Fantasy Tropes That Aren't For Me

In my eyes, there's no such thing as a "bad trope". Instead, there are tropes I really love, and some that just aren't for me. Other readers may love them, but I don't enjoy books that contain those topics, plot structures, etc, and I avoid them as a result.

With that said, today I want to discuss some tropes that just aren't for me. I won't begrudge anyone for writing or reading and loving these, but I see them mentioned in reviews and go "I think I'll pass on this one". Since I write fantasy, I'm restricting this list to fantasy tropes.

1) Fated Mates

I'm the kind of reader that really enjoys seeing relationships build over the course of a story. I love seeing the chemistry between two characters develop, and picking up on little details as they form a dynamic, and, if romance is a big part of the story, see hints of where things could go in the "will they, won't they" sense. I find fated mates bland, as a result. It feels too close to insta-love a lot of the time, and in some books I've read with this trope, the leads had no chemistry to me. I would love to see a subversion of this trope, but I've yet to find one.

2) Magic Schools

I'm sure that my age has a great deal to do with why I don't like this trope. I haven't been in school for nearly a decade, so most stories involving some kind of magic school don't appeal to me for that reason. There's also quite a bit of slowdown that happens if a larger story has a magical school subplot. In these cases, I've found the side quest, or diversion, to be focused on attempting to world-build or give important exposition without making it obvious (which doesn't always work).

3) Overused Mentors

I love a good mentor character. Depending on the story and backstory of the protagonist, sometimes there needs to be someone to teach or guide the hero. What I dislike is when the protagonist's skills are never permitted to grow. When the mentor is always saving the day, and the story doesn't allow the hero to grow stronger, it's incredibly frustrating to read. "Wise mentor dies" is its own trope, but at least in that case, the hero is forced to navigate a challenge on their own, without someone stepping in at the last minute to save them.

4) Death Fake-Outs (and/or Recurring Resurrections) - I grouped these together because they fit within the same bubble.

Stories have more weight when there are true, and high, stakes to what the characters are doing. For me to become invested in a plot, it needs to be clear what's at stake if the hero fails. Stories also have more weight when characters can, and do, die. Nothing makes me lose interest faster than regular death fake-outs or resurrections. One death fake-out or resurrection is fine, but if it happens to multiple characters, it loses all weight. Also, any resurrection needs to be earned narratively, or death has no meaning.

5) Magic Swords

I don't know why I dislike this trope as much as I do. Magic is fun; medieval and historical weaponry can be entertaining, and I love a good swordfight. For some reason, though, when an author combines magic and weapons, I lose interest.

Those are some tropes that just aren't for me. What are some tropes you dislike?

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