by Emily Mah
Welcome to FaRoFeb 2022! We hope you are looking forward to a month of Fantasy Romance fun. On this first day, we are joined by Emily Mah, who lists ten reasons why FaRo is a genre worth celebrating!
10. The Fantasy
First of all, fantasy is escapism at its very best, in my opinion. Whether you’re drawn by the mythical creatures, the sweeping vistas, the cool maps of places cooked up in pure imagination, or any of the other things that make a fantasy story a fantasy story, it’s a rich genre and a welcome respite from the everyday. What better place to fall in love?
9. The Magic
Magic is just plain cool. It makes the impossible possible, and the mundane magnificent. It’s also a strong metaphor for human emotions, such as… say… love?
8. The Hotness of the Characters
Okay, most books have hot characters, but there’s something extra hot about people who cast spells or ride dragons or protect unicorns. Amazingly, all that magic making life easier rarely causes fantasy characters to let themselves go. I suppose all the riding around on horses and swinging swords is a good workout. And let’s be honest, the more good-looking the characters in a fantasy romance, the more fun it is to see them fall for each other.
7. Royalty
Real world royalty is never as fun as fantasy royalty. In the real world, royalty brings up uncomfortable issues of class and power by inheritance. Also, real world castles can be disappointing. They’re old, they’re drafty–I say this as someone who went to school in a medieval castle in Wales. Fantasy castles tend to have all the cool stuff with few of the drawbacks. Characters can fall in love in opulent luxury.
6. The Alternate Societies
Fantasy worlds tend to have cool things like guilds of magic and secret societies. They have exotic academies where people study arcane technologies, and high seas dotted with mysterious islands. And in those societies, people meet in any context the author wants to create. Is she an all powerful sorceress and he an impoverished minstrel? Or is he the son of a dark lord and she the daughter of an honest and hardworking farming family? The obstacles to love can also be anything the author can imagine, which brings me to…
5. The Different Gender Roles
We’d like to think we live in a free society, but our societies have norms and histories and specific attitudes about gender and sexual orientation. In fantasy, though, all of that can be turned on its ear. Women might be the only people who can wield magic, and thus might have all the political power, or none of it as men struggle to control a power they can’t have. A royal family might only pass the throne on to girls. In a fantasy romance, it isn’t a given that a male prince is more powerful than a female potter. In fantasy, that potter might be the only person who can secure his throne. And who can blame him if he falls in love with her on the quest to do just that?
4. The Epic Stakes
Anything goes in fantasy romance, which means anything can go wrong. A world might be about to lose magic for good, or dragons might be about to invade. Evil wizards and corrupt demons might be holding a kingdom hostage. High stakes quests can mean high stakes romance, too. If two people are the only people who can save the world, but must work together, and are in love, prepare for fireworks.
3. The World-Building
Castles can be perched high on mountain peaks, and manor houses at the bottom of magical lakes. Adventurers might ride unicorns, or giant eagles, or dolphins. Societies of merpeople might live in secret, until one of them falls for a landbound princess. No, scenery doesn’t a romance make, but it sure doesn’t hurt if the couple are posing in front of a stellar backdrop.
2. The Wardrobe
Flowing saris, ball gowns dripping with gems, elaborately embroidered cheongsams, and of course the mainstay of fantasy: the trusty tunic and knee boots. Note how often fantasy romance includes a scene where one character buys a meaningful piece of clothing for the other, whether it’s well-made work clothes to help them climb a tower, or a beautiful gown that they can wear to a masquerade ball. Clothes make the characters, and remake them, especially in fantasy.
1. The Romance
Isn’t this what it’s really about, though? Fantasy is known for being very specific and exotic in its settings and worldbuilding, but love is universal. What better window into these magical worlds than through the lens we all know? Romance makes the unbelievable relatable and brings what was once unthinkable alive in our daydreams. Nothing quite brings a fantastical world, magic system, or society to life like a good love story.
About Emily Mah
Emily Mah Tippetts writes science fiction and fantasy as Emily Mah and chick lit as E.M. Tippetts. In her previous career, she was an attorney with a specialty in literary estate planning. Nowadays she’s a full time mother and writer living in northern New Mexico, which is also where she grew up. Visit her on www.emilymah.com.