Readers searching for epic fantasy narratives just like Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time typically search for particular parts. These embody intricate world-building with detailed histories, magic methods with outlined guidelines and limitations, advanced characters with evolving motivations, and interwoven plotlines that span quite a few volumes. For instance, a reader would possibly recognize the political intrigue in The Wheel of Time and search comparable themes in different works.
Discovering comparable sequence permits readers to proceed experiencing the satisfaction derived from immersive world-building and long-form storytelling. The enduring recognition of excessive fantasy epics demonstrates the enduring enchantment of escaping into richly imagined worlds and following multifaceted characters by way of prolonged journeys of progress and battle. Such sequence present a novel house for exploring themes of excellent versus evil, future versus free will, and the impression of particular person selections on a grand scale.
This exploration delves right into a collection of fantasy sequence that resonate with the qualities discovered inside Jordan’s expansive work. From established classics to modern favorites, these suggestions cater to readers searching for comparable narrative buildings, thematic depth, and complex world-building.
1. Epic Scale
Epic scale, a defining attribute of works like The Wheel of Time, encompasses huge scopes of time, geography, and narrative. It is not merely about size; it is in regards to the breadth and depth of the world and its historical past, the multitude of characters impacting and being impacted by occasions, and the overarching sense of consequence that permeates each particular person motion. This scale permits for intricate world-building, advanced character arcs, and multi-layered plots, all essential for drawing readers into an immersive expertise. The autumn of civilizations, the rise of empires, and the cyclical nature of time itself turn into tangible parts inside the narrative. Think about Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the place the destiny of Center-earth rests on the actions of a small fellowship, demonstrating how particular person struggles can have universe-altering ramifications.
The impression of epic scale extends past easy escapism. It permits authors to discover advanced themes with better nuance. Ethical ambiguities, the cyclical nature of historical past, and the impression of societal buildings on people may be examined by way of the lens of generations and throughout continents. As an illustration, in Frank Herbert’s Dune, the battle for management of Arrakis spans millennia, highlighting the long-term penalties of ecological exploitation and political maneuvering. This grand canvas supplies a robust platform for exploring such advanced themes in a fashion unavailable to smaller-scale narratives. The sensible significance of understanding this connection lies in appreciating the depth and complexity supplied by these works.
In abstract, epic scale is a vital element contributing to the immersive and thought-provoking nature of works like The Wheel of Time. It creates an area for exploring grand themes and sophisticated characters, elevating the narrative past mere leisure to a deeper engagement with human nature and the forces that form our world. The problem for authors lies in managing this scale successfully, making certain the narrative stays coherent and interesting regardless of its vastness. This intricate steadiness of scope and element is what separates really epic works from merely lengthy ones.
2. Complicated Magic Programs
Magic methods, integral to many fantasy epics, function greater than mere plot gadgets; they symbolize structured expressions of energy inside fictional worlds. In works just like The Wheel of Time, intricate and well-defined magic methods are important for creating a way of verisimilitude and depth. These methods typically possess inherent limitations, guidelines, and penalties, mirroring real-world methods of data and energy. This complexity permits for strategic utility of magic inside the narrative, fostering suspense and driving character growth.
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Supply and Limits of Energy
Defining the supply and limitations of magic is essential. Does magic derive from a divine entity, pure forces, or an inherent human skill? Limitations would possibly contain bodily or psychological exhaustion, materials elements, or ethical penalties. The Wheel of Time’s One Energy, tied to the True Supply and divided into female and male halves (saidar and saidin), exemplifies this, with its potential for corruption and insanity. Equally, the magic in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn sequence attracts energy from metals, making a system with clear guidelines and limitations primarily based on useful resource availability.
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Construction and Guidelines
A structured system with clearly outlined guidelines enhances reader immersion and strategic narrative potentialities. These guidelines can contain particular gestures, incantations, or ritualistic practices. They’ll additionally dictate how totally different types of magic work together, creating alternatives for tactical benefits and vulnerabilities. The intricate methods of sympathetic magic in Patrick Rothfuss’s The Kingkiller Chronicle, the place phrases maintain energy, exemplify this construction, demanding exact information and ability.
