Magical Romance

Magical Romance - the tropes we love and why. Picture by Pixabay/JessBaileyDesign

My absolute favourite magical romance trope is enemies-to-lovers. Scathing banter and hissed insults become whispered endearments and promises of forever. The glare across a crowded room that leads to hot, hooded glances across, well, a crowded room. Misunderstandings transformed into swooning realisations, sword fights ending in tussles of a different kind … it’s all just utterly delicious.

Of course, in real life, in my real life, once an enemy, you’re an enemy forever. I have zero qualms about cutting off anyone who has done me wrong. I rarely forgive because I find it so much easier to forget. There is no way I could trade vicious barbs with someone one minute and then jump into bed with them the next.

So why is it I’m so drawn to the enemies-to-lovers trope, when in real life I think it’s utterly stupid?

Perhaps it’s because I don’t want to cut people off. I want them to be better. I want them to see how they’ve done me wrong, and set about earning my trust and forgiveness, preferably with cash and cake. Perhaps enemies-to-lovers is what I secretly yearn for.

But on the other hand, I really do not want to see their stupid faces ever again, let alone have to listen to some drivel about how mistaken they were. Like, I know that already. That’s why they’re in the bin. I don’t want anyone to know I secretly yearn for an apology. How embarrassing. I’d rather give off an airy aura of, ‘I don’t care, lol, thriving not surviving!’

It is a conundrum.

I have a friend who is the most empathetic, caring and kind person I’ve ever met. She’s drawn to the broken-bird type, and all her boyfriends have been bloody useless. There was one who couldn’t hold a job for longer than a month, one with a gambling problem who tried to sell her car to pay his debt, and one who got them evicted because he was using her rent money to pay child support for a child she didn’t know he had. I think she is attracted to these men because she wants to help them. She wants to fix them. I often wonder if she’s not so much in love with them as they are now; she’s in love with their future potential, the people they could be if only she loved them hard enough.

However much she adores a mansel in distress in real life, her favourite books predominantly feature the Alpha Hero. The brawny, muscly firefighter-hunter-Navy Seal who can build a raging fire with a toothpick and some fluff from the vacuum cleaner, the ones who say things like, “I already took care of it for you, baby; also here’s some money to buy yourself something pretty,” the ones who can cook dinner, wrestle a grizzly, and save a baby’s life at the same time.

And yet, if she ever met one of those delicious men in the wild, I can guarantee you she’d run a mile. She’d say he was overbearing, domineering, that he wouldn’t let her contribute. However much she swoons over strong, capable men between the pages, she falls for the dopey, needy, dipshits every single time.

When the real world lets us down, it’s fantasy that brings us back up. And yet, if the fantasy world became real, would we still be drawn to the characters of our favourite tropes?

I have friends who love bully romance, and who would dial the cops in a heartbeat if anyone laid a finger on them. I know someone who adores palace and court intrigue, and yet rails against hereditary privilege, and wealth created off the labour and trauma of the colonised.

Fantasy romance is a safe way to explore the facets of ourselves that we don’t want the world to see. The tropes we enjoy can reveal inner clues to our personalities that we may have disguised with a veneer of respectability and a healthy helping of embarrassment and shame.

Your personality type might also give clues as to why you’re attracted to certain tropes. As an INFJ who adores the Chosen One and Fantasy Quest tropes, I was quite excited to read this:

“Many INFJ personalities feel that their life has a unique purpose—a mission that they were put onto this earth to fulfill. For them, one of the most rewarding aspects of life is seeking out this purpose—and then, once they’ve found it, striving to do it justice.”

(This excerpt is from the 16 personalities website. You can do your personality test here.

The Chosen One trope is heavily featured in my ‘Chronicles of Esha’ trilogy, in fact.  How flattering and heady it would be to discover that the answer to defeating the Big Bad and saving the world is actually little old me!

In reality, I would much prefer someone solve my problems for me—especially when it comes to taxes, cleaning and cooking. It can be tiring, boring, unfulfilling and downright scary having the world on your shoulders, especially if you’re looking after dependants and holding down a job at the same time. Perhaps I love the Chosen One trope because the chosen one always wins, and often I feel as though I’m just hanging on by my fingernails!

I also enjoy the opposites-attract trope. A boy from the wrong side of the tracks and a spoiled rich girl? Swoon! Grumpy CEO and sunshine receptionist? Yusss. Fae princess and stableboy? Stop. It.

But in real life (that pesky old real life again), I like to have a few things in common with my love interests. Shared values and morals. Financial equality. Similar goals. If I were a CEO, I would not be looking at my receptionist for a happily ever after. I would look at them to book my date night with the CEO I met at yesterday’s high-powered conference.

But opposites-attract between the pages? * Melts *

In my new book, ‘Summoning Skies’, our hero and heroine are complete opposites. Jana is a thief and spy from the poor quarter, and Kye is a palace guard, cousin to royalty. She has magical talent derived from shadows, and his magic comes from the light. She is feisty and sassy, and he is secretive and mysterious. They are two sides of the same coin, drawn inevitably to one another like a side of buttered bread and the kitchen floor.

I wonder what books they like to read, and which tropes they like best?

‘Summoning Skies’ is the fourth book in the ‘Chronicles of Esha’ series. It’s a standalone, full-length novel with brand new characters, set in a fae city in the Kingdom of Skies. It’s a fun entry-point into the fairytale world of Esha, and you don’t need to have read the first trilogy to get to grips with the story.

‘Summoning Skies’ will be released in October 2025. Keep an eye out for ARC opportunities in the meantime! I’d love to get your take on it.

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Until next time, enjoy those tropes and wonder … why?

Love Tab xx