The origins of the paranormal romance can be traced all the way back to the early 1700s and is deeply rooted in the beginnings of the Gothic genre. One of the main titles, which have inspired a great deal of paranormal romance stories today, is Dracula, written by Bram Stoker in 1897. However, the term paranormal romance was not coined until the 1990s.
According to the Romance Writers of America (RWA), paranormal romance as a subgenre is defined as “romance novels in which fantasy worlds or paranormal or science fiction elements are an integral part of the plot.” A study conducted by the RWA in 2017 showed that younger readers tended to read more paranormal romance than older readers, which explains why there has been a huge increase in genres like paranormal romance and romantasy. These young readers from 2017 have now grown up and, with their own money to spend on books, are largely influencing what sells on the market.
Some of the most popular paranormal romance series include Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon, Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas, and even the Shadowhunter Series from Cassandra Claire. These stories feature romances between humans and vampires, werewolves, witches, and even aliens.
One tendency of the genre, which all these aforementioned books share, is to discuss dark themes which are usually represented on the cover. Twilight’s covers are all black with one mysterious object or element included, usually in white or red, meant to symbolise the loss of innocence the main character Bella experiences upon her introduction to the vampire world.
In recent years, as romance readers look to their books as a means to escape the difficult and oftentimes darkly tumultuous times we currently find ourselves in, there has been a shift taking place in the paranormal romance genre. Where once dark, brooding covers hinted at danger and mystery, today’s paranormal romance embraces pastel hues and tender supernatural love. These paranormal romance worlds have evolved into places where the supernatural and natural coexist. There is no element of surprise or discovery and the supernatural characters, while still sometimes gruff and from dangerous backgrounds, show a surprising and healthy amount of care and understanding toward their human counterpart.
This shift is also reflected in the covers. Whereas the paranormal romance genre was once dominated by moody, spooky, and mysterious covers, bright pastel illustrations showcasing the playful love between the two main characters now take front and center. The Monstrous World series by S.E. Wendel is a great example of this shift. The first two books in the series, Halfling and Ironling, follow halfling orcs and their growing romance between human women. Whereas once these covers might have taken on a darker more brutish tone, because orcs have always been portrayed as ferocious and barbaric creatures, Halfling features a beautiful illustration with the characters in a light green forest. While Orek, the main halfling orc, is bigger than his human companion, he stares lovingly into her eyes, holding her gently as she gazes lovingly back. Ironling is very similar, with a bright castle background.
It will be interesting to see how design conventions of the genre will continue to evolve as the political and social climate change throughout the next few years
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