Game of Thrones fans have a little over 100 days to wait for season 7, which seems close to a lifetime away. The franchisation of George R.R. Martin’s creation means that the companion books and merchandise are never ending, offering ample opportunity to pass time in Westeros. But for those who can’t get enough of the fantasy world rendered in technicolor, and whose relationship with the source books is stronger and more intertwined than most marriages, how about visiting another world entirely?
Fantasy is a genre as old as time. The first stories every told were of monsters, myths and magic as ancient peoples tried to make sense of a world before science. Popular fantasy is based around magic or sorcery, and nearly always rooted in a medieval setting. Despite the clear disconnect with modernity, epic fantasies have the appeal of plots and characters whose familiar traits transcend time, but whose stories are different enough that the genre holds an escapist attraction, taking readers (or viewers) away from reality.
Besides the obvious fantasy epic fiction of J. R. R. Tolkein in The Lord of the Rings, there are a number of authors whose works have spirited this writer away to familiar and imaginary lands ringing with swords and sorcery. One of the best things about the books that follow is that none have (yet) been recreated for film or television, so you must rely on the magic of your own imagination to paint the pictures in your head.
4. The First Law – Joe Abercrombie
Joe Abercrombie wrote not just the celebrated The First Law trilogy, but also three standalone novels set in the world of The First Law. It was described as “Delightfully twisted and evil” by the Sunday Times (UK) newspaper, and evil it certainly is. Rough, dark and gritty, the story’s characters are bitter and twisted (literally), morally corrupt and not averse to betrayal.
After the clarity of the political depth and specific plot detailing fades, the lasting memory of reading his books is of darkness, spite and unpleasantness. The nature of the plot means that it is difficult to root for any particular character considering few are anything other than nasty. That said, the mystery and intrigue is such that the author grabs you by the scruff of the neck and holds on tight for 600 pages (per book).
Book One: The Blade Itself:
“Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught up in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian, leaving nothing behind but some bad songs, a few dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.
Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a jar. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendships. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government… if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.”
