Anti-Villains Take Romantasy

What’s better than enemies-to-lovers romance? How about a romance where enmity gives way to full-on villainy? That’s what these villainous romantasy novels say. Redemptive villains have become a popular trope in the genre of late. More and more books featuring a former villain, reformed dark lord, or misunderstood monster prove that romance isn’t just for the pure of heart. Instead of the anti-hero, the anti-villains at the heart of these tales toe the line between good and evil. They’re not perfect. Some of them are trying to be better, some are perfectly happy to continue their nefarious ways, but all of them discover that villains can find love, too. In these books, sometimes the villain gets the girl, sometimes the villain is the girl, but the villains themselves are never too extreme. This isn’t the world of dark romantasy or dark rom-coms. These books are lighter, with not-so-villainous villains that either want to repent from their old ways or never take their villainy too far: that’s what puts the “anti” in these anti-villains. Here are seven of my favorite anti-villain romantasy books.All Access members, read on for seven romantasy books starring anti-villains. 7 Romantasy...