For those who love Xaden and Rhysand's power set, there is a book that flips one of the best recent underrated romantasy books deserve more attention, especially as some feature the tropes BookTok has come to adore.

BookTok has largely popularized fantasy series that feature strong female characters, intricate worldbuilding, and a good balance between fantasy and romance, among other tropes. The level of spicy activity can also play a factor, though some popular romantasy book series do not contain any adult content and are still discussed on BookTok and in other book spaces. The "shadow daddy" trope, however, is often guaranteed to bring audiences in, though one romantasy series takes this trope in a fascinating direction.

2024's Anathema Is The Perfect Read For Fans Of Romantasy's "Shadow Daddy" Trope

Shadow Daddies Can Be Found In Many Major BookTok Series

Anathema by Keri Lake is perfect for fantasy readers who want more of the infamous "shadow daddy" trope that is featured in various other romantasy series. The "shadow daddy" trope is a shorthand for a specific kind of love interest, one who often has some form of shadow manipulation abilities with the brooding, morally gray personality to match. Often a supernatural creature, the shadow daddy is usually significantly older than the female protagonist and has various tattoos that add to his intimidating persona, which only fades when near his lover.

Crop of the cover of Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar
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While there are trademark tropes of the genre, some romantasy books & series have excelled at showcasing them more than others, standing a cut above.

Various works of fantasy have a "shadow daddy" within their stories. The most popular two are Yarros' Xaden Riorson and Maas' Rhysand, but g and Rhysand's status as High Lord of Night only mark two examples of this trope. Quicksilver, Shadow and Bone, and the Kindred's Curse Saga also utilize this trope for their male main characters, highlighting the ways it can be refitted for each fantasy world. Anathema is a prime example of this refitting, shifting the archetype in a way few other series do.

Anathema's Heroine Has The Shadow Powers Instead

A close up of the cover of Anathema by Keri Lake.

The female main character of Anathema is the one who fits the "shadow daddy" trope more closely, flipping this fantasy trope on its head in compelling ways. Goodreads tells how Anathema's protagonist, Maevyth Bronwick, contains the power to break the curse of Witch Knell, a power that the magehood of her former home wants to kill her for. That shadowy power and her morally gray disposition throughout the book let Maevyth match more closely to the trope than her male counterpart, though his attitude does lean into parts of it as well.

As women in romantasy often do not get to explore the darker halves of themselves, it is refreshing to see that acceptance and how it shapes the central narrative of Anathema.

Zevander Rydainn is an assassin whose nickname, the Scorpion, belies his blunt and deadly nature, which causes the normal levels of enemies-to-lovers friction in Anathema. That being said, Maevyth's battle with her abilities and embracing of her dark side gives the trope a new meaning. As women in romantasy often do not get to explore the darker halves of themselves, it is refreshing to see that acceptance and how it shapes the central narrative of Anathema. Ultimately, Lake's fantasy book takes the "shadow daddy" trope, ironically, out of the dark and into a new light.

Fourth Wing Book Cover
Fourth Wing (2023)
Publisher(s)
Red Tower Books
Publication Date
2023-04-05
ISBN#
9781649374042
Author(s)
Rebecca Yarros
A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Cover
A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)
Publisher(s)
Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date
2015-05-05
ISBN#
9781619634442
Author(s)
Sarah J. Maas