So, you’ve finally written yourself your fantasy book. or you have the idea too. We have already spoken about the unique qualities that make a good fantasy book, but those are for generals. What about your specific book? How can you implement the qualities and see if a book is a good fantasy book? How do you know that your book is more special than the typical?
Well, the first step is to figure out how to spot a good fantasy book that you have not written.
If you want to know how to recognize a good fantasy book, you will first need to look at the stories reviews. Most reviews of stories tend to be accurate, and will tell you whether it is worth reading or not. Then read the synopsis and see if it sounds good to you.
When you master figuring out good fantasy books with this method, you can then turn to your story, and implement these steps to figure out if you book is good.
Here is how this article is written.
1. An internal structure of the story
Great Fantasy books are books with a great internal structure, which tells the story in a unique fashion that has never been seen before.
One of the common sayings that I’ve heard, which I half-agree with, is the saying that there is nothing new that can be created anymore.
I think that’s true.
After all, look at fantasy races. Most of what we have seen have been derived from Lord Of The Rings. Things like Orcs make a reappearance in Wheel of Time as Trollocs (Troll-orcs?). People then argue it is the same for stories.
All stories follow the same story structures/ tropes.
For example, Harry Potter, a story about an orphan going to a magic school, appears a lot. And A Song of Ice and Fire, a medieval fantasy about the reappearance of monsters who must be slain appears a lot.
However, there is a unique way that the best fantasy books usually distinguish themselves, and that is by changing the internal structure of the story.
This means changing the structure with which you tell the story. As a result of this, Harry Potter focuses more on the high school drama rather than the magic and training. Game of Thrones focuses more on the politics rather than the battle fields, and magic swords.
This fresh spin, and unique internal structure of a familiar story creates a truly fantastical story.
2. A theme that connects the elements of the story
A fantasy story with a theme that connects the story, and the internal structure is a great story.
A common mistake that people make is trying to avoid having themes in their story from fear of being preachy.
This is understandable.
After all, what if you are wrong in your beliefs, and lead an impressionable person down a horrible path or you upset some people with your opinion? These are fair concerns, and I completely agree with the sentiments.
However you need to understand that the whole point of telling a story is the message.
In everyday life whenever someone tells a story, it is usually to stress a point, even if entertainment is the goal. For example, comedians never go into their stories without a lead up.
They will first say something like, “I am never helping my daughter with her homework again.” Then, they shoot into a funny, bizarre story, and when they are done, we are thoroughly entertained, but the story was kept together by this one thematic line.
This leads to the second point. Themes do not need to be deep. A message can be as straightforward and simple as “School is where you get friends”.
The only thing you should make sure happens in with a theme is that it is answered.
The story raises a question, and the conclusion of the story is the answer. That answer can never be wrong, as it is the answer you give to the situation. Your opinion can never be wrong, and most people will always take the theme as your opinion, so you do not have to worry about that.
A fantasy story with a connective theme is a great story.
3. A fantasy book with a good magic system
A magic system that connects to the theme of the story.
Brandon Sanderson has taught a lot of classes on how to write great magic systems.
He emphasis 2 types; soft and hard magic systems. The soft magic systems have loose rules, while the hard magic systems have very complex laws to be followed, and only activate in those specific situations.
But I’m going to ask you something different today; does the story need a hard or soft magic system?
A sign of a great fantasy book is whether the theme of the story is reflected through the magic system. This is shown with the parallels between the main arguments of the story, and the magic system.
For example, in Harry Potter, the theme is love, and family. The theme is you can make friends wherever you go. So the magic system shows this. Although a lot of stories tend to feature bloodlines for magic, in Harry Potter, even people with no witch blood can be magic users.
In fact, some people with magic blood can’t use magic. This symbolizes how you do not have to share someone’s blood for them to be your family, and how some people who you share blood with are not your family.
Though when it comes to fantasy, most people tend to pay attention to awesome magic battles, which is also cool.
As a result, the magic comes first, and then the theme, story, and characters appear afterwards. I’ve always felt like that’s what happened with Wheel of Time, though I have no proof.
However, it is alright if you can then build the theme, setting, and characters around the magic system. Something Wheel of Time did successfully.
4. A fantasy book where characters are connected to the theme
Another sign of a great fantasy story is a story that has characters whose development are connected to the theme of the story.
After the theme, and magic system, what is important is the characters. They need to be connected to the theme of the story.
Now, a character in a story is more complex than just a human. This article goes into what a character actually is, but for now, let’s just say that a character needs to develop.
They move from on state to another due to the events in the story.
This movement needs to be in accordance with the themes of the story. When the characters are living out the message of the story, they should be awarded, and when they are not living out the message, they should be hindered, and stopped from changing/growing.
In most stories, stopping movement means the time runs out, and you die, so this is something they should not appreciate.
Method
So how do you connect the character to the theme so you receive this result?
Most fantasy stories usually just give the main character a unique power that can only be used by the main character, which connects to the theme. For example, Frodo can resist the ring, and Harry can use the Patronus charm, which is laden with symbolisms of his family/protection/love.
Of course, the villains also need to connect to the theme.
Basically, your villain and hero need to both be facing the same fatal flaw (which connects to the theme).
That’s why the villain becomes so threatening to the hero. But the difference is they respond to it differently. Then in the end, it should be shown that the hero’s method was superior.
