The Nora Theory

One of my favorite tropes that appears mainly in romantasy novels actually has nothing to do with the romance aspect at all. The found family trope appears in many of the best fantasy romance novels, and it’s always a joy to read.

The found family trope occurs when the main character comes from a family that isn’t present, sometimes because they’re awful, sometimes because they’re dead, or both. Then, through the events of the book, said character finds a group of people that becomes a new kind of family.

For whatever reason, this trope generally appears in romantasy novels, most famously in A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass, but the trope can also be found in Quicksilver and The Kindred’s Curse Saga, two more incredible fantasies that every fantasy lover should read.

The found families in these books, and others like them, not only add rich texture and backstory to these stories, but also give the reader a sense of hope and belonging, not only for the characters but for themselves.

Many of us have found families of our own, and they are often the best family we have. Seeing these families reflected in the pages of a beloved book is always such a wonderful feeling. It gives validity to the idea that we can choose families for ourselves, that blood is not the only thing that can connect us, and that the family we were born into is not the only family out there for us.

For younger readers who perhaps haven’t found their found family quite yet, this trope gives a sense of hope that there are people out there somewhere who will be that undying support. In romantasies, these found families risk their lives for each other, go to war for each other, and launch themselves on wild adventures for the sake of their group of loved ones. In real life, things are usually more mundane within the found family dynamic, but no less meaningful.

Whether through circumstance or shared strife, these families come together and give the main character the support that they so desperately need, and that we all want for ourselves. It’s a touching trope that makes even the most mystical of fantasies feel real. It adds a relatability to assassins and Fae queens, to battle-worn warriors and powerful kings.

With the found family trope, these characters feel just like us, just like our friends, just like our own found families, despite the difference in circumstance. Enemies-to-lovers will forever be my favorite trope but found family is a very, very close second.