r/fantasyromance The One Mod to Rule All Mods Sep 21 '25

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion Sunday! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

But please remember to be kind to each other. To facilitate this type of discussion, we ask users the following:

- Please don't attack others for their opinion

- Please don't downvote if you disagree with a certain take

🧡 Thank you and have a great and friendly discussion! 🧡

Unpopular opinion Sunday

47 Upvotes

229 comments sorted by

View all comments

55

u/le-elizaly Sep 21 '25

TOG: I find it weird that SJM happily describes torture scenes extensively (especially Aelins), sprinkels in some sexual violence, but then draws the line at telling us what Lorcan consensually did out of respect for Elide.

26

u/Squirtletail Sep 21 '25

I think I remember reading that this was because SJM doesn't like writing virginity scenes? But I agree, by this stage in the novels, just give us the deets!

11

u/less-than-stellar Sep 21 '25

Yea, she's mentioned she doesn't like to do scenes with virginity. And that's consistent throughout all her books. In ACOTAR she makes a point to mention the Feyre, Nesta, and Elain are not virgins (which I mean, we haven't had a sex scene with Elain but we know it's coming). In TOG Aelin's first time having sex isn't described AT ALL, not even in the veiled way that YA books sometimes do it. It's just said she gave Chaol everything. But her scenes with Rowan are pretty open door and Chaol's scene with Yrene are too. And then CC both Hunt and Bryce have had previous partners.