Le Stryge, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, France, 19th Century, stonework
As a technical architecture word, gargoyles are fancy water gutter spouts. In contemporary Monster Romance, they are one of the sexiest species to write about.
This diverse group was originally just found adorning European Cathedrals as classic decorative motifs in Gothic architecture. Some sport wings. Horns adorn others. Few aesthetic rules apply to gargoyles in architecture. Of course, I should acknowledge that the only gargoyles are technically the demonic monsters who also act as water spouts on the roofs of the cathedrals. The rest are “grotesques”, which are monsters made into statues and reliefs. Grotesques also can be part of any building or decor.
Either no one told Hollywood about this factoid or Hollywood just didn’t care. Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame uses the “gargoyle” term for all Quasimodo’s statue pals. The 90s tv show “Gargoyles”, which follows a displaced gargoyle clan adapting to their new life as paranormal in New York City, did not get technical either. The cultural ripples of these 1990s choices have now created waves in 2020s romance.
The Gargoyles that really did it for grown 90s kids was the Gargoyles tv show. It shows up in the physical presentation of most, if not all recommendations I am including in this commentary and the common motifs I have listed.
Notes
Culture(s) of origin: Western Europe
Notable Cultural References:
Western European Gothic Architecture
Gargoyles, The TV Show
Disney
Common Attributes
Wings
Horns
Tail
Tough and hard flesh
Large genitalia, which can vary in texture and may possess unique characteristics such as two shafts
Primal instincts
Can be long-lived or immortal
Can turn to stone in the day or times of needed rest
Human-like scale
[ ] 1 - Almost indistinguishable from humans
[ ] 2 - Subtle differences present (such as pointed ears)
[x] 3 - Clearly different from humans (possessing some non-human body parts)
[ ] 4 - Completely different from humans (very few or no relatable body parts)
For further reading…
Deceived by Gargoyles by Lillian Lark https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59116203-deceived-by-the-gargoyles
Bound by Trish Heinrich https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61444364-bound
Titan by Jillian Graves https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61119039-titan
Extra Virgin Gargoyle by Honey Phillips https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62632694-extra-virgin-gargoyle
The Gargoyle’s Captive by Katee Robert* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61124204-the-gargoyle-s-captive
*This reviewer has not personally read this book as a disclaimer
Housekeeping
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Goliath was one of my first ever monster crushes. I really hope that this recent trend of authors finally writing about gargoyles continues.
And to add a couple of more fantastic gargoyle reads to the list...
How to Marry a Marble Marquis by C.M. Nascosta
Hallow & Hew by A.M. Kore
The Stone & Star by Jillian Graves (currently only available in one of the Monsters in Love anthologies, but is releasing soon as a standalone novella)