All of us are aware that there are no logical answers to the spiritual forces in the universe. However, we can have some fun around the paranormal theme. One way of doing this is playing the paranormal-themed online slot games. Online gaming enthusiasts who are fans of the paranormal fiction can experience these wonders while spinning their reels.

Of course, the online casinos have slot games based on several other themes. For now, let’s explore the top three paranormal-themed online slots.

1. Mysterious

This online slot would take you back to England’s Victorian era. It does this with the help of a creepy story, which features a few ghosts. Mysterious has been designed and developed by one of the leading game developers, Pragmatic Play. The theme is complete with elements of horror and mystery. You’ll enjoy its detailed graphics and colorful icons.

The action takes place in an animated background with bolts of lightning. Among the other things are a street at night and a house on a hill. The game has 4 reels and you’ll have 256 ways to win. When it comes to the game’s regular symbols, you have nine. They are four playing card suits, four door knockers, and the Mysterious logo. The game can activate one of its three modes at random.

All of these three modes have specific features. The three wild symbols in the game substitute for the missing basic symbols. Some of them would give you winning multipliers. They can also expand and turn the icons in the surroundings into wilds.

2. 3 Witches

Developed by The Stars Group, 3 Witches features crisp graphics and some unique icons. This witchcraft-themed online slot has impressive detailing and animated sequences. You’ll also have dark reels in this game. A witch workshop is shown with potions, cauldrons, and several other amazing things.

There are 20 paylines and 5 reels in this online slot game. The game features eight standards symbols. They are a bottle with a potion, a raven, a spider, a burning skull, three witches, and a mortar. The wild symbol in this game is a black cat. If you manage to get 5 cats on a line, you’ll have the highest cash reward.

This wild also replaces all the standard symbols while helping you complete the winning lines. The logo of 3 Witches is the scatter symbol. It can pay you in any position.

3. Merlin And The Philosopher’s Stone

This online slot game has been developed by Arcadem, one of the leading online casino game providers. If you’ve been thinking that Merlin was an old wizard, this game will prove you wrong. Here, you’ll find a blonde alchemist playing the lead role. Merlin And The Philosopher’s Stone has transparent reels with cartoonish icons. It is one of the most popular slot games with a paranormal theme

The alchemist’s workshop is shown by a big image. You’ll have 10 paylines and 5 reels in this game. The basic symbols in this game are red, purple, yellow, and blue potions; Merlin, and gold bars. An image that shows Merlin’s hands holding precious stones is the wild icon. It replaces al the basic symbols, expands, and even covers the reels where it lands.

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Usually, the main character or characters have to break these rules to succeed in love. Often, this involves some looks of great longing from the other end of the ballroom or some late-night meetups. When you grab a historical romance novel, you’re transported back in time to witness some intense love scenes.

Generally, readers are reminded of the Regency romances of Jane Austen with the mention of historical romance. Here are some of the authors of the genre that you must know:

1. Jackie Ivie

A native of the state of Utah, United States, Jackie Ivie is famous for her debut novel. Titled Lady Of The Knight, the historical romance novel came out in 2004. It narrates the tale of Morganna KilCreggar. When the rival Scottish clan called ‘Fitzhugh’ destroys her family, Morganna sets out to slay the young Zander Fitzhugh. Later, the reader comes to know that the enemy and her heart have other plans.

Jackie Ivie attended the University of Utah and relocated to Wyoming. She stayed there for many years before moving to Anchorage in Alaska, where she now lives. Ivie usually spends most of her time in front of her computer, absorbed in another century. This is how she utilizes her spare time between being a businesswoman, a wife, and a mother.

2. Laura Kinsale

She holds a Master of Science in Geology, which she attained from the University of Texas, Austin. Before becoming a published author, she was working in the petroleum industry. She made her debut with the historical romance novel, Uncertain Magic. It’s a novel set in the Regency era and is about Roddy Delamore. This character has the ability to read minds, which makes it difficult for her to find a husband.

