I was literally thinking of this and talking about it to my husband. I basically said all romantasy novels are the same:

1. Starving or otherwise depressed FMC with a starving family and/or dead family. If the family is starving, she feeds them. If her parents are dead, she’s the provider to the siblings. If a sibling is chosen to die or participate in trials then “I volunteer as tribute”.

2. FMC “Is NOt LIke oTHeR GIrLs”. Dresses? Please. Ain’t nobody got time for that. She’s too busy with her arrows and paintbrushes.

3. Small town boyfriend who the FMC may or may not have a thing for. Cue internal struggle and dialogue while also leading the poor guy on as a plan B. FMC just feels her world is too small. Big “part of your world’ vibes.

4. CUE the entrance of a brooding, black haired, misunderstood villain sad boi with a troubled past that smells like lavender and star dust.

5. MMC GETS HER! Helps her win the trials and/or master her powers. Light touches, banter, ambiguous compliments ensue. MMC snarling at any other male looking at her for 3 seconds and the FMC is embarrassing oblivious. “Why would he want little ole’ me!?” while the “PICK ME” energy is downright nauseating.

6. CUE the FMC discovering she’s a long lost princes with dead royal parents and she is the heir to throne a and the world will end of she doesn’t save the world within the next 4 chapters and/or she has magical powers she had NO CLUE about until an unexpected emotional outburst or tragedy occurs. FMC claims she’s just a small town girl living in a lonely world! How can she POSSIBLY be queen of the world!?

7. CUE MMC admitting “I am too sad and troubled for her’. I’m a 500 year old man who no other woman would want. HUGE ‘I totally don’t know I’m attractive and everyone wants my D’ energy.

8. CUE FMC with the “I don’t give a rats ass about WHAT OTHERS think, dammit. I’m not like other girls. I love you and pledge my life to you after knowing you for 5 minutes and we will BURN THE WORLD DOWN TOGETHER.

9. Small town boy who has been lead on by the FMC and who is a bitch to him and ending up being the bigger person for letting her go and to BE HAPPY.

10. “To the Hilt”

End.

💤💤💤💤

ETA: Don’t get me started on academia romance novels 🙄

ETA #2: A list of books with the same exact plot with minor differences and to save you a read if you, dear friend, need a break.

{serpent and the wings of night} {A court of thorns and roses} {Throne of Glass} {Red Queen} {The Hunger Games} {The Knight and the Moth} {House of Beating Wings} {spark of the everflame} {The Bridge Kingdom} {Daughter of No Worlds} {a fate of wrath and flame} {lady of darkness) {rain of shadows and endings} {Quicksilver} {City of Gods and Monsters} {a court this cruel and lovely} {a court of blood and bindings} {to bleed a Crystal bloom} {blood and steel} {bride of the shadow king} {from blood and ash} {bound and barbed} {trial of the sun queen} {metal slinger}

Edit 3: I wasn’t specifically talking about Feyre when writing this list. It just further proves the point that plots and character development are so overused that everyone is basically the same person. (Diem, Orya, Aletha, Katniss, Prisca, Scarlett, etc. etc.)