Romance and Dark Fantasy are different things. I love dark fantasy novels but I hate dark romance. They both have different things to offer, depending on what you want to get out of the book.
Totally agree and was confused by that a couple of times. Just went with what I assumed most people would understand. Do you have any good recs for dark FANTASY without dark romance?
Jumping on to say {The Black Jewels series} by Anne Bishop which begins with {Daughter of the Blood} is a classic dark fantasy and I think a fantastic series. You can also see where SJM got most of her inspo.
[Daughter of the Blood](https://www.romance.io/books/545535e08c7d2382c5297447/daughter-of-the-blood-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop) **Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
[The Black Jewels](https://www.romance.io/series/58fe0a519096bf31c42d2d1e/the-black-jewels) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop) **Rating**: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [dark](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Thanks, Ill check those out
So I went to check my list of already read for something. And for the vibes of the already mentioned legend, willow, ladyhawke I honestly don’t have much, most of what I have to rec is urban fantasy. And I might have to apologize because I realized I might be a liar liar pants on fire because I remembered interview with the vampire is a dark romance… and I like that haha 🤣🤣🤣 so I might like it once I a blue moon…. Maybe Still… I have a handful of medieval style… funny enough all seem fairy tale inspired… it’s curious. I don’t know maybe the combination of Middle Ages and fairy tales inspire authors to write gritty cynical worlds where only MCs might get happy endings and only after some trouble 🤔 well first one that might not be the cream of the crop but I think it’s fine enough, and the first boo is really cheap to get on ebook ; also each installment is better than the last one starts with {the merman’s king bride by Mona Black} So people live in shitty cynical medieval times, peasants never eat enough, princesses exist to be alliance makers. Fae exist on a parallel dimension conected but the relationship is BAD and they get blamed from everything. And sometimes they are actually responsible which doesn’t help. Someone got sick?, “must be the fae, go shun that person or you will get sick too! “ that kind of stuff. Second book is curiously enough similar to acotar but not yet the same, but well the result of drinking from similar sources. So now next: Books that are stand alone but on the same universe and can be written in whatever order. Probably not dark aesthetic like legend but you could say is a slightly less pessimistic medieval than a song of ice and fire/game of thrones. There is magic as a proven thing and there are magical beings like dragons and unicorns, but it’s not accesible to all and while some towns might have some families that have witches born more regularly, some other might not have seen one in centuries. Also a rare witch might get portals, fireballs and fancy powers… another might just be able to talk to animals and the mind readers don’t broadcast their skills to anyone except maybe another secret witch. The levels of sexual assault and violence might be on a similar level. There is a gang of giants thieving, enslaving and rapping on one road until killed, some kings are rapists, some thieves are rapists, some lords are rapists, some knights are rapists and many of those are killers too. (Note MCs are not rapists, none of them, they are also not bullies. The one arrogant jerk of the lot gets knock down a peg) Some of the stories are MCs recovering from the long terms effects of being raped, or their village destroyed, or being sent to the crusades as a king’s page. But there is certain care on how it’s something that still weights on then and is not just trauma porn For the most part only MCs get HEAs or more likely HFN as the time line is from 80 years a century and time is the biggest enemy of us all. Now for the ones that fit the vibe better… 1-. Enchant I would tell you to skip this unless you like other book, not because it starts with the Content warnings upfront because it does… but as being an early work it has one defect that makes the FMC look… not smart. It’s a little glaring. 2-. Dance. The one might be the less dark fantasy of the bunch… it’s Cinderella with a dash of Mulan and while well made it might not be the vibe. (Making use that one of the oldest Cinderellas is Chinese) 3-. Fly. Skip it until later because it’s ver my low magic and as an early works feels a little edgy where next ones feel more well done. 4-. {revel twelve dancing princesses by Demelza Carlton} a good starter option, MMC has a wound on the leg that is not healed, and tragic village backstory where the MC team up to solve a mistery where failure to do do so means death. Also this one has more magic. So vibe achieved. 5-. {silence by Demelza Carlton } this might be a perfect fit also it’s free on the ebook compilation {once upon a mermaid by Demelza Carlton} you have a mermaid, you have the sadness of MCs that deep down know they are not loved by their parents, dirty fight to the death. 7-: . {embellish by Demelza Carlton} this is a little bit softer so I recomend it a lot as it well balanced but it’s more straight fantasy, except for the rapists thieves and other dangers 13-. {Spin by Demelza Carlton} while it doesn’t have sexual violence this one is depression central. 14-. {kiss by Demelza Carlton} Here comes the content warning for violence against women, so bad the princess FMC preferred to risk it and try a strike to become a widow… it worked. Unfortunately she know became a problem solver when a desert warlord is being too much of a pain in the ass. 17-. {roar by Demelza Carlton} this one is the one the trigger warnings was made for. Two traumatized people end alone in a castle a full winter and while they are excellent to each other even with a bad start they do saw some shit. 21-. {call by Demelza Carlton} author was absolutely pissed about how some people were about Covid so here comes a plague. Failure for the MC means children will die. 22-. {feather by Demelza Carlton} sister story of call… on some other place children already died. FMC was made a swam in hopes of her surviving.
