Welcome to November! I can’t believe that we are coming to the end of 2024 already. The next two months are going to be absolutely insane with family traditions and gatherings. Tonight though, as I’m writing this, it is Halloween in our part of the world, the perfect night for all of the paranormal creatures to come out and play.
Paranormal romance and fantasy romance have been incredibly popular in recent years, though they’ve been around for a long while. These subgenres of romance have so many different options for combining tropes with paranormal and fantasy creatures and settings, even spurring other subgenres like urban fantasy. Paranormal romance can be combined with any number of tropes, adding an extra layer of intrigue to any good romance, even sports and military tropes. Unlike fantasy, which may be more likely to take place in an entirely different world, paranormal romance may be set in a more realistic location, with the paranormal aspect sometimes even playing a minor role.
I LOVE paranormal romance; it’s one of my favorites! Admittedly, I’m a product of the Twilight generation so, I mean, that makes sense. But even then, do vampires make my top 5 paranormal romance list?
This Book Beauty’s Top 5 Paranormal Creatures of Romance Novels:
Shapeshifters
Shapeshifters have to come in as #1 in my favorite paranormal creatures for romance novels. There are so many options for shapeshifting creatures, with the most common being wolves though definitely not the only ones! Another common one is dragons. More often than not, shapeshifters typically come with tropes such as alpha/protector and fated mates. Shapeshifters can be solitary or exist in packs, allowing for an additional aspect of the found family to introduce more characters and may even result in a series of standalone novels that are interconnected. A great example of this is the Bad Boy Alphas and the Shifter Ops by Renee Rose and Lee Savino. Spicy and sexy, I loved both of these series!
Fae
Fae have become very popular recently, especially with the sudden interest in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Fae are interesting because there are so many different ways that they can be presented. Traditional fairies, wings, and all are just one of the ways that Fae can appear in books. Recently though, Fae may take on a more human appearance while showing minimal elements that set them apart from actual human beings. This could be a pair of pointed ears, sharp canines, or even wings or horns. Fae are usually mysterious and tricky, creating all sorts of possibilities for a writer.
Empath/Psychics
These are fun and are totally open for interpretation! Authors have plenty of space to work with empaths and psychics, resulting in some truly unique and interesting powers. Characters that encompass these types of powers may have everything form elemental manipulation to mind control. Characters of this kind typically have human features and start out trying to hide their abilities until an event or another character helps them to come out of the shadows. YA Academy series may have a character that has this occur – and I think this probably makes up the majority of my YA reading list.
Werewolves
Werewolves are paranormal creatures that have a multitude of lore written about them from years and years and different cultures. From werewolves that can shift without any influence from the moon, and into a wolf-like creature, to werewolves that shift only during the full moon and are more humanoid than wolf, there are many different ways to write a werewolf character. Like shapeshifters, these creatures may be written as a solitary “lone wolf” or as a pack creature. Depending upon how the character’s physical traits are written, werewolves and shapeshifters are usually similar when written in romance novels.
Vampires
Vampires also have a plethora of lore written on them from different cultures. From vampires that drink human blood and avoid the sun like the plague to the sparkling vamps of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, new ways to write vampires are constantly being written. One aspect of the vampire myth that I’d like to see explored more is vampires who subsist on other forms of energy beyond blood. The 2010s were great years for vampire enthusiasts with many YA series being released with either a vampire protagonist or supporting character.
Are there other paranormal creatures you enjoy reading about? What about paranormal creatures you wished there were more of in romance novels? Any great plans for November?
I hope November brings some beautiful weather and joy to your life!
Happy Reading ❤️
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