Broken Bonds

The “fated mates” trope is a narrative device common to paranormal romance and romantasy (fantasy romance), wherein two characters are destined to be together, often despite their initial dislike of one another or other apparent reasons for their incompatibility. The fated mates trope can be read as an inverse of the “star-crossed lovers” trope: While the universe conspires to keep star-crossed lovers apart, the universe conspires to bring fated mates together. The fated mates trope also frequently overlaps with the “forced proximity” trope, which causes two characters to remain in close quarters despite mutual disinclination. In the case of fated mates, this cause is typically mystical in origin; conversely, the forced proximity trope typically posits a more mundane reason for characters being together (such as being snowed in or forced to attend the same social event, such as a wedding).

Variations of the fated mates trope include the “reject mates” trope, in which one character pushes their fated mate away (only to reconcile later); Broken Bonds falls into this category. Fated mates narratives may also take the form of the secret or delayed connection trope, in which one character realizes far earlier than another that they are fated. (This trope can be seen in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Mist and Fury [2016].)

Because the fated mates trope appears in paranormal romance, romantasy, and science fiction romance, the mechanism of the connection varies. In Broken Bonds, Bonds are identified via a blood test in childhood, leading Gifted people to know about their future romantic partners their whole lives. Other versions of the trope use a “love at first sight” mechanism, where characters instinctually recognize their mates upon first meeting. Fantasy applications of the trope are even more diverse; for example, Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series (2006-) features numerous supernatural species, each with their own way of recognizing their fated mates.