#morally gray fantasy villain

[ominous-faechild]

FAERIE'S DAWN

Following the Shattering of Reality, the world was plunged into what came to be known as the Faewildes: an ever-changing world suffused with magic and danger.

Humanity crumbled under the weight of the new reality while fae—and the archfae above them—emerged to rule over the new world. Humans couldn't compete against the fae's sheer magical prowess, and soon built strongholds in territories with weak magical presence to stand against them.

Now, so many generations later, humanity has finally learned of faekind's weakness: metal, which weakens fae and blocks their magic.

A war is breaking out between humanity and fae, with gods each picking sides in the conflict. Between faeries Nova, Cloud, and Sky, and the human settlement Eve and Asa protect... who will win?

MAIN NAVIGATION:

⚜ story introduction ⚜ table of contents ⚜ schedule ⚜ #faerie's dawn

⚜ #fd outlines ⚜ #fd lore post ⚜ #fd shitpost ⚜ #fd behind the scenes ⚜ #fd out of context ⚜ #fd extras ⚜ #fd asks ⚜ #fd fandom

MAIN CHARACTERS:

NOVA “ME” FAE

⚜ character intro ⚜ #nova “me” fae ⚜ #nova's domain ⚜ #nova the criminal

SCAMALL “CLOUD” FAE

⚜ character intro (pending) ⚜ #scamall “cloud” fae

SPÉIR “SKY” FAE

⚜ character intro ⚜ #spéir “sky” fae ⚜ #sussy sky

EVE PRIMAVERA

⚜ character intro (pending) ⚜ #eve primavera

ASA PRIMAVERA

⚜ character intro (pending) ⚜ #asa primavera

SECONDARY CHARACTERS:

⚜ SOLASTINE “FIRELIGHT” FAE

⚜ CRAOBH “BRANCH” FAE

⚜ SHADE “MARRI” FAE

⚜ FREKI

⚜ GARIN BERG

⚜ AURIK ALBRECHT

⚜ ASTER DRAUS

⚜ LINDIWE DRAUS

ARCHFAERIES:

ARCHFAE KILREY

⚜ #kilrey himself ⚜ #kilrey mention

ARCHFAE TROTH

⚜ #troth himself ⚜ #troth mention

ARCHFAE AMAHLE

⚜ #amahle themself (pending) ⚜ #amahle mention (pending)

ARCHFAE SILINA

⚜ #silina herself (pending) ⚜ #silina mention

ARCHFAE FOLACHÁN

⚜ #folachán himself (pending) ⚜ #folachán mention (pending)

ARCHFAE AKAS

⚜ #akas herself (pending) ⚜ #akas mention (pending)

ARCHFAE ART

⚜ #art themself (pending) ⚜ #art mention (pending)

LORE HINTS:

⚜ #fd lore hints ⚜ #fd worldbuilding ⚜ #nova's domain ⚜ #dhia mention ⚜ #sussy sky

⚜ #on archfae ⚜ #on fae ⚜ #on taint ⚜ #on domains ⚜ #on the faewildes ⚜ #on the old world

⚜ #ailwyn: god of the faewildes ⚜ #the existential of magic ⚜ #the existential of order ⚜ #veritheya: the savior ⚜ #the existentials

To be clear: while many of these tags are starting off empty, they will slowly fill up over time of me posting things about Faerie's Dawn. The rough outline of the story is entirely plotted out, so I've included characters and topics that are going to become important later.

And btw,,, I spent literal hours on this, guys,,,

Like,,, 6+,,,

Please show your appreciation,,,

(sobbing)

(I'mma add everybody who interacts with this post to the taglist? or just put them on my 'tell me rq if you don't want to be included' list lol)

“masterlist” banner “please support” banner “silver fancy divider” all by @saradika

“bee-nature divider” by @thyming

[foxedpages]

no you don’t understand!! i just finished reading a book. now i immediately need to make the morally grey character’s personality entirely my own or else i’ll die

[wrenwinchester]

Okay so I’m gonna just scream here for a minute because I adore assistant to the villain, and this is my fandom account and god. Guys. If you love a good morally gray love interest this series is for you. When I read the first one (literally in one day after it arrived since I preordered it.) I could not stop talking about it, and I don’t have anyone to talk to about it right now since the person I normally would is both in Europe, and also she is going to read the books and I don’t want to spoil it for her. And the second one just came out. Technically, the release date was today (the 6th of August) but I got it on what was technically yesterday. (Thanks Amazon and preordering.)

