So. Today. I will talk about this thing that I ran into and made me really upset and feel violated and cheated as a reader and a fan. MISMARKETING. Known to normal people as lying.
I love pretty much anything in speculative fiction. Fantasy. Science fiction. Urban fantasy. Dystopian. Even paranormal romance when the story is really, really good. If it's got something out of this world (literally) then I'll at least give it a shot. What I absolutely hate though is being lied to.
Fact: I'm not stupid. Not at all. I know my genre probably better than I know the back of my hand. I know what fantasy looks like, I know what paranormal romance looks like. Another fact: they are not the same thing. Imagine my sister and I's surprise when, after getting two copies of a young adult fantasy with a gorgeous cover and superb praise, our surprise when it wasn't fantasy, but paranormal romance. For those that don't know: fantasy relies heavily on world building and it is the world building that drives the plot forward. I'm not saying that characters, romance,etc can't further the plot, but the world, and the issue with this world that the author is presenting is the catalyst for a lot. Paranormal romance is exactly what it sounds like - it's a romance with paranormal elements. The driving force behind it is the romance between the main characters - the world is secondary.
I have nothing against paranormal romance - I just don't read it as much as other genres in speculative fiction. But I feel cheated when the author or publisher or both advertise a book as something other than it is. Paranormal is a booming genre - why shouldn't advertise it for what it is? Do you really expect the people who love fantasy and pick up this book not to pick up on the fact that, one, the romance is the main element, and two, that this isn't fantasy, but urban fantasy?
I felt cheated. So yeah. Publishers. Writers. Peeps who are published. I'm not calling you a liar. Just don't lie to me.
