The Top Three Things You Love Seeing in Fantasy Novels...

VileZero · Oct 27, 2009

I figured we have a nice thread of the top three fantasy pet peeves, so why not have a thread for some of our favorite things in fantasy novels.

I'm still thinking of my top three, but I figured I'd open this up for others to share while I postulate.

Capital · Oct 27, 2009

1. Stand-alone story (if it's 1000 pages long - fine, just not a trilogy!!!)
2. Lots of dead unicorns
3. No vampires

Mr Flibble · Oct 27, 2009

1 - Escapism. I don't like the 'gritty realism' stuff much - If I want that I can see it in real life. It can be done well - but I don't want to be hit over the head with poop on the streets every other paragraph. I want and love worlds where I can escape realism.

2 - Expecting the unexpected - The thought that anything can, and does, happen ( as long as it fits obviously)

3 - A bloody good story? Dunnow, I like loads of stuff ( apart from the gritty stuff). Um, um, um, oh, now I'm on the spot. Oh - yes - noble heroes. I love me some of them - something to show that humans do have something in their spirit that is noble, even if you don't see it so often IRL.

Tzalaran · Oct 27, 2009

1. developed characters
2. solid world building and a sense of history there
3. page turning execution: i want to feel the need to devour every word, not skim through paragraphs because the author is still talking about her dress/his clothing and i'm trying to get back to the good stuff...

mscelina · Oct 27, 2009

1, My name on the cover.
2. My name on the cover.
3. Jacqueline Carey's name on the cover.

What?

Oh, all right.

1. Well-developed characters.
2. Extremely complex world-building.
3. My name on the cover.

Well, you didn't expect me to really give up on that, did you?

Pyrohawk · Oct 27, 2009

Worlds that exist....a fantasy world is a world just like this one, it will have varied profession, social issues, government, biases, and culture of its very own! So complete your world, I want my MC to be running through a round world, not a narrow path.

Heroes.....they still have to have their flaws for realism reasons. But there is no reason they can't be good and chivalrous.

Dragons and Phoenix.......yeah I know, they're a guilty pleasure that most consider a pet peeve. But I like them. Something...exciting, fun, theatric....about them. Plus, guilty, I like a good cliche' if its done the right way.

MumblingSage · Oct 27, 2009

1. Fantastic, unique worldbuilding. Secondary world only, please; if I wanted to read about the real world I have plenty of places to go without urban fantasy.
2. A magic system that makes sense (magic elves? okay. People with 'magic blood' in their veins? Not so okay. Spell components? Fine. D&D style "I'm out of 8th level spells for the day" with no real explanation? Annoying.)
3. Characters, particularily ones that don't normally show up in fantasy novels.

And my illegal 4th thing: science fiction elements. Ditto for fantasy elements in science fiction.

Kitty Pryde · Oct 27, 2009

1. a sense of wonder
2. something I've never read about before
3. an out of the ordinary character--99% of fantasy seems to star an angsty white heterosexual. There are more kinds of people available to have fantasy adventures!

Apsu · Oct 27, 2009

Madness, dreams, and surprises.

MelodyO · Oct 27, 2009

1. Tough, smart, weary female MCs.
2. Old tropes with a fresh new twist.
3. Lots of unresolved sexual tension that eventually resolves, probably amidst fisticuffs and namecalling.

Of course, for me that goes for all books, not just fantasy.

SPMiller · Oct 27, 2009

A good story with well-drawn characters where everything makes sense. (Of course, "good", "well-drawn", and "makes sense" are subjective.)

Since this is a thread about fantasy novels, it should be assumed that the novel be based on some element of fantastical speculation, but wouldn't you know not all fantasy novels manage that...

Adam · Oct 27, 2009

1. Decent fights
2. Humour, even if only light and occasional
3. Rogueish/swashbuckling characters. Love 'em

Z0Marley · Oct 27, 2009

Oh no! Only three?!

When the end of a chapter FORCES you to start the next.
Extremes in all ways. Violence, and lots of it. I like seeing the MC getting the shit beat out of him/her, and still being able to pull through, no matter what. Embarrassment. Luck (both good and bad). High Stakes. I would rather hear the world is going to end fifty times then so-and-so did all of this for one person. Sure you get the picture.
Deep inner-conflict that involves an intriguing plot line. Sometimes you character has a bad path and an even worse path. They cannot fix everything, and I hate it when they are faced with things they don't like to do, but find some unbelievable way out of it without getting their hands dirty. I love it even more when they take one of the hard paths, and it changes the outcome of the plot entirely and unexpectedly.