I was giggling and squealing (I genuinely think I freaked my parents out a bit 😂 especially when I laughed and someone on the tv show they were watching had been talking about other people dying, and I told them that I wasn’t laughing at that. I was laughing at the guy dying in my book. (Well deserved.) I mean. Lyssa wanted to play flying guard, you’d laugh too. My parents didn’t get it.) and it’s literally one of my favorite series. And I need the third book yesterday. (Well today since I finished the second one at 11:58).

[theartisttoyourmuse]

Victoria Schwab: here is a villian/morally gray character

Me: I'm marrying him

[rachel-sylvan-author]

"Assistant to the Villain" by Hannah Nicole Maehrer book recommendation by Rachel Sylvan

[wrenwinchester]

No because then you have the first line of his first chapter in apprentice to the villain “he didn’t miss light, he missed color.”

Andjfushczhajzbvxjzkzosbcsgjsknsvxghjd

(If you can’t tell, my copy of apprentice to the villain arrived technically yesterday as of 16 minutes ago, and I spent all afternoon reading it as any normal person would.)

She wasn’t light; she was color. Every single one, dancing otherworldly and bright over his unworthy eyes.

[susannahmikaelson]

https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/The-truth-about-being-a-dark-romance-reader-by-MarvelFangirl00/160323736.EJUG5?asc=u

[writers-potion]

MASTERPOST (PT. 1)

Daily Writerly Updates! | Open to post requests & questions My Writing Tea & Tips Community: @@writing-tea-tips

+ Feel free to chat with me anytime :) Think of me as your next door writer neighbor 🏡

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

For worldbuilding, vocab lists, weapons &fighting, and more: MASTERPOST PART 2>>

❤️ Romance Writing Prompts

Meet-Cute Ideas

Reponses to: "How Could You?"

Responses to: "Break my heart." 💔

How would you develop a relationship that’s been constantly one-sided?

Enemies-to-Lovers Dialogue Prompts

List of Relationship Tropes <3

Library Romance Prompts

Arranged Marriage Prompts

Responses to: "I love you"

Soulmates AU Prompts

"I love you but I don't" Prompts

Romance Novel Tropes & Subgenres: a comprehensive list

The Romantic Academic

Forbidden Love Dialogue Prompts

Angry Love Confessions

---

☕📜Writing Scenes

Scenes: The Basics🏕️

Structuring Your Fight Scene

Writing Funny (But Intense) Action Scenes

Ideas for Flashback Scenes

Writing The Perfect Kiss Scene

Fantasy Battle Scenes 101

---

✧𑁍.ೃPlot Tips & Tropes

A Very Brief Outline of the Three-Act Structure

Plot Type 1: "The Quest"