Uncertain Magic came out in the year 1987. Kinsale is the winner of two RITA awards. In 1991, she won the award for the Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. It was for her book, The Prince of Midnight. In 2005, she won the Long Historical Romance award for her book, Shadowheart.

3. Sara Orwig

Ever since her first novel came out in 1978, Sara Orwig has written more than a hundred books. Although she has an impressive list of contemporary romance novels to her name, she also possesses a considerable stack of historical romances. Orwig is a charter inductee into the prestigious Oklahoma Professional Writer’s Hall of Fame.

She has also won the Oklahoma Novel of the Year Award twice. It was presented to her by the Oklahoma Writers Federation. In addition to this, her books have been on the list of best-sellers for B. Dalton, USA Today, and Waldenbooks. She has received eight awards from Romantic Times.

They include the Best Western Historical Romance Writer award. Her three-part Civil War Saga narrates the tales of passion amid the intense military conflict. This military struggle is between the South and North America.

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They’d spend some time scouring the pages to know whether they’d want to buy the book. Fortunately, you have some good review sites today that make things easier for readers. So, let’s take a look at some of the leading book review sites every reader must know:

1. Goodreads.com

Goodreads has become extremely popular with readers in recent times. This book review site gives you the convenience of organizing your own library. Besides this, you can create your own wish list and see what others are recommending. Goodreads also allows you to track the books you want to read or the ones you’re reading. The site also has a strong social media presence with a huge fan following.

2. Omnivoracious.com

Also popular as The Amazon Book Review, this website went live in 2007. It’s actually a blog from Amazon.com’s book editors. They share news, interviews, reviews and many other things on Omnivoracious.

Be it fiction, cookbooks, non-fiction, romance, children’s books, or science fiction, they talk about books of all genres. You’ll also find other useful stuff on this site, such as book recommendations and interviews with authors.

3. NYbooks.com

Over the years, NYbooks have become one of the leading English literary-intellectual magazine. Some of the earlier authors included Elizabeth Hardwick, W.H. Auden, Edmund Wilson, Hannah Arendt, Susan Sontag, and Norman Mailer. On this book review site, you’ll come across many book recommendations.

They com from renowned contributors in the world of literature. The writers publish reviews of books and arts every other week on Nybooks.

4. BookPage.com

BookPage was founded in the year 1988 in Nashville, Tennessee. This book review site serves as a guide to the best new books that are published every month. In order to keep their visitors engaged, the site also hosts sweepstakes contests and giveaways.

5. KirkusReviews.com

This fantastic website has its origins in a book review magazine, which was founded by Virginia Kirkus in 1933. Over the years, it also launched one of the world’s richest literary awards. It offers $50,000 prizes every year to authors of different genres. Kirkus Reviews also has an immense newsletter subscription list, which serves the book reviewers.

They can benefit from a weekly newsletter that provides the right book recommendations. For over 85 years, Kirkus Reviews has been a reliable source of information about books for many readers.

6. AllReaders.com

This amazing book review site fetches the right results for you. You just need to let it know the plots or genres of your interest. AllReaders.com classifies books based on plot, character, setting, and writing style. It also features detailed reviews of books from different genres. What’s unique about this site is that it’s more detailed and specific than most of the other review sites.

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These two genres are closely associated with each other, but they’re quite different in some aspects. Here, we’ll try to understand the difference between these two genres.

Supernatural fiction

This genre involves elements that mostly operate outside the rules of the world that we live in. They can’t be understood by applying scientific principles or logic. Supernatural fiction generally deals with matters related to god, the archangels, resurrection, and souls. The sub-genres of supernatural fiction include supernatural horror fiction. Let’s take the work of H.P. Lovecraft for instance.

His books are usually based around the idea of cosmicism. It suggests that in the vast cosmos, humanity is rather insignificant. The humans could be wiped out at any moment. Lovecraft was popular for incorporating elements of science fiction and fantasy into his stories. Cosmicism was also his personal philosophy and a vital theme in his works of fiction.