Sarah W · Oct 27, 2009

Intelligent humor.
Historical basis.
A touch of romance.

geardrops · Oct 27, 2009

Reasonably jaded characters who neither whinge nor take out their jadedness on others.

A sense of something deep and dark lurking beneath it all.

Engaging some philosophical concept in such a way that it's there if you see it, and fades into the background if you don't.

Sarpedon · Oct 27, 2009

Adults.

Fight scenes written by someone who's bothered to study martial arts, even just by reading for crying out loud.

People who use intelligence and skill to solve problems.

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 27, 2009

Pretty much what I love to see in ANY genre novel:

Characters I care about.
Writing at least good enough that it doesn't knock me out of the story.
A rip roaring good adventure yarn.

Liosse de Velishaf · Oct 27, 2009

Sarpedon said:
Adults.

Fight scenes written by someone who's bothered to study martial arts, even just by reading for crying out loud.

People who use intelligence and skill to solve problems.

Damn... and it's not even YA.

Mara · Oct 27, 2009

Most of my main ones have already been said (interesting characters, etc.) I'll try for some others instead.

1) Strong female characters that are socially well-adjusted, not annoying, insecure b*tches because "everybody knows that strong women have to compensate for being women by being mean-spirited, ignorant, and stubborn." Bonus points if the author doesn't patronize them with words like "feisty" or "independant."

2) Realistic LGBT characters, especially if they're main or major characters.

3) Anime/manga/wuxia elements, especially mixed with traditional western fantasy elements. They're no less valid than northern European fantasy tropes, and they're not used enough. Catfolk and hungry ghosts are no sillier than elves and orcs.

VileZero · Oct 27, 2009

I'd say that my top three would be:

1. Detailed world-building. I'm not saying languages need to be invented, but take the time to craft the world and show it to me.

2. Genre-mixing. Why limit fantasy to just that genre? I get thrills when sci-fi or horror elements are thrown in successfully, in a way that doesn't come across as being forced or out of place.

3. Characters that refuse to adhere to fantasy stereotypes and offer something new to the casual reader who has already been inundated with the same characters in every fantasy novel-turned-film currently being churned out by Hollywood.

MattW · Oct 27, 2009

Kitty Pryde said:
99% of fantasy seems to star an angsty white heterosexual. There are more kinds of people available to have fantasy adventures!

As long as they keep the angst, right? :tongue

MattW · Oct 27, 2009

Sarpedon said:
Adults.

Out of the last ten books I've read, I'd say 4 started with a farmboy, and 3 managed to recover well enough to keep my attention.

The others had adult protagonists almost exclusively, which is what I've been looking for.

Fulk · Oct 27, 2009

1) Grittiness AND humor. They don't have to be mutually exclusive, they seriously don't. Now, I could probably tolerate a completely dark story, just as I could a completely humorous one (all depending on my mood), but a fair mix of both is appreciated.

2) Diverse and well-rounded characters.

3) Thorough world-building.

Is this really all it takes to make a good fantasy novel? I tried, I really tried to think of something else! But these criteria seriously seem to do it.

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 27, 2009

MattW said:
Out of the last ten books I've read, I'd say 4 started with a farmboy, and 3 managed to recover well enough to keep my attention.

Seriously? I thought that was just a joke. I didn't realize it was that common. I honestly can't think of one book that started with a farm boy.

Mr Flibble · Oct 27, 2009

Fulk said:
1) Grittiness AND humor. They don't have to be mutually exclusive, they seriously don't. Now, I could probably tolerate a completely dark story, just as I could a completely humorous one (all depending on my mood), but a fair mix of both is appreciated.

2) Diverse and well-rounded characters.

3) Thorough world-building.

Is this really all it takes to make a good fantasy novel? I tried, I really tried to think of something else! But these criteria seriously seem to do it.

I agree with the humour. A life with no laughter is pretty grim. That said, I like dark too ( just not gritty dark lol) and dark humour most of all.

The Top Three Things You Love Seeing in Fantasy Novels...

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