Writing Text Conversations - follower question

Fairy Murder Method Ideas 

Gossiping Scene Idea Prompts

Child Eating Fairies Ideas + The Mysterious Cave Trope - follower question

Writing Political Intrigue

Comforting a Fire Girl Scene - follower question

Energize a Sluggy Middle

2 Types of Deaths in Fiction

Literary vs. Commercial Plots

Fantasy Tropes that I Love

Writing the Perfect Betrayal 

Writing Strong Opening Lines

Plotting Tips for Romantasy

Dark Fantasy Tropes List

Dark Academic Plot Must-Haves 

---

✩₊˚.⋆☾ POV Related

1st vs. 3rd POV For Mad Characters

Emotionless Character POV

🧛🏻‍♀️Character Writing Tips

Redeeming The Bad Boy Character

How to Write Redemption Arcs 

Writing Diverse Characters - Things to Remember

Character Nickname Ideas

How to Write Liars Believably

Choosing the Right Character

Organizing Character Relationships

Writing 1st POV Character Fears 

Introducing Non-binary Characters

Teasing Sibling Dialogue Prompts

Writing A Drug Addict Character

No Redemption Villains

Emotions and humanity for the Non-Human Character - follower question

Writing Gangsters

Characterization: Unforgettable Characters

Human Feelings for the Non-Human Character

The Character Arc: 101

Emotional Mini BIO

Writing Autistic Characters

On Writing Blind Characters

Writing Homosexual Characters 

Establishing the MC-Reader Bond

Writing Child Characters Believably 

Toxic Parent Prompts

Writing Morally Gray Characters 

Writing the "Mean Girl" Character

Writing Introverted Characters

Strong Female Characters 

Fantastical Asian Monsters (Part I)

🕐List of Dirty Character Traits

Dark Backstory Ideas

Good Characer Traits to bad

A List of Toxic Traits for Your Character 

Character Names with Unfortunate Meanings

---

MASTERPOST PART 2>>

[literaryvein-reblogs]

What is the difference between urban fantasy and low fantasy?

Using the Fantasy Fiction Continuum, urban fantasy is closer to "reality" in comparison with low fantasy. But also consider other elements that further distinguish both of these fantasy subgenres.

Urban Fantasy - fantastical characters and concepts are placed in a real-world urban setting, often in the present day; also sometimes called "Modern Fantasy"

Low Fantasy - set in the real world, and includes unexpected magical elements that surprise ordinary characters

Urban Fantasy can also be split into 2 distinct subgenres of its own:

The fantasy elements are out in the open

Or they exist in a kind of a shadow society, with the rest of the world operating normally, generally unaware of its existence.

Elements of Urban Fantasy

If you’re asking yourself “what is urban fantasy?” think of it this way: Imagine a book that combines the dense worldbuilding of fantasy and science fiction with the gritty grounded reality of contemporary novels set in New York City, Chicago, or other iconic urban locales. That’s the urban fantasy genre. Here are some key elements of urban fantasy novels, short stories, and films:

Fantasy tropes: Urban fantasy storylines combine the real-life grit with of modern world with fantastical worldbuilding.

An urban setting: Although small town urban fantasies do exist, most take place in present-day major cities.

Magic: Supernatural elements, sci-fi technologies, fairy tales, and folk mythologies are all found throughout urban fantasy novels.

A noir aesthetic: Urban fantasies lift genre conventions from noir and gritty police procedurals.

Mythical creatures: Urban fantasies are populated with supernatural creatures including (but not limited to) undead zombies, vampires, werewolves, druids, demons, shapeshifters, and perhaps a mage or wizard.

A protagonist with a foot in both worlds: The main character of an urban fantasy is typically savvy to the real-life ways of their urban environment yet can also wield or exploit magical powers.

A young protagonist: Relatively young characters who practice wizardry or witchcraft are common in urban fantasy series.

Elements of Low Fantasy

Low Fantasy is a catchall, and inexact, term for secondary world (i.e., a constructed world; a completely fictional setting, rather than our world) fantasy.

The designation is not a description of the quality of the work, but rather the prevalence of fantastic elements.

Tends towards less “traditional” (simplistic) morality.

Sometimes comedies are also excluded from the genre, but either way the works that remain don't have a natural unity.

However, while there is no complete list of defining features, there are features and tropes common to many Low Fantasy works that can help distinguish them from other fantasy works; each tends to be the opposite of one of the defining features of High Fantasy. Examples:

Magic: While Magic is prominent in High Fantasy, it's generally rare if not non-existent in Low Fantasy. What magic does exist is complicated, ambiguous, reserved for a very select few and/or has specific scientific rules. It's also likely to be dangerous, corruptive, or difficult to control, and magic-users are likely to be distrusted and often genuinely untrustworthy sorts.

Heroes: Usually normal people that have taken up a cause rather than The Chosen Ones of High Fantasy. It's not uncommon for them to be an Anti-Hero of some kind and/or have non-heroic motives (e.g. they take up a cause for personal ambition, for vengeance or just to survive as opposed to doing it for the 'greater good').