Another example of supernatural fiction would be the Gothic ghost stories. You can also take other supernatural thrillers that come under the horror genre. We can take Frankenstein as a case study here. Although it includes elements of the Romantic and Gothic novels, many regard it as the first true science-fiction.

The central character of the story takes a deliberate decision. Then he turns to modern lab experiments to achieve the desired result. The novel Frankenstein greatly influenced the world of literature and popular culture.

Paranormal fiction

This genre of literary fiction generally includes creatures that are popular in fairy tales and folklore. Some of the examples of such creatures include aliens, fairies, undead, and the shapeshifters. Paranormal fiction has supernatural beings and phenomena that cannot be explained with the help of science. In other words, they’re usually beyond the realm of the natural world that we live in.

Its sub-genres are paranormal romance, fantasy romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal fantasy. This genre has given many New York Times best-selling audiobooks and hardcovers in recent times. The storylines generally focus on characters who are young adults and fall in love with a paranormal being.

Difference between supernatural and paranormal fiction

There are many who use supernatural and paranormal fiction genres interchangeably. These genres also have a close association with each other. Despite this, there are subtle differences between the two. The term ‘paranormal’ refers to the phenomena or beings that are beyond the realm of scientific understanding. It also suggests that science could potentially explain those phenomena or beings one day.

You’ll come across zombies, aliens, werewolves, and ghosts in the paranormal genre. It also includes phenomena such as time travel and telepathy. Supernatural refers to phenomena that are always beyond the realm of scientific explanation. The examples would be god, souls, and afterlife.

About fantasy novels

Fantasy novels generally include supernatural creatures and elements of the paranormal. The ideal examples would be J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. In the literary world, the debate still goes on about the contemporary fantasy genres. The debate is whether they fall into the category of supernatural or paranormal or not.

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1. Beloved is based on a real story

A 1987 novel written by Toni Morrison, Beloved tells the tale of a family whose home is haunted. The house is haunted by the ghost of the eldest daughter of Sethe, a former slave. This book is actually based on a real story. Margaret Garner had escaped to the free state of Ohio in the mid-19th century.

When the U.S. marshals stormed into her cabin, they found her attempting to kill her children. By that time, she had already killed her two-year-old daughter to prevent her from being taken as a slave. When Garner had to face trial, she said that she would do it again.

2. Shirley Jackson never believed in ghosts

Shirley Jackson was an American writer who was famous for her mystery and horror novels. Her novel, The Haunting of Hill House came out in 1959. Many consider the novel as one of the best ghost stories ever written. Interestingly, the story was not based on any of her personal experiences.

Neither was it based on any supernatural beliefs. Instead, the story was based on the historical accounts given by people who had lived in haunted homes.

3. Charles Dickens was a ghost hunter himself

Many consider Charles Dickens as one of Victorian era’s greatest novelists. Now you might think that ghost-hunting is a fairly new thing. Well, Charles Dickens was a ghost-hunter in real life. He was one of the early members of a paranormal investigation and research organization called ‘The Ghost Club’. His interest in paranormal investigation might’ve been the inspiration behind his novella A Christmas Carol.

4. Stephen King fears the number 13

If you have a fear of the number 13, you’re not alone. Even the great American author, Stephen King, has an irrational fear of this number. In fact, there are millions of people in this world who suffer from this fear. As there have been many reports of this phenomenon, it has even got a name – triskaidekaphobia.

Those who suffer from this phobia associate the number with danger or bad luck. This superstition prevents them from staying in hotel rooms with the number 13. They even avoid the 13th floor of a building.

5. Artwork in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark originally came out on the 14th of October, 1981. Written by Alvin Schwartz, the book had artwork in charcoal and ink by Stephen Gammell. The book has sold millions of copies until now, but Stephen Gammell’s artwork is often praised more.