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Impression on Society and Tradition
Magic’s impression on a society shapes its cultural norms, political buildings, and technological developments. Societies would possibly revere magic customers as elites, worry them as outcasts, or combine them into on a regular basis life. In The Wheel of Time, the Aes Sedai maintain important political affect, reflecting the societal impression of highly effective magic customers. Equally, in Ursula Ok. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle, wizards play a vital position in sustaining steadiness and mediating conflicts, reflecting a distinct cultural integration of magic.
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Character Improvement by way of Magic
Magic methods can drive character growth by offering alternatives for progress, battle, and self-discovery. Characters would possibly battle to grasp magical skills, confront moral dilemmas associated to its use, or expertise transformations ensuing from its affect. Rand al’Thor’s journey in The Wheel of Time, marked by his battle to manage the One Energy and its results on his sanity, epitomizes this. Likewise, Vin’s growth in Mistborn is inextricably linked to her mastery of Allomancy, demonstrating how magic is usually a software for private progress.
These interwoven aspects contribute considerably to the immersive high quality of epic fantasy. A well-crafted magic system enhances world-building, creates narrative stress, and drives character growth. Readers invested in these methods discover mental engagement alongside emotional connection, searching for narratives that discover the profound implications of magic on people and societies. By rigorously contemplating the supply, construction, societal impression, and character interactions with magic, authors create fictional worlds that resonate with readers lengthy after the ultimate web page is turned. The echoes of those methods may be discovered in lots of profitable fantasy sequence, solidifying their significance within the style.
3. Ensemble Casts
Ensemble casts, an indicator of epic fantasy like The Wheel of Time, contribute considerably to narrative depth and reader engagement. Using a number of protagonists permits for numerous views on a shared world and its conflicts. These views enrich the narrative tapestry, providing multifaceted explorations of themes and occasions. Trigger and impact turn into extra intricate as particular person character arcs intertwine, creating a posh internet of relationships and motivations. This dynamic construction mirrors real-world societal interactions the place particular person actions ripple outward, impacting the collective narrative. Think about the fellowship in The Lord of the Rings, the place every member’s distinctive abilities and views are important to the search’s success. Their particular person struggles and triumphs turn into interwoven, demonstrating the energy present in unity regardless of numerous backgrounds.
The significance of ensemble casts extends past merely growing the variety of characters. It permits for a extra nuanced exploration of themes, particularly in narratives coping with advanced ethical dilemmas and societal conflicts. Presenting different viewpoints permits readers to have interaction with the narrative on a extra mental degree, fostering vital considering and empathy for characters with differing motivations. George R.R. Martin’s A Tune of Ice and Fireplace exemplifies this, the place the views of quite a few noble homes illuminate the intricate political panorama and the results of energy struggles from varied angles. This complexity elevates the narrative past easy good versus evil, presenting a extra practical and morally ambiguous portrayal of human interplay. The sensible significance of understanding this connection lies in appreciating the depth and nuance supplied by ensemble casts, permitting for richer thematic exploration and character growth.
In abstract, ensemble casts play an important position in creating immersive and intellectually stimulating narratives. They permit for a broader exploration of advanced themes, extra practical portrayals of societal conflicts, and deeper reader engagement with the characters and their particular person journeys. The problem for authors lies in balancing the event of quite a few characters whereas sustaining a cohesive narrative. This cautious orchestration of particular person arcs inside a bigger story is what distinguishes a well-executed ensemble solid from a easy assortment of characters. This understanding enhances appreciation for the complexity and depth supplied by works using this narrative approach.
4. Intricate World-Constructing
Intricate world-building stands as a cornerstone of epic fantasy, notably in works paying homage to The Wheel of Time. A meticulously crafted world attracts readers into the narrative, fostering a way of immersion and surprise. Greater than mere backdrop, a well-realized world capabilities as a personality in itself, influencing plot, shaping character motivations, and including layers of thematic depth. This exploration delves into the important thing aspects of intricate world-building, demonstrating their significance in creating really fascinating narratives.
