Several popular fantasy novels exhibit one (or multiple) flaw that keeps them from true perfection.The world of BookTok is dominated by romantasy,a genre dependent on some tropes that don’t hold up upon scrutiny. However, this would-be"guilty pleasure"genre delivers exactly what it promises. On the other hand, even the flagship novels oflengthy fantasy book sagas people commit todemonstrate some fundamental narrative problems despite their widespread critical acclaim.
With classic fantasy literature, certain parts of the story likely haven’t aged well. In the case of more modern examples, manyfantasy book boyfriends would be hated in real lifewhen arrogance is often one of their key traits. However,there are still many more ways an allegedly amazing fantasy novel can disappoint readers,from lackluster protagonists, underused supporting characters, strange dynamics, and plot holes. With some of these titles beingupcoming fantasy movie or TV adaptations, they face the question of what elements can be changed to improve the story.
Release date
Goodreads score
2018
4
Contributing to a very popular subgenre of young adult fantasy, Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series is another saga of faerie politics and determined young protagonists attempting to outsmart the royals and aristocrats who dominate the setting. The only problem is thatJude and Cardan are not as smart as they think they are.InThe Cruel Prince, Jude manages to make Cardan the King of Eflhame, keeping power out of the hands of her cruel adoptive father. However, per her bargain with Cardan, this plan has an expiration date, while Madoc will continue his scheming.
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Meanwhile, Cardan carries himself with the authority of a prince and king, acting like he has the measure of Jude. However, his countermoves to her are impulsive, built up like they will have lasting consequences, but ultimately fall apart soon after. Many people readingThe Cruel Princehave likely read its natural contemporaries, facilitating a lot of comparisons. After seeing Aelin Galathynius and Kaz Brekker imagine every possible scenario,Jude and Cardan seem like they don’t know what they are doing.
1897
Draculais famous for establishing a lot of the tropes of the vampire genre, while the character himself has come to life in various forms in other vampire properties. It is a must-read for anyone invested in the classic horror genre ofFrankensteinandThe Picture of Dorian Gray, which set the bar for psychological monster thrillers that evolved into today’s pop culture.Draculahas a full cast of interesting characters, its biggest fault being that the female characters are underdeveloped,a byproduct of the time. Namely, Mina and Lucy’s arcs are both primarily concerned with who they will marry.
This shortcoming of Dracula is evident when many modern adaptations focus more on Mina and Lucy.
The women are also the characters threatened with becoming vampires, allowing the men to either save them or decide to kill them. This shortcoming ofDraculais evident when many modern adaptations focus more on Mina and Lucy.It is essentially a newDraculatrope for there to be a romance between Dracula and Mina,possibly because she looks like his lost love. Mina also lives on as a vampire inThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, whileLucy Undying, depicting an alternate life for Lucy as a vampire, is one of thebiggest fantasy novels of September 2024.
1990
4.2
The Wheel of Time books are also genre-defining, recognized as milestones for the epic fantasy genre with incredibly detailed world-building. Larger-than-life though they may be, the complex characters continue to capture hearts and minds through the acclaimedWheel of TimeTV show. The magical rules are so detailed thatWheel of Time’s One Power needs extensive explanation. Because Robert Jordan passed away before the series was completed,The Wheel of Time is notably remembered as the work of two great fantasy authors,both Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.
However, fundamental to the setting introduced inThe Eye of the Worldis a gendered magic system. Men can typically channel more of the One Power than women, but only women can use it safely, while men become more mentally unstable every time they use it. The True Source comprises two halves, one accessed by men and the other by women, and their magic tends towards different elements.The Eye of the World’s magic system is fascinatingly complicated,but the inherent assignment of affinities according to gender implies non-negotiable gender roles.
2007
3.9
Michael Scott struck gold with the conceptualization ofThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.InThe Alchemyst, twins Sophie and Josh discover that their boss and his wife are immortals with supernatural abilities,due to Nick actually being Nicholas Flamel, the creator of the elixir of life. Flamel pulls the twins into a vibrant magical adventure where they meet other historical figures who have also achieved immortality, including scholar John Dee, Joan of Arc, and William Shakespeare.
How magic manifests itself in this world is great, requiring another person to awaken the twins' powers, which give off distinct scents and colored auras. However, this is a very demanding series to read.The world ofThe Alchemystis filled with some of the most brilliant minds in history and an increasingly complex magic system,making for afantasy book that rewards readers for paying attention. However, as the series continues, it becomes far too complicated and metaphysical; the first book’s strengths are overwhelmed by the intellectual requirements to understand what is going on.
2009
Kate DiCamillo’sThe Magician’s Elephantexhibits some of the same tone and beats as her masterpieceThe Tale of Despereaux, stressing the need for hope and magic in a bleak world. However, the former decidedly fails to live up to the latter. The finer points of the story work well enough, but the rules of the world are off.The Tale of Despereauxis a stronger novel when the whole setting adheres to fairy tale conventions whilethe plot ofThe Magician’s Elephanthappens because of one isolated instance of magic in an otherwise mundane world.
