Looking for fantasy with war, politics, and a broody trickster MMC (minimal on-page smut)
Hi, I'm trying to hunt down a specific kind of fantasy and keep accidentally wandering into straight-up
romantasy or smut, so I'm hoping y'all can help.
What I love:
• Big stakes: war, rebellion, conspiracies, political maneuvering
• Dark / morally gray MMCs, especially trickster or
"dangerous to the world, gentle with their one person" types
• Trauma, found family, post-war fallout, characters dealing with the cost of violence
• Slow burn or background romance is fine, but not required
What I don't want:
• "We make eye contact and are suddenly having acrobatics in every chapter"
• Romance as the main plot engine (I'd rather it be war/politics with some relationship stuff, not the other way around)
• Tons of explicit on-page smut
Bonus points if:
• There's a clever, scheming, or trickster-type MMC
• There's a strategist / "brainy" FMC who actually uses her brain in the plot
Thanks in advance, and please flag if your rec has a lot of explicit spice.