Fantasy sagas to read: our tips

Fantasy sagas to read

Finding a fantasy saga to get lost in is not as simple as you might think .. Since Tolkien brought fantasy into popular literature with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, this literary genre has taken on different connotations and declinations, leading to the birth of great fantasy sagas. Whether it is a question of famous series or recent proposals, the proposals for fantasy readings are incredibly numerous, a variety allowed by an offer that contemplates different declinations of this literary genre.

What are the fantasy sagas to read? Here are our tips

What are the best fantasy sagas to read to date available on the market? A difficult question to answer. Removed the inevitable limit of personal taste (last and unquestionable judge), and important names like Salvatore, Feist, Bradley or Brooks, you can try to identify what are the fantasy sagas that have tried to give a new vitality to the genre. < The Gentleman Bastard Sequence Saga by Geralt of Rivia

Mistborn

Brandon Sanderson is one of the most prolific authors of the new era of fantasy literature. With Mistbor n he has shown that he knows how to create a fantasy dimension capable not only of emancipating himself from the classic axioms of the genre, but of knowing how to develop it in such a way as to intertwine with other narrative identities.

At the base of the Mistborn saga there is Allomancy, a mysterious innate magic possessed by some individuals, which allows them to assume particular powers by assimilating vials in which there is a solution containing certain metals. Similar to Allomancy is ferruchemia, a less 'pure' version of Allomancy, which is based on direct contact with metals to assume some peculiarities.

From these elements, Sanderson has created a world in constant evolution , which he developed in two narrative arcs, published in Italy. Starting from a pre-industrial society, Sanderson has expanded his world arriving at the industrial age by dyeing western hues, with the idea of ​​reaching the present present and the future.

The Fall of Malazan

Once again we forget the classic fantasy and enter a world where there are more ancient humans and creatures, but where you will not find dwarves, elves and the like. Steven Erikson has created a warlike and intriguing narrative context, where the constant expansion of the Malazan Empire unfolds within intrigues that also affect the divine spheres! The ideal saga for those who love stories full of characters, battles and the contrast between men and gods

The genius of Erikson, in fact, is to have made his protagonists pawns in a complex game that moves on more levels, giving life to a pantheon that can also be accessed by humans, if deserving and in particular situations.

Born as a saga in ten books, The fall of Malazan (whose correct title would be The Malazan book of fallen), has expanded into a series of small prequel volumes, written by Ian Esselmont, which unveiled some background to the main events that set in motion the events narrated in the main saga. Recently, Erikson wrote a new trilogy, The Kharkanas Trilogy, which chronicles events dating back millennia earlier than the Fall of Malazan, but whose effects are also important within the main saga.

The Wheel of Time

Fantasy saga in fourteen books, plus a prequel that should have been the first of a small series, which ended with death by the creator of the cycle, Robert Jordan.

Despite a classic beginning that pays an evident tribute to Tolkien, Jordan has been able to create a fantasy saga in which new ideas manage to give a different vision of the eternal contrast between light and shadow, good and evil. Its protagonist, Rand al'Thor, is a boy who discovers that he is in the unenviable position of being the destroyer of the world or its savior. On his journey to discover his final role, the young man visits exotic places and confronts different cultures, allowing the reader to find a living and passionate world. The Wheel of Time is a long but exciting fantasy saga, well articulated and capable of totally absorbing the reader.

The Archives of Folgoluce

Don't be misled by an unfortunate choice of words in the translation, this is one of the most interesting fantasy sagas to read. Sanderson returns to the scene, thanks to his incredible speed in writing. The Chronicles of Folgoluce is a ten-volume saga, now in its fourth chapter.

Scenario of the saga is Roshar, a gigantic continent surrounded by some islands, dominated by very strong storms called Altetempeste, which have heavily influenced flora and fauna and social and technological development of populations. Roshar is fragmented into different kingdoms, each with its own vision of society: in the vorin lands the craft of arms is the noblest job a man can aspire to while at the other extreme is Shinovar, where soldiers are seen as the last and worst class of society.

Leading the battles are commanders who use layers, magical weapons. The stratolame are weapons that are animated by the will of the owners, capable of cutting any material and, according to some beliefs, of absorbing the soul of the enemies. Stratoplates are armor that gives the Stratowarriors superhuman strength and endurance, as long as they are constantly powered by Folgoluce-infused crystals.

Sanderson again builds a new world in which to set a different vision of fantasy. Abandoning classic figures of the genre, he relies on a narrative in which different characters tell according to their own point of view the events that shake Roshar. Exciting and well-articulated fantasy saga, but still far from complete.

The First Law Trilogy

Saga of three books signed by Joe Abercrombie, considered one of the best exponents of heroic fantasy.

