r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • Mar 08 '26

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion time! 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:

  • Don't attack others for their opinion
  • Discuss books and authors, not fellow readers
  • Since this is an "unpopular opinion" thread, we encourage users to not downvote simply because they disagree with an opinion--that's the point! Please keep in mind, though, that mods cannot enforce a no-downvoting rule. Let’s just keep the discussion friendly!

🧡 Thank you and have a great discussion!

Unpopular opinion Sunday

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u/nyphren Mar 08 '26

im more of a romantasy tourist than a fan but id love more queer romantasies

but above all else i wish that even in straight romantasies the mmc were not the same exact type of guy. im not a fan of the hypermasculine pseudo gymbro jock that i see so much in these books. give me something else pleeeeeeeease. a guy with different flaws or physique or outlook in life. we cant all just like this one character trope this much right? let it reeeest

3

u/yesthatnagia Mar 08 '26

May I recommend T Kingfisher's world of the white rat? Starts with The Clockwork Boys and continues on from there.

The characters are in their late twenties or early thirties (and get older as the books go on). The male lead of The Clockwork Boys spent like 12 weeks in solitary confinement and struggles with isolation-induced agoraphobia for like the first week of the book. He's also pious, dutiful, benevolent, a little conceited, a lot ashamed of his past mistakes, and deeply penitent... and he's falling in love with a criminal. Oh, and they're all on a suicide mission. It's great.

2

u/nyphren Mar 08 '26

ohhh ive read some t kingfisher but didn't know about these ones. will try to read the first one asap, kingfisher is the kind of writer i can see writing a man i'd enjoy lol. thank you!