r/Romantasy

I have a very serious but very important research question for the romantasy brain trust here:
What are everyone’s sexiest / most compelling / most fun ideas when it comes to bear shifters as MMCs? 🐻

I feel like wolves get a lot of attention, but bear shifters have so much untapped potential. The solitude, the scale, the restraint, the sense of enormous power held very carefully in check… 🔥

So I’m curious: what would make a bear shifter MMC irresistible to you?

Gentle giant? Dangerous recluse? Overprotective mountain man? Courtly monster in a tailored coat? Hibernation-as-romantic-trope? Territorial without all the alpha-pack nonsense? Something more primal and unsettling?

And yes, please feel free to bring the SPICE. I want the feral thoughts, the tender thoughts, the “I can’t explain why this works but it absolutely does” thoughts. 🔥👀

Basically: tell me your favorite sexy bear shifter ideas. I’m leaving the floor WIDE OPEN.

PS. This is a safe space for extremely specific monster-boyfriend opinions.

Characters always come first for me but if I start yelling at fictional people, I know the book's not for me. Since I have a massive TBR list, I'd love to know what I should stay clear of. So please share your personal intolerable characters and/or couples list and why you chose them. (Bonus points if you could easily devote a whole ranting book review to them...which I may have done. A few times.)

For me, an example is unfortunately Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series (even though I LOVED Six of Crows.) Lina and Mal's relationship was the cause. I tried to slog through the books because I really liked everything else. I have no idea what happened with these two at the end (only reached mid-Book 2). But they just seemed to bring out the worst in each other and so I had to DNF.

So it goes right off the bat:

"For the past fortnight, all the under-kings and noblemen of Fodla had been camped near Rath na Mara—the high queen’s capital—to participate in the Aenach Tailteann, funeral games held to celebrate and mourn kings of Fodla. This year’s assembly honored the late under-king of Eodan and crowned his heir.

For the first few days, the high queen, Eithne Ui Mainnin—my adoptive mother—had presided over the creation of new laws, followed by a great funeral pyre in the king’s honor."

Here we go again, watch me forget all of these names 😂

Full series *ongoing or finished*, duologies,nstand alones, are fine. Doesn't matter how dark or twisted it might be up for anything at this point.

Looking for fantasy romance recs with MMCs who are already deeply in love/yearning for the FMC from the very beginning of the book. Like that intense “I’ve wanted her for years” energy, unresolved longing, devotion, emotional suffering, etc. Bonus points if they reunite after years apart or if he’s loved her long before he could actually have her.

Think Toven from Rose in Chains or Patrick from Forbidden Alchemy — if you’ve read them, you know EXACTLY the kind of yearning I mean. I want the book to really dwell on that ache and tension. Enemies to lovers is fine, but I specifically want the MMC to already be gone for her internally, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

YA recs are welcome too, but I do prefer at least a little spice.

— what I’m after —
I’ve read only a few of the Romantasy trope books (and series at that) meaning historically I’ve only read standalone books in other genres and they didn’t consist of series. So, I’m new and HOOKED and trying to figure something out here as I plan what I’m going to read. Put another way, how to think about series as I move forward.

— background —
I followed one of the reading orders for Throne of Glass series. And I can see that the discussion was immensely helpful. I enjoyed others’ takes and logic like publication order vs emotional damage vs plot-based chronologically focused. And for this series, it was simple with only assassins blade (either #0 or #1 or inserting after #2/3 reading order). There weren’t any x.5 designations.

— actual inquiry —
So given this, I’ve also seen an innumerable amount of series that have several #0 or 0.5 or 4.5 and 7.5. Like almost every book I see suggested here have that type of lineage/progression/naming convention.

In your experience, do you start a series you’re unfamiliar with at #0, if there is one? As a rule? Or do research online? Like if you come across a recommendation for a book and find out it is # 2 in a series, do you start back at 1 or 0
— if it’s a contiguous plot line that necessitates previous books’ world-building?

And relatedly, as a rule, have you found that any x.5 book is essential in order?

Or is this a moot point bc there is no traditional or conventional numbering system and each is specific to each author. And the best way is to read what others have done?

I just finished reading Of moonlight and fire by J.N Wynn and mostly enjoyed how the fmc was basically described as being the embodiment of the moon and how the mmc was the embodiment of the sun. Basically they're physical appearances and powers were polar opposites. I was wondering if anyone could recommend other fantasy romance books similar to this where they are basically like this? Especially where one of them is like the sun and one is like the moon.

Like when a story dives into war, politics, deadly stakes, or heavy drama, but it just doesn't land and feels kinda ridiculous instead?

