Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group discussion

I think most of us appreciate a tortured, tormented, or emotionally damaged character to some degree. But when is it too much?

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "I think most of us appreciate a tortured, tormented, or emotionally damaged character to some degree. But when is it too much?"

Great question, though not easy for me to quantify.

My first thoughts were that if a character is so damaged they are unable to grow or evolve whatsoever after their trauma, even after a great deal of time has passed, that might be too much for me.

I can see what you mean, Rachel.

I think that's probably true for me as well. But I also think that if that damage has made them so destructive to themselves and others and relationship and sadistic to others, that would be my breaking point as far as being able to appreciate/understand/empathize with a character.

Hard to quantify this... I think that as long as I can see there's hope, I might continue reading. If it gets too dark and depressing on me (ahem, much like literature), then I will probably drop it, because I read for escape and not to find out more depressing stuff

apparently I have a high tolerance because I read a lot of books with some really messed up dudes. (i.e. Sherrilyn Kenyon)

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "apparently I have a high tolerance because I read a lot of books with some really messed up dudes. (i.e. Sherrilyn Kenyon)"

She is the queen of that! lol

Zee wrote: "Hard to quantify this... I think that as long as I can see there's hope, I might continue reading. If it gets too dark and depressing on me (ahem, much like literature), then I will probably drop i..."

Zee, I have to agree. I read to escape, and I choose romance because I know I won't end the book feeling depressed. I'm a "Happily Ever After" girl:)

Rachel wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "I think most of us appreciate a tortured, tormented, or emotionally damaged character to some degree. But when is it too much?"

Gre..."

I totally agree with you, also for me if the character has went through some sort of trauma and they have a mental health issue due to the truama or there isnt a reasone. But the mental illness is such that the individual is stuck in the traumatic incidents years later and recreate or re- go through it each day.

I'll explain i'm a carer so when i went to training.The training instructor was teaching us about dementia and alzehimers . Anyway she said she had went to a care home where a resident would scream, become extremaly aggitated and violent . If she saw any tall man with blue eyes. Because she was raped and her rapes had blue eyes . So due to her dementia she was in this stuck faze, If she had incountred any man with blue eyes and tall she would scream and think she has just been raped. So not that i have read a book where this has hapened but if it did that would be too much and when a hero/hero is inflecting so much pain easily because there character has not a single compassionate bone in their body.

Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon. My favorite character from that series, one of my beloved heroes but gees that man suffered. At some point i had to stop because it was a bit too much, it was overwhelming. I can handle a bit of torturing and wounds and all that, but Acheron made me wanna stop reading for quite a while. I did finish and love him but that book made me realize i have a limit, lol.

My limit? Two words: Meagan McKinney.

It all depends on if after all the torment after all that, I can see that the character can still love. If he/she can't, if he/she is so far gone that he/she is a person that can hurt a child or the woman or man he/she proclaims to love. Then I don't think that I can handle it, but otherwise its good.
Most of the Black Dagger Brotherhood has characters that are like that.

Susan (the other Susan) wrote: "My limit? Two words: Meagan McKinney."

Limits??? I have none. If it's good writing, continuity, and character development then I'm in.

Danny wrote: "It all depends on if after all the torment after all that, I can see that the character can still love. If he/she can't, if he/she is so far gone that he/she is a person that can hurt a child or th..."

BDB characters don't start out with the ability to love because of a series of events from their past. With the right person and a series of events they learn to forgive themselves and then reach out to others . Of all of the brothers Z is the best example.

For me there isn't a defined point at which it becomes too much. As many before me said, it really all depends on the character and his specific set of circumstances. They do have to be capable of an HEA though. I'm not so much a fan of 'potential' happy endings...I need the happy ending to happen within whatever book I'm reading.

There is something in all of JR WARD'S books for everyone . As I have said before the process of how they get to that HEA (if they do) is my main focus. The Shadows is a perfect example of this. I have never felt so many emotions while reading a book as I did with this one. The path to get to a HEA was very crooked mile

Mizval, Meagan McKinney's classic romance novels are beautifully written, no problem there. With a few exceptions, though, her heroes are just too mean for me to enjoy. Misplaced revenge is my least favorite romance trope; it makes the men seem emotionally immature.

Deal breaker: Heroes who pitch hissy fits.

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "apparently I have a high tolerance because I read a lot of books with some really messed up dudes. (i.e. Sherrilyn Kenyon)"

I feel you.

Susan (the other Susan) wrote: "My limit? Two words: Meagan McKinney."

Oh, I loved her books back in the day. Her heroes tended to be really hard on the heroines. I admit though, she's an old favorite.

Kim wrote: "For me there isn't a defined point at which it becomes too much. As many before me said, it really all depends on the character and his specific set of circumstances. They do have to be capable of ..."

I"m a HEA girl myself, as well.

Susan (the other Susan) wrote: "Mizval, Meagan McKinney's classic romance novels are beautifully written, no problem there. With a few exceptions, though, her heroes are just too mean for me to enjoy. Misplaced revenge is my leas..."

I still like the revenge theme, but if the hero is OTT abusive, I can't hang.

