I am in need of a certain *flavor* of fantasy (open to sci fi as well) that I can't seem to find. Short of learning how to write stories myself I figured I'd ask the lovely people here! Here are some of the criteria I'm hoping to meet:
- I need a story that involves a decent level of romance, but isn't overly saturated with sex scenes or cringey sex talk. I'm more interested in slow burns, tension, and complex character dynamics.
- I really love stories with the enemies-to-lovers trope, particularly when one of the characters is cursed or mutated in some way (part demon, dark powers, science experiment, part monster, etc.). Bonus if that curse causes the character to be super tortured and fearful of discovery. That being said – I am VERY tired of the beastly/primal male love interest trope. I would prefer a male love interest to be attractive but of average build/strength (if not a little scrawny/nerdy), with the focus of the characters' attraction to each other being primarily intellectual.
- The MC can't be too overpowered. I'm just a little bored of the "chosen one" trope. Many of the fantasy romances I've read recently have an MC that portrayed as nearly flawless with godlike powers. Nothing wrong with a confident MC, I'm just looking for characters that are a bit more flawed and who have to contend with their weaknesses.
BONUS POINTS:
- The story is a supernatural fantasy and/or set in the modern era
- The story is a series (I like a long read)
- The story will make me cry at some point
- Minor horror elements/dark themes
Books that I like:
- Firelight series (It's been a while since I read this but I enjoyed the dragon/dragon hunter dynamic)
- Winternight Trilogy
- Howl's Moving Castle
- Uprooted
- The Host (has it's flaws but I enjoyed the alien parasite angle as it felt fairly original)
Books that I don't like:
- Anything by Sara J Maas
- Crowns of Nyaxia series
Thank you!!
by astrumepigaea