Are you in it for the adventure or in it for love? Fantasy fiction has it all.

Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay

By Kevin McCann and Claire Watson

Three rings for the Elven Kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-Lords in their halls of stone

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die

One for the Dark Lord on his Dark Throne

In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie

One Ring to rule them all,

One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all

And in the darkness bind them

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

A great fantasy storyteller captures our imagination, bringing us onto the battlefield, into the enchanted forest and through crystal caves. They keep us spellbound as we follow the hero’s journey through love, treachery, betrayal, and victory. From each cliff-hanging chapter to the next, here are some of the author-created worlds that live in modern fantasy.

The Legendarium of Arda, starting with The Hobbit (1937) by J.R.R Tolkien

“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”

Epic barely begins to describe The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series, the first novels that catapulted fantasy from the fringe into the mainstream. Tolkien transports us to Middle-Earth in search of the One Ring, the source of power claimed by the Dark Lord Sauron. Lost in battle and claimed by Gollum as “my precious,” the Ring falls to the hobbits Bilbo Baggins and later Frodo Baggins. Readers confront classic themes like death and immortality, good versus evil, free will, friendship, blinding avarice, and redemptive suffering. Tolkien set the standard for modern fantasy.

Chronicles of Narnia, starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950) by C.S Lewis

“Remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure

which no one is too poor to buy.”

Rewind to World War II. During the bombings in London, four English siblings are sent to a country house where they will be safe. So, what’s in the wardrobe besides clothes? Why, a portal that transports them to a magical world called Narnia. C.S Lewis, a good friend of J.R.R Tolkien, wrote the next big hit in modern fantasy. Introducing readers to mythical creatures; fauns, centaurs, dwarves, unicorns, dryads, gryphons, minotaurs, and one very special lion named Aslan, the god of Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia is a classic children’s fantasy series. It walks on themes such as salvation, redemption, gluttony, and faith.

The Chronicles of Shannara, starting with The Sword of Shannara (1977) by Terry Brooks

“If you want to survive in this world, you need to start taking care of yourself,

because no one’s gonna do that for you.”

The Sword of Shannara

Long ago, an ancient evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford is oblivious to history. The evil stirs, intent on the destruction of all life and the sole weapon against the power of darkness, the Sword of Shannara, can be used only by a true heir. The hope of all the races rests on Shea, last of the bloodline.

The Elfstones of Shannara

In the kingdom of the Elves, the magical Ellcrys tree lays dying, loosening the spell barring the demons from the Four Lands. Wil Ohmsford must guard the Elven girl, Amberle, on a perilous quest as she carries one of the Ellcrys’ seeds to a mysterious place where it can be quickened into a powerful new force.

The Wishsong of Shannara

The Druid Allanon sets out on a dangerous journey to save the world, reluctantly aided by Brin Ohmsford, daughter of Wil Ohmsford. She alone holds the magic power of the wishsong. But a prophecy foretells doom, as evil nurses a plan to trap the unsuspecting Brin into a fate worse than death.

Discworld, starting with The Color of Magic (1983) by Terry Pratchett

“Fear is a strange soil. Mainly it grows obedience like corn, which grows in rows and makes weeding easy. But sometimes it grows the potatoes of defiance, which flourish underground.”

Terry Pratchett introduces us to Rincewind the Wizzard in The Color of Magic, our first anti-hero who can’t cast a spell to save his life. He has no desire for heroics and stumbles his way through misadventures. Pratchett brings comedy to fantasy fiction and challenges overused cliches with pun-filled pages dedicated to unnecessarily grandiose magic, developing technology, and Death, who appears as a character across multiple novels. The satirical nature of the Discworld series took fantasy to its next evolution.

This list barely scratches the surface of fantasy fiction. So many mind-bending worlds lie in wait, just waiting for you to open the door. Fantasy fiction is only limited by your imagination. Where will it take you next?

Please leave a comment and let us know what your favorite fantasy stories are. Share your story-loving network, and if you want to contribute your favorite genre or story, please give me a shout.