July 19th is the 60th anniversary of the first publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. Part of the Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy, these outrageously popular books (and now films) are an undeniable cultural phenomenon in their own right.
But Tolkien's trilogy is responsible for something else, as well: the ushering in of the modern epic fantasy genre. Eager fans finished the Rings trilogy but weren't satisfied with a mere three books, allowing other authors to step in and tell their own tales of grand high fantasy -- many of which were, it has to be said, clear copycats of Tolkien's original.
But there are plenty of epic fantasy novels that, while wholly original, still owe a debt to Tolkien for kickstarting a modern-day interest in the fantasy genre that persists to this day. So in honor of the anniversary, read on for some recommendations of our own fantasy favorites:
-- Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
One of the (understandably) biggest complaints about trying an epic fantasy novel is that, generally speaking, you're kicking off a major reading commitment. Most fantasy novels aren't standalone stories; rather, they're the first book in a three or six or ten-part series, requiring you to devote some serious reading time to get through them.
Warbreaker is that rarest of epic fantasy animals: a standalone novel. There's no sequel, no prequel, no "companion volume" -- just one complete story, told in a single book.
And it's quite a story. Foregoing the usual epic-fantasy traps of long quests for magical talismans, Warbreaker instead revolves around two sisters with an unusual magical power. Though eldest sister Vivenna is the one who originally finds herself betrothed to the God King, it's her flighty and impetuous younger sibling who ends up fulfilling the arrangement. Determined to save her sister, Vivenna promptly follows after her into the city -- only to find herself enmeshed in a world of thieves, immortals, and a god who doesn't believe in his own religion.
The book's twist-filled plot, original magic system, and rich character development make Warbreaker one of my very favorites.
Brandon Sanderson in the Catalog:
-- Warbreaker
Mistborn Trilogy
-- The Final Empire
-- The Well of Ascension
-- The Hero of Ages
Stormlight Archive
-- The Way of Kings
-- Words of Radiance
-- Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
As a big fan of pirate tales, I'm always on the lookout for fantasy reads that have a few nautical elements to them. In my experience, however, fantasy books with ships and sailors are few and far between.
So I was delighted when I stumbled across Ship of Magic. The first book in a trilogy, it gives you everything you could ask for in a nautical fantasy: ships, sailors, sea serpents, and even a handful of the requisite pirates.
Merchant's daughter Althea Vestrit is determined to do whatever it takes to rescue her father's ship from her ruthless brother-in-law. Young priest-in-training, Wintrow, just wants to find his way back home. And Captain Kennit, the would-be Pirate King, is (like all good pirates) on the lookout for ways to seize as much power as possible. And on an ocean where ship's figureheads are sometimes known to spring to life, nothing will be as simple as it seems.
Robin Hobb in the Catalog:
The Liveship Traders
-- Ship of Magic
-- Mad Ship
-- Ship of Destiny
Farseer Trilogy
-- Assassin's Apprentice
-- Royal Assassin
-- Assassin's Quest
Tawny Man Trilogy
-- Fool's Errand
-- The Golden Fool
-- Fool's Fate
-- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
He's been an innkeeper, swordfighter, magician, thief, musician ... and assassin. Our hero, Kvothe, is already a legend -- but the Chronicler who is determined to write down the true story of his exploits quickly finds himself peeling back the layers to find the man behind the myth.
The Name of the Wind kicks off with Kvothe's early days. ("I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in," as he blithely explains.) As the story unfolds for the Chronicler, so too does the truth behind Kvothe's life come into sharp relief. With another uniquely-written system of magic, and plenty of complex characters, this series has quickly become a go-to favorite for many fantasy fans.
Patrick Rothfuss in the Catalog:
Kingkiller Chronicle
-- The Name of the Wind
-- The Wise Man's Fear
-- Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett
There is a curse. They say:
"May you live in interesting times."
The Discworld series started life as a parody of epic fantasy and went on to become, in the course of forty installments, something else entirely. (Don't be scared off by the quantity; each volume is written as a standalone story.) While the intensely wry (and altogether delightful) humor has always remained a constant, the Discworld series has become a complex fantasy universe in its own right, with as delightful a cast of characters as one could ever ask for.
This particular offering stars my favorite character of the series -- Rincewind the wizard, who is so inept that he only knows one spell (and it's not a very useful one). He's also an outrageous coward, although given the number of times someone or something seems hell-bent on killing him, it's rather hard to blame him.
When the Unseen University receives a request for a "Great Wizzard" to be sent to the Counterweight Continent, the faculty decides Rincewind is the only man for the job. What follows is a whirlwind adventure that sees Rincewind running into the likes of Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde of Warriors (everyone's a bit older now), a villainous Grand Vizier, a well-meaning army -- and Rincewind's old traveling companion, Twoflower. It's exactly the kind of "interesting" adventure that Rincewind so dreads -- and that makes for such delightful, hilarious, and surprisingly poignant reading.
Terry Pratchett in the Catalog:
-- Interesting Times
-- The Colour of Magic
-- Mort
-- Wyrd Sisters
-- Maskerade
-- Guards! Guards!
-- Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman)
"Luck is my middle name. Mind you, my first name is Bad."
-- Rincewind the Wizard
-- Post by Ms. B
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