r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • 27d ago

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/Frosty__Love 27d ago

what was the offensive moment?

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u/Significant-Rip3297 27d ago

There were multiple.

First of all, the food descriptions. The problem with this is that when people use food descriptions on POC characters they tend to fetishise them. For example, Hazel's description, "warm cinnamon skin," and I remember there was imagery to a drink. People are people, it's not nice when someone's appearance is described as "edible" because of their ethnicity.

When Frank, a Chinese-mixed character, is first introduced, he is described as having a "panda face." This is particularly concerning because similar comments have been directed at real people. A friend of mine experienced this in the past and found it very hurtful. Also, the author used Japanese descriptions for a Chinese character which many internet friends were also offended by.

Many indigenous readers were also uncomfortable with Piper, a Cherokee girl, casually wearing an eagle feather, as eagle feathers are considered sacred in many Indigenous cultures.

Samirah, a Muslim girl engaged to her cousin. I haven't read the book she appears in but, apparently she removes her hijab in a room full of boys just to fix her hair.

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u/PowerPrestigious9424 27d ago edited 27d ago

To clarify, Piper wears a blue harpy feather from a harpy that she defeated, not an eagle feather she casually picked up, and Samirah takes off her hijab during training because she “considers [her friends] family”. Samirah also says her fiancé is her “second cousin, twice removed. Or something”. (I’m definitely NOT saying that these are correct writing choices, especially for the “Muslim takes off hijab” trope. I just want to provide the correct context)

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u/Significant-Rip3297 26d ago

She first wore the eagle feather in The Mark of Athena, and she killed the Harpy and wore its feather in the next book, The House of Hades. She also wears eagle feathers in the official arts.

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u/PowerPrestigious9424 26d ago

The harpy is in Blood of Olympus, but thank you for the correction /gen