Abandonment
A character is materially deserted or left without expected care, support, or protection.
On the shelf guide: Ruthless People
Content notes
Content notes, listed.
Content notes are information, not commentary. They give you useful context before you start a book, whether today is a hard day or the day you want exactly that. A note is never a verdict on the book or on you.
A3 entries
Abuse
Abuse is materially present, but the available classification does not resolve cleanly to one narrower abuse type.
Found in 9 book guides
Aquaphobia
A significant fear of water is explicitly identified or materially depicted.
On the shelf guide: Deviant King
B3 entries
Blood
Blood is materially present in a way readers may wish to know about.
On the shelf guide: The Reaper
Blood play
Blood or intentional bleeding is incorporated into sexual or erotic activity.
On the shelf guide: Den of Vipers, There Are No Saints
Bullying
A character is repeatedly intimidated, humiliated, harassed, or targeted through a bullying dynamic.
On the shelf guide: Corrupt, Deviant King, God of Malice, Gothikana, Lords of Pain
From Marginalia: Enemies to Lovers Has Been Misdiagnosed, What Is Dark Romance? A Proper Definition for a Genre That Refuses to Be Contained
C9 entries
Cannibalism
Human or humanlike flesh is consumed, prepared for consumption, or materially central to the story.
On the shelf guide: Butcher & Blackbird, Lights Out
Captivity
A character is confined, detained, or prevented from leaving against their will.
On the shelf guide: Den of Vipers, The Darkest Temptation, The Never King, Twist Me
From Marginalia: What Is Dark Romance? A Proper Definition for a Genre That Refuses to Be Contained
Cheating
Infidelity or violation of an established exclusivity agreement materially occurs within the work.
Child abuse
Abuse of a child or minor is depicted, described, or materially relevant.
Found in 10 book guides
Child death
The death of a child or minor occurs, is depicted, or is materially relevant.
On the shelf guide: Deviant King
Child neglect
A child or minor is denied necessary care, protection, supervision, or support.
On the shelf guide: Credence, Does It Hurt?, Gothikana
Coercion
Pressure, threats, leverage, or control materially restrict a character's freedom to choose.
On the shelf guide: Sinners Anonymous, The Darkest Temptation, The Sacrifice
Consensual non-consent (CNC)
Participants pre-agree to an erotic scenario that is performed as though consent were absent.
On the shelf guide: God of Wrath
Cult
A cult is materially present as a group, institution, or story force.
On the shelf guide: The Ritual
D8 entries
Death
Death is materially present or relevant, but the available evidence does not support a more precise approved death classification.
On the shelf guide: There Are No Saints
Death of a parent
The death of a parent occurs, is depicted, or is a significant part of the story.
Found in 7 book guides
Death of a sibling
The death of a sibling occurs, is depicted, or is materially relevant.
On the shelf guide: The Reaper
Depression
Depression is explicitly identified or materially established in the work.
On the shelf guide: God of Wrath
Dissociation
Dissociative experiences are explicitly identified or materially depicted.
On the shelf guide: God of Wrath
Drowning
A drowning event or drowning-related harm is materially present.
On the shelf guide: Deviant King
Drugging
A character is given a substance without meaningful informed consent or for the purpose of impairment, control, or incapacitation.
On the shelf guide: Ruthless People, The Ritual
Dub-con
Sexual activity occurs under circumstances where consent is compromised, pressured, manipulated, clouded, or deliberately ambiguous.
Found in 11 book guides
From Marginalia: A Ranking of Ways to be Claimed Without Consent in Fiction, What is Dubcon (and What is Non-Con)?, What Is Dark Romance? A Proper Definition for a Genre That Refuses to Be Contained, How to Tag Dark, Taboo, Dubcon, and Non-Con on Your Own Shelf (Without Guessing), Dark, Taboo, Dubcon, Non-Con: A Vocabulary That Actually Means Something
E2 entries
Emotional abuse
A character is subjected to sustained manipulation, intimidation, humiliation, control, or other emotionally abusive behavior.
Found in 10 book guides
Explosion
A significant explosion is depicted, described, or materially relevant.
On the shelf guide: The Reaper
G5 entries
Gore
Graphic descriptions of blood, wounds, mutilation, bodily injury, or other visceral physical trauma appear.
Found in 9 book guides
Grief / loss
Significant grief, bereavement, or emotional distress related to death or another major loss is a meaningful part of the story.
On the shelf guide: Corrupt, Credence, Gothikana, Nocticadia, The Darkest Temptation, The Sacrifice
Grooming
A pattern of trust-building, access, dependency, manipulation, or boundary erosion is used to facilitate exploitation or abuse.
On the shelf guide: God of Fury
Gun play
A firearm is intentionally incorporated into sexual or erotic activity.
On the shelf guide: Haunting Adeline, Lights Out
Gun violence
A firearm is used in a materially violent act or violent threat.
On the shelf guide: Den of Vipers, Ruthless People, The Reaper, The Ritual
H2 entries
High-control group
A group or institution exerts sustained coercive, restrictive, or manipulative control over members.
On the shelf guide: That Sik Luv
Human trafficking
People are recruited, transported, harbored, transferred, or controlled for exploitation.
On the shelf guide: Does It Hurt?, Haunting Adeline, Hunting Adeline, The Reaper
I1 entry
Illness
A significant illness is materially depicted or relevant to the story.
On the shelf guide: Nocticadia
K3 entries
Kidnapping
A character is abducted, taken, transported, or carried away against their will.
