When Fantasy Met a Broken Boundary: Reflections on Sinners & Stardust 2025

It’s taken me a few days to gather my thoughts on what unfolded at the Sinners & Stardust convention in Boston from August 15–17, 2025. I’ll be honest – while I was appalled to hear what happened, another part of me wasn’t completely surprised. A small minority of the reader community has been acting out of pocket for some time now, and it reflects poorly on all of us. It’s time we start holding one another accountable.

What was supposed to be a weekend of dark romance, themed fandom, and bookish enchantment took an ugly turn. Instead, the event ended in tension, confusion, and heartbreak for some. It seems that we still have people in our reading community who don’t know how to separate fiction from real life. And when those lines cross at events like this and some people don’t know how to behave… well, then we have stuff like this. So, if you’re just catching up on the news, what happened at Sinners & Stardust 2025?

What Happened: Allegations That Couldn’t Be Ignored

What was supposed to be a safe space for readers, authors, and creators turned into something much darker. After the event, allegations started streaming online – claims of sexual assault and harassment targeting authors and other attendees.

Allegedly, there were cosplayers who were being groped and spoken to inappropriately. And someone was performing sex acts with a dildo in the lobby, right out where anyone could see (and where viewers did not give consent to see such behavior).

Among the most horrifying reports was what happened to Animus, a music artist and friend of author H.D. Carlton. Carlton posted about what happened to Animus on her Stories:

He was groped without consent by readers attending the event and reportedly had an AirTag (tracking device) placed on him. Carlton was (rightfully) enraged by what happened and expressed disappointment in the fans and reader community.

All of social media’s bookish communities were quickly abuzz with this story, and although it seems that everyone speaking out was as appalled by it as I was, this doesn’t change the fact that these things keep happening. So how do we stop it? And how do we hold those responsible accountable?

Voices from the Community

I scrolled through BookTok, Threads, and especially Reddit, where the frustration was palpable. One redditor said so plainly:

“I hope they’re identified and banned from all future events. … HD’s account of what he experienced is truly horrific.”
—xRubyWednesday on r/DarkRomance Reddit

Someone else laid it all out:

“A group of women cornered a male model, groped his chest and genitals … stuck their hands in his pants … tried to air-tag him. … Alcohol is not an excuse for sexual assault which is what happened.”
—darksemisweet on r/DarkRomance Reddit

Emotions ran high – anger, disappointment, grief. Especially because our beloved genre of dark romance most certainly tackles taboos and fantasies… but this was real life, and it crossed every line. Now conversations are happening around consent – what it really means, how it should be defined and upheld in spaces like this, and what we can do to ensure this never happens again.

Dark Romance – and Reality

This controversy also reignited a long-standing debate: Where does fantasy end and reality begin? On Threads, someone wrote:

“Multiple. People. Were. Sexually. Assaulted. This is horrifying. A man had a tracker placed on him …” Threads

Others highlighted the danger of fans conflating fiction with consent. Many pointed out that while dark romance explores edgy themes, consent is absolutely non-negotiable in real life. I thought we all knew this!

CONSENT IS NON-NEGOTIABLE.

And it must be expressly given.

How someone is dressed is not consent.

Presence at an event like this is not consent.

Being a fan of dark romance is not consent.

Dark Romance authors and readers already have to defend themselves and their books against people who don’t understand the appeal. There are many who question the themes in dark romance and whether or not it is “healthy” to read and consume.

Response from Organizers

The group behind the event did step forward with a statement since the event took place, and they have a plan for preventing these types of issues in the future. They reiterated the importance of consent during the ball and later condemned the behavior, indicating that individuals responsible for serious offenses had been identified and banned. While details remain slim, the statement emphasized accountability and attendee safety.

That said, the damage had already been done – for both the people directly affected and our broader community. How we rebuild trust, and how future conventions enforce safety, now feels more necessary than ever.

Reflecting – Why This Matters to Us

Dear readers, I share all this not to sensationalize, but because I believe conversations like this – tough as they may be – are essential. Dark romance is a genre we love because it deals with human intensity, depth, even discomfort. But when that intensity crosses into real harm, we have to speak up.

Something for all of us to carry forward:

• Consent is always non-negotiable, regardless of setting, costume, fandom, or fantasy.
• Community spaces must protect people – not just entertain them. Clear boundaries, stronger security, zero tolerance.
• We can love edgy fiction and still demand respect in real life. One doesn’t negate the other.

We have to do better. Stop tagging people and trying to “summon BookTok” to random people’s profiles because you like their voice or their look reminds you of a character from a book. Stop sexualizing strangers. Stop fetishizing certain professions (ie. hockey players or firefighters), or people who look a certain way (ie. tall, tattooed, etc.)

People do not exist for you to oggle or fantasize about. This is gross behavior. Enjoy your books, but keep the book thoughts to the books and your own mind, or private chat with a book bestie.

I imagine everyone who attended wanted to walk away from Sinners & Stardust with stories about the joy of dark romance, the thrill of meeting authors, and the friendships forged over shared book obsessions. Instead, I’m writing about misconduct and broken trust.

But maybe that’s the lesson here: that as much as we love exploring shadowy fantasies in fiction, we must hold the line in real life. Our community deserves spaces where imagination can thrive without fear—where fantasy remains fantasy, and respect remains reality.

Because without boundaries, there is no safe space. And without safety, there is no community.

Final Thoughts

If you’re reading this, and you’re part of the dark romance community – thank you for being a responsible member of our community. The vast majority of us are thoughtful, respectful readers and creators. The actions of a few do not diminish that.

But we are at a crossroads. We must recommit to creating spaces – real or imagined – where fantasy stays where it belongs, and safety is always a reality. And we must call out bad behavior when we see it and hold people accountable for their actions.