Too dark for a backstory?

The mother of the MC falls deeply in love with a foreign nobleman. They plan on running away together by ship but her family attempts to stop them. However, the nobleman kills them and reveals his true identity to her, a green winged humanoid demonic creature and whisks her away to his realm.

There he mates with her, impregnates her and keeps her confined in a tower surrounded by his minions who look after her and prevent her from leaving. After nearly a year she gives birth to his child and the MC of the story, a healthy baby human girl with her mother's features and her father's powers.

After being blessed with magic from her demon father, her mother begs him to let her keep the baby. He agrees but demands she be returned to him when she turns 20. After agreeing and being whisked back to her home, she dies a few months later and the baby ends up adopted by a cobbler, his wife and their 4 year old son. She is raised by them and lives happily ever after, not!

Is that too dark for a backstory? I guess it's more of an origin story than a backstory as far as the MC is concerned but I'll leave that for you to decide. Also couldn't decide if this thread belongs in this thread or the Character thread.

 

I like it. Now I want to know if Daddy Demon tries to get his daughter back under the original terms with the foster parents insisting the contract was voided with the death of MC's mother.

 

It's very mythological. If mythology wasn't dark it would be too Disney-fied (in the original sense, not what they're doing now).

But it depends on what kind of story it is. YA comedy/romance? Action/adventure with a dark tone? Children's story for learning how to read, on the level of Dick and Jane?

 

I like it - Not too dark at all. I think it is an interesting premise and can see it going in lots of different directions. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

 

I don't see how it would be too dark for any audience older than 12 years old.

If you take out the part of a winged demon impregnating the MC's mother, it has some similarities to Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel.

Actually, a lot of the Grimm's Fairy Tales were darker than how I remember them, so either they were watered down, abridged, or I simply forgot certain parts. I'm pretty sure I would remember the part of Rapunzel where the Prince's eyes were gouged out by thorns while falling from the tower but I never read that version until recently.

 

It's pretty dark throughout, there's murder, mass slaughter, backstabbing, that kind of stuff.

It's a YA Fantasy Adventure story with a dark tone and dark themes.

 

Sounds like you're good then.

Human mother, divine father—that's the genesis of many gods, demigods and heroes. Also of Peter Quill. The father being a demon gives it an intriguing twist, but demons are generally older gods that have been demoted when the older religion is replaced by a new one.

 

Sounds good to me! Not too dark - I like a bit of darkness in stories. Your story sounds interesting.

 

I didn't even read your post and I know it won't be too dark. There's no such thing as too dark in fiction. I mean... You realise there are books like The Consumer and Story of the Eye, right?

 

Really interesting backstory, cool! But like Teladan said: there is no such thing as too dark in fiction.