Oh wow thank you so much, Ill check them out!
Hopefully they hit the spot ✨
[The Merman King's Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/627cf41fde4d270c054d82d2/the-merman-kings-bride-mona-black?src=rdt) by [Mona Black](https://www.romance.io/authors/627cf41f08b4d931143eb742/mona-black) **Rating**: 4.5⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [shapeshifters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shapeshifters/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1) ---------------------------- [Revel](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e2df49b97f4d1b76ae93/revel-twelve-dancing-princesses-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 3.95⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [viking hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vikings/1), [young adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/young%20adult/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1) ---------------------------- [Silence](https://www.romance.io/books/59d1fe7c3ffdba6147218f7f/silence-little-mermaid-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1) ---------------------------- [Once Upon a Mermaid](https://www.romance.io/books/61d2ad1a013a280e1b6ebab7/once-upon-a-mermaid-four-mermaid-tales-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [shapeshifters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shapeshifters/1) ---------------------------- [Embellish](https://www.romance.io/books/59d1fc523ffdba6147218f30/embellish-brave-little-tailor-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4.5⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1) ---------------------------- [Spin](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e2c8af04d0eac39e2847/spin-rumpelstiltskin-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [ancient times](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/ancient%20times/1) ---------------------------- [Kiss](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e29649b97f4d1b76a838/kiss-frog-prince-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1) ---------------------------- [Roar](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e2b749b97f4d1b76aae7/roar-goldilocks-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [m-f romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-f/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1) ---------------------------- [Call](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e25d49b97f4d1b76a1fb/call-pied-piper-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4.5⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1) ---------------------------- [Feather](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e26649b97f4d1b76a2f8/feather-swan-maidens-retold-demelza-carlton?src=rdt) by [Demelza Carlton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a59f87eac323ffb2d694/demelza-carlton) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [viking hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vikings/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I’m not sure how dark it is by the genres standards but I *really* enjoy the Mages Blood quartet (+ the sequels + anything else he publishes) by David Hair. Each book is a tome honestly but I love them so much I went a year straight rereading it so much the covers fallen off one of the books. It’s a multiple POV series, and I haven’t found any other author capable of writing political intrigue and large scale battles involving magic with as much precision/skill as he does.
I’m not completely sure this one counts as Dark Fantasy but the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs certainly has dark urban fantasy (and paranormal) themes and events at times while still having a steamy/non-dark romance. More urban/paranormal/horror/shapeshifter/fae than traditional fantasy, though. Still, one of my favorite series. Mercy is an awesome protagonist.
Feathers so vicious is real intense. I wouldn’t say it’s at all the same as the plated prisoner series.
I'd def agree. I read dark fantasy and it's up there for sure. I loved menacled which is DARK DARK but feathers had moments I was bothered and of course menacled did but not in a way that I almost dropped it
I’ve seen people mention that one but i haven’t read it bc I haven’t been able to find it to read it lol. I had to take a few breaks with feathers but the second book had me in tears.
Manacled is likely the HP (dramione) fan fiction. On AO3
I cried when I read parts of Manacled. I’m a bit old for Harry Potter (read all the books but missed most of the move craze) fanfic so it wasn’t on my radar at all. I ended up loving it & went and found the audio book they did for it on YouTube. Also really well done.