Shades of Grey: While High Fantasy usually features Black-and-White Morality with clear-cut heroes and villains, many Low Fantasy works have Grey and Gray or Black and Gray. More importantly, the success of the victor often has no bearing on their motives or honor.

Methods: Victories are usually achieved through physical combat and cunning, not magical battles and certainly not by moral superiority.

Scope: Down to Earth. Tends to focus more on the survival and tribulations of one or a few individuals rather than the whole world.

Examples of Urban Fantasy Works

The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher (2000)

The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch (2011)

The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews (2007)

The Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton (2000)

The Hollows series by Kim Harrison (2004)

The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs (2006)

The Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter (2009)

The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris (2001)

Moonheart by Charles de Lint (1984)

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (1987)

Examples of Low Fantasy Works

When the plastic figurines come to life in Lynne Reid Banks’s The Indian in the Cupboard (1980).

A Song of Ice and Fire is a generally low-magic setting, with a cynically pragmatic worldview and a focus on political maneuvering between rival factions who are all at least morally gray; however, the politics spans two continents and reaches epic levels on its own even without more traditional, stirring High adventure elements. However, because The Magic Comes Back slowly over the course of the story, the fantasy does get progressively Higher as the series goes on, even though the general tone remains Low in nature. The magic and other mysteries are treated as ambiguous, yet highly dangerous, potentially world-changing and complicating factors in an already combustible political and social situation.

Tangled has very little magic — with the only source of it being Rapunzel's hair. Besides the animals being somewhat more intelligent than normal, there's little else. The protagonists are all human, and the story is mainly Rapunzel's journey to the kingdom. The antagonist is said to be a witch, but she has no powers other than knowing how to activate Rapunzel's magic. As far as Grey-and-Gray Morality goes, one of the lead characters is an unrepentant thief and various side characters are implied criminals with Hidden Depths.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Do go through the sources for more details and examples. Hope this helps with your writing!

[ominous-faechild]

ENABLERS' TREAT 2:

FAERIE'S DAWN

BONUS: AURIK “FINDS OUT” (PART 3)

CHARACTERS: ⚜ Aurik Albrecht (POV) ⚜ Ailwyn, God of the Faewildes

(special early release in return for the outlines' official release being pushed back a bit!!!)

navigation: aurik “finds out” part 1 / part 2

story intro table of contents start reading

God: (amusedly) "well!"

Aurik: [pulled forward as though by the chin—except, the ground itself folds and bends under his feet, tipping him while an invisible grip lifts his head]

God: "��I knew showing you myself would do the trick!"

God: [pauses, a thought occurring to them—]

Aurik: [all but thrown back, reverted to standing straight on his feet]

God: [at the same time, scoffs]

God: (annoyedly) "and it's not like you can do anything to me while you're here."

Aurik: [although he can't see anything, can sense their sharp, burning glare dig into him]

God: "—that tiny little dagger of yours can't do anything to me. Not Me, at least. My body, maybe… but—"

Aurik: [jerked forward once again as the ground and air cooperate to twist him]

God: "—not Me. I am far too Vast, too Abstract, for anything so pathetic as a measly weapon to do anything to Me."

Aurik: :'DDDDDD

Faewilde: [vibrating from God's rage—]

Aurik: [feels his entire body sweltering, all but literally melting from the intensity of God's rage]

God: (darkly) "and don't think I didn't notice that's what you were thinking earlier. That you wanted to attack me."

Faewilde: [suddenly cools again as—]

Aurik: [simultaneously thrown back, his spine cracking as he's slammed into the trunk of a tree]

Wind: [sighs again, annoyedly]

God: (begrudgingly) "but… I guess I technically did invade your home… so!"

Air: [swirls around Aurik, gliding him back to his feet]

God: (voice turning cheerful and amused again) "consider yourself forgiven!"

God: (hint of a threat underlying their playful voice) "so long as you don't try anything like that again, yes?"

Aurik: (automatically, voice thick) "right. Of course not. I would never."

