Variable. Magic is definitely a part of Arabian Fantasy. It is a sub-genre steeped in mysticism and lore. Some authors create recognizable magic systems, while others create a magical atmosphere or a world with a mythos immersed in magic. Magic is important, and it varies from the very specific, genies granting wishes, to just a magical feeling emanating from the page.

Variable. There is plenty of variation in this sub-genre. However, many stories ponder larger questions or offer critiques on social structures. Fate and destiny are often invoked and pondered. Even allegory is sometimes used to contemplate ideas.

High. Characters are so well done in Arabian Fantasy that they have become cultural icons—Aladdin, Sinbad, Ali Baba, Scheherazade. Authors draw on the rich literary history of these characters, they reinvent them, they use them as a basis for new and heroic characters, and they make readers invested in these characters.

High. Arabian Fantasy is multi-layered, it is rich, it is varied, it is an adventure, it is romance, and so much more. Arabian Fantasy is remarkable for its use of narrative techniques that subsequent genres and authors have adopted. Techniques like dramatic visualization and frame narratives make the story, and the plot, more complex and engaging.

Variable. Arabian Fantasy is not an innately violent sub-genre. Fighting and battles often dot the plotlines of an Arabian Fantasy story though, it makes for tense and action-packed stories. Indeed, violence in most of these stories is necessary to the plot.