allegorical: having hidden meaning that transcends the literal sense
epic: extending beyond the usual or ordinary in size or scope
macabre: disturbing and horrifying depiction of injury and death
the marvelous real: real places and objects that are extraordinary or strange
metafiction: fiction that deals with the process of writing, often by referring to itself.
normalized: unusual elements that are presented as normally occuring
tone:the general attitude of a place, situation or piece of literature; the mood.
world-building: the development of imaginary worlds complete with geographic features, unique inhabitants, inventive systems of government and, sometimes, fully developed languages.
Typically set within the known world, paranormal (or dark) fantasy is a blend of fantasy and other realistic genre, such as romance. Characters include supernatural beings (vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.) who possess the traits and skills expected. The tone, however, is not always dark, nor are the supernatural beings necessarily evil. Well known examples include the Twilight Trilogy and the Shiver trilogy.
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In a 2019 piece titled The Difference Between Dark Fantasy And Horror (And Why It Matters) and published on the UPROXX popular media ezine, author and film maker, Jessica Toomer explains:
If horror is about people trying to escape monsters (both human and supernatural), dark fantasy is about people accepting that the monster may be within and deciding how to live in a world filled with wonder and peril despite that revelation.
This definition gets at the heart of what makes the relatively new genre dark (paranormal) fantasy different from the more establish genre of horror fiction. Authors like Marissa Meyer (Twilight), Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book), and Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver) :
Paranormal Romance Series
Great YA Paranormals to Start With
Library Information and Media Center - Monona Grove High School - Monona, Wisconsin