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joncronshawauthor · 10 months

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Scott Lynch's Revolutionary Impact on Fantasy Literature: The Influence of 'The Lies of Locke Lamora'

Scott Lynch’s tour de force, ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ burst onto the fantasy scene in 2006, marking a significant turning point in the genre’s evolution. The book, and its subsequent sequels in the ‘Gentleman Bastard’ series, introduced readers to a unique and innovative world of fantasy that has since greatly influenced countless authors and contributed to the development of modern fantasy…

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jebmungall · 1 year

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About Antiphon: Fire and Stone

Antiphon: Fire and Stone is a fantasy novel I recently published. I’m quickly learning that writing the story was the fun part. Promoting it has been much less fun. Nevertheless, it’s a work that I’m proud of. Recently updated cover art for Antiphon: Fire and Stone featuring Kord Maratha It is set in the world of Irden, a world in a state of transition. While medieval fantasy is still…

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bighound-littlebird · 2 years

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Hiii! Do you know some fantasy book series similar to Game of Thrones? I'd love to do some reading with a similar medieval setting, complex politics and extraordinary characters. Thank you very much!

Unfortunately no, I don't have any fantasy recommendations, Nonny. But I am going to post this and hopefully our sansan lovelies can make some recommendations for you. Also if anyone wants to add recommendations in my inbox, I'll put together a list and make a seperate post.

Thanks for the question!

#sansan #sansa stark #sandor clegane #fantasy recommendations

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fazilareads · 2 years

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A Perfect Continuation Of A Norse Epic!! Shackled Fates (The Hanged God #2) By Thilde Kold Holdt | BOOK REVIEW | The Write Reads Book Tour

TITLE : Shackled Fates (The Hanged God Trilogy #2) AUTHOR : Thilde Kold Holdt GENRE : Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Epic Fantasy Intended Age Group: Adult Pages: 569 DATE OF PUBLISHING : October 26, 2021 If you haven’t checked out my review for Northern Wrath, the first book in The Hanged God Trilogy – CLICK HERE SYNOPSIS Following on the breakout success of Northern Wrath , Holdt weaves…

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scottymcgeesterwrites · 2 years

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Book Review: The Well at the World’s End

I wanted to take this time to gush about an old and obscure epic fantasy that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The Well at the World’s End by William Morris

Years ago, I wrote a list of fantasy fiction that predated (most of them) Tolkien. You can read that post here. At the time, I was really getting into epic fantasy that was written like Tolkien. I didn’t appreciate Tolkien when I was little but revisited it after college and I wished there was more out there like The Lord of the Rings. I wanted that “old timey” feel like Tolkien. It just hits differently from modern high fantasy. Background: William Morris (1834 - 1896) was mostly known for his textile designs, but he was actually the first person to write what became known as “high fantasy”. Scholars consider him the precursor to Tolkien, and both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis had read his work during college and were inspired by him. Before The Well at the World’s End, Morris wrote The Story of the Glittering Plain and The Wood Beyond the World. I had read the latter before reading The Well at the World’s End. While The Wood Beyond the World was great, it left me wanting more, as it was light and basic. It had a few unanswered questions and the world-building was not strong. The Well at the World’s End is Morris’s magnus opus. Originally published in one volume, it was later published in two. The books are not exactly out of print but you can’t find them in your average Barnes and Noble, or even used bookstore. The most common version, which is the one I own, is part of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series (pictured above). Story: Everything starts in Upmeads, a small but lush kingdom where nothing much really happens. The four sons of King Peter, Ralph being the youngest, are bored of their lives and wish to go out and seek their fortunes. They ask their father for permission. King Peter agrees, but states that one son must remain to take care of them, the castle, and to ensure an heir. They do this by drawing straws, and unfortunately Ralph draws the shortest one.