Fourth Wing is the perfect example for me. You've got this brutal school where students are dying all the time, big political intrigue, dragons, the whole deal, but it still reads like a bunch of teenagers running around acting important. They're killing each other, being super rebellious, making these dramatic choices, and I'm sitting there like... where are the actual adults? It never feels like real consequences, more like edgy YA drama with extra blood and spice.

Do you get this with certain books too?

I don't think either choice is right or wrong, it's really down to preference.

For me, I prefer stories where I bond with the characters right away and am invested in their relationships - both platonic and romantic. Of course, good plot and worldbuilding are important. But if the characters are truly amazing, I'd follow them anywhere. Page-turners with wonderful settings can be really fun, but if the characters are only so-so, I'm not nearly as invested.

A few recent reads I've enjoyed off the top of my head (the second not romantasy, though it does contain romance and fantasy):

1. Sarah Rees Brennan's "Long Live Evil" - all the characters felt three-dimensional, their antics constantly made me laugh, and although the world-building and plot were engaging, I was really there to watch the characters mess with each other. I would've been happy watching them argue over produce in a grocery story.

2. Kate Alice Marshall's "Our Fleeting Shadows" - the world-building was so engaging and the creepy, the characters and relationships weren't terrible. But I realized after finishing it that if all the characters were swapped out with others, including the villains, my level of enjoyment would've remained the same.

What about you? Are character or plot-driven stories your preference?

I have the BIGGEST hangover from Red Rising and took about a 2 day break from starting anything new. Ready to tackle a new series. Below is what I have finished:

Acotar
Throne of Glass
Fourth Wing
Quicksilver
Crescent City
Red Rising

Clearly I’m new to this so I’m excited to branch out!! I’m not a critical reader so I’ve literally been in love with all of the above! I’ll probably inhale your request, I just don’t know where to start haha

I'm genuinely curious if people are tired with the concept of seasonal courts when it comes to romantasy and Fae folk. I feel like it's such a cool concept if executed right, but in most books the courts exist only for the aesthetic and it's just gets chewed over and over and starts to feel like a soaked napkin. I'm not saying there's anything bad about it, I'm just wondering if people are tired of reading the same settings with different wording.

I’m actually gnawing at the bars of my enclosure waiting for the next book in the series 😫

I like Carissa Broadbent’s other books too (War of lost hearts series) but nothing has rly hit the same as this series.

My fav {Slaying the Vampire Conqueror} I like that the fmc is a seer and I LOVE the mmc Atrius. I love (blonde/white haired vampire) men who are scary but nice to fmc. I like the spice in these books, consenting and not cringe. I also like that the plot is interesting and not just something thrown in there.

👎**🏻Things I DON’T lik**e: reverse harem, why-choose, noncon, mates, pregnancy, physical abuse between love interests of any kind.

(I have trust issues when it comes to Reddit bc someone recommended me “Traitor Son” and it was TERRIBLE—like creepy and gross af.)

What the title says, looking for a romantasy story with an absolutely compelling villain. They don't have to be the love interest either. I just want a downright sociopathic, evil villain. Think Joffrey from Game of Thrones. Thank you!

Ugh, I just DNFed both From Blood and Ash and The Bridge Kingdom. Especially with the Bridge Kingdom, when the MCs start saying how in looooove they are I’m like what???? You’ve spent 20 minutes together over a few months?

Any books like Outlander where you really feel like you get to know the characters and actually believe they love each other? Slow burn and great character development, I suppose?

As the title says, I like it when it’s a little unpredictable, but I have the habit of checking the description or comments and get spoilers (I got a massive spoiler for Caraval series…)

Tell me good books in your opinion, where I won’t really be able to predict who the fmc will end up with. And I won’t check anything, just read it

Thanks in advance!!! :d

I just finished reading Gothikana and 3/4 books of the coven series, while I’m waiting for the last book PLEASE GIVE ME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOOKS LIKE THESE!!! I love the dark romance and slightly spooky vibe both of these books have. The dark academia mixed with some witchy vibes and mystery and intense romance are things I love in books and I really want to keep going on the highs these books gave me. I’m thinking of reading Nocticadia next but I sometimes read a whole book a day so I need more then just one book lol. Thank you!!

Hi everyone! I’m looking for my next read. I love a slow burn enemies to lovers, but I’m so tired of the brooding shadow daddy who is “good underneath” and is low key abusive and toxic. I’m looking for characters who are on opposite sides of a conflict, but are still generally good/kind people. No academy settings please.

I’ve been in a slump for about 12 months, and I’d love to get through my TBR, but it’s daunting and I don’t want even look at it right now.

I need something that will hook me quickly. Stand alone, series, duo’s. Anything with dragons or any mythical creatures, preferably not a modern fantasy (CC was not my vibe).

Suggestions?

I’ve read all SJM, and your usual suspects (Quicksilver, Fourth Wing ect)

Thank you 🫶🏻