With a career as long as DiCamillo’s, certain novels are going to stand out as having the biggest lasting impact.The Magician’s Elephanthas the familiar feelings of whimsy and ends with forgiveness and redemption, but the entire plot is a bit contrived.The inciting incident is that a magician accidentally summons an elephant instead of lilies,prompting a sequence of events where others conspire to free the elephant and, in the process, find what they are looking for. It’s a cozy book, but a little too strange.
2002
Eragonwas the makings of another epic fantasy saga, resulting in it swiftly being adapted into a disastrous movie after the first book’s publication by people trying to capitalize on the conclusion ofThe Lord of the Rings.Eragonintroduces fantasy fans to another captivating, traditionally medievalist world,with the added bonus of sentient dragons who bond to riders of their choosing. Average farm boy Eragon is launched into a dangerous adventure to realize his destiny and save his kingdom, along with his dragon Saphira.
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It might not tell the reader anything particularly profound about their own lives, but it’s a perfectly passable fantasy saga. However,Eragontakes too much from other fantasy series.The world is as close as a setting can get to being Middle-Earth without copyright infringement, while the magic system copies theEarthseaseries. Standing on its own,Eragonis a great book and the beginning of another enjoyable series. In the broader context of fantasy literature, it’s making the most of others' work.
1975
Tuck Everlastingshows a vignette of the life of Winnefred"Winnie"Foster, during one strange summer when she discovers a family of immortals who drank from a magical spring on her family’s land decades ago. It’s an isolated lesson, wherein Winnie is given the chance to live forever and chooses not to; a strange, quick event in her life that no one will ever know about.This incident steeped in countryside aesthetics is only a moment in Winnie’s long life,as she lives to be nearly 100 and becomes a wife and mother.
Winnie is 10 years old when the events of the novel take place, during which time, the Tucks' son Jesse proposes to her,saying that she should wait until she is 17 and then drink from the spring and come to live with him. Jesse is a youthful and kind character, but the interaction is still awkward. The 2002 Disney adaptation ofTuck Everlastingfinally understood what didn’t work about the story, and aged up Winnie for a proper romance with Jesse, also giving her more agency in her decision to pass on immortality.
The Once and Future Witches
2020
The Once and Future Witchesadvertises itself as where history meets magic, telling the tale of a trio of estranged witch sisters who are embroiled in magical conflict against the backdrop of the women’s suffrage movement in the late 19th century. After being banned from suffrage headquarters, the sisters form a secret society that leverages magic to grant women more autonomy.The Once and Future Witchesincludes a diverse cast who showcase different experiencesrelating to race, gender, and sexuality, entwined with how they use magic and classic witch iconography.
After being banned from suffrage headquarters, the sisters form a secret society that leverages magic to grant women more autonomy.
Notably,The Once and Future Witchessubverts the assumption of a gendered magic system. However, it would have been a stronger book if it had leaned more into its historical half. The sisters and their cohorts leave the suffrage office when the leaders there think their ideas are too radical, and the goal of winning the vote drops out of the story.The Once and Future Witcheswould have been especially interesting if the vote had been as important as the magical conflict,but is hindered because women will not achieve suffrage for another few decades.
Shadow and Bone
2012
2.9
Shadow and Boneintroduced the world to Ravka and its surrounding countries, setting up one of the most successful YA fantasy series of the 2010s and 2020s.The magically gifted soldiers known as the Grisha iherit of a long history of power politicsregarding how the rest of the world views them, and in the most extreme cases, persecutes them. Young soldier Alina Starkov discovers that she has the especially unique gift of summoning light, which has the potential to destroy the Fold, a territory of monsters and darkness that is eating away at the land.
Shadow and Bonehas all that romantasy fans are looking for in their next novel. However, Alina is not as interesting as some of the supporting characters. Notably, she loses her powers and drops out of the story after the original trilogy, living a peaceful, mundane life with Mal. Farmore charismatic characters such as Kaz and his Crows, Nikolai, and Zoya take overfrom there. Alina never had the desire to rule the world like these other young people, which makes them more suited to be at the center of the story.
2011
The author ofA Discovery of Witchesand its sequels is a real scholar who teaches the history of science at the University of Southern California.Deborah Harkness creates one of the most vibrant vampire-witch stories by using her academic knowledgeto delve into hypotheticals of the relationship between science and magic. Witch Diana Bishop and vampire Matthew Clairmont both hold doctorates and meet at the University of Oxford, where they are conducting research and where Diana calls up a strange manuscript that sets the story in motion.
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Few fantasy series have this kind of scientific and historical research going into them. However, the romance storyline isTwilightall over again.It tries to convince the reader of love at first sight between Diana and Matthew when their dynamic is somewhat awkward,and they are essentially married after a short time together. It’s even more ridiculous when they are not sheltered teenagers. Like many flawed fantasy novels,A Discovery of Witcheshas a lot to offer — and one flaw that detracts from everything else.
