As both a mom to three sons and an author with a lot of “broody boys,” I spend a lot of time thinking about how the male brain works, both on and off the page. I think there’s something really intriguing about people who say a lot more with their actions instead of their words, and like a lot of readers, I always find myself drawn to the mysterious men with a shadowed past.
With that in mind, I’d love to introduce you to five of my favorite SFF novels with broody male characters.
From the first moment I met Elias Veturius, I knew I liked him. This series is set in the fictional Martial Empire, which is loosely based on ancient Rome, and Elias is a fighter in an elite training school. There he meets Laia, a slave with a secret mission. There’s a scene where Elias is talking about how he never smiles at the slaves, because a smile from a soldier is never good news. I love morally complex characters, and Elias definitely fit the bill.