This week I asked for opinions on the topic of romance in fantasy. The specific question was: Do you like romance in your fantasy stories? Why or why not?
I was very prepared to hear some for it and some against, but the answer was a resounding yes. I was excited to hear this because that is my answer as well. I love romance in the fantasy stories I read and have actually passed on buying some without a clear reference to romantic tension.
The answers to my question pretty much fell into two categories: “I need it,” and “sure, if done well.”
Yes, I need romance in my fantasy.
I guess we are all suckers for a good love story! It lends a sort of tension to the story, heightened emotions in the characters, and a feeling of satisfaction as the lovers come together at the end of the story. I think the reason for this is simple: We are all either searching for love in our own lives or have found it, and it makes us happy to see others go through this or find the same thing. Fantasy stories take place in different worlds, or at least worlds with different rules than our own, and we like to see that universal bit of humanity in the story that we can relate to.
I love to see characters fall in love and all of the twists and turns it takes for them to be together. It’s even better in fantasy stories because the rules of relationships may be different or there may be interesting obstacles for the characters to overcome. I was not surprised to hear the positive responses to this question.
It was surprising to me that no one said they absolutely can’t stand it. I’ve seen this opinion before, that I believe in somewhat unique to fantasy/sci fi, that romance ruins the story and/or detracts from the fantasy world. Of course, it should be done right. Sometimes it is a little cheesy or sudden, but I don’t understand why some fantasy readers would be put off entirely by romance. And everyone agreed with me. Awesome.
Romance is great, but needs to be written well.
As many pointed out in answer to my question, romance shouldn’t be forced, too sudden, or detract from the plot. If written well, though, I believe it can only add tension and intrigue to the story. I understand where this could be distracting or disconcerting to readers if the romance just falls flat, where you can’t really feel it from the characters. In fantasy, this also means it is less likely that we connect with the characters and the story, which is even more important in fantasy due to the setting being so otherworldly. I agree that romance should be woven into the fantasy stories seamlessly, but even though I have come across some books where the romantic elements weren’t particularly strong, I still crave romance in combination with fantasy.
What do you think? Feel free to disagree. I love hearing opinions.
