A Confession
I’ve been tied down with editing Episode 2 for Tales from the Orc Den and juggling a hefty anthology AND book, I’ve got no hot and fresh reviews for folks. Just some hot thoughts 🔥
Reverse Harem Versus Polyamory
I’ve seen some good conversations on Twitter and Instagram about the Reverse Harem trope. It makes sense to me. It feels familiar and holds a lot of context in those two little words as an anime enthusiast.
The issue I find with applying the Reverse Harem label to most of the current Monster Romance world is that it doesn’t always work. Plus, the option to use the poly romance label instead.
What is Reverse Harem?
Reverse Harem is treated as a trope and a genre in manga and anime where a single female main character is a romantic target for three or more men. The FMC typically cannot settle on a single male character or does settle on one while remaining in some sort of platonic, affectionate relationship with others.
Some franchises that come to my mind (and apologies for showing my age) are
Fruits Basket
Vampire Knight
Ouran High School Host Club
Reverse Harem, while embracing elements of polyamorous romance, assumes there has to be a decision to move toward a monogamous relationship or possibly a series of monogamous relationships. When I’m reading something like A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor, I’m not seeing that being played out. Instead, I am reading polyamorous romance. I think that’s the word we should be using more.
Why “Poly”?
Polyamory romance simply requires more than one partner at the same time with the informed consent of everyone involved. No gender requirements are needed. No specific sexualities are needed. Plus, there’s no need to “take turns”. It truly embraces the idea of “why choose”.
Polyamorous romance is a trope and genre that can allow for a wide range of relationships and sexualities. This is particularly advantageous for monster romance. We embrace flexibility about so many aspects of gender expression and sexuality. Flexibility in describing multiple partners is both advantageous and on-brand with the genre.
As I continue my reviewing journey, I plan on using “poly” rather than “reverse harem” going forward. This is a personal choice based on the mindset I just laid out. I simply find poly more flexible and accurate for my taste in monster romance books with multiple partners even if there’s a focus on a female main character.
What are my tastes you might ask? As a disclaimer, I practice monogamy in real life. I don’t make these recommendations as someone who is polyamorous. I don’t make these recommendations assuming this is how all polyamorous relationships work. Almost all of these have a singular FMC and multiple MMCs. That’s just the current layout of my personal reading journey. I hope that it is far from the limits of my future exploration.
With those biases out of the way, here’s my list of favorite monster poly romances.
Monster Poly Romances Recommendations
A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon
Probably the classic “why-choose” romance story in Monster Romance
Diverse set of featured monsters with a variety of, uh, unique assets
Features a thrilling and mysterious danger moving the plot along
The Company of Fiends by Kathryn Moon
Currently Reading! And already loving it.
Acts as the second book of the series that starts with A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor
Again, a menagerie of monsters
Again, danger around the corner with murderer is loose!
The Maid and the Orcs by Finley Fenn
Absolutely smoking hot triad with two male orcs and a female human
Angst that will make you writhe in your seat
If you haven’t tried Orc Sworn, consider this a sign you need to.
Bound by Trish Heinrich
Human FMC and two male gargoyles
Something about murderers and poly romances seems to go together
I guess teamwork helps when you need to catch a murderer
Murder mystery fans should enjoy
BDSM fans also in for a treat
Deceived by Gargoyles by Lillian Lark
Human FMC and three male gargoyles
Creepy, murdery danger lurking
More domestic than Bound and has breeding
Monster Poly Romances I want to read
I would love some more recommendations, by the way. Please drop me a line for other poly monster romances I might be missing.