God: [hums a happy, amused hum—]

Wind: [whirls around him, spinning so fast it tore branches, leaves, dirt, and all sorts of things from the ground and trees—]

God: (slyly) "good." >;D

Wind: [suddenly ceases, dropping all it'd picked up as it scatters outward with another sigh]

God: (tiredly) "alright, so… to business. Aurik, wasn't it?"

Aurik:

Aurik: [a lump in his throat, hesitantly looks around himself and takes in God's heart]

Aurik: [and slowly faces forward again, awkwardly crossing his arms]

Aurik: (voice subtly thick) "… yes, God of the Faewildes. But can I—"

Aurik: [at the same time, gets yanked from the ground as all else falls away to become sky]

God: [—and interrupts) "right. Well, I wanted to talk about—"

Aurik: [terrified, but—]

Aurik: [interrupts, voice desperate) "could you please return me to Manhagen?"

God: [falls silent, stunned]

God: [genuinely caught off-guard by being interrupted—]

Aurik: [and suddenly plunges through the air as—]

Ground: [simultaneously reforms far below, flying toward him—]

what kinda author would i be to NOT leave you guys off on a cliffhanger? 😉😘

(Also sorry about the wait, life's been a bit rough lately. It's been the most I can to do what little I have, but I promise I've been hard at work! Faerie's Dawn still resumes on Thursday, Feb 13th, at 7PM EST ❤️)

navigation: aurik “finds out” part 1 / part 2

story intro table of contents start reading

divider by @thyming

[jedimaesteryoda]

Every once in a while on Twitter (not X, Elon can go screw himself), someone circulates a complaint about A Song of Ice and Fire that is basically some version of "GRRM's series is nihilistic where everyone is gray, there are no heroes and villains, or heroes die and villains win compared to Tolkien's magnum opus where there are clear heroes and villains with the heroes being upright and good always wins."

It's written by people who either never read nor understood the series nor understands the author.

Firstly, Martin himself is a fan of Tolkien stating "I revere Lord of the Rings, I reread it every few years, it had an enormous effect on me as a kid," and is such a huge fan of Tolkien he complains of "Tolkien imitators" who "cheapened it. The audience were being sold degraded goods. I thought: 'This is not how it should be done.' "

Tolkien was a clear inspiration for Martin's magnum opus given in the same interview he stated "I wanted to combine the wonder and image of Tolkien fantasy with the gloom of historical fiction." You can even find nods to Tolkien throughout the series from names like "Oakenshield" to a dwarven heir to a mighty mountain fastness filled with gold. Underneath the gloom on the surface, there is a layer of Tolkien-esque romanticism.

ASOIAF isn't nihilistic. No one would call characters like war criminal and murderer-rapists like Gregor Clegane, Ramsay Bolton and Euron Greyjoy or the vivisectionist and torturer Qyburn morally grey. There are heroes like Brienne of Tarth who risked her life in a hopeless fight to save an inn full of orphans, Sam who stayed with Gilly and her babe beyond the Wall in a forest filled with wights and Dunk who defended a puppeteer from a prince. Then, there is Daenerys whose experience as a domestic abuse victim and child bride lead her to put her plan to take back the Iron Throne on hold to liberate slaves.

My own heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones. Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results… but it is the effort that’s heroic, as I see it. Win or lose, I admire those who fight the good fight. -George R.R. Martin

These characters go out of their way to help others and live up to their ideals in a world they know won't reward them for it. That's what helps to make their actions truly heroic. In the end, it's their striving that sets them apart.

The ones who are villains don't seem to win in the end. Tywin was killed by his own abused son on the privy over his mistreatment of a peasant girl, and his legacy is already crumbling. Jaime lost his sword hand and is becoming increasingly disillusioned with his house, slowly realizing that they're not the good guys. The Boltons are facing a rebellion and their new bannermen don't want Ramsay as their liege lord. More Freys have been killed as a result of the Red Wedding than fighting for Robb, and they're being overextended. Not to mention, one of their victims has come back from the dead to enact vengeance on their house. House Greyjoy is destined to fall to ruin as the Greyjoys suffer and die in their fruitless pursuits for crowns.