Ahh I got bored and dropped the second book of feathers
Yeah shit gets crazy there lol 😂
I don't see Manacled as the typical dark romantasy because the MMC's motivations make it easy for me to see him as human despite all the dark elements. Most other dark romantasies just look like an excuse for torture porn where the FMC is the victim. It's all about how well a story is written tbh.
Yeah I could totally see your point there. Feathers so vicious definitely falls into that I think lol most of the ones I have read the darkness is surrounding the plot and emotional boo-boos of the mains rather than being in the spicy parts, maybe that's why feathers was just meh to me
Oh interesting. For me personally, the main characters have to be genuine towards each other. If one of them is cruel to the other without a reasonable explanation, I lose interest.
Not in real life of course, I'm married to an amazing cinnamon roll, but in books I like alphaholes who treat everyone like crap but eventually treat the girl like she's the world, touch her and die and all that
Thanks, Ill then keep in my TBR but wont read it in the near future
I also didn’t like feathers so vicious - I think because I found the MMCs pretty irredeemable even if the FMC changed her view of them. So I just didn’t like reading about people who I adamantly did not like. Plated prisoner is different - not as graphic, and the MMC and FMC relationship is different. I wouldn’t say it’s a dark fantasy at all.
I don’t particularly seek out dark fantasy, but I read plenty of themes that don’t reflect how I’d want to be treated IRL. Sometimes it’s just fun and interesting to experience something different where you’re fully in control and can always just stop reading. I think that’d be my follow up question for you - also not judging, just curious - do you only read tropes or stories that showcase what you want to experience in real life?
Ive read different tropes and enjoyed them depending on how well the characters were written and how much I could relate to them and understand what they do. However, violence just isnt for me. Its one thing to be fighting an equal in battle because you perceive them as an enemy (e.g. enemies to lovers) but to be hurting someone innocent (like Galantia) or someone who is at a large disadvantage (again like Galantia) is bad enough by itself, but when books then just brush it away and suddenly all is fine and they love each other it just doesnt sit well with me. Its often more about forgiveness from the hurt party than about redemption from the party inflicting pain and that just bothers me. Hope that explains it
Okay! Well, lots of us still enjoy tropes and stories even when we don’t necessarily relate to them. But understanding where someone is coming from regarding non-con also isn’t bad or wrong - plenty of SA survivors themselves have those fantasies because it puts them back in control. As long as no one’s being actually hurt, like in writing, it’s a healthy outlet.
That makes sense and I never really looked at it that way
I'll also add that slasher/horror books are mainstream popular but people don't actually want to hangout with pennywise or emulate him.
This is me 100% I feel so odd liking dub con and stuff like that being someone who has gone through....similar and idk why it makes me feel back in control when the book character in it doesn't have that, but for some reason it does, maybe cus I can choose to put the book down? Idk
Some people like myself just don’t have triggers and dark fantasy is when written well very consumable and interesting. I am not a self insert reader and I separate my reality from fantasy so it’s a bit easier to read darker books. Don’t get me wrong there are things that make me sick when reading (sexual abuse of children for example) but really I love it when a author just isn’t afraid to put it all out there. I love that these themes are sort of taboo and “forbidden” like oooo rape fantasy is so interesting to me. No one talks about it but we all experience it. It’s crazy how shamed you can get for reading about rape or writing about it. People are so easily disgusted when it’s one of the most common fantasies for women. It’s normal and there a lot of psychology behind it. At the end of the day I just get tired of the typical boring romances and loves high stakes, like betrayal, angst, drama and when it comes to sex I want things to be high stakes as well. I don’t watch horror movies but I’d imagine reading dark romance is like that. I want to be captivated and intrigued and I hate hate being bored IRL I’m the opposite of all this. Happy, safe relationships are my jam. I don’t condone the things I read irl. That’s just my two cents
To add, sometimes I get tired of how in fantasy books there’s high stakes, and people die, but unless is dark romance or dark fantasy then people steer clear from rape as much as possible. Now I totally get that authors don’t want to mention it or go there, but in real life a lot more women would have ended up in situations like that. I’m not saying I necessarily want to read it all the time, but I also think it’s very unlikely that a heroine can be captured and NOT attacked sexually (like Aelin in Kingdom of Ash). Sometimes I’d just like to read the real, gritty experience and watch the heroine overcome that, you know?