Seeing his brothers leave, Ralph quickly goes back on his word. He sneaks off and ventures into the world to find his fortune. From there, the story is nothing short of entertaining. There is not so much magic (sorry, no fantasy creatures) as there is high adventure and derring-do. Ralph gets caught up with bandits, two rival towns, a mysterious woman rumored to be immortal, and a quest for the fabled Well at the World’s End (which is always written in all-caps to remind readers like in a Zelda game). And you will definitely see the influences it had on Tolkien with a horse named Silverfax and a character named Gandolf. Out of context, it might sound like a stereotypical fantasy novel, but I still found myself surprised by all the ups and downs throughout the story. There is one moment in the book that hands-down shocked me. I thought it was going one way but it went another. The thing about this book that broke the mold for fantasy was Morris’s world-building. Until this book, hardly anything before had a fully developed fictional universe. There was no such thing as “world-building” back then. Fantasy tales were typically one-off stories with, at best, vague backstories. Keep in mind - this was published in 1896. Lord Dunsany would not enter the scene until the 1920′s. The fact that such an entertaining story has become so obscure is practically a sin. One thing that struck me about this story was that it felt oddly...progressive for its time? The mysterious woman aforementioned is often caught in the middle of men and women who hate her and judge her, essentially “slutshaming” her. Ralph instead hears her out, passes no judgment, and kindly protects her. Throughout the story, she is constantly plagued by what I recognize as “nice guys” - knights who vow to protect her but then turn against her the moment she refuses their advances. There is also a later scene with natives described as “swarthy”. They are in no way depicted in an offensive manner and in fact live peacefully. The natives claim they have no desire to drink from the great well that grants youth, for they understand the natural order of things and do not covet eternal life. I found that incredibly interesting for a book released in 1896. Of course though, there are still some dated aspects, maybe more intentional callbacks to the chivalrous age, but nothing at all cringeworthy. A quick search on William Morris will show you that he was a diehard socialist and interested in a utopia, so some of those ideals definitely bleed into his fictional world. Prose: This is probably the one thing that might deter modern readers. Morris’s writing style hearkened back to medieval times. It is written as if you were reading something like Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. There are a lot of archaic words you are going to have to Google. Many of the character speak in a fanciful manner. Despite this, if you take it slow and just relax while reading it, you will be fine understanding everything. Tolkien’s inspiration is evident in Morris’s elaborate description of the journey that Ralph takes. Ralph visits cozy hamlets and men of the cloth, converses with many side characters, and Morris goes into great detail about the people who live in the cities and their buildings and the surrounding landscape. There were really only two parts of the story I did not understand, so I had to reread slowly to get it. The characters and the narration have a roundabout way of describing what happened. But the funny thing is I found much of the dialogue to be very quotable. Something about that felt modern too. The writing was intentionally archaic but the witty banter made it feel modern.

Verdict: Oh my God. There is virtually nothing wrong I can say about this book. This surprised me. I love reading old and obscure things but have definitely felt their age. Sometimes they’re clunky and other times they simply did not age well. Usually these old novels that broke the mold and started a new genre were more concerned with the genre itself than the story. Not with this. I ate it all up from beginning to end and it was beautiful and breathtaking. It really feels like a precursor to Tolkien. If you are a fantasy fan in the same vein of Tolkien, PLEASE give this a read. You will not be disappointed. And go look for more of Morris’s work! I’m pretty much sold after this and The Wood Beyond the World, so I’m set on reading everything he wrote. The best part? William Morris’s work is all in the public domain. You can go ahead and read The Well at the World’s End here! On a personal note, some things in this story (and in The Wood Beyond the World) really felt eerily similar to the fantasy stories I attempted (still attempting) to write when I was a teenager. Ralph’s quest, the heroes he meets, and his romance eerily mirrored my own OC Adder and his quest. Do you ever get that weird feeling that a historical figure was you in a previous life? I got that vibe from William Morris. Then again, the irony about being a writer is that not reading anything ensures you will write something that has already been done. The more you read, the more you are aware of tropes that have already been done again and again. Maybe I was a bit of a Ralph myself in my younger days. The trope of a young lad bored with his provincial life seeking to make a name for himself and help others is an age-old tale.

