Beauty With Teeth: What I Want From Fae Fantasy
They are dramatic, dangerous, beautiful, and built for morally messy stories. Which makes this a little ironic to admit, but I have not actually read that many fae books. Still, the ones I have read left a strong enough impression that I know exactly what I want from fae fantasy.
This post is part of Fantasy with Friends: A New Discussion Meme at Pages Unbound, and today’s prompt is – “Fae have been popular in fantasy the past couple years. Do you have a favorite portrayal of Fae? What aspects do you think are important to Fae characterization? Do you prefer traditional representations or unique takes?“
What I Want From Fae Fantasy
My exposure to fae fantasy is actually pretty selective. Instead of being eased into fae lore through dozens of books, I encountered them in a more limited but impactful way. That selectiveness shaped how I think about fae. I expect them to feel old, restrained, and deliberate, not impulsive or emotionally human. Most importantly, I expect them to feel other.
Trickery, Bargains, and Beauty With Teeth
One of the earlier portrayals that really stood out to me came through The Mortal Instruments. This series showed me the trickster side of fae in a way that felt intentional and unsettling. The obsession with bargains, rules, and the consequences of breaking them made the fae feel dangerous without needing constant violence. Nothing was ever free. Every favor came with conditions, and every word mattered. Conversations felt like careful negotiations rather than casual exchanges. That idea of beauty with teeth really stuck with me, the kind that draws you in and then reminds you too late that you should have been paying closer attention.
What worked so well here was the structure behind the danger. The fae were not chaotic for the sake of drama. They operated within systems. Laws mattered. Promises mattered. Hospitality mattered. Break the rules, and the punishment felt earned, even if it was cruel. That sense of order made their world feel real and their power feel frightening.
When Fae Are Allowed to Be Cruel
The only truly fae-focused series I have read and genuinely loved is The Folk of the Air. This series leaned fully into the cruelty of the fae and refused to soften it for reader comfort. It did not ask us to excuse their behavior or reinterpret it as misunderstood kindness. The fae were cruel because cruelty was part of how they functioned. Their logic was twisted, but it was consistent. It made perfect sense to them and very little sense to humans, which is exactly how fae should feel.
The fae in this series felt ruthless and emotionally sharp. Every interaction carried tension because you never forgot that these beings did not share human morality. Power was currency. Kindness was suspicious. Love was dangerous. Because I have not read many fae books, The Cruel Prince becomes my favorite portrayal of fae fantasy by default, but it also genuinely earned that position. It balanced tradition and innovation beautifully. The courts, hierarchies, and rules felt classic, while the emotional cruelty and manipulation felt fresh and unapologetic.
What truly sets this portrayal apart is how seriously it takes fae nature. The fae are not rewritten to be comforting or easily lovable. They are allowed to be vain, petty, manipulative, and terrifying, all while remaining fascinating. That balance is rare, and it is why this series continues to define what fae fantasy looks like for me.
What I Actually Want From Fae Characterization
So if I had to sum up my preference, I love the traditional beauty and structured courts of fae lore, but I also crave complexity and moral ambiguity. I want fae who operate on rules that matter. Promises should bind. Words should carry weight. Immortality should shape how they love, hate, and remember. I do not want fae who apologize for being dangerous. I want them to own it.
Give me fae who lie without lying. Fae who keep promises in ways that destroy you. Fae who love fiercely but never fairly. Make them beautiful, yes, but let them be terrifying too. Whether an author leans traditional or experimental matters less to me than whether the fae still feel like fae. Ancient, powerful, and just inhuman enough to remind us why they should never be trusted completely.
What’s your favorite Fae Fantasy?
What Do you Expect from a Fae Fantasy?
Just in case you missed,,,
- Home Sweet Holidays Novella Series (Book1-4)
- Individualism Over Group Belonging – A quiet reflection
- Digging Dr Jones by Olivia Jackson – fun and adventurous romance
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Books Teacup and Reviews
Hi, I'm Yesha, an Indian book blogger. Avid and eclectic reader who loves to read with a cup of tea. Not born reader but I don't think I’m going to stop reading books in this life. “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
15 Comments
aquavenatus
As I said in one of the other posts:
When I was still in (elementary/middle) school, I remember discussions amongst my peers about how Tinkerbell misrepresented fae because fae aren’t “friendly beings.” It wasn’t until I Holly Black’s debut, “Tithe,” was released (shortly after I started college) that I saw a more “honest” portrayal of fae and their behavior.
While many of recent fae stories fall under “romantasy” (another reason why I say the subgenre has ALWAYS existed–a rant for another time/post), many of them portray fae as more ruthless and elitist beings (which, many of them are).
That being said, I enjoy a good and modern fae story!
Books Teacup and Reviews
I have Tithe on shelf and I plan to read it this year but yes, Holly Black’s Cruel Prince showed different side of Fae and I also found Mortal Instrument more closer to portrayal as well. Thank you for stopping by.
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Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes
I haven’t read much fae fantasy in my life, but I definitely expect them to have more deception for them to be any good ! 😛 Great post !
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Lashaan.
Sumedha
You’ve described exactly what I find so intriguing about Fae books! Unfortunately a lot of other Fae books like ACOTAR made them like any other supernatural species without any of the above nuance so those always fall short for me. I loved Folk of the Air and The Cruel Prince too!
Books Teacup and Reviews
hmm, I still would like to try ACOTAR as I enjoy fantasy of all kind but yes if there are fae, I would expect danger and trickery as well. I sure want to check out more fae fantasy this year and see how they portray fae.
Jenna @ Falling Letters
I also felt like I hadn’t read that many fae books while I worked on my response to this prompt! I think I have a similar taste in fae portrayals as you. “Beauty with teeth” is a great way to describe it. I recently read Naomi Novik’s THE SUMMER WAR and felt that was perfectly suited to my tastes.
Books Teacup and Reviews
I would like to read that. writing on this, i definitely want to explore more Fae books and see how that changes my view and if there is anything traditional or different.
Jo
Great post, Yesha. Like you, I’ve not read a lot of books featuring Fae folk, but I want tricksy Fae whose promises benefit them more than the poor human they’ve ensnared.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Jo. I agree and as Krysta said i would like humans cunning enough to figure a way to get out of that bargain which would make it super exciting.
Krysta
I absolutely love stories with bargains! I agree that the Fae need to have some sort of consistent logic to which they are bound. It doesn’t have to make sense to humans. But I do like that element of danger, where mortals need to be careful and cunning to figure out how to escape a fairy bargain.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Yes and mortal instruments showed that so well that whenever I decide to read a fae book, I kind of expect some of that in it.
Briana | Pages Unbound
Yes, I think I really like it when Fae are tricky or even when they can’t lie, and the author has to be clever about it. I like when things get complicated in the book and it’s not just like, “Oh Fae are powerful and hot.”
Books Teacup and Reviews
Agree. NO trickery no fae