Did I already post today? Yes. (Actually, technically I already posted twice, since I forgot to hit publish on yesterday’s post and only did it shortly after midnight.) Am I doing this anyway because I think the prompt is really fun? Yes, so please go and show my May Wrap Up and June TBR as well so this post doesn’t bury them.
I read a *lot* of fantasy in May and although I think I might need a little bit of a change of pace, another part of me isn’t ready to let the fantasy fun go away. What better time than to talk about my favourite fantasy tropes, which also just happens to be this week’s Fantasy with Friends prompt.
Fantasy with Friends is hosted by Briana @Pages Unbound. Briana gives us a prompt/questions to discuss every Monday all about fantasy. I love reading everyone’s posts for this meme, although I’ve only participated a couple of times myself.
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme originally created in 2022, and now co-hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits and Dini @Dini Panda Reads. You can find out more here and follow Aria and Dini’s blogs to see the new topics posted monthly. Find all of this month’s prompts here.
I’m not sure all of these are ‘tropes’ per se.. some of them are more ‘features’. Still!
Unique magic systems
I love unique magic or twists on established ideas of how magic works, whether that be a high magic system or something looser.
Well-developed cultures
I definitely get a bit of worldbuilder’s disease when I’m working on my own creative writing projects, and so maybe that’s why I really love seeing interesting and developed cultures in my fantasy novels.
I’m particularly fond of anything to do with tea, special hair styles (such as braids with different meanings, or ideas about keeping your hair long etc.), and languages. Pretty clothes are also a massive plus.
Slow burn romance
I like a good romance in my fantasy books (anywhere between 10-40% of the plot being romance-focused is usually the sweet spot for me, so I like romance-heavy fantasy more than full on romantasy in general… although there are definitely exceptions). However, I like that romance to be earnt and built – especially if it’s a series.
I do not like the slow burn to be courtesy of misunderstandings and frustrating inability to be honest with each other – I prefer if the actual build of the relationship and the emotions is slow and drawn out, rather than insta lust/love followed by 500 pages of them not being together because *circumstances*.
Established relationships (especially between smart/skilled people)
On the other hand, probably my favourite thing to see in fantasy romance-wise is an established couple working through the plot together (preferably teaming up to defeat some outside threat).
This can either be a couple that is together at the beginning of the book already, or that gets together at some point during the series, after which point we have lots of time of them being together (no random break-ups later in the series please) doing Cool Stuff.
Sometimes this also works with arranged marriage storylines, so long as the couple is sincere about trying to make the marriage work, since even if the emotional side is still developing they’re already a Team against the world.
Antagonist turned ally
When this is done well, I gobble it up. It offers a chance for really interesting character dynamics, and I think that it requires the antagonist to be well-developed in order to make the change believable, and of course well-developed characters are always a pleasure to read.
What are your favourite (or least favourite) fantasy tropes?
Keira x
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