Loonatic's Favorite Off-Brand High Fantasy Novels

1. The Earthsea Cycle (Ursula LeGuin)

The Earthsea cycle of books have all the classic hallmarks of high fantasy: mages, dragons, kings, and demons. But when Ursula LeGuin was asked to write a fantasy novel for children, she succeeded instead to bring new life and perspective to a genre of Lord of the Rings echoes. The first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, is a coming-of-age tale of Ged who, through his mistakes and his attempts to fix them, is on the path to becoming one of the greatest magic-users of all Earthsea. In each following novel there are more layers that show us a deeply flawed yet beautiful world in the midst of seismic changes. Male-dominated magic uneasily shifts, a king returns to a long-kingless realm, the longtime practices of slavery are abolished. The very divides between the lands of the living and the dead, even between humans and dragons, are in jeopardy. The prose of all LeGuin’s books read like poetry, with never a word wasted and yet capable of evoking great emotion and imagery. Grand though it is, it’s simplicity cuts right to the heart of the story. It makes a high fantasy realistic and relatable, with some of its most powerful moments happening not on the great quests, but when they’re just trying to make a living. I’d definitely recommend starting at the beginning, but really all of the books are equally worthy of a read. 

2. Blue Moon Rising (Simon Green)

Prince Rupert is a rather inconvenient second son to a kingdom already on the verge of falling apart from debt, politics, and lingering darkness. To not-so-subtly get rid of him, he is sent on a grand quest straight out of the storybooks to win glory and riches for the realm. But as with everything Rupert does, nothing really goes to plan. Instead he makes friends with a dragon, teams up with a sharp-tongued princess, and is otherwise ready to wring the neck of any minstrel in sight. When he returns home things get even more complicated, and the realm is in ever greater need of him and his friends. Will he turn out to be the hero that’s needed, or will darkness and demons prevail? This is another high fantasy book that takes the elements of the genre and bends them into new shapes. But rather than changing the story’s scale or setting, Blue Moon Rising ends up flipping the script and taking a hard look at the not-so-shiny aspects of high fantasy’s heroes, quests, royalty, and magic. For being true to high fantasy’s great deeds and magic swords and unspeakable evil, this novel adds grit and humor with excellent effect. 

3. Chalice (Robin McKinley)

Robin McKinley is well known for her fantasy books, with original tales like Hero and the Crown and several inventive retellings of fairytales like Rose Daughter and Spindle’s End. I had a hard time picking a favorite, but I thought maybe the most unusual addition to the high fantasy genre is Chalice. High fantasy is often so much about great destinies and saving the world from nameless evil, grand deeds across massive landscapes. This book turns out those clichés and paints a quieter tale on a smaller canvas. In this story we follow Mirasol, a humble beekeeper who is unexpectedly thrust into a high office of the highest council of Willowlands. As the demesne’s keeper and nurturer of the land and its people, she struggles to learn her magic and heal the rifts caused by its late rulers. When a new Master is brought in to lead, it sets off a series of events that will either destroy this little land or renew it. Although there are no bloody wars or journeys to foreign lands, this story has plenty of struggle, courage, doubt, sacrifice, and magic.