Poor old genre fiction is often maligned- even by me š Too often I talk about the downsides of tropes and themes I donāt like- so today, since Iāve got a lot of my Moaning Minnie opinions out of my system, I thought it would be fun to talk about some fantasy tropes I actually love!
*Magic*- especially if thereās too much of it!! Which may sound weird to everyone- cos either you think like me ācan there BE too much magic?!ā or you think āwelllll there are limitsā. For me there are no limits! Iām always willing to suspend my disbelief for fantasy and this will always make me excited š
Dragons– all the DRAGONS!! Now, I will admit, Iām a bit more discerning when it comes to dragons- as I said in my least favourite fantasy tropes post I wonāt just settle for any old dragon. Still, that comes from a place of love, because I canāt really say it enough: dragons are my favourites!
C
ool gadgets/magical artefacts– similar to the dragons, Iām not always into magical gizmo fixes all the problems/needs to be destroyed in order to save the world. That said, I do get a thrill when little magical objects find their way into the story and are shown off in a James-Bond-gets-his-gadgets kind of scene.Ā
Antagonist turned ally– I just love redemption arcs. So, whether itās an enemies to lovers twist, or an antagonist turned ally, I am super on board for this trope!! At the same time, I wouldnāt say no toā¦Ā
The *just deserts* being served– as much as I love villains learning the error of their ways, I also enjoy them being punished just as much. Especially cos not all villains are created equal and sometimes itās satisfying to see the Walder Freys of stories being served their own sons, Titus Andronicus style š
Quests! A huge part of the fantasy genre is the heroās journey and what better way to get them started than sending them off on a literal journey?! While I think this can easily go wrong or be done badly, I can still be tempted by a jolly jaunt into fantasy land. For me, this will never get old!!
Going into the *wilds* and coming back transformed– this is an age-old trick in folklore, which Tolkien drew on and famously made a part of the genre. Itās very typical to read a fantasy novel where the main character ventures out into the unknown (most often represented as forests) and learns something dark and twisted about the world or themselves. Itās a stalwart part of the genre- and I canāt get enough of it.
Mysterious libraries/castles/schools– naturally, adding magic can make the mundane more special- who knew? š Seriously though, some locations blend better into the fantasy realms. Personally, I really appreciate when buildings are transformed into something creepier and more enigmatic. Speaking of whichā¦
Ghosts and necromancy– blame Garth Nixās Sabriel for cementing my love for this one š Funnily enough, Iām easily creeped out, yet I still firmly believe the ability to bridge the divide between life and death is one of the best things about fantasy. Itās such a great opportunity to explore interesting and unearthly themes. I canāt quite get enough of fantasy books which draw up the veil and dance over this line. Ā
All hope is lostā¦ oh no wait it isnāt! Also known as the āhere comes the cavalryā twist. Maybe Iām a masochist, but I get all jittery when the author makes me truly believe weāve reached the end of the road and then *DADA* reinforcements come at the last second.
And thatās all I have for now! What do you think of these tropes? Do you have any favourite fantasy motifs of your own? Let me know in the comments!
the orang-utan librarian 