#reading #writingcommunity #fantasy #high fantasy #william morris #the well at the world's end #book reviews #books #book recommendations #fantasy recommendations #tolkien #jrr tolkien #the lord of the rings #onreading #onbooks #fantasy books #tales #fairy tales

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lawrencedagstine · 10 months

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FANTASY BOOKS: "Witch Wizard Warlock" - Three Cousins Publishing

It is with great pleasure to announce I have a themed story in the fantasy anthology, Witch Wizard Warlock. This one is put out by Robert Lupton and the gang at Three Cousins Publishing (I believe in conjunction with West Mesa Press, but don’t quote me on that last part). Links and cover pics will be down below as usual, or off to the side (just scroll down to “Purchase Now” to be redirected to…

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adaine-party-wizard · 28 days

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WHOEVER DID THIS I LOVE YOU

#complicated women podcast #dimension 20 #d20 #fhjy #fantasy high junior year #fantasy high junior year spoilers #saccharina frostwhip #yes this was in my youtube recommended

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ramshacklefey · 1 year

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I've seen increasing buzz around here about Howl's Moving Castle (book). I think you all deserve to know that all of Diana Wynne Jones's books are filled with characters and plots that are absolutely as delightful and unhinged as that one.

Some Actual Plots include:

Dogsbody - The star Sirius is accused of murder and sentenced to exile on Earth in the body of a dog until he finds a magical item called a Zoi. He's adopted by a young Irish girl living with her abusive and neglectful English relatives. He has to balance his desire to find the Zoi with needing to be a Good Dog for the girl who takes care of him. Also the Wild Hunt is there. Hexwood - A girl finds a magical wood behind her house where she meets a wizard who thinks he's a convict of the intergalactic government, a boy created by the man to destroy said government, and a robot found in a junk heap. The magic wood is actually an alternate reality being generated by an AI who has a grudge to settle with the head of said government. The book is about abuse, PTSD, and trauma. The Dark Lord of Derkholm - Magical world is being destroyed by a company using it as an isekai amusement park for people from another dimension. Bio-wizard is appointed Dark Lord for the year, and he and his family (four of whom are bioengineered griffins) have to find a way to survive the season while everything is going wrong. Deep Secret - Interdimensional detective/diplomat/wizard needs to find a replacement for his deceased mentor. He does so at a fantasy convention, while trying to keep an interdimensional empire from collapsing into civil war after the emperor is assassinated along with all of his heirs.

She's an absolute master at weaving fantasy elements into the mundane world and writing from the PoV of kids. Her books are funny, clever, and full of delightful characters. I'm begging you all to check them out.

#diana wynne jones #howls moving castle #fantasy #rowling WISHES she had a nano-particle of this talent #book recommendations #please add your favs if you want

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jasminewalkerauthor · 7 months

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booklovers-hub · 7 months

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The sluttiest thing a hero can do is showing up at the villain's doorstep while they're hurt and saying, "I didn't know where else to go."

#bibliophile #book #book club #book reviews #currently reading #book recommendations #bookblr #books #books & libraries #chaotic academia #dark #dark academia #dark romance #dark fantasy

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inafieldofdaisies · 3 months

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Damsel (2024) | Favorite scenes

I am the sacrifice. I am the sacrifice?

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joncronshawauthor · 10 months

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It’s High Time to Get Cosy with Indie Fantasy Books

Picture this. You’ve got a hot cup of tea at your side, you’re snuggled in your favourite armchair, the rain is tapping politely on your window. What better time to crack open a good book? You reach for the latest fantasy epic from a big-name author, but then you remember…you’ve already read this tale a dozen times. Elves, dragons, magical swords – been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Don’t…

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rocketbirdie · 3 months

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i feel like i failed you.

#me? sobbing my eyes out about these two again? it's likelier than you think!#featuring an exercise in actually doing backgrounds and lighting for once! hooray!!#also i don't actually know what the official name of the track is yet. so let's just call it zack in sector 5 for now lol #gets the point across #ffvii #final fantasy vii #ffvii rebirth #zack fair #cloud strife #zakkura #my art <3 #my music <3 #phew.#this. uhh #took a while.#which is to say i started AND finished both the music and the art TODAY #do not recommend! don't be like me. take breaks lol #in my defense! i had an idea and i NEEDED to get it out of my body or else i would die. you know how it goes.#anyway uhh. enjoy!