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Constant Inside Logic
A plausible world operates underneath constant inner logic. Established guidelines, whether or not governing magic methods, societal buildings, or ecological rules, should be adhered to all through the narrative. This consistency creates a way of verisimilitude, permitting readers to droop disbelief and settle for the fictional actuality offered. Simply as real-world physics governs our universe, a fictional world’s inner logic supplies the framework for understanding how every little thing capabilities. Discrepancies or contradictions can disrupt immersion, highlighting the artificiality of the assemble. Tolkien’s Center-earth, with its detailed languages, histories, and mythologies, exemplifies this dedication to inner consistency, making the world really feel actual and lived-in.
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Cultural Depth and Variety
Cultural depth and variety enrich fictional worlds, reflecting the complexity of human societies. Various customs, traditions, beliefs, and languages add texture and nuance to the narrative, creating alternatives for battle, cooperation, and exploration of various views. Simply as real-world cultures form particular person identities and societal buildings, fictional cultures affect character motivations and interactions. Ursula Ok. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle showcases this superbly, with its numerous island cultures, every possessing distinctive traditions and magical practices. This cultural richness provides layers of that means to the narrative, exploring themes of intercultural understanding and the impression of custom on particular person lives.
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Detailed Historical past and Geography
A well-developed historical past and geography present a way of depth and scale to a fictional world. Previous occasions form present political landscapes, cultural norms, and character motivations. Geographic options affect commerce routes, navy methods, and the distribution of assets. These particulars create a way of place, grounding the narrative in a tangible actuality. Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time exemplifies this, with its detailed historical past of the Age of Legends and its cyclical time principle influencing the current narrative. The geography of the world, with its distinct areas and climates, shapes the cultures and conflicts inside the story. This historic and geographical depth provides weight and that means to the narrative, demonstrating how previous occasions can have long-lasting penalties.
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Distinctive Flora and Fauna
Distinctive natural world contribute to a world’s distinct identification and may play important roles within the narrative. Fantastical creatures can function allies, adversaries, or symbols of deeper thematic ideas. Distinctive flora can have medicinal properties, magical significance, or ecological significance. These parts add surprise and a way of discovery to the studying expertise. The creatures of Center-earth, from the majestic Ents to the monstrous Balrog, exemplify this, enriching the world and contributing to the narrative’s epic scope. These parts transfer past mere window dressing; they turn into integral elements of the world’s ecosystem and narrative material.
These interconnected parts of intricate world-building contribute considerably to the immersive and fascinating nature of epic fantasy. A well-realized world supplies a wealthy backdrop for advanced narratives, influencing character growth, driving plot development, and exploring deeper themes. Readers searching for experiences akin to The Wheel of Time are drawn to those detailed worlds, discovering satisfaction in exploring their intricacies and uncovering their hidden depths. The success of many fantasy sequence hinges on this cautious development of fictional realities, demonstrating the enduring energy of intricate world-building in capturing the creativeness and fostering a way of surprise.
5. Prolonged Collection
Prolonged sequence, a defining attribute of epic fantasy exemplified by The Wheel of Time, provide a novel narrative canvas for exploring advanced character growth, intricate world-building, and multi-layered plotlines. The prolonged timeframe permits for gradual unfolding of intricate plots, mirroring the complexities of real-world historic occasions that always span generations. Characters evolve step by step, going through trials, experiencing progress, and present process transformations that resonate with readers because of the invested time and emotional connection. Think about historic occasions just like the Roman Empire’s rise and fall, a course of spanning centuries, not not like the epic scope present in fantasy sequence. The prolonged narrative supplies house for exploring the intricacies of political intrigue, societal shifts, and particular person impacts on a grand scale.