A clean and at times dry writing for a setting in which the characters are almost always people on the edge, broken, facing what it is their role with resignation, in the hope of redemption. Novedita, Jezarl and Ferro soon become friends for the reader, attracted by their complex soul and the pungent irony with which Abercrombie treats his characters. The First Law Trilogy was recently collected in one of Oscar Mondadori's Titans, the perfect opportunity to spoil this fantasy saga in the best possible way.

The Elric Saga of Melniboné

A cornerstone of fantasy literature, Elric of Melniboné is the protagonist of a cycle of stories signed by Michael Moorcock. Prince of an amoral race and devoted to the lust for power, Elric is an atypical individual for his species, little inclined to violence and dedicated to the study of the magical arts. After a court plot that wants to dethrone him, Elric retains his dominion but gives up his power to explore the world.

An atypical character, weak in physique but made strong by potions and spells, Elric is an adventurer who is clash with relentless enemies and make friends with other intrepid warriors. Moorcock has a classic style, away from modern influences and traditional flavor. The dialogues are siphoned, preferring a descriptive and detailed narration, capable of strongly transmitting the strong emotionality of the protagonist and the characters who accompany him. Recently, the entire Elric saga was published by Oscar Mondadori in a beautiful volume of the series I Draghi

The Saga of the Night's Watch

Before the success of The Witcher, a noteworthy fantasy saga had already arrived from Eastern Europe, the one focused on the Guardians. In an eternal struggle between the strength of light and shadow, the world and reality are the battlefield, but rules are also needed in this war: the Night's Watch (forces of good who control the activities of the wicked at night) and the Guardians of the Day (agents of evil who watch over their opponents in the sunlight). Created by Sergej Luk'janenko, this saga features Anton, the wizard of the Night's Watch who is faced with cases that threaten the end of the millennial truce between light and shadow.

The Saga of the Assassin

Robin Hobb has created a world of fantasy in which intrigues and court secrets find an excellent balance with the growth of the characters and the presence of a magic that adapts to the construction of a varied and fascinating society. FitzChevalier, the bastard son of a prince of the Farseer family, becomes our entry point into this beautiful world, thanks to his destiny: to become the court assassin. Composed of several trilogies, this saga is one of the fantasy series not to be missed.

The Tetralogy of Bartimeus

The saga is particularly suited to young-adult audiences. Set in present-day London, the saga sees Bartimeus as the protagonist, who is also the main narrator. Bart is "a mid-level Djinni, with more resourcefulness and cunning in his little finger than in all the other spirits with their brains in jelly!" . Ironic, funny and enterprising, Bart is a charming character and perfectly characterized by Jonathan Stroud.

The Ninth Gray Trilogy

In the convent of the Dolce Misericordia girls are raised to transform them into devoted and dangerous murderers. It takes ten years of training, but there are few girls with a real talent for death, those in whose veins the blood of the ancient tribes of Abeth flows. The task of the nuns is to discover and refine these innate gifts, teaching the techniques of fighting with and without weapons and espionage, the use of poisons and finally the weaving of shadows. Mondadori has collected Mark Lawrence's cycle in one of his Titans, allowing us to read the entire saga in a single volume.

The Gentleman Bastard Sequence

Created by Scott Lynch in 2006, with the first volume The deceptions of Locke Lamora, this particular fantasy saga is based on the adventures of Locke Lamora and his companion of raids Jean Tannen, experienced thieves who they move in the criminal slums of Camor. Lynch created a world in which the remains of an ancient civilization became the foundation upon which human cities were built, which we know in an era that resembles the seventeenth century, with a definition of the Camorran city that makes it look like a Venice of the past centuries. The Gentleman Bastard Sequence presents itself as a modern, compelling cycle, free from the classic patterns of fantasy, from which it emancipates itself giving life to a presence of elements of the genre that are intertwined with an adult and realistic narrative.

" Click here to buy Locke Lamora's deceptions

The saga of Geralt of Rivia

The Witcher Before being a Netflix TV series, before conquering the world of video games with the saga of CD Projekt Red, The Witcher is a long-running letter series, the Saga of Geralt of Rivia, created by the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. Inspired by the monstrous creatures of Eastern European folklore, Sapkowski has created a medieval world in which humanity needs to be protected from monsters and to be supernatural, a task that falls on witchers, mutants who through the ingestion of particular substances and a hard training I am able to face this mission. Sapkowski makes its protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, a pariah, a man seen only as a tool and forced to live with a hypocritical society and in the hands of powerful lords who hatch plots and plots, using wizards and prophecies as weapons. The saga is made up of several books, in which a horizontal plot unfolds that begins with the collection of short stories The Guardian of the Innocents.