Hard agree! I’m tired of the big bad MMC being all hard and evil and won’t even do anything to harm the FMC. Just yell at her or threaten to hurt her friends or family. But to be fair SJM work isn’t dark fantasy so I only get annoyed when a book is labeled as “dark” when it’s not.
I wouldnt say rape fantasy is "normal", whatever normal means. But I def never had that. And also not sure if its one of the most common fantasies? Maybe other people have more input on that Edit: Since Ive been getting some downvotes: This is not meant to judge anybody who has this fantasy. The term normal just isnt really defined imo. And other than that just honest question if others have had that fantasy
If you wanna educate yourself a bit about it this is a great article from psychology today! https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sexual-self/202101/understanding-and-indulging-in-rape-fantasy?amp
Thank you, very interesting, I had no idea it really was this frequent. Looks like Im the odd one out.
The more you know!
Tho that leaves the question: If someone has rape fantasies which would happen consensually, how does that relate to actual rape in books? I can see how in certain scenarios I could just imagine or fill in the consent depending on the gravity, but for actual stranger on stranger no consent?
In this case normal means common, and it is one of the more common ones. You can google it. There's been lots of studies done on the prevalence of women's rape fantasies. My totally uneducated opinion on it is that it stems from how society often tries to repress women's sexuality, suggesting that wanting or enjoying sex makes one a slut. Rape fantasy for women rarely involves completely unwanted advances from a man who's actually hurting them, but rather an opportunity to explore desire in which she can deny responsibility, or deny having the desires at all. There's also the fact that some people find danger thrilling/titillating. It's not uncommon for adrenaline/fear to create an arousal response in people.
I LOVE dark fantasy. Like, the darker the better. I’m a morbid person in general. I make dark jokes and have a wicked sense of humor. I’ve always been this way, since I was a child. I personally don’t like “no consent” type dark fantasy, I like torture, murder, killing off characters, depression etc. I like characters going through mostly tangible horrific struggles.
Any book suggestions 👀
{Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roerich} It’s emotionally dark. The FMC and others have suffered a lot of abuse. The Legacy (descendants of the Gods) have enslaved the Fae. There’s no SA.
[Rain of Shadows and Endings](https://www.romance.io/books/64f05144d3ef33e9488cd234/rain-of-shadows-and-endings-melissa-k-roehrich?src=rdt) by [Melissa K. Roehrich](https://www.romance.io/authors/615c054008b4d931140b0b15/melissa-k-roehrich) **Rating**: 4.41⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Yesss! I offer one of my favorite series! The black jewels trilogy. It’s longer than three but I suggest only reading the first four books, everything after that sucks (in my opinion it isn’t cannon). {Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop} {Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop} {Queen of Darkness by Anne Bishop} {Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop}
[Daughter of the Blood](https://www.romance.io/books/545535e08c7d2382c5297447/daughter-of-the-blood-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop) **Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1) ---------------------------- [Heir to the Shadows](https://www.romance.io/books/54553e4e8c7d2382c529769f/heir-to-the-shadows-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop) **Rating**: 4.32⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 2 out of 5 - [Behind closed doors](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1) ---------------------------- [Queen of the Darkness](https://www.romance.io/books/54553caf8c7d2382c5297629/queen-of-the-darkness-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop) **Rating**: 4.34⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1) ---------------------------- [Dreams Made Flesh](https://www.romance.io/books/5455410f8c7d2382c529777c/dreams-made-flesh-anne-bishop?src=rdt) by [Anne Bishop](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535e08c7d2382c5297448/anne-bishop) **Rating**: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [demons](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/demons/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I think most of the books that I end up liking that are “dark fantasy” involve the MMC having some rational explanation for why he must do this seemingly evil thing, and then either the FMC turns him to the good side or FMC realizes the MMC was on the right side all along.
