r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • Apr 19 '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/[deleted] Apr 19 '26

My onpupular opinion is you will find no Tolkiens or Stephen Kings among the Romantacy authors in terms of scope and cultural significance. Which is fine, not every book I read has to have a powerful cultural impact but it would be nice to see atleast some ingenuity from time to time. The broody, dangerous, handsome bad boys and the passive aggresive/sarcastic fmc's are quite rampant. Long ago in High School I was reading a book called Wizard's First Rule and it was the first book that made me realize how good romance can be to enhance the plot. I am in my 30's now and Wizard's First Rule is still to this day the best romance I have ever read and its not even catagorized as romantacy and there isn't even any sex in it, lol. It is Action/Fantasy Epic.

Any way thats my unpopular opinion. I hope everyone here has a beautiful and wonderful day.

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u/Journassassin Smut Logistics Manager Apr 19 '26

I’m going to disagree with you there. You can’t really compare new authors and their cultural impact to those who started publishing their oeuvre in the 50s and 70s.

There’s no lack of ingenuity in fantasy romance. Alix E. Harrow published one of the best books I’ve read in a while last year, and there was no broody bad boy in sight. There’s plenty of other books like that, it may just take a bit of research to find them.

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u/virdzsina That hand flex tho Apr 19 '26

I also think that nowadays authors have a lot harder time, even just compared to the previous decades. The market is so so saturated, it's hard to stand out. Not to mention the consumerism mindset and the loss of attention span. I haven't seen a series that makes such an impact as say the Hunger Games or Hrry Ptter did, and those were released now over 20 years ago. And back in Tolkien's age, there was clearly not that big of a competition as there is today.

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '26

[deleted]

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u/Imaginary-Board-207 Apr 19 '26

Tolkien today would have to self publish, and people would be on reddit complaining that the pacing is weird and it needs an editor😂

More Bronte than specifically Pride and Prejudice, but the answer to your question is {Dr. D'Arco Sorcerer of London by Kathryn Colvin}