As I’ve delved deeper into the world of authorship, I’ve become acquainted with so many sub-genres for books. Before this, I had only thought about the biggies. Sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, horror, literary, romance, non-fiction, and children’s literature. Maybe some historical fiction. Basically, those big signs you see above the rows at Barnes & Noble.

Side bar: Sci-fi is totally different than Fantasy, so if that sign could be split into two, that’d really make some people happy (lookin’ at you, Dad 😉).

The Mark of the Artist is a fantasy novel. But with so many categories I wasn’t sure what kind of fantasy it put it in. There’s no dragons, magic wands, elves, hobbits, kids on magical train rides, or fairy godmothers. 🧚🏻‍♀️ With all the specific sub-genres, I got a bit overwhelmed.

Some of the sub-genres I came across. Let’s take a look.

Cozy fantasy: There are some cozy moments in the book. Seaside picnics, romantic conversations by the river. Sheepherding and bonfires. Theft, kidnapping, the evil Harlequin Man’s leering gaze…ok maybe not.

Pirate fantasy: Part of the story takes place in a port city, but that’s about as close as it gets. Next!

Gothic fantasy: If we’re talking vampires, then no. If we’re talking a side character dressed in all black with a smile that shows she knows something…Hmm, still not quite right.

High fantasy: No dragons. Nope. 🐉

Romantasy: Uh maybe? There’s a love story, but I’m guessing the lack of so called “spice” doesn’t really put it here. 💛🩵

Portal fantasy: Ok hold on! Let’s chat about this one! 🚪

Portal Fantasy

This sub-genre involves characters traveling to another place through, you guessed it, a portal! The most well-known example is the rabbit hole in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. As an avid fan of the Alice books, a light bulb went on.💡Well of course!

Other examples are the tornado in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the wardrobe from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the doorways from the Dark Tower series.

Now this sub-genre totally makes sense to me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wished I could travel down the rabbit hole with Alice, so it’s no wonder that I created a similar set-up in my story. And I’m a huge fan of the Dark Tower series, especially The Gunslinger, but I digress.

Paintings and Portals

*Spoiler Alert*

If you don’t want to know specifics about how portals relate to The Mark of the Artist, please don’t read any further! 😉

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Ok, now let’s continue!

In the story, Sebastian—the witty, sarcastic, and unconfident painter—learns by way of his mentor Argento and some super cool paints, how to create paintings that act as doorways of sorts to the other side of the painting. Sebastian and his friends must travel through his painting (which is hinted at on the cover of the book!), to rescue Anna, his true love.

Is it magic? Kinda. But if it wasn’t for Sebastian’s talents as a painter, the painting wouldn’t work, no matter how much special paint was used. It’s about embracing art and all the power it has.

So! Portal Fantasy it is!

Make sure to grab a copy of the portal fantasy book The Mark of the Artist on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, or from your local library with Hoopla.