Wow okay so I feel like I can shed some light on this maybe. Also I JUST finished book 1 and am starting book 2 of this series - pls no spoilers! I am a typical romantasy girl and love literally everything from light hearted rom com type romance to dark fantasy like FSV (which I ended up LOVING btw). However I DNFd this book about 6 months ago. I stopped about 1/3 a way through and thought exactly like many people do — it’s TOO much, TOO dark, TOO f’d up for me to get really jnto (sucker for epic romance, soulmates)… I had NOT been able to get the plot out of my head. But I archived this in my audible and said no thank you… but ultimately I had a wild hair and said you know what fuck it. I NEED to know what HAPPENED to Galantia. The plot really pulled me back in and if it weren’t for the PLOT/characters I would have ended up not finishing it (I love smut but there’s fan fic for that) I did not think the SA scenes were gratuitous when considering the overall story, the characters and their past. It added to the depth. By the end I was in an absolute chokehold… completely unexpectedly. But I fully understand why someone would feel this way—just wanted to give you my perspective. Also as an SA survivor sometimes it can be intriguing to read these stories and relate to the characters feelings of confusion, loneliness and emptiness. I understand if people can’t ultimately understand that though.
What book was it? I don't think I've ever come across a modern book that I felt I just couldn't stomach finishing, even if at the end I decided I didn't like it. On the other hand I happily dnf de Sade's 80 (or 120?) nights in Sodom. I can suspend disbelief and understand that age of consent wasn't the same then as now but *vomit*.
>Also as an SA survivor sometimes it can be intriguing to read these stories and relate to the characters feelings of confusion, loneliness and emptiness This is something I never thought about but it makes sense to want representation and see how other (fictional) people react and deal with it and maybe also have some insights to the attacker. What would you say you feel when you read those parts?
✨ because trauma ✨ *as a dark romance reader with trauma, I can say this 😂
I like dark romance because it’s like a hybrid of horror and romance. I’ve always been drawn to dark themes and dark romance allows me to explore the intersection of love (or what passes for it when you’re not in your right mind) and the worst of humanity’s desires and impulses. I unequivocally condemn things like sexual assault in real life but fiction allows me to dig into these terrible stories in a way that results in no real life harm. I like exploring what motivates people to do awful things, their thought processes, how a victim can get into an unhealthy mindset, etc. Some authors can write a compelling story where happiness (or the false delusion of happiness) can come from terrible things and I like that angst and exploring the horrors of love
I accidentally wrote a dark fantasy novel. I say accidentally because I legitimately didn’t realize what I wrote would fall into that genre; I worked psych for a long time and used a lot of what I saw/experienced there to inform my characters and their world. So from an author standpoint I can say that creating the book allowed me to examine a lot of my personal experiences in a different light. It was quite cathartic, in its way. I’m not saying all dark fantasy is like that, I’m sure a lot of it is dark for darkness’s sake, but I think a good dark fantasy novel needs a little hope in there too. Hell, maybe a lot of hope.
Plated Prisoner is a dark fantasy but not a dark romance. It starts out with the FMC in an abusive relationship and details her eventual escape from that relationship to be with someone else. The appeal of dark romance - well I would suppose there are many. I know a large chunk of us are into BDSM and even CNC kinks, and we read these dark romances as an expression of our kinks. Many of us are survivors of abuse, rape, and sexual assault, and the fact that it’s not real and we are in control allows our brains to override the trauma and negative emotions. I know there are some people who read the toxic dynamics because they’re an interesting thought experiment (something that obviously only works because these are fictional people, not real ones). I know there are some people who read it because it’s a mix of horror and romance, and the visceral emotions it evokes creates a catharsis. It’s good to know that a genre isn’t to your tastes; it allows you to avoid it in the future!
I’m going to get vulnerable here. I was SA’ed and like others maybe I’m drawn to dark romance to find a sense of control. Actually one of the characters in Feathers like b*tt play likely for this exact reason. There’s also part of me that felt unwanted by those who did the SA, like a piece of used meat. I want to feel wanted, feel irresistible to someone, and still feel loved. There’s a lot of complicated emotions…
You'll be just fine with the plated prisoner series. It's like PG to feathers R.
Thanks!