The enchantment of prolonged sequence stems from the immersive expertise they supply. Readers make investments important time in these worlds, forming robust bonds with characters and changing into deeply engaged within the unfolding narrative. This funding fosters a way of neighborhood amongst readers who share a typical ardour for the sequence, as seen with devoted fanbases surrounding works like A Tune of Ice and Fireplace or The Wheel of Time. These communities interact in discussions, analyses, and theorizing, demonstrating the enduring enchantment and cultural impression of prolonged sequence. This sustained engagement contributes to the industrial success and demanding acclaim typically related to such works.
In abstract, prolonged sequence present the narrative house for exploring advanced themes, creating multifaceted characters, and constructing richly detailed worlds. The prolonged timeframe permits for a gradual unfolding of plot and character arcs, fostering deeper reader immersion and creating alternatives for intricate world-building. Whereas the dedication required by prolonged sequence may be important, the rewards for readers lie within the depth of exploration and emotional connection fostered by the prolonged narrative journey. This understanding enhances appreciation for the distinctive contribution of prolonged sequence to the fantasy style, distinguishing them from standalone novels or shorter trilogies.
6. Excessive Fantasy Components
Excessive fantasy, a subgenre exemplified by works like The Wheel of Time, distinguishes itself by way of particular parts that contribute to its immersive and escapist nature. These parts typically intertwine, making a wealthy tapestry of magic, journey, and legendary beings. Central to excessive fantasy is the presence of a secondary world, distinct from our personal, ruled by its personal legal guidelines and populated by fantastical creatures. This secondary world supplies the backdrop for epic struggles between good and evil, typically involving prophecies, chosen ones, and historical artifacts imbued with immense energy. Think about Tolkien’s Center-earth, a world replete with elves, dwarves, hobbits, and orcs, embroiled in a battle towards the Darkish Lord Sauron, illustrating this clear delineation between good and evil inside a secondary world. This component is essential in establishing the escapist nature of excessive fantasy, transporting readers to realms past the mundane.
The prevalence of magic in excessive fantasy narratives serves greater than an ornamental goal. Magic methods, typically advanced and well-defined, turn into integral to the world’s performance, influencing societal buildings, political energy dynamics, and character growth. Magic typically represents a supply of each surprise and hazard, able to nice good or horrible destruction. The One Energy in The Wheel of Time exemplifies this, able to each therapeutic and devastation, shaping the world’s historical past and influencing the destinies of key characters. This duality of magic provides depth and complexity to the narrative, elevating moral questions and exploring the results of wielding immense energy. Understanding this connection between magic and narrative permits for a deeper appreciation of the thematic depth current in excessive fantasy.
In abstract, excessive fantasy parts, together with secondary worlds, epic struggles between good and evil, and complex magic methods, contribute considerably to the immersive nature of works like The Wheel of Time. These parts work in live performance to create narratives that transport readers to fantastical realms, partaking them with advanced characters, intricate plots, and profound thematic explorations. The problem for authors lies in balancing these parts successfully, making a plausible world with constant inner logic whereas sustaining a way of surprise and pleasure. This delicate steadiness distinguishes really nice excessive fantasy from mere escapism, solidifying its enduring enchantment and affect on the style.
7. Character-Pushed Narratives
Character-driven narratives kind the center of many epic fantasy sequence, together with works just like The Wheel of Time. The main target shifts from exterior plot occasions to the interior struggles, motivations, and transformations of the characters. The plot serves as a car for exploring character growth, quite than the opposite approach round. This emphasis on inner journeys resonates with readers, fostering deeper emotional connections and funding within the narrative’s consequence. The characters turn into extra than simply gamers on a stage; they turn into relatable people with advanced motivations and flaws, making their triumphs and failures all of the extra impactful.
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Inside Conflicts and Motivations
Exploring inner conflicts and motivations supplies depth and complexity to characters. These inner struggles would possibly contain ethical dilemmas, private insecurities, or conflicting wishes. Rand al’Thor’s grappling together with his future because the Dragon Reborn in The Wheel of Time, torn between his need for a standard life and the burden of the world on his shoulders, exemplifies this. These inner conflicts drive character selections and affect their interactions with the exterior world, including layers of nuance to the narrative. Simply as real-world people grapple with inner conflicts, fictional characters’ inner struggles make them relatable and their journeys compelling.