Some had even termed the artwork as ‘nightmarish’. The stories in the book have been subject to heavy criticism for their macabre topics. They include cannibalism, murder, and disfigurement. Nevertheless, its illustrator Stephen Gammell went on to win a Caldecott Medal for his lighter illustrations.

6. Mexican Gothic is based on an actual town

This Gothic horror novel written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia came out in 2020. A real town located in the middle part of Mexico served as an inspiration for the novel. The name of that town is Mineral del Monte or Real del Monte. The Spanish chose this town during those times for mining. In the 19th century, the British arrived here and started their mining activities. This earned it the nickname ‘Little Cornwall’.

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Many of the readers would be able to identify a book’s genre just by seeing the cover or the blurb. However, the fact remains that it’s not always easy to label every book according to its genre. Still, you’ll find most of the books labeled according to their genre. Among them is paranormal romance.

This genre has a wider scope and includes many different sub-genres. Many individuals like to read paranormal romance owing to all those mysteries associated with it. Of course, there are some intriguing elements or characters that are quite common in paranormal romances. We’ve listed some of them here:

1. The protagonist

This character can either be a male or a female. Generally, the paranormal romance novels have this character in the form of a woman. She is a normal girl who is transported into a paranormal world from her routine life. In this world that she’s transported to, nothing seems familiar.

The reasons for her being transported into such a world can vary. It could be due to one of her past ancestors who wants something from her. One of the other reasons might be her destiny that would lead to her true love. Most of the times she meets a hero who acts as her guide and becomes her lover.

2. The protector

Mostly, this character is a male, but it can also be a female. The character usually wields a sword or a gun, which he or she could most probably need. This character often wins the heart of the reader with some rough talks and a fierce and protective nature. Beneath the battle-scarred body lies an unexpected tenderness. It has been a general observation that this mythical warrior almost never uses the sword or gun.

3. The leader

You might wonder that this character fits into the role of a hero perfectly. When it comes to paranormal romances, he’s the man who is in charge of other males. In other words, he is a leader of a group of men who grabs your attention. He could also be a leader of a group of warriors or the head of a clan of vampires.

This character may also be a link between this world and a realm of demons. The heroine of the novel is more likely to fall for him. He has all the characteristics that would instantly impress the females.

4. The villain

He is the one who always does bad things to good people. This character is mostly the villain of the story who knows that he’s doing all the wrong things. The problem with him is that he still continues to do so and even likes it. He is the ultimate villain and the one who needs to be stopped.

At times, he is a demon or a former overlord. He’s the kind of man that mothers usually warn their children about. Sometimes, such characters have a hint of goodness in some of the paranormal romances. This small element of goodness becomes a reason for his redemption from an evil past.

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Historical romance forms the broad category of mass-market fiction. As the novels of this genre are mainly for the mass market, their chances of success depend on the prevailing trends. Large merchandisers and booksellers don’t sell many paperbacks, which adversely affects this genre at times.

More than 770 historical romance genre novels came out in the beginning of the 21st century. Within about four years, the number had dropped below 490. However, it still accounted for almost 20% of all the published romance novels.

History of the historical romance genre

Georgette Heyer’s The Black Moth came out in 1921. This novel was one of the first historical romances to achieve great popularity. The story of this novel had its setting in the mid-18th century. About 15 years later, she came up with the first of her signature Regency novels. Its setting was in the period between 1811 and 1820. This was the time when England was under the rule of Prince Regent.

Jane Austen’s works were the inspiration behind the Regency novels of Georgette Heyer. They were from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The stories of Heyer’s Regency novels were set amid the events that had occurred more than 100 years ago. To help her readers understand the context, she included all the authentic details of the period.

Wherever the author made a reference to the historical events, it gave readers a background detail of the period. It was not of great importance in the narrative. It was in the United States that the modern romance genre was born. This happened in the early 1970s. Kathleen E Woodiwiss’s novel The Flame and the Flower was published by Avon Publications.

