A paranormal romance follows the rules of the romance genre, with the relationship being the focus of the novel. Often the relationship in a paranormal romance is between otherworldly beings such as vampires, werewolves or shapeshifters. The setting can be modern, historic or futuristic. The other major rule that applies in this type of genre is that there must be what is known as a happily-ever-after ending, where the love-struck characters find a way to be together forever.
The fantasy genre has an urban, contemporary setting and can contain elements of the paranormal, such as trolls, fairies or vampires. The important distinction between fantasy and paranormal romance is that the element of romance in fantasy novels is secondary, and happily-ever-after might or might not happen for these characters. The fantasy genre builds a new world, incorporating a history of how and why the paranormal exists here that creates credibility.
Although there are exceptions to every rule, in general the paranormal romance genre is written in the third person, sometimes with multiple points of view. The fantasy genre is mostly written in first person, with the heroine telling the story. It’s important to remember that this distinction is a generality, and there may be times when the fantasy or paranormal romance does not adhere to this rule.
Some of the more popular fantasy novels include Charles DeLint’s Newford series, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, and Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. All of these novels have contemporary settings with otherworldly characters, and while romantic elements are introduced, they are not the focal point of the stories.
Examples of the paranormal romance genre include Amanda Hocking’s My Blood Approves series, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series, and J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Despite the obvious differences between the fantasy and paranormal romance genres, it is important to remember that some books incorporate elements of both, making them difficult to define.