I just finished a book where the hero tormented the heroine with continue infidelities because he had been betrayed by his first love. Oh man, I couldn't stand him. My heart hurt deeply for the heroine. I don't think I have it in me to love a man enough to deal with continual cheating. I think for me, once is a dealbreaker.

Cheating is a definite deal breaker for me. Even if they sleep with someone after having met each other, it kills it for me (I read a Toni Anderson book a while ago and it was a DNF from Chapter 2 itself because the guy slept with the slutty coworker just because 'he could do it'. Uh-uh! Nope, not hero material to me!

And Dawn, yes - I'm all in for the HEA, too! :)

Zee wrote: "Cheating is a definite deal breaker for me. Even if they sleep with someone after having met each other, it kills it for me (I read a Toni Anderson book a while ago and it was a DNF from Chapter 2 ..."

Cheaters , liars, homeless, helpless, and useless men are deal breakers for me. That includes those in the books I've read. Those in real world taught me a lesson .Those in books reenforced it . For me I guess you really have to earn that HEA.

Zee wrote: "Cheating is a definite deal breaker for me. Even if they sleep with someone after having met each other, it kills it for me (I read a Toni Anderson book a while ago and it was a DNF from Chapter 2 ..."

Ugh. I hate cheating!

Definitely not a fan of cheating. It completely ruins a book for me. I hate it even in a genre other than romance.

Quite a bit for me. However, I do like them to be able to get past their emotional damage and to be able to live in the present.
Yes, their emotional damage can inform situations in the story but I don't like it to over dominate the storyline. I can take a very emotionally damaged character as long as there's movement and change and motivation on their part to work through it and be happy.
If they've been questionable to the people in their life/their loved ones because of past trauma, I like to see the character stepping up to take responsibility for their life and actions.
I've read many books with emotionally damaged characters, and many of them are intense but well done and well written and that allows a balance to be struck in the storyline.
I actually think for me alot depends on the authors handling of the characters damage to ensure it doesn't just become depressing for the reader!

Susan (the other Susan) wrote: "My limit? Two words: Meagan McKinney."

Ok Susan, from your comment I went and looked up Meagan McKinney...and ended up buying a copy of Gentle From The Night hehe!

Natalie, pack your overnight bag for Angst City!

I should have mentions that not all of Meagan McKinney's romance novels are angst-filled bodice rippers with cruel heroes. Just most of them.

Susan (the other Susan) wrote: "Natalie, pack your overnight bag for Angst City!"

Haha! Well I don't mind a bit of angst, so we'll just have to see where this Meagan McKinney novel plays out on the Angst-o-meter!!

Natalie, please let me know what you think of her work!

I don't know what my limits are. Like it's a grey area where I haven't encountered it enough to define it or it's so situational that it ends up being a "I know it when I see it" type situation. Because I love hot shot arrogance and emotional drama but a character can be so full of himself that I end up saying "omfg we GET it; you're the cock of the walk." I like to torture my own characters, making them cry but then there's this threshold where there's too much crying or they break down too easily and I'm instantly turned off entirely. I like it when they're mean and they act out, even when it's misguided or immature, yet sometimes throwing fits can come off as really insecure and The Office style cringeworthy awkward.

I'm pretty liberal when it comes to bad behaviors, because oftentimes there is something else keeping me fixated, usually his personality. And it's not always heroic or needing to be redeemable for me but that is purely an attraction thing. Generally, stories I write and books I read, I love the Hero's Journey type fulfillment. Not always but I go gaga for a toxic, horrible, lost and self-loathing guy ending up a better man by the end of the series/book. Sometimes it can happen too early, though. Like, Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody: Child of Blood book series - what was the dude's name? Ash or something? Anyway, they had a great dynamic to start with but by book 2 or 3 I think, he became a bit of a sissy, imo. I preferred Achmed at times for his consistent jerkiness, even when he became somewhat decent as a person. If I had to pinpoint an exact example of where I shift in my opinion and love for the tormented, surly hero and how much change is okay or how much tormented angst I'm willing to tolerate, it would be from that series.

Good question. For me it might be the same way I handle people in life. Flawed people are expected, and can be easy to root for. At the same time, if there trauma is sucking too much of my energy, I find myself backing away a bit. Book character trauma drama works the same way. I can go deep, and dark but if feeling pulled under by it can be a problem. A writer has to be very skilled to make me go past that point willingly.

And so often it is just the mood I'm in, how much I can handle. For fav author's like Sherrilyn Kenyon, I KNOW in advance there will be angst...so I'm kinda prepared (sometimes if its too much, I'll skim it *ahem, ). But for like Megan Hart, I just have to wait until I'm in the mood. Lately I've just skipped angsty books altogether for just that reason...

I think I can tolerate a lot if it's not pointless. That's why I shy away from literary fiction. There doesn't seem to be any end point to everything.

Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "Good question. For me it might be the same way I handle people in life. Flawed people are expected, and can be easy to root for. At the same time, if there trauma is sucking too much of my energy, ..."

I agree with you here about if the trauma is sucking too much energy then choosing to back away from the story. It does really depend on the authors handling of the storyline and skill in their writing.