The Lyon, The Witch, and the Shadow Daddys
Okay, we need to set the record straight.
Growing up there is this fascinating social bias that most teens buy into, that nerds who spend their days in fantasy worlds are the uncool, socially inept ones who probably aren’t getting laid. And then in college, just like in American Pie, we realize that the high school nerds are the real freaks in the sheets.
It's so funny because somehow the concept of “spending time in a made-up-world” as a teen or adult took on the meaning that you also lost a grasp on reality and you had no social skills, and thus would not attract romantic relationships.
But let's take a moment and really think about this concept. Let's start by saying that any book, game, or show that you, “the nerd”, are currently geeking out over, is at its core a story! You are using your imagination to experience a story that is not based in reality. Thus, it is fantasy.
A fantasy is when you imagine things that seem impossible or improbable, normally based on conscious or unconscious wishes.
Okay, so you have to see where I am going with this, right?!
See, these massive fantasy successes, like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, draw “the nerd” (most people), in through the intrigue of the fantastical. They're making your wildest dreams come to life in front of you. Soooooooo, naturally this kind of imaginative wishful thinking gives way to all your dreams. When entering a story about vampires and werewolves we want to know everything, how they eat, how they sleep, how they move, and if we’re honest, how they fuck.
Now, I am not saying that every fantasy on the planet has to become erotic. No. What I am saying is that there is a natural progression between fantasy and sexual fantasy. I am saying that there seems to be a natural correlation between letting your mind wander to a fantastical place and ending up finding something steamy along the way. We’re humans. We think about sex.
In American society, sex is a very prominent topic amongst adults. But as a society, it's something that we try very hard to keep sex away from youth. There are very prominent social doctrines that tell kids that “sex is not allowed”, “you have to wait”, “it's sinful or naughty”, “it's not okay to talk about”, “there are ways to have sex and ways no to”, “there are people you are allowed to have sex with and people you are not”. And obviously this is also often gendered, with differing repercussions. But whether you grew up in the Puritanical Footloose town or with a family that has the Kama Sutra as a coffee table book, the rules society sets for sex for young people are probably going to influence them as adults.
Because of the “rights” and “wrongs" we have about sex, most adults have desires or sexual fantasies that they can never express, because they worry: “What if it’s wrong?” But we, as SMUNTH educated individuals, know that desire doesn't listen to others. It goes where it wants. People have desires and either feel limited by society’s norms or say “fuck it”, quite literally.
I believe that the reason the fantasy genre and smut go so well together is because fantasy stories already allow people to suspend disbelief on what’s real or not, right or wrong, and just go somewhere fantastical.
Often the little phrase: “Don't worry, mom/dad, it's not real”, is said thousands of times about any violent video game kids play. At the same time, when the games or the shows or those YA fantasy novels start to include not only witches and gargoyles, but also the attractive knights, sirens, or the devilishly handsome vampire, the same little message goes off in their brain: “It's fine, I can read this, it's not real.”
And if you think I am saying this is a bad thing you must not grasp the concept of Smunth yet. Because I am not the judge that decides how you feel safe to explore your fantasies. Smunth is all about having fun and exploring new fantasies however you want. So…
If going to a fantasy land where everything is not real is the way that you feel comfortable enough to let down your walls and start to look at your sexual fantasies, then girlllllllll, I will hand you the damn books myself!
Here is a list of fantasy novels I read this month that span from achingly romantic to toe curlingly erotic. See if any of these can unlock a new fantasy for you.
Happy reading!
The Book List
Rating system: (this is based on price, just try and come between me and my kindle)
⭐️Library, ⭐️⭐️kindle, ⭐️⭐️⭐️paperback, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️hard cover,
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ special edition
Spice level:
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Oh my God, I didn’t know you could do that!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Not suitable to read at work
🌶️🌶️🌶️Good Lord!
