Epic Fantasy Revisited

Epic Fantasy is the largest category in the genre overall. More books in this category are published each year with several making it on to the bestseller lists. Most of this genre expanded with the help of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. There are many books that have grown into popular series over the years, written by interesting authors who set their books in Fantasy worlds of their own creation. These worlds are as popular as Middle Earth. (See original article for an explanation of themes and plots of Epic Fantasy books at: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/fant... )

Robert Jordan created a vast Epic Fantasy story with his Wheel of Time series. Consisting of ten books, so far, the story is about the coming final battle between the Dragon reborn and evil dark lord Shaitan. Jordan set this story on a continent of many different nations and cultures. Many interesting characters are involved in the vast tapestry of the plot, caught up in a destiny that readers eagerly wait for the next book. The first book in the series is The Eye of the World.

Women authors have written excellent Epic Fantasy books too. Patricia McKillip contributed a vivid story with her Riddlemaster of Hed (contained in one volume) trilogy. In her world, hereditary rulers of kingdoms have a bond to their lands. Morgon is a young prince of Hed, but loves to solve riddles. This draws him into a big riddle that changes him and brings great changes to his world. McKillip is a talented creator of many fascinating worlds and magic in her descriptive stories.

Some authors mix elements of mythology into their books to give them deeper themes and meaning. Guy Gavriel Kay did this with his trilogy of The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road. The books have elements of Celtic and Arthurian myth woven into a story of five college students from our world drawn to the world of Fionavar. In this world, they each find their destinies while helping to save all of creation. It is a memorable trilogy for readers.

Another woman that writes excellent Epic Fantasy is Melanie Rawn. Her books are long with strong plots and memorable characters. The Dragon Prince is the first book of a series that tells the story of Prince Rohan of a desert kingdom and his Sunrunner wife Sioned. They must fight a ruthless High Prince and his vicious daughter to bring freedom to the kingdoms of their land. After six books in this series, Rawn turned to another series that began with The Ruins of Ambrai. This trilogy remains incomplete at this time.

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