It's also a superficial reading of Tolkien. Tolkien has moments in his series where heroes fail like Isildur, the guy who slew Sauron, failing to do the one thing he needed to do to end the threat for all time by keeping the One Ring, and Frodo, the purported hero of the series, doing the same thing at the end. Thorin Oakenshield refused to provide money to the people of Lake-town over the destruction of their city at Smaug's hands as a result of his party's actions. There's also plenty of stories of heroes failing in The Silmarillion like Turin.

Both are great series in their own right, and if you don't like Martin's series, that's okay, no series is for everyone. But don't mischaracterize it and pit it against a dumbed down, mischaracterized version of Tolkien's work.

[torrintaighofficial]

Hey, Tumblr! This is a message for fantasy readers—especially the ones craving something a little older, a little queerer, a little realer.

I’m Torrin, a 31-year-old debut author living in the Midwest, and I’ve poured my heart into a romantic fantasy series called The Godhunter Saga. Book one, Dawnfire and Spellweave, is finished (87k words!), and I’m getting ready to query it for traditional publication. It’s the kind of story I always wanted to read but could never quite find. So, obviously, I wrote it myself.

This series is for anyone who’s tired of YA school settings and wants stories about adults navigating messy, magical lives. It’s for readers who crave mutual respect and trust in their romances, who want relatable heroes and villains, and who love stories with older queer characters, chosen family, and themes of questioning faith and authority. Think: slow-burning tension, heartbreaking tenderness, and a little moral ambiguity.

I’m hoping to build a community around this book as I head into the querying trenches. If you’ve been looking for a new author to follow, someone who writes from the heart and genuinely wants to connect with readers, I’d love to have you along for the journey.

You can follow me here, or find me on:

BlueSky: @torrintaigh.bsky.social

Instagram: @torrintaigh

There will be memes, snippets, behind-the-scenes rambles, and (hopefully) eventual good news. If you think a series of 3–5 books with a few companion novellas—full of magic, longing, found family, and morally gray villains—sounds like your thing, please stick around. I know this book has an audience. I just need help finding them.

Thanks for reading. Love y’all.

[princesssarisa]

I think in Wicked (the musical at least – not sure about the novel), there's a bit of an uneasiness between the theme of "everyone is morally gray, no one is all bad or all good" and the fact that Elphaba is a freedom fighter against a fascist government that commits atrocities against a minority group.

Yes, the Wizard has some sympathetic qualities, Elphaba has some flaws and briefly turns to villainy toward the end, and Glinda is a mass of moral grayness under her perky pink facade. But for the most part it's clear who the villains are (the Wizard and Madame Morrible), Elphaba's stance against them is clearly heroic, and Glinda's choice to work for them is clearly a moral sell-out, with which she struggles and from which she eventually redeems herself. When the Animals' treatment parallels the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany, you can't take a "both sides" view of the situation. But every now and then, the show seems to do just that – whether in the song "Wonderful" with the Wizard's talk of "moral ambiguities" (though of course in that song, he's trying to justify his actions and manipulate Elphaba into joining him), or Elphaba and Glinda's reconciliation in "For Good," where they paint themselves as having been equally at fault. And again, and again, I've heard people say "There are no real villains in Wicked: the whole point is that there are two sides to every story and neither side is all good or all bad." But if that's the intended message, does it honestly fit with a plot that involves fascism and racial persecution?

Another work of fiction that I think has some uneasiness between its themes is Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Namely between "the Beast as a suffering, misunderstood outcast" and "the Beast as a powerful bully who needs to be humbled and change." I think a lot of the controversy about that movie stems from the uneasiness between those two themes.

On the one hand, the Beast is a spoiled, selfish prince, who was cursed as punishment for shutting out a poor beggar woman, who has a terrifying temper, and who orders others around and throws tantrums when he doesn't get his own way. His beastly appearance and mannerisms can be seen as outward symbols of his bad behavior, which is based in toxic class privilege and masculinity. From this perspective, Gaston is his kindred spirit, which is emphasized by visual cues: e.g. their similar striking blue eyes, or Gaston's pelt-covered, horned chair in the tavern that looks like the Beast's silhouette. The difference between them is that the Beast finally realizes he was wrong and changes his ways, while Gaston only becomes more beastly. But on the other hand, the Beast is also an "other", who hides from the world, who struggles with basic social skills, who is full of insecurity and self-loathing, whom Belle bonds with because they're both misfits, whose bestial mannerisms and overpowering rages are at least partly because the spell is warping his mind (in other words, a magical mental illness), and whom a mob tries to murder just because he looks scary. Analogies have rightly been drawn between the Beast and victims of racism, homophobia, or other prejudice. From this viewpoint, Gaston is his opposite: the type of privileged boor who receives undeserved hero-worship just because he's handsome and charismatic, and who persecutes "others" like the Beast.

