Welcome to part three of our series on fantasy sub genres. If you missed part one or part two, click here.
I’m endlessly fascinated with the rainbow of fantasy stories, as varied as the people who read them. I assume you are too, or you probably wouldn’t be reading this right now. So let’s dive in.
Please check out Worlds Without End, where I did the bulk of my research for this series. It’s a great site.
Juvenile Fantasy
Pretty self-explanatory, juvenile fantasy is fantasy written for a younger audience. Young adult or children’s fantasy. I’m often drawn to this sort of fantasy, to be honest. There’s just something great about a coming of age tale. Even though I’m quite of age now.
I’m sure I probably don’t have to list juvenile fantasy books, but here it goes anyway. Harry Potter by JK Rowling, Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, and Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.
Low Fantasy
While most fantasy is beautiful and bright, showcasing the best and brightest heroes and worlds, low fantasy is, well, a bit darker. It’s the seedy back allies, dirty city guards, drug addictions and whores. It’s an aspect that I’m starting to explore in the second book in my new trilogy, and it’s one that I would love to see more of. Not because we want to romanticize that sort of life, but because it’s an honest part of our world. There are slums, there are drug addicts. There are homeless people and dark places where no one cares about their neighbors. Magic won’t fix those problems. I like that. Again, it’s honest. And writing, even when it’s fantasy, should be honest.
Some examples of low fantasy include American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton.
Magical realism
I love magical realism, it’s what started my Woven series. Magic is simply part of the world, woven right into the existence.
Of course, Woven is an example, but so is Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce. Another good example is The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin.
Mythic fiction (fantasy)
Another sub genre based on already set up worlds, mythic fiction fantasy is based on old mythologies like Greek, Roman and Nordic gods. Obviously, there are some traits of this in my books.
Some examples of mythic fiction are Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
That’s it for this time. We’ll be wrapping this up on Friday, stay tuned.
After years of war between Montelair and Septa, the two thrones are united by family. Victor’s nephew, Morgan, is sharing the throne with the last heir of the royal line, Jacob. He and Lenore decide to travel to Montelair with their newborn daughters to help broker peace.
But peace among their own people is harder to achieve. The city is tormented by a terrorist who calls himself The Tinker. He and his group of anarchists plant bombs through the city and call for the death of the new kings from every street corner.
Meanwhile, in Calistar, Sultiana and Devon are marching to war with Kussier. The ancient hatred between the two countries is sprung anew when Sultiana is declared heir to the Calistar throne.
Waiting at the border, though, is a much darker enemy. A force from legend threatens to consume both countries, and possibly the world.
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