Another self-explanatory metric; the more points of view (POVs) a story is written in, the more rigorous the reading. Generally, a story with 1-5 POVs is easy, 6-10 POVs is intermediate, and 11+ POVs becomes difficult to keep track.

Light: Stories with a "Light" tone often have clearly defined good guys and bad guys, the good guys rarely make choices that are ethically questionable and we can count on them to always come out on top. Bad things happen to bad guys and the good guys and innocents escape unharmed. Don't expect a lot of these in modern sci-fi or fantasy.

Pulpy: Stories inspired by the pulp magazines of the first half of the 20th century, these stories tend to have action driven plots and swashbuckling leads. The good guys may be tough on the outside, but we can count on them to do the right thing.

Gritty: This one is tricky. It's easy to think a Gritty novel is dark and depending on your definition it might be. This is where the optimism that our protagonists are heroes can fade a bit. Modern DC movies like to lean into this tone, good guys suffer and act selfishly at times while the villains remain villains who will eventually face consequences. We may see gore but any abuse or violence towards children will likely be off screen, sexual assault may happen but again is more likely to be implied than stated.

Dark: Bad things happen to good people and the good guys don't always win. These stories often end with tragedy. Characters may face more gratuitous violence and it is not uncommon for protagonists to shift from heroic to villainous.

Grim: There are no good guys here. If you think you've found a good guy, they'll either die or show their true colors. This is where the works of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, and other grimdark authors live.