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Okay, confession time.  How many of you were secretly kind of bummed when the Beast became a prince?  Yeah, me too.

What was Beauty's complaint with him anyway?  The Beast was strong, rich, smart, rich, and powerful.  And kept the bed warm at night with his furry self.  We already knew he had a secret gentleness because he loved his magic roses.  And how could anyone object to invisible servants and a house that could only be found when you wished it so?  All that, and he had to have a perfect nose too?

I know the allegory was supposed to be about love taming the savagery inside man.  (Man as in man, not as in mankind, mind you.)  But I never wanted the Beast domesticated.  Nope, I wanted him at my side in all his wild glory.

Thus, the allure of the dark hero.  In the dark hero of romance, the bad boy is never broken, the arrogant alpha needn't cry, the rebel might find his cause but it's the heroine herself, not some socially acceptable outlet for his anti-establishment tendencies.

And the strong-minded, self-aware heroine of dark romance doesn't feel obliged to tame the Beast.  She's done away with the whip and the chair.  Well, she might still carry the whip, but it's a fashion statement.  She brings the Beast to heel not with a leash but with a growl as fierce as his.

Not surprisingly with such a potent couple, along with the allure comes some unease with the commanding Beauty and the unapologetic Beast.  I've read comments about how no one would really want to live with that dangerous man.  More startling, I think, are the posts I've seen about how the powerful heroine is emasculating. 

What's the fear?  That we'll embrace our shadows and find ourselves deeper and more complete because of it?  In the original telling, Beauty brings the Beast into the light... and loses much of the magic because of it.  Yes, yes, in theory she had accepted his beastliness, which is what broke the curse and turned him into the prince.  Still, the sense is that sunny and smooth shaven is to be preferred to rough edges and mystery.

Oh, perhaps I romanticize the dark hero.  Always a danger when you're a romance writer.  But the invisible servants do take care of the shedding.  After that, it's just a matter of courage and imagination to live with the Beast.  Ah, but imagination is a post for next time.

To explore the dark places in you, dear reader, I offer this demonic possession personality quiz:

Feel free to share your results in comments.  Then check out my contest page for an opportunity to win a signed copy of Seduced by Shadows.

Jessa Slade, Seduced by Shadows, Marked Souls, paranormal romance, Signet