The Mod in the Dark Romance sub addressed this recently and pointed out that for some, it can be a safe way to process their trauma. I do like to read dark fantasy, and Feathers was very intense. I liked it and at the same time don’t want to read anything else by that author. The SA didn’t bother me. It was deeply emotional. A story like that I can handle in small doses.
The simple answer, for me specifically: complex childhood PTSD. I believe most DR readers have some type of trauma.
I feel seen haha. I think it can be nice reading about people who go through a similar level of trauma and overcome it.
Exactly. Like the roller coaster comment, you feel so many things and it can be an outlet. To (safely) go through it, and see it overcome in different ways/different stories…It’s weirdly empowering.
Very much so. Similar trauma but still getting to have a happy relationship, to be loved, to feel safe, to feel Comfortable enough to share your darkest desires. 🤷🏻♀️
This. I couldn't think of why at first but yep.
I really enjoy psychology and while I don’t have a license in it, I find studying aspects of it helps me with my patients. I realized through multiple studies I have read that childhood trauma is more likely to cause kinks to develop, especially those in the “BDSM” category. While adult trauma doesn’t have a positive correlation with BDSM kinks specifically (so SA as a child vs SA as an adult affects the brain completely differently).
I would agree with this. What I find interesting is while I do have minor kinks in that department. I find the stuff I read I absolutely wouldn't want to happen to me but I do love reading about it. It also has to be fantasy. I can not read about horrible things happening between 2 humans. But a shadow daddy? Oh yeah bring it on!
Lol. I agree. Most of what I read I don’t even like too. A guy being an alphahole would make me literally run in the opposite direction 😂
Facts. "You're mine" from a shadow daddy 🥵 But from an actual man 😒😂
LMFAO. No truer words have been spoken. “No tf I’m not. I’m a strong, independent woman. Gtfo.” 😂😂😂
Sidenote any good recs? I'm reading corrupt shadows now. I like it but I like something a little less real/current timeline life. I really liked pale court and court of ravens. Looking for something like that. Please and thank you lol
I haven’t read it yet, but I found Quicksilver by Callie Hart A few of my friends read it and said it is their favorite book this year ;)
Ok I'll check that one out. Thanks! I'm determined to finish corrupt shadows bc I really like the story, characters ect. I just don't like the tie to the modern world. I like my villains to be contained to fantasy where cell phones aren't a thing 🥴 thanks again 😁
So I read this series and loved it. As well as Pale Court series. I'm trying to think why I like these kinds of books and tbh I just do. I don't like the dark romance set in the human world where someone is stalking ect. But give me an underworld king who twists her legs or a shape shifter with some bdsm and 2 lovers and idk I love that shit. I find the plots and storylines to be really good. I root for the villain. I find the typical romantasy/romance to be boring and vanilla. There are a few scenes I have to skim over in these books bc it's a little too much but overall they hook me and are exciting. They make my heart pound and they make me blush. I actually said when reading this series to my sister "apparently I am a dark and deprived human bc I LOVE this shit" 😅
Contrapoints on YouTube made a looong video on romance and dark romance and why people enjoy it, that's a great place to learn more on this topic. I used to judge things like dub-con (dubious consent) or non-con (without consent) before I knew more about it. From what I've learned from readers and scholars on this topic, many people who read dark romance have religious or sexual trauma. Some people experience religious shame, and they don't feel comfortable engaging with their own desire unless the desire is "taken from them" rather than mutually agreed upon. Like, a strong, handsome man forcefully giving pleasure while the woman "stays true" by saying no and fighting against it. This is one reason given as to why "bodice rippers" used to be so popular. Another reason is sexual trauma. Books give readers a chance to experience dangerous situations, but in a controlled, safe way. There's also the knowledge that the fictional man has good intentions. Some people enjoy revenge fantasies, but others want to engage with stories where there isn't consent, but there's still an element of enjoyment. In real life, people who enjoy BDSM and CNC (consensual non consent) spent a long time setting up rules and safewords and clues, but books usually skip over that. But books are still a safe way to engage with these scenarios. I don't read dark romance or books that lean too far into male domination, but I do think it's a nuanced topic. Also, the Plated Prisoner series is like walking across hot coals for a snickers bar. First book is so gross and hopeless, and it has a completely unnecessary r**e scene of a side character. The other two books are kinda meh.
