Today on the blog, we have a writer that proves to be a bit of a chameleon on the page: Jennifer Chance! She’s here celebrating the release of her new book Court of Talons!
Since my first book launched in 2013, a YA historical fantasy romance featuring Elizabethan spies, I’ve fallen in love with the idea of mashing up the genres of romance and fantasy. I’ve since written contemporary romance, urban fantasy (a LOT of urban fantasy), and paranormal romance books. And I’ve loved them all!
With my new adventure, Court of Talons, I explore high fantasy with a romance that sneaks up on the main characters, simmers through book one, then goes on to expand in surprising ways in book two.
But what makes a fantasy “high” vs. “urban” vs. simply “paranormal romance”?
I’m so glad you asked!
High Fantasy is all about sweeping landscapes, intricate world-building, and epic battles. Enter COURT OF TALONS, a tale that features giant monsters, a perilous tournament, and a dark, life-changing adventure for the heroine.
Urban Fantasy, on the other hand, takes those same threads of magic and conflict but weaves them into a modern, familiar setting. Think secret societies hidden in alleyways and ancient creatures blending into the crowds of a city that never sleeps.
Then there’s Paranormal Romance—where the pulse of romance beats alongside supernatural elements. This genre focuses on the intense chemistry between characters, one or both of whom often possess paranormal traits.
How does the difference play out on the page? Let’s dive in with a snippet of Court of Talons, written in high fantasy style!
COURT OF TALONS, the original version
The shock of my blade impaling itself so close to the warrior’s perfect jaw doesn’t seem to faze him.
“You missed,” he informs me.
“Did I?” I slide a second blade into my palm to replace the first, and I turn it to catch the thin stream of light flowing through the trees. “Should we try again?”
“Not yet.” He pulls the blade free from its trunk, examines it, then leans against the tree.
Leans! As if we’re in a courtyard and not a wild wood. Distantly, I wonder if Adriana is watching. “There aren’t any markings on this blade. One would think you wouldn’t want to lose it, yet you don’t claim it as your own. And it’s not often that I find a lady who’s also a marksman.”
I know better than to answer all his unspoken questions. The blade is unmarked because I’m not allowed to have a weapon on my person sharper than a paring knife. My safety lies in my lineage. No man would dare risk my father’s wrath to touch me.
Then again, we’re no longer in my father’s house.
**
Okay, that gives us some classic fantasy feels, with sharp steel, tense exchanges, and an underlying hierarchy of power set against an epic world.
But what if we gave this tale an Urban Fantasy edit?
THE BLADE IN THE ALLEY – a UF reimagining
The city’s shadows stretch like fingers, and I take my chance. My blade pierces the brick wall behind my ridiculously hot stalker, the tip grazing his cheekbone—but he doesn’t flinch.
“You missed,” he says, as casual as if we were chatting over coffee.
“Did I?” I pull out a second blade from my jacket, twirling it so the streetlamp’s flickering light dances off the steel. “Wanna test that theory?”
“Not now.” He pries the blade from the wall, inspecting it like it’s some kind of rare find.
Then he props himself against the graffiti-covered bricks like he owns the damned place. I wonder, for just a second, if anyone is watching from the windows above—if they’ll remember my face, or his. “No marks on this blade. Most people don’t toss away a weapon they treasure, but you… You play it loose. And it’s rare to see a woman throw a blade so well.”
I know his questions are traps. By order of the High Court, it’s illegal for me to carry, so every knife I own is unmarked, untraceable. My real protection comes from my last name. No one in their right mind would cross my family—not unless they wanted to disappear into the same shadows I haunt.
But out here, the city isn’t my father’s to rule. And neither am I.
**
We’ve kept the intensity here but woven it into gritty realism of UF—back alleys, flickering lights, and the thrill of the forbidden—complete with edgier dialog and humor.
Wondering how this tale would fare in the hands of PNR? Wonder no more!
THE MOST DANGEROUS DANCE – A PNR reimagining
My blade flies through the air, striking the bark just inches from the vampire’s face, but he doesn’t so much as blink. Instead, he smirks, his expression lazy…and infuriating.
“You missed,” he murmurs, that deep voice of his curling around the words like smoke.
“Did I?” My fingers slip over the hidden sheath on my thigh to produce another blade. This one catches the moonlight like it was born for it, and I let my words linger between us—a dare, a dance. “Care to see me try again?”
“Not so fast.” He pulls the blade free from the tree, inspecting it like a jeweler eyeing a diamond. He’d know diamonds, too—his family had sunk their teeth into that industry centuries before and never let go. And then, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, he leans against the trunk. The way he moves is all long limbs and confidence, and damned if it doesn’t make my pulse quicken. I wonder if Adriana’s out there somewhere, spying on this…whatever this is.
“Funny that there’s no mark on this blade. Someone like you…I’d think you’d want everyone to know it’s yours. Not many women can throw like that.”
I bite back my retort. My knives are unmarked because they have to be. Because women like me aren’t supposed to carry, aren’t supposed to fight, aren’t supposed to flirt with danger. My father’s name keeps me safe…or it used to, anyway.
But with him, here, staring at me like that? I’m not sure if I want safety.
**
Here, the tension focuses on the undercurrent of attraction. Every movement and word is charged with desire. The setting is intimate, the mood sensual. It’s all about how the supernatural setting mixes with the chemistry of the characters—which is the heart of PNR.
Now that I’ve played around with these genre re-imaginings, all I want to do is write! In the meantime, if you’re in the mood for a new romantasy, check out Court of Talons!
What about you? What’s your favorite fantasy subgenre, and why?
Want to know more about Court of Talons?
Each year at the Tournament of Gold, first-blooded and firstborn male warriors battle alongside their massive, otherworldly monsters for fame and power. But when Talia’s beloved younger brother is murdered on his way to the tournament—and his beast unexpectedly bonds with Talia—all hope for the Tenth House is lost. Desperate for answers and to protect her house, Talia assumes her brother’s identity and enters the tournament.
But beneath the pomp and glory of this year’s battles, Talia discovers a dark conspiracy carefully crafted to destroy the entire realm.
If she’s discovered…she dies.
If she loses…she dies.
And if she doesn’t stop the evil screaming toward them through the shadows…everyone dies.
Jenn Stark is an award-winning author of more than fifty novels and a half-dozen novellas, spanning genres from contemporary to historical, paranormal romance to urban fantasy. She lives and writes in Ohio… and she definitely loves to write.
She got her start in historical spy thrillers as Jennifer McGowan, and her Maids of Honor series of Young Adult Elizabethan romances are published by Simon & Schuster. These days, she spends most of her time in the modern fiction world as Jenn Stark, with her flagship “Immortal Vegas” and “Wilde Justice” urban fantasy series and “Demon Enforcers” paranormal romance series. These books center heavily on Tarot and magic and are high-stakes, fast paced tales of supernatural suspense.
She is also author Jennifer Chance, whose fantasy romance series are now published through Oliver Heber Books, and whose Rule Breakers series of New Adult contemporary romances are published by Random House/LoveSwept.
When she’s not writing, Jenn is a professional Tarot reader and an intuitive guide, so if you’re interested in those sides of her work, visit the Tarot page to learn more. Because life’s too short not to be doing what you love! You can also explore that corner of her world more completely at the website www.askactallow.