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hypogryffin · 3 months

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Erina and Sophie....

erina and sophie..... perhaps even sophie and erina....

#persona 5 #p5 #asks & requests #p5t #p5t erina #p5s #p5s sophia #sophia persona 5 #persona 5 sophia #persona 5 strikers #persona 5 scramble #persona 5 tactica #i will fill the p5s tag my fucking self if i have to #comics #chef recommended #good lord is that all the tags i need. am i done am i free. YEESH okay #anyways i think theyd be so silly together #no one utilises the comedic potential of erina living in the fantasy french revolution but i think deep learning ai sophia is a good match #either way theyre so good as parallels like hold on SPOILERS FOR BOTH GAMES PAST THIS POINT #both of them were created as last-ditch efforts. erina is the manifetation of toshiros suppressed hope and rebellion and sophia is ichinose #attempt at understanding the human heart and her own repressed emotions #theyre both constructs of the heart in one form or another even if they were created in v different ways

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noahhawthorneauthor · 7 months

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Be thankful for who you are today, and do better than those who came before you.

I live on Iroquois land, specifically the Mohawk region. The Iroquois, or Five Nations, was brought together by Deganawidah the Great Peacemaker, and it was composed of the nations Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca.

Later on the Tuscaroras joined, and they became Haudenosaunee, or 'six separate nations.'

Happy Thanksgiving, keep your minds open, never stop learning, and don't let history become forgotten. The majority of us are already do a damn poor job of not repeating it.

#noahs book recs #queer books #fantasy books #indigenous books #indigenous authors #thanksgiving #book recommendations #book recs

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oldshrewsburyian · 19 days

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hi! i was wondering if you happen to have any recommendations for asoiaf-esque books? something similarly low fantasy and character-focused, but maybe less... violent and closer to the actual medieval age? i really enjoy reading your gripes with game of thrones haha so i'd love to know if there's a story out there that does have its canonical law and has it be important to the world <3

*wipes away single tear* Anon, I am genuinely touched and slightly incredulous. Absolutely delighted and astonished to learn that my gripes about Fantasy Canon Law™ (etc.) have inspired this.

I am going to assume that you've already read Lord of the Rings? Because it's written by a medievalist, it's deeply informed by medieval ideas (about justice, history, magic, power, loyalty, ethnicity, duty, health... and, yes, more!) in ways that are deeply important.

The Book Smuggler, Omaima al-Khamis. The fantasy elements in this one are much subtler, and it mostly reads as straight historical fiction, but there are some elements in it that invoke the fantastical in interesting ways. In any case, I think it's really great.

Victory City, Salman Rushdie. I adored this novel, which is structured around/as a missing medieval epic poem. It involves the history of the Vijayanagara Empire but also immortality, feminist forest utopias, and an alternate history of India's relationship to Europe in the late medieval/early modern period. Did I mention I love this novel?

She Who Became The Sun, Shelley Parker-Chan. Ming China, but with GHOSTS. Also close attention to the importance of Buddhist communities and evolving technologies and inter-regional dynamics and and.) Culpably, I haven't gotten to the sequel yet.

The Apothecary Melchior series, Indrek Hargla. This series of detective novels is set in medieval Tallinn, and I really like them. They're more historical mystery than fantasy, but also the main character has an ancestral curse (??) which I haven't figured out yet.

The History of the Siege of Lisbon, José Maria Saramago, is a gorgeous novel about the power of love, the power of language, and how we think about history (and also maybe time travel)

The Apothecary's Shop, Roberto Tiraboschi. Venice, 1182, but with magic, noir elements, and some of the sensationalism of gialli (and I say that as a compliment)

#fun with medievalism #book recommendations #fantasy canon law™#a medievalist does got #(inspired by)

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