Tropes and Triggers

It is very difficult to categorize my novels in a sub-genre within fantasy when it has a lot more character interiority than high/epic fantasy, but also more worldbuilding than cozy fantasy. (This is different from content genre; see Alice Sudlow’s post for a great overview of that topic. My novels’ content genre is worldview.) However, what I can say definitively is that it is not romantasy or grimdark. Therefore, the title of the blog post is a little misleading – I just wanted to talk about how I deal with sex and mental health in my novels.

Sex

Sex is a part of the human experience. Depending on the individual and their preferences and their circumstances, wanting it and not wanting it, doing it and not doing it are all part of the complexity of that experience (recommendation: Emily Nagoski’s Come As You Are).

My characters have partnered sex when it is authentic to who they are and organic to where they are in their relationship and the story. While there are direct and indirect references to sex, my novels do not contain the level of explicit graphic detail common in contemporary romantasy. I also am aware of the many tropes in romantasy. I occasionally indulge, but in general, I find it a lot more fun and creatively liberating to undermine and subvert popular tropes.

If you “must have spice” in your novels, then my novels might not be for you. But if you love forbidden romance (Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner in The Curse of The Black Pearl), subtle glances and flexing hands (Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice), heartbreaking yearning (Karigan G’ladheon and King Zachary from the early Green Rider books), then you have come to the right place, my friend.

One last word about sex in my novels: in my fantasy world, contraception is called “precaution.” It can be taken in advance or the day after. Access can still be an issue, men can still force their female partners to take or abstain from it, and women can still lie to their male partners whether they are taking it or not. But if a woman is taking precaution, then it works perfectly to prevent pregnancies. As in the real world, this type of medical technology was necessary to write a society where women could be empowered and sex positive.

Mental Health

I did not write any of my POV characters with a mental health diagnosis in mind. However, they deal with anxiety and depression. They also deal with everything from specific issues like recovering from purity culture, eldest daughter syndrome, impostor syndrome, to universal challenges like making their own decisions, setting boundaries, individuating from others, relying on others, letting go of control, accepting responsibility for their actions, and forgiving themselves.

There is no suicidal ideation, but there are life-and-death stakes in the course of the novels, so there are moments when characters take drastic measures (to not spoil the plot, I will leave it at that).

If you are dealing with similar issues, then I hope you find solace and inspiration in my stories – and seek assistance from professional mental health care providers when needed. In addition to therapy, I fully endorse taking medication when prescribed by a licensed professional.

One last thing, I am an anxious person. I over-think, and it is sometimes hard for me to know if I am over-thinking because I am anxious or if my level of thinking is common to women. Based on conversations with female friends, I do think that women tend to think more than men about every little thing. But I also know not all women are like us.

So, if you are a man reading my novels and think that the POV character notices way too much and cares way too much about what’s going on around them… consider the possibility that that is the level of thinking a woman around you (not all women!) has.

Have you read any fantasy novels recently that handled the topics of sex and/or mental health very well? If so, then I would love to hear your recommendation. Rachel Hartman’s Tess of the Roadwas a masterfully done deconstruction of rape culture and I cannot recommend it highly enough.