When people view it chiefly as a story about the taming of a powerful bully, you hear accusations of "Stockholm Syndrome" and of the dangerous fantasies of changing an abuser. Viewing the Beast as a misunderstood outcast, who finds acceptance in a fellow outcast and who overcomes his mental health struggles and bad coping mechanisms as a result, reduces those accusations. But if you view the Beast chiefly as a misunderstood outcast, then his character arc can feel disempowering: so much of it consists of learning to be more people-pleasing and self-effacing, not to mention re-learning "normal" human manners and behavior (as an autistic person, I know I've sometimes felt "He needs to mask to be loved"), and he becomes fully "normal" by becoming human again in the end.

Maybe there is no uneasiness between these different themes: maybe it's just complexity. Maybe my feelings on the subject shows that I'm autistic and struggle with things that aren't black-and-white. But in both of these works of fiction, I do sometimes feel as if the writers were trying to tell two different stories at once, which sometimes fit together, sometimes not.

Does anyone else feel that way about other works of fiction? Can you name any other stories with multiple themes that seem slightly opposed and uneasy together?

[michele-apricity]

𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓪𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓪 ˙⟡🪶─

𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

Dark academia is rooted in a love for philosophy, history and literature... so here are some recommendations for books that fit the dark academia aesthetic and you should definitely read

𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒔

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The cornerstone of dark academia literature. A group of elite classics students is drawn into a web of obsession, betrayal, and murder.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

A dark exploration of beauty, morality, and corruption in Victorian England.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

A Gothic classic delving into the pursuit of forbidden knowledge, ambition, and the consequences of creation.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

A story of love, mystery, and self-discovery, set against the brooding backdrop of Thornfield Hall.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

A Gothic masterpiece full of eerie atmospheres, academic investigation, and the dark allure of the unknown.

𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒔

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

A Shakespearean tragedy set in an elite performing arts college, where students’ lives unravel after a murder.

Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko

A surreal and unsettling novel about a young woman attending a mysterious school where reality bends under the weight of knowledge.

Bunny by Mona Awad

A darkly humorous and sinister look at creativity, academia, and a cult-like clique in a prestigious MFA program.

The Atlas Six trilogy by Olivie Blake

A magical dark academia tale about six exceptionally talented magicians competing for a place in a secret society that guards knowledge.

In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

A memoir with Gothic undertones that explores trauma, storytelling, and academic reflection.

𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚/𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒔

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

A mysterious and haunting tale of a young boy discovering a forgotten book and its dark history.

The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

A supernatural dark academia story set in Yale’s secret societies, where magic and danger collide.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A chilling Gothic mystery set in a decaying mansion, with a protagonist investigating her cousin's eerie marriage.

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

A tale of friendship, deceit, and secrets in the shadow of a Gothic boarding school.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

A queer, layered story blending Gothic horror and academic intrigue across timelines.

𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚 & 𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Dickinson’s introspective and haunting poetry complements the aesthetic’s love of literature and existential reflection.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

For the intellectual side of dark academia, this stoic philosophical work is a guide to self-reflection and understanding.

Paradise Lost by John Milton

An epic poem exploring rebellion, ambition, and the fall from grace, perfect for the themes of the aesthetic.

Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake

Poetry reflecting duality, beauty, and the darker aspects of human nature.

𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

A magical school where survival is key, blending dark academia with fantasy and wit.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Noell by Susanna Clarke

A dense, Gothic tale of magic, rivalry, and ambition in 19th-century England.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

A modern, darker take on a magical academy, filled with existential musings and flawed characters.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A historical and fantastical romance steeped in academia, libraries, and ancient mysteries.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

A haunting, introspective story set in an otherworldly labyrinth that plays with memory, knowledge, and solitude.

𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

A suspenseful story of privilege, power, and systemic secrets in an elite private school.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

A slow-burning, atmospheric novel about an experimental university and the price of knowledge.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A tale of mystery, tragedy, and privilege among a wealthy, secluded family.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

A series rich with mysticism, academic undertones, and a search for ancient knowledge.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

A romantic and artistic dark fantasy set in a world of fae and forbidden craft.

Did you read any of the books mentioned here? And if so what was your favorite/your opinion on them?

I personally read most of the books here and loved every single one.

-michala♡

[urupotter]

One of the reasons I find Snape kind of unique as a character in the stories I've read in that his particular combination of traits is... rare. By this I mean in that A) he has virtues and skills that would normally appear in a main character, a hero, hell even a teen boy power-fantasy, completely larger than life demonstrations of competence and virtue, while at the same time B) having traits that would normally be given to petty villains in order to make them look lame/pathetic, in order for the audience to laugh at the loser. (petty villains are not the same as regular villains, it's the difference between Filch and Voldemort. Voldemort is infinitely more evil but is rarely someone you pity/think is a loser the way you do Filch).

For A) he is a genius immensely skilled at magic and is hyper competent, inventing spells and potions as a teenager, is self sacrificing and brave to ridiculous extremes, over and over again, more than any other character bar the protagonist himself, is a spy that constantly makes the main villain look like a fool, is so virtuous he risks himself to save people he hates because it's the right thing to do, has tons of sarcastic one liners and witty jokes, is intimidating and smooth and has presence, I could go on. All these are traits you give to the Harry Potters of the world.

For B) he's ugly in a very visceral way, he bullies children who did nothing to him and makes them cry, he's bullied and never truly gets his revenge, in fact the girl he's in love with gets together with his bully, he's constantly humiliated (i.e. the Neville boggart scene where he's made to dress in an old woman's clothes, Dumbledore telling him that he disgusts him, the SWM scene). All this is stuff you give to the Filch's of the world.

More interesting than gray morality of whatever the fuck, which I've seen before, Snape is unique to me in that he's as much of a classical hero, larger than life teenage hyper-competence power fantasy made to idealize and try (and inevitably fail) to live up to as he is a pathetic petty tyrant loser made for the audience to laugh at and feel sorry for while hating him at the same time. It's like if you fused Harry Potter's virtues with Argus Filchs flaws. And he never really stops being either of these things throughout the story, he is cool and pathetic always. It's what makes him so incongruous to me, and part of what makes him inspire such strong emotions. People, whether fans or people that hate him, don't really know on what traits to lean into more: Is he cool or pathetic? Lame or awesome? The reality is that he's both. At both extremes at the same time, writing Snape correctly requires toeing the line between power-fantasy and masochistic self-flagellation.

[pikahlua]

Okay but regarding AFO and Yoichi's backstory, I feel like Horikoshi is doing a clever meta justification of MHA--like his idea for the story and why it's important. Because we've got two kids with no parent or guardian to help them parse the world, and so they're left to raise themselves and come to their own conclusions about life, and the guidebook they decide to use for that is a black-and-white superhero comic book because it has pictures. They can't read, so they also only barely understand the words in this comic, which means in many cases they're probably just guessing what's happening in the story.

In other words, these kids relying on a moral compass based entirely on their survival each derived starkly different dreams from a black-and-white comic book about good vs. evil, which is a commentary on the presentation of many other "good vs. evil" or "superhero" stories. MHA is pointing out these are fantasy while the reality is full of gray. MHA's depiction of villains as victims and in need of rescue BUT ALSO needing to atone for their crimes as history does not absolve them of that is part of the nuance Horikoshi wants to make sure MHA is getting across. "Please see how my story is different from the way this topic is often treated in other stories. Please make sure you're paying attention to this specific theme."

Because the next generation of heroes, Izuku and company, are meant to challenge that old generation's way of thinking.