My Favorite Fantasy Books
3 book series that have taught me more about life than most self-help books.
Most of the book lists on the internet titled something like “20 Books to Read in Your 20s” are chock-full of self-help books.
Personally, seeing the same books in written content with the same titles over and over again has started to get frustrating.
However, recently I came across a great article that talked about something I had been starting to think about myself.
Fiction books can contribute just as much to your personal development as self-help books. They develop empathy and let you “earn” the lessons you learn as you progress through a character’s journey.
There’s a difference between knowing that you should keep striving forward despite the obstacles life throws at you, and actually experiencing the journey of a troubled character who does her best in a terrible world.
I wanted to expand off of that great idea by diving into some fantasy books that have been life-changing reads.
The First Law by Joe Abercrombie
Joe Abercrombie is one of the most talented authors I’ve ever read.
The First Law and its extended universe continuously discuss themes like the horrors of war, the cogs of politics, revenge, and what heroism means in a broken world.
There aren’t many authors I can recommend more just to exercise empathy.
Daniel Greene described Abercrombie’s prose perfectly:
“I was just continually hit by how well he conveys human thoughts in simple sentences that still strike you like a bat.”
In fantasy circles, Abercrombie is widely known for his brilliant character work, and he consistently creates complicated characters that challenge you.
On top of that, one of my favorite things about his work is the fact that he doesn’t force a takeaway onto you. He paints a canvas that captures the widest ranges of human experience and lets you draw your own conclusions and lessons.
“You were a hero ‘round these parts.” “That’s what they call you when you kill so many people the word murderer falls short.”
“The truth is like salt. Men want to taste a little, but too much makes everyone sick.”
“Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.”
“It is easy to forget how much you have, when your eyes are always fixed on what you have not.”
“Everyone should forgive themselves, Vick. After all, no one else will.”
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
The Stormlight Archives is probably the most captivating series I’ve ever read (which is impressive considering that each installment is over 1000 pages long).
I think part of what makes it so interesting is the thought-provoking questions Brandon Sanderson continuously brings up.
The characters (and in turn the readers) struggle with questions like:
What makes a good leader?
What is true loyalty?
How do you redeem yourself?
How do you keep getting up when life keeps bringing you down?
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.”
“I will take responsibility for what I have done,” Dalinar whispered. “If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.”
“The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it? It’s the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar.”
He saw it in her eyes. The anguish, the frustration. The terrible nothing that clawed inside and sought to smother her. She knew. It was there, inside. She had been broken. Then she smiled. Oh, storms. She smiled anyway. It was the single most beautiful thing he’d seen in his entire life.
“But it’s not a matter of morality, is it? It’s a matter of thresholds. How many guilty may be punished before you’d accept one innocent casualty? A thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred? When you consider, all calculations are meaningless except one. Has more good been done than evil? If so, then the law has done its job. And so … I must hang all four men.” He paused. “And I would weep, every night, for having done it.”
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Recently, the trend with fantasy has been towards morally grey characters in ambiguous circumstances. This has made black-and-white books like The Lord of the Rings decline in popularity.
However, I believe that The Lord of the Rings has some of the most potent life lessons out of all of these books.
It’s a masterclass in perseverance, hope, and friendship.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
“It’s like in the great stories. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come.” (This is actually the movie version of a similar quote from the books. )