Rain of Shadows and Endings

Rain of Shadows and Endings exhibits many of the patterns and tropes of the romantasy genre, which blends high-stakes fantasy plotlines and world-building with intense romantic relationships—with the romance elements taking precedence. However, the novel also includes numerous tropes from the dark romance subgenre, which is typically characterized by significant power imbalances between the romantic leads, who often exhibit morally ambiguous behavior. Authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout have popularized tropes that Roehrich also utilizes, such as the fated mates plotline and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Also in accordance with the dark romance subgenre, Roehrich creates a distinctly coercive and abusive relationship between Tessa and Theon, her male and female romantic leads. The novel establishes this dynamic immediately by declaring that the Fae—which Tessa is believed to be—are beings created to “serve as the personal [magical] Source of one of the ruling family members” (8). This premise immediately positions Tessa in a subordinate role to Theon, the powerful Legacy heir to whom she is forcibly bound. Their connection is fraught from the start, with Theon using his powers of “entrancing” to magically compel her obedience despite her strong will and intense need to maintain her independence. Roehrich uses this dark romance framework to explore complex psychological themes, and in her author’s note, she explicitly warns that “[b]oth Tessa and Theon have major trauma” (vii) and that the narrative contains difficult subject matter. By blending the conventions of romantasy and dark romance, the novel places these established tropes in a supernatural setting and uses this premise as a vehicle to examine issues of control, consent, and the lasting impact of trauma.