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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/39634
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/39634
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Yeah, you have to plainly label this as fantasy. Not science-fiction. Because the fantasy elements are ones that would jar the reader if they were expecting reality. And I think it will turn off anyone accessing your book if it wasn't stated upfront.

Your queries can talk about "a mystery" without saying the book belong in the mystery genre. Or you can call it both mystery and fantasy. Your choice.

I would not worry about the subgenres. They're marketing and they will vary depending on the publisher (or reviewer or bookstore, etc). If your book fit neatly into a known subgenre, you could use it. But I don't suggest you try to force it.

I was going to suggest you look at the classification for _The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers_. Because the fantasy element is very slight and the book is mostly about other things. To my surprise, I'm not seeing it marketed as fantasy at all, though the fantasy part is mentioned directly in descriptions.

But how it is marketed is not necessarily the same as how it is pitched. I bet the word "fantasy" or a similar one was mentioned when Thomas Mullen was trying to sell it. And I would definitely use the word "fantasy" with your book, even if your queries focus on other things.

I'd be curious to hear how it goes for you.

Original score: 5