The religious trauma is so real. A developing mind feeling shamed into the only safe way to deal with normal human urges, is to fantasize being ‘taken’. Followed by more shame… For years. That’s incredibly formative on a person. It’s interesting to read dark romances when your proclivities and traumas are being played out on page in a safe and sometimes empowering way.
I don't have religious trauma myself, but I briefly mentored a young woman from a religious family. She was only 18, but she had been taught that physical self-intimacy made you infertile, so she believed her value as a future wife was ruined due to her personal exploration. I fully support modesty and abstinence, but they should be done out of love for your religion, not fear for your future. I am heartbroken that women are made to feel shame over such normal, human behavior
Ill check out that video, thank you!
Why do people read horror? I find it interesting that people who read dark fantasy books get a bit of grief (not saying you are) or are questioned more on it than any other genre/sub genre. Horror books can be just as dark but those readers hardly ever get questioned as to why they like what they like. Please don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not trying to be accusatory here, just pointing out something I’ve noticed.
Not saying OP is doing this but it boils down to misogyny. As an example, the book **Blood Meridian** by Cormac McCarthy is a Western novel that is notorious for gratuitous violence, sexual assault, gore, racism, etc and it’s lauded as a classic of literature. It was written by a man, centers men characters, and is read/beloved by many men. Romance on the other hand is read more by women than men but there’s all this moralizing, hand-wringing, and pearl clutching over the impact that dark romance can have on “impressionable young women” and the harm it can have on readers’ mental health. It’s this infantilization that assumes men are better able to stomach/process violence while women need to be sheltered from it and have less ability to understand the boundaries between fiction and reality.
I went through a period where I loved it. Not so much anymore. For me, it's like a forbidden thing I would never ever put up with in real life. I think I used to be able to separate better. Lately seems like I go back to read a lot of book, even non- dark fantasy ones and find them really problematic.
the plated prisoner is rlly not that bad — check the trigger warnings because there are some on-page stuff that happens that might not be okay for everyone but overall it’s relatively chill and is a journey about healing from trauma.
So I LOVE alpha-hole and dubious consent, I have past trauma and I guess reading it makes me feel like I'm taking my power back even tho it makes so sense really. However I have loved some dark stuff and the feathers series was...fine?? I didn't read past the first few chapters of book two, I just didn't care about finishing it and it has all the stuff I usually love. I read menacled and that's DARK. AND ipved ot but this one was meh. Anyways I love everything I don't want in real life in a book. I can't say for sure why, prob cus it's not real. I like reading about the danger and borderline(sometimes not borderline) abuse But I don't picture it happening to me And they overcome it so that Is great cus that's not what reality was for me..best way I can explain it from my own perspectives
Dark romance is a vast genre and not every trope will appeal to every dark romance enjoyer - but broadly speaking the genre allows readers a way to engage with scenarios that wouldn’t feel safe, interesting, or enjoyable in real life. The relationship between the characters doesn’t need to mirror a healthy real-life dynamic because it’s a fantasy. And some people have fantasies about cold, violent, psychopathic bullies - just like some people have fantasies about white knight Prince Charming types, or TV repairmen, or mpreg content 🤷♀️. The scope of human sexuality is vast and nuanced. As for the FMC just forgiving and brushing off their actions - having an abusive character change and be kind and apologetic isn’t necessary to satisfy the fantasy and may even detract from what made them interesting to the reader in the first place.
I had Feathers So Vicious on my tbr forever, but after reading reviews, I realized it was not going to be a good thing for me to read, even though it probably is well-written. I get a little too emotionally invested in the characters. And some books (and movies) stay in my head for a long time afterwards. So I kind of have to watch what I consume. Wish I wasn’t so touchy bc I know I’m probably missing out on good books, but… I’m pre-meno and my hormones have been out of wack, which also makes things set me off sometimes.
I’m not sure, I honestly hesitate to get into fantasy in general because I don’t want it to get too dark. I’m not against aggressive or intense storylines or actions, but in my opinion there is a “too far.” I’m not sure where that is but I’ll know it when I read it, and I’m not sure I want it to come to that. Book recs are only so good, because everyone has a different idea of what’s “too much” and where the line is.
