Journal of Popular Romance Studies (Aug 2024)
“Oh, my friend, those weren’t angels”: Trauma, Recovery and Folklore in The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal and Spectred Isle by KJ Charles
Abstract
Trauma and recovery have been explored more and more frequently in popular literary genres. Despite the positive and uplifting disposition of the romance genre, romance novels do not shy away from depictions of even the most gruesome traumatic experiences. The romance genre’s requirement of an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending and the structure of a romance novel make the genre a suitable medium for the exploration of trauma and recovery. In the subgenre of paranormal romance, i.e. non-mimetic fiction, the presence of supernatural elements allows for a specific portrayal of trauma inflicted by and healing induced by the supernatural. The supernatural and the human is put in juxtaposition, exposing communities’ and individuals’ role in trauma and recovery. I use this lens for close reading of two m/m paranormal romance novels by KJ Charles, The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal (2015) and Spectred Isle (2017). First, I discuss the presence of trauma and recovery in the romance genre and specifically in the subgenre of paranormal romance. In the following analysis, I focus on three themes through which trauma and recovery are explored in Charles’s novels: trauma related to WWI, traumatic and healing initiation into the supernatural and the role of found family in recovery.