Found in 12 book guides
Knife play
A knife or blade is intentionally incorporated into sexual or erotic activity.
On the shelf guide: Den of Vipers, Lights Out, There Are No Saints
Knife violence
A knife or blade is used in a materially violent act or violent threat.
On the shelf guide: Den of Vipers, Ruthless People, The Ritual
M4 entries
Major character death
A central or major character dies.
On the shelf guide: Feathers So Vicious, Haunting Adeline, Hunting Adeline, The Never King
Mass shooting
A mass-shooting event is depicted, described, or materially referenced.
On the shelf guide: Lights Out
Miscarriage
A pregnancy ends through miscarriage.
On the shelf guide: Ruthless People
Murder
A character is intentionally killed, or an intentional killing is attempted when paired with an occurrence qualifier.
On the shelf guide: Deviant King, Ruthless People, The Reaper, Twisted Pride
N2 entries
Neglect
A character is denied necessary care, protection, supervision, or support through a meaningful neglect pattern.
On the shelf guide: Butcher & Blackbird, Ruthless People
Non-con
Sexual activity occurs without the consent of one or more participants.
On the shelf guide: Haunting Adeline, Hunting Adeline, Twist Me
From Marginalia: A Ranking of Ways to be Claimed Without Consent in Fiction, What is Dubcon (and What is Non-Con)?, What Is Dark Romance? A Proper Definition for a Genre That Refuses to Be Contained, How to Tag Dark, Taboo, Dubcon, and Non-Con on Your Own Shelf (Without Guessing), Dark, Taboo, Dubcon, Non-Con: A Vocabulary That Actually Means Something
O1 entry
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is explicitly identified or materially established.
On the shelf guide: The Maddest Obsession
P6 entries
Panic attacks
Panic attacks are explicitly identified or materially depicted.
On the shelf guide: The Reaper
Physical abuse
A character is subjected to physical harm within an abusive interpersonal or custodial context.
On the shelf guide: Feathers So Vicious, Hunting Adeline, The Mafia and His Angel: Part 1, Twist Me
Plane crash
An aircraft crash is depicted, described, or materially relevant.
On the shelf guide: Ruthless People
Pregnancy
Pregnancy occurs or is a significant on-page or story element.
On the shelf guide: Twisted Pride
Pregnancy loss
An involuntary pregnancy loss occurs or is materially relevant.
On the shelf guide: Feathers So Vicious
Psychological manipulation
A character intentionally manipulates another's perceptions, emotions, choices, or sense of reality.
On the shelf guide: God of Fury, God of Malice, That Sik Luv, The Sacrifice, Twist Me
R2 entries
Rape
Rape occurs, is attempted, or is materially referenced.
On the shelf guide: Den of Vipers, Feathers So Vicious, Hunting Adeline
Religious trauma
Significant psychological or emotional harm is tied to religious beliefs, practices, authority, or institutions.
On the shelf guide: That Sik Luv
S13 entries
Selective mutism
Selective mutism is explicitly identified or materially established.
On the shelf guide: God of Ruin
Self-harm
Intentional self-inflicted physical harm is depicted, described, or materially discussed.
On the shelf guide: Den of Vipers, Gothikana, Hunting Adeline, The Mafia and His Angel: Part 1
Sexual abuse
Sexual exploitation, violation, or harmful sexual behavior occurs within an abusive pattern or history.
On the shelf guide: God of Fury, The Mafia and His Angel: Part 1
Sexual assault
Nonconsensual sexual contact or sexual activity is depicted, described, attempted, or materially referenced.
Found in 8 book guides
Sexual coercion
Pressure, threats, manipulation, leverage, or control materially compromise freedom to refuse sexual activity.
On the shelf guide: Lords of Pain, Twisted Pride
Sexual slavery
A person is subjected to compelled sexual access, sexual exploitation, or sexual service under conditions of enslavement or ownership.
On the shelf guide: The Ritual
Sexual violence
Sexualized violence or violence connected to sexual harm is materially present.
Found in 7 book guides
Somnophilia
Sexual or erotic activity involves a sleeping or sleep-adjacent participant.
On the shelf guide: Haunting Adeline, Hunting Adeline, The Ritual
Stalking
A character repeatedly follows, monitors, surveils, tracks, or intrusively contacts another character.
Found in 10 book guides
From Marginalia: Seven Tropes We Should Stop Calling Guilty Pleasures
Strong language
Strong profanity or comparably explicit verbal language is materially present.
On the shelf guide: Brutal Prince, Losers: Part I, The Sweetest Oblivion
Substance use
Recreational drug use, substance misuse, or significant intoxication is depicted or materially relevant.
Found in 8 book guides
Suicidal ideation
Thoughts, wishes, plans, or contemplation of suicide are depicted, described, or materially discussed.
Found in 8 book guides
Suicide
Death by suicide occurs or is materially relevant; attempted suicide is represented through the occurrence qualifier.
On the shelf guide: Credence, God of Pain, Gothikana, The Mafia and His Angel: Part 1, The Reaper
T1 entry
Torture
Deliberate physical or psychological suffering is inflicted to punish, coerce, extract, control, terrorize, or break a person.
Found in 8 book guides
V1 entry
Violence
Physical violence is materially present.
Your vocabulary, your record.
Heat, darkness, relationship dynamics, kink, story shape, and content notes stay distinct.
Track how you actually tag it