by Kimberly Lemming
In real life we may prefer people with a decent moral compass… but in Fantasy Romance, the morally gray characters often get most attention. Kimberly Lemming tells us why fantasy villains are her favourites.
Listen, we all have our favorite tropes. Some a little more murder prone than others. From Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity or just those iconic gray sweatpants, the romance genre has a wide range of delicious goodies to pick at your leisure. But for myself and I’m sure many of you, there is one trope that stands above them all. Just in case you somehow missed the bold font above this, I’m talking about morally gray villains.
“But Kimberly,” I hear you cry, “How could you love a villain? He’s evil!”
First of all, I don’t like your judgmental tone. Second of all, relax, I’m going to tell you.
- I like my romance men like how I like my coffee. Dark, hot and hazelnut flavored. That’s a lie. I hate dark coffee. But I bet money the evil demon king I’m shacking up with will take over the neighboring kingdom just to get me an endless supply of hazelnuts to make said coffee.
- The hero would never put me first. Yes I get it, the world needs saving. But if you miss my birthday because another kraken is destroying a port, I’m leaving you.
- The morally gray villain challenges your sense of right and wrong. Maybe that kraken is taking a stand against ocean pollution. We won’t know unless we ask him. Sure, a few ships sunk in his process, but who are we to overfish in his waters and dump our sewers in his kitchen? I love a character that makes me see something in a way I normally wouldn’t.
- They let you explore a darker side of yourself. Grab a molotov cocktail and chuck it at that ship! Explore that feral side of you that’s just been scratching at the edge of the surface, waiting for a hot kraken shifter to tell you it’s ok. I’m not sure why I latched on to that kraken so hard. Sorry, moving on!
- We just love to love a broody sad character don’t we? Just snuggle up with a glass of wine and tell each other about our fears and dreams.
- The banter. It’s just always top notch. Villains are known for their witty comebacks and amazing dialogue that just keeps you on your toes!
- The unpredictability. Villains in fantasy could have any number of reasons for acting the way they do. Just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they could reveal another shocking twist that knocks you flat on your bum.
- The “I’ll destroy anyone who hurts you” trope. Look, I’m weak for it. I just am. If a vampire whispers that line before laying waste to my enemies, my panties and my moral compass are gone. I’ll buy some new ones later. Just so he has something to tear off.
- The banter in number 6 is going to lead to hot dirty talk and no one can convince me otherwise.
- The “I Can Save Him.” I know there’s a therapist somewhere itching to tell me to explore that, but I’m not listening. My magic pussy and I are too busy saving a God Of Death from his inner demons to work on our own inner demons. So just back off.
About Kimberly Lemming
Kimberly Lemming is on an eternal quest to avoid her calling as a main character. She can be found giving the slip to that new werewolf that just blew into town and refusing to make eye contact with a prince of a far-off land. But when she’s not running from fate, she can be found writing diverse fantasy romance. Or just shoveling chocolate in her maw until she passes out on the couch. Visit her on www.kimberlylemming.com.