The example of this is seen in Harry Potter. Voldertmort and Harry both face the flaw of lacking love. They both feel insecure. Harry goes to Hogwarts, and forms bonds with his friends, forming a new family. But Voldertmort pushes the pain down by making loneliness seem like the ideal.
He strived to be at the top, where it is most lonely, and tried to make himself stand out at all times.
Thus he stands alone in his atrocious nature, and this masochism pleases him, because he does not risk rejection again. While Harry formed a new home, and made new family at Hogwarts. On a meta level, we the readers became his family too, because he’d come out to meet us year until the end.
5. A fantasy book where the world is connected to the theme
The story’s world needs to connect to the theme.
As stated in the worldbuilding article, world building takes place in 3 spheres; ecological (physical biology, environment, cities), social (behaviors, languages, status, stratification, clothing, religions), and historical.
In your story, you need to make sure that the theme of the story is reflected. I have not spoken about it yet, but the central conflict of the story matters in the theme. The central conflict is the theme put in words.
You need to use the world building to reflect the theme of the story, or the central conflict.
The simplest way of doing this is by making your heroes lair look one way, and the villains look the exact opposite.
In Harry Potter, Hogwarts is warm, bright, and full of light. But everywhere we meet Voldermort and his men, they are covered in darkness. Dark alleys, dark rooms. Just pure darkness, and cruelty.
Also, you could use the social spheres to represent the lair. For example, in Harry Potter, people who are not pure witch bloods are mistreated. Yet there is a celebration at Hogwarts of the houses, which shows a pride in family/group.
The difference between these two is that one is family joined through blood, while another is discovered family that you share living space with, and have learned to be proud with living with.
6. A fantasy book where the plot is connected to the theme
The plot of the story needs to propel the theme.
Obviously, you need to make your plot connect everything. The characters, themes, world, and story structure.
The story needs to establish the themes, characters, and world in the first act. It should introduce the characters, and the main conflict within this time period too. When that is complete, you need to make sure that the battle between the main villain and the hero shows the struggle of the theme.
When our hero abides by the theme, he wins. But if not, then he starts losing.
Harry was always a step ahead of Voldermort in the first books because he was dependent on his friends. When he started trying to be independent, he went down a dark path. It is not until his he leans on his friends again that he winds. In fact, it is his prophetic-brother who kills Voldermort’s final horcrux. Which leads us to the climax of the story.
Make the climax of the story validate the theme. Have the Hero realize the main message of the story before the climax of the story. Then, this is followed by the hero slaying the evil serpent, and winning the war. But make sure the final action that it takes to defeat the villain is tied to the heroes thematic struggle.
For example, Harry and Voldermorts final duel. Voldermort held the wand that belonged to Harry, due to the loving self-sacrifice of Dumbledore. It was love that defeated Voldermort.
7. A fantasy book with great battles
A great fantasy books need memorable battles.
One of the selling points of fantasy is that there are magic animals, weapons, and armors.
What’s the point of all this if we never get to see it in action? However, for a proper fantasy battle, it needs to be memorable. What makes a fantasy battle memorable?
There are 5 traits that make a memorable battle; location, factions, fighting methods, maneuvering and finally, stakes.
Locations
Location is obvious. The fight must take place in an interesting location. Think of Anakin and Obi-wan’s final battle, fought in the middle of a volcano.
What’s more awesome than that? Then the factions. This is specifically observing the scale, and potential of each side.
For example, in Underworld, we watch as Werewolves wage war against Vampires, which is also super cool. The fighting methods refer to the specific skill sets of each side. Imagine when ice warriors fight sand users. How would that turn out?
Maneuvering
Then you have maneuvering.
This refers to the tides of the battle turning. The battle needs to seem like it is being won, then there is a turn, and finally, another turn. For an example, read any Kingdom battle.
Finally, there is stakes.
What truly makes a battle majestic is knowing why our warriors are fighting. The more self-less the better. It is cool to watch people give their lives away to protect their family, but imagine an army fighting to protect an allies’ lands? That’s glorious.
Think of any memorable battle in fiction, and you will find these 5 features.
For example, 300. Location: It is fought at a pass, where the enemies must squeeze to fight the smaller Spartan army. Factions: The Spartan army is just 300 men (in the story), fighting against a bigger army. Fighting methods: They are fighting without any horses, just with shields, swords, and spears against people who have arrows and ships. Maneuvering: The Spartans seem to be doing well. But then the Persians discover a pass, and it is over. Finally, stakes: the Spartans fight not only to protect Greece, but also to inspire Greece to stand.
8. Great equipment
The technology that exists in fantasy needs to inspire interest.
Think of Harry Potter, and their wands. Or flying brooms. Maybe consider Star wars and their light sabers. You could even consider things like the MCU, and Tony Stark’s Iron Man suits, or Thor’s Mjolnir. I could go on forever.
The point is, these stories are inspiring, and entertaining because they feature characters who can use amazing technology, and equipment.
9. Immersive
Finally, fantasy books need to be immersive.
As covered in the why Fantasy books are so long, one of the reasons for the length of fantasy is the objective of fantasy. Fantasy books seek to be immersive and entertaining.
This is understandable. What is the point of having all these cool weapons if the fans can’t imagine themselves using them?
So if you manage to spot the immersive nature of a fantasy book, you are that much closer to mastering mastery.