Other than the content, this book was quite revolutionary. It was among the first single-title romance novels to come out in the form of an original paperback. The novel went on to sell more than 2.30 million copies. Two years later, Avon published the second novel of Woodiwiss titled The Wolf and the Dove.

Types of Historical Romance Genre

Viking

This type of historical romance novels feature Vikings set during the period of Dark Ages or Middle Ages. The protagonists in Viking romances are the typical alpha males under the influence of their better halves. Most of the Viking romance heroes are tall, blonde, and handsome. The use of Viking culture in these novels allow the authors to include some exciting elements like travel, adventures, and conquest.

More than 200 readers of Viking romances took part in a poll conducted in 1997. In this poll, Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey emerged as the best from the sub-genre. Sadly, the readers have not seen many Viking romance novels after the 1990s. It seems that this sub-genre has fallen out of style.

Medieval

Typically set during the times between 938 and 1485, this sub-genre feature women as the weaker sex. These were the times when they were living according to their father’s wishes. Such women often had to use their wits and will power to find the ‘ideal husband’.

He was the one who would accept the woman’s need to be independent, while protecting her from the dangers. The hero of the novels belonging to this genre was usually a knight. He first learned to respect his lady and her unusual ideas and then fell in love with her.

Such heroes were always strong and dominant. The heroines were in a subordinate position despite making all the gains. She usually made that choice for the sake of protection that she got from her beloved. The main purpose of the heroes in these novels was to fulfill the heroine’s wishes.

Western

The novels in this sub-genre usually have their setting in the frontier areas of the United States, Australia, or Canada. In Western romance novels, the focus is more on the experiences of the heroine. The heroes in these novels seek adventures and conquest of the unknown. These men are slightly uncivilized and lonely souls. Owing to certain events beyond their control, the heroines have to travel to the frontier.

Their challenge is to survive in a world dominated by men. By the end of these novels, they usually conquer their fears with love. Mostly, the couple face personal dangers. Amid their troubles, they forge a strong relationship for their future.

Victorian

Novels in this sub-genre have their setting in the England of the 19th century. The Victorian period in these novels usually begins with the Reform Act of 1832. This period is also characterized by the rule of Queen Victoria. Some of the stories set during this period feature a fictional country. One example of this would be the novels that Beatrice Heron-Maxwell wrote.

Pirate

Pirate novels usually feature the protagonist as a ‘bad boy’ who dominates everyone for freedom and wealth. The protagonist or the main character can be a male or a female. The heroes in these novels usually capture the heroine early on in the story.

She is then forced to succumb to his wishes and eventually falls in love with him. Rarely, in some of the novels in this sub-genre, the heroine is the pirate. In such stories, she struggles to maintain her freedom. Much of the action in these novels happens on the waters.

Native American

In a way, these novels can also be placed in the Western sub-genre. The differentiating factor is that this sub-genre always has a protagonist who is a Native American. His heritage forms the integral part of the story. These novels mainly focus on freedom, instinct, creativity, and the longing to escape from social ills. In these books, the members of the Native American tribes are depicted as exotic people.

They possess the kind of freedom that one admires and envies at the same time. Generally, the protagonist’s struggle in these novels is against racism and the resulting hardships. In most of these stories, the hero or heroine gets captured. He or she then falls in love with a member of the Native American tribe.

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They can be about the life of ordinary people or an aristocratic society. Regardless of the narrative’s focus, all novels in this genre have some prominent features. Let’s take a look at them:

1. Setting

Here, setting refers to the place and time in history. The historical fiction novels transport readers to a period in the past in the first couple of paragraphs. This is the reason why they choose such books in the first place. Sometimes, you find yourself in the past just by reading the opening sentences.

As you read further, more details of the period are revealed. They’re usually in the form of costumes, furniture, food, housing, entertainment, sounds, architecture, and several other aspects.

2. Characters

The character in such novels behave according to the customs and traditions that prevailed in the era. Of course, in some of the novels, they’re inspired to push the boundaries. The characters of these novels can either be real or the imagined creations of the author. So, you get to discover some of the beliefs, norms, traditions, culture, and attitudes of the era the novel is set in.