🌶️🌶️HOT
🌶️ hot
FMC= Female main Character and MMC= Male Main Character
Bride by Ali Hazelwood 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
What is it about Ali’s writing that I just can't get enough of? I am absolutely in love with every story she gives me. The characters in her stories have the most beautiful hearts and the best sense of humor. Bride is no exception! Even though Ali normally does contemporary romance, her fanfiction routes really shine in this Omegaverse story. The story follows an Alpha Werewolf MMC and a Vampire FMC who get married to form an alliance between the two species. The lies, secrets and betrayal of this story give us all the fun of a fantasy novel, with a to-die-for steamy romance. I love that this Omegaverse can give us a creative take on the opposites-attract trope. And the smut is fun when you get to throw things like knotting and feeding into it. All in all, it's a slutty, hilarious, good time!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️hard cover
Divine Rivals (Book 1) by Rebecca Ross 🌶️
This book is a beautiful historical-fantasy-romance. For a setting, imagine that you are a journalist in London during the Second World War. But actually you are in the fictional City of Oath and the war is a war of the gods. When Iris’s brother goes missing in battle she drops out of school to be a journalist. At work she meets the frustratingly talented journalist Roman C. Kitt. She spends all day fighting with Roman at work and all night sending letters with her magical typewriter to a stranger with the other typewriter. This love story is not just about love letters, but is itself a love letter to writing and storytelling. This book was beautiful, romantic, and whimsical. Also it is a Young Adult (YA) novel so it was more poetic than graphic.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️hard cover
Ruthless Vows (Book 2) By Rebecca Ross 🌶️
For Book 2 I can't say much because it would spoil Divine Rivals. But what I will say is this book deals with PTSD, grief, and war. I absolutely loved this duology and the world that Ross created!
⭐️⭐️⭐️paperback
A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows (Book 1) by Holly Renee 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Steamy, steamy, steamy! I asked my friend for a steamy book rec to listen to during a road trip. And boy, did this not disappoint! The world and story have all the things we love in a fantasy: magic, world building, and great villains. But we are not talking SJM-level of story. The reason you are reading this story is because of the romance between the Star-Blessed Adara and the half-Fae, half-Vampire bastard son, prince Evren.
⭐️⭐️⭐️paperback
A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (Book 2) by Holly Renee 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book 1 ended with the most amazing cliff hanger and I still had an hour in the car so I called my mom to go into Audible and get me the second one right away! One of my favorite things in fantasy novels is how the worlds are explained in the second book. Blood and Betrayal did not disappoint! The new characters gave us an amazing cast and the romantic developments were so hot! Another sexy good time. I am currently listening to Book 3!
⭐️⭐️⭐️paperback
Now for the Big Guns of January…
Onyx Storm (Book 3 of the Empyrean Series) By Rebecca Yarros 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Ahhhhhhhhhhh! If you don't know this already: I LOVE the Empyrean Series!!! I read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame in January of 2024 and on January 21 of this year, Book 3 Onyx Storm, was released. And yes, I have already finished it :) I can't say anything really about the plot but this was the best one thus far in my opinion! This book had me gasping and surprised in every chapter but not because I was lost. Everything in this book was perfect to me. Though I was surprised, it was never unbelievable. The world is so well crafted at this point that the story seemed to just flow! The characters were PERFECT. This is ultimately a romance and Xaden and Violet's story was beautiful, painful, and captivating. The two each have such important stories but the way their romance develops is masterful. But no matter how amazing those two are and will always be to me, the true perfection of this book was the other characters. Each secondary character had their own development. We got to see genuine elements to their story that is separate from Violet and Xaden’s arc. And let it be clear: this WAS RIDOC’S BOOK! It is also such a feat to have someone like Xaden Riorson, one of the most beloved book-boyfriends of all time in a book and still make us pine for Ridoc, Sawyer, Bodhi, Garrick, Aaric, Drake, and… Dain 👀! I said what I said. So please, please, please, READ THE BOOK!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ special edition
This will make sense once you read Onyx Storm
