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In a previous post i touched on how fantasy novels can have a tendency to use a romance as a narrative device rather than presenting and building the satisfaction of a real, intimate relationship, and i can think of no better example of this particular narrative device than in Pierce Brown's Red Rising series. To his credit, Pierce Brown does an astounding job creating characters with depths and vulnerabilities that can seem rare. The way he portrays the friendship in this se

Cozy fantasy is having a moment, but people can’t seem to agree on what makes fantasy cozy. Is it tea? Baking? Villages? Low stakes? I would argue that cozy fantasy isn’t really about low stakes—or at least, not in the way people often mean. Cozy fantasy is what makes the world worth saving in the first place. The village baker doesn’t stop mattering just because there isn’t a dragon attack, and people will still need a potion from the witch at the end of the lane. If everyon

Fantasy readers complain about romance constantly. Too much romance. Not enough romance. Forced romance. Bad romance. Romantasy invading every shelf. But after years of reading fantasy and speculative fiction, I’m not convinced fantasy’s biggest issue is romance at all. I think fantasy has an emotional intimacy problem. Because over and over again, I find myself asking the same question: Why do some relationships feel deeply convincing while others leave me completely cold?