3. Theme

There are many potential themes that the historical fiction novels might explore. Some of them are revenge, loyalty, temptation, ambition, love, patriotism, destiny, and friendship. No matter what the theme of the novel is, it must be within the context of the period. This might involve a lot of research.

For example, what constitutes loyalty in recent times might be entirely different in those times. In some societies of the past, one had to prove loyalty by performing certain actions.

4. Dialogues

Sentences spoken by characters in historical fiction novels might include the period’s vocabulary and grammatical structures. The words and phrases are carefully inserted to remind you of the era that the novel is set in. Most of these novels also take utmost care not to slow down the readers’ pace with cumbersome dialogues. The author does this to make the book easier to understand and enjoy.

5. Plot

The plot of a historical fiction novel has to make sense for the era it represents. It is often shaped by the historical events that have taken place around that period. Usually, this can be seen when the novel is about famous historical figures.

Moreover, they don’t delve into the insignificant events too much as it might confuse the reader. A good author of historical fiction knows that he or she is not writing history but narrating a story.

6. Conflict

What would really keep your interest on in a historical fiction novel is the conflict in the story. The author generally creates this with all the problems that the characters in the story face. A good novel in this genre presents a realistic conflict that’s true to the era and the place.

The readers would obviously want to understand the reasons behind the conflict that the story presents. For instance, a young woman during the 15th century might be forced into marriage with an older man. She might also have to take religious vows forcibly. These are some of the choices that may lead to conflict.

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The major characteristics are romantic relationships between humans and ghosts, vampires, shapeshifters, or similar otherworldly beings. Although the major focus is on romantic love, you’ll also encounter elements with no scientific explanation. You might also see a blend of themes from fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres of speculative fiction.

Some paranormal romances might also include time travel or characters with certain psychic abilities. Some of these abilities are telepathy and telekinesis. This sub-genre of romantic fiction has its roots in gothic fiction.

Revival

Paranormal romance has gone through a revival phase recently owing to the technological advancements of the 21st century. The internet and electronic publishing process have given a boost to paranormal romances. As a result, it has become a trending sub-genre of romantic fiction today. Some of the examples of authors who specialize in this genre include Jessica Bird, Nalini Singh, and Jackie Ivie.

Tor Books, the fantasy publisher, revealed the statistics in 2013. According to the data, 57% of the writers of paranormal romance or urban fantasy were women. The genre that has men outnumbering women by almost two to one is historical, epic, or high fantasy.

Sub-genres

The elements of fantasy in paranormal romances may be woven into a different version of our own world. For example, an urban fantasy may involve demons, vampires, or werewolves. You might also find more normal forms of the paranormal, such as humans with supernatural abilities. Ghosts or witches may also be involved. You can also place time travel, extraterrestrial, and futuristic romances under this genre.

So, paranormal romances can be described as a blend of the real with fantasy or science fiction. They might also blend elements of certain other sub-genres. Fantasy themes may include mystery and suspense. You’ll also find some paranormal romances with their setting entirely in the past. They’re structured more like historical romance novels.

Many others have their setting in the future and sometimes in different worlds. Some might have a time-travel element. Either the hero or the heroine would travel into the future or the past. The number of paranormal romances published in the United States per year had doubled between 2002 and 2004. In this genre, a popular title carries the potential to sell more than 500,000 copies.

Urban fantasy

In the urban fantasy sub-genre, many of the paranormal romances blend the supernatural with contemporary life. The authors do this by creating certain characters with magical powers. At times, the larger culture has the awareness of the presence of these magical beings amid people. Some stories don’t delve too much into the specifics of their alternative worlds.

Thus, the attention is more on the underlying romance in these novels. In some paranormal romances, the development of the alternate worlds happen rather meticulously. They combine contemporary reality with non-human cultures and well-planned magical systems.

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