Jabrosky
Banned
I have started the first chapter of a novel (over 1,000 words into it now), and in it I introduce both my heroine Sekhotep and my villain Ishtar. They're both queens of their respective countries, but Sekhotep is Black African and Ishtar is Middle Eastern. Now the moment they meet each other in the first chapter, Ishtar throws some nasty racial insults at Sekhotep (e.g. mocking her hair, skin color, and backside), and needless to say this gives Sekhotep the motivation to defend her country from Ishtar's invasion.
Now my idea is to make Ishtar an especially despicable character so that the audience roots for Sekhotep, but I am concerned that including this racism might offend readers. It's one thing to have historically appropriate racism in a period piece, but since my setting is fantastical (albeit influenced by history) I don't really have the excuse of historical accuracy to justify the villain's slurs.
Would you be uncomfortable with a villainous character's blatant anti-black racism in a fantasy work?
Now my idea is to make Ishtar an especially despicable character so that the audience roots for Sekhotep, but I am concerned that including this racism might offend readers. It's one thing to have historically appropriate racism in a period piece, but since my setting is fantastical (albeit influenced by history) I don't really have the excuse of historical accuracy to justify the villain's slurs.
Would you be uncomfortable with a villainous character's blatant anti-black racism in a fantasy work?