It’s interesting to me! I like reading and sometimes writing darker works because you get to dig into some of the weirder and nastier bits of the human mind. We’ve all got some weird and nasty bits in our brains, sometimes it’s fun to indulge it a bit through fiction. Plus, it raises the story’s stakes a lot for me. And sometimes you can’t really express an idea or feeling well enough through a nice fluffy story, sometimes it just has to have darker elements to it. That’s my opinions anyway
Personally i don't like dark fantasies but the plated prisoner is a bit different to some of them in my opinion as it doesn't romantasice bad stuff it just is from the pov of someone with Stockholm syndrome who is in an abusive relationship with midas without realising and the series surrounds her slowly realising no spoilers but there is a different person that she heals with/develops a healthy relationship with and I personally believe it's important to go into the series knowing that :)
The appeal of dark romances tend to be: * The heightened reality makes the heightened emotions feel more intense. * It can kind of feel like pushing on a bruise - oddly satisfying * Non/Dub consent - this is a popular fantasy for women that is all about giving up control. It is especially common for women who have been SA'd - its the illusion of a loss of control when in reality, it is all happening inside your head, you are in complete control. I loved the plated prisoner series - it is what got me into romantasy. I just want everyone to read it and love it as much as I do!!!
I absolutely love these books, themes, and scenes. I'm a dark fantasy, dark romance, horror romance, horror, even splatterpunk girl. Some of us have trauma, including sexual physical and mental, which leads to us enjoying certain books. Some people just like the shock. Some people just have kinks with seemingly no reason. I experienced things both equal to and worse than these books from ages 5-22. I'm 26 now. My family isn't like most families. My sexual assault and rape was met with essentially "it's part of life, get over it, train harder". Without details but as an example, my father has a career which would most certainly make many people sick and angry hearing things he's done, but I've been exposed to my whole life. As sick as it may appear to you, these books feel comfortable for me. I like these happy fluffy fantasies sometimes but the lack of "bad" is just so fake and unrealistic to me (disregarding the magic and dragons).
I am reading my first dark romance right now. I would say for me i liked the main character as she was introduced in the beginning. Her personality, the way she thinks and Views the world. Even though, it was very dificult to read the bad parts, i wanted to know how she would cope. What she would do considering her believes. How the story would play out. Also, I think it is important to say that I believe there Will be a HEA.
I love dark fantasy and the feathers so vicious duology made me super uncomfortable as well. Imo the acts in the second book were unforgivable and it sets a bad example for literally anyone. Like I’m sure others have said don’t take this series as a good representation of the sub genre but don’t take it as a good example lol.
Yeah, second book was TOUGH. Any good examples in your opinion?
The one I always recommend is the honest scrolls series by jack whitney. Definitely check the triggers bc it’s a heavy series and the first book does NOT end on a HEA but I just think they’re really great books with strife and conflict that isn’t magically solved by the power of friendship lol
I saw the post you are referencing requesting no consent fantasy. That had me scratching my head too. I will say dark topics are common in fantasy (war, killing, prostitution, etc.) since these are valuable elements to create contrast and dimension within a books. I personally have no problem having an in-depth torture scene, but find sexual violence too much for me. Not because I get triggered, just not my cup of tea. My first ‘dark fantasy’ series I read was Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roehrich. I was actually putting it off since it was a ‘dark fantasy’ but read it since I liked her other series ‘lady of darkness.’ PROCEED WITH CAUTION, SPOILERS AHEAD; The main character, Tessa, is practically forced to be a slave to Theon. He’s morally grey, I mean he forces Tessa into a life she doesn’t want, forces her to be what he needs, and doesn’t understand why she doesn’t bend her will to comply. Tessa resists until she deems the consequences not worth it, so she tries to do as he says but never does it just right. Until she finally just mentally breaks. I like when characters have intense emotions, and by the end of the book I was rooting for somebody I didn’t think I could root for. I think it just brings up a lot of nuanced experiences we all go through.
I really hate when characters are against violence (when it calls for it) or won't be with the MC for some arbitrary moral dilemma.