Fantasy books are one of the most popular and trendy genres. Maybe it’s just my feed, but I see so many posts and videos informing, giving a synopsis, or making skits out of popular fantasy books. There are of course a large amount of subgenres for fantasy. High fantasy, low fantasy, heroic fantasy… now that sounds interesting. Let’s dig into what makes up this epic subgenre!
What Is Heroic Fantasy?
Heroic fantasy – also referred to as sword and sorcery – is what one often pictures when thinking of a classic fairytale. A story that recounts the lore, legends, and life of a hero and their adventures in far-off lands. With good versus evil as an underlining subplot, these stories usually will have intricate stories, multiple characters, and world-building.
Nowadays it seems that heroic fantasy can also be expanded to include morally grey characters and anti-heroes. With these characters included, the story would then go on a hero’s journey, moving from the mundane into the supernatural with reflection of self and a battle of good versus evil. And with that journey, our anti-hero or hero will go through a period of self-reflection and growth (whether this period is for better or worse is up to the author).
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I find that heroic fantasy is a great base for many other genres. Reading about heroic fights, the pursuit of justice, and the journey for the truth makes for a captivating read. It’s a base that many types of media use. From comic books to anime, to TV shows, movies, and books, heroic fantasy can be found everywhere. It has a classic feel-good vibe to it, and the world-building and character development bring readers in and help them to become invested in the outcome.
Examples of books that are in the heroic fantasy genre:
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R Tolkien
- The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
The Epic Worlds Of Heroic Fantasy
Jumping into action, building up characters, and showing you their world, and the problem or adventure they are going on is the backbone of this genre. It serves to captivate and enthrall the reader and provide a solid adventure story. To me, heroic fantasy is a go-to for when I am in the mood for adventure and magic. These books allow us to live vicariously in a world where we can grab a sword and solve our problems. That is not something we can do now, and heroic fantasy books provide the perfect respite from the mundane.
The books in this genre usually have strong friendship ties and the characters get to go on their adventure either with friends they already have or with people who through their journey become close and cherished. Each character gets to be important and have a good skill and learn their worth throughout the course of the story.
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All of that wrapped up together creates a world where people can find an escape and read about adventure, friendship, and magic in a realm that is not like the world we live in. So tell me, do you also enjoy heroic fantasy? And do you think it’s a great foundation and backbone to expand off of to create unique and captivating worlds?
