Anathema

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination.

Dark fantasy romance is a hybrid genre of dark romance and dark fantasy, which are subgenres of romance and fantasy, respectively. Where a pure romance focuses on lighter themes, interpersonal conflicts, and heartwarming interactions, dark romance flips these around, exposing characters to crimes, abuse, and violence that draw the protagonists together. With her entry to the dark romance genre, Lake’s work is in conversation with other dark romance authors like Ana Huang (Twisted Love, King of Wrath) and Penelope Douglas (Credence, Birthday Girl).

Similarly, conventional fantasy, especially high fantasy, often includes powerful magic that leans toward the whimsical, knights and dragons fighting epic battles, and kings and queens ruling over their lands. Dark fantasy maintains many of these elements, but like dark romance, it turns them toward moral ambiguity, often including graphic violence and sexual content. Contemporary dark fantasy authors include Tamsyn Muir (Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth) and T. Kingfisher (Nettle & Bone).