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Relationships and Interactions
Relationships and interactions between characters form their growth and drive the narrative ahead. Bonds of friendship, love, rivalry, and betrayal affect character selections and create alternatives for each progress and battle. The advanced relationships inside the fellowship in The Lord of the Rings show how particular person strengths and weaknesses complement one another, highlighting the facility of camaraderie and shared goal. These interactions reveal character nuances and supply alternatives for exploring themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the impression of interpersonal relationships on particular person progress.
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Transformations and Progress
Character transformations and progress are central to character-driven narratives. Characters evolve over time, going through challenges that take a look at their resolve and power them to confront their flaws. These transformative experiences can result in profound modifications in persona, beliefs, and motivations. Frodo Baggins’ journey in The Lord of the Rings, from a sheltered hobbit to a resilient bearer of the One Ring, exemplifies this transformative course of. These modifications resonate with readers, providing insights into the human capability for resilience, progress, and the enduring energy of hope within the face of adversity.
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Impression on Plot Development
In character-driven narratives, character selections and actions instantly affect the plot’s trajectory. Inside struggles and interpersonal relationships turn into catalysts for exterior occasions, making a dynamic interaction between character growth and plot development. FitzChivalry Farseer’s selections in Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy, pushed by his loyalty and inner conflicts, instantly impression the political panorama and form the dominion’s destiny. This connection between character and plot creates a way of company and consequence, making the narrative extra partaking and impactful.
These interconnected aspects of character-driven narratives contribute considerably to the immersive and emotionally resonant nature of epic fantasy. By prioritizing the interior journeys of characters, works like The Wheel of Time create narratives that discover the complexities of human nature, the impression of relationships, and the transformative energy of expertise. Readers join with these characters on a deeper degree, changing into invested of their struggles, celebrating their triumphs, and mourning their losses. This give attention to character-driven storytelling elevates the style past mere escapism, providing profound insights into the human situation and the enduring energy of particular person alternative.
Often Requested Questions
This part addresses widespread inquiries relating to discovering comparable sequence to The Wheel of Time, providing steering for readers searching for comparable narratives and immersive worlds.
Query 1: What makes The Wheel of Time so interesting to readers?
Its enchantment stems from a mix of intricate world-building, a posh magic system with outlined guidelines and limitations, compelling characters with evolving motivations, and interwoven plotlines spanning quite a few volumes. The sequence provides a deeply immersive expertise, drawing readers right into a richly imagined world full of political intrigue, private struggles, and epic conflicts.
Query 2: Are there different sequence with equally advanced magic methods?
Sure, a number of sequence characteristic magic methods with intricate guidelines and limitations. Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn and Stormlight Archive sequence are prime examples, providing distinctive and well-defined magic methods that play integral roles of their respective narratives. Patrick Rothfuss’s The Kingkiller Chronicle additionally incorporates a advanced magic system with a give attention to the facility of language and sympathetic magic.
Query 3: I am intimidated by the size of The Wheel of Time. Are there shorter however comparable sequence?
Whereas capturing the total scope of The Wheel of Time in a shorter sequence is difficult, a number of choices provide comparable parts in a extra concise format. Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy, whereas not as expansive, supplies a character-driven narrative with political intrigue and a well-developed magic system. The Damaged Earth trilogy by N.Ok. Jemisin provides a novel magic system and compelling characters inside a shorter, self-contained narrative.
Query 4: Past magic methods, what different elements ought to I search for in comparable sequence?
Think about components like intricate world-building, compelling character growth, and interesting plotlines. Search for sequence with detailed histories, numerous cultures, and distinctive geographies that contribute to a way of immersion. Character-driven narratives with relatable characters and sophisticated relationships additionally provide an identical studying expertise. The presence of overarching themes exploring morality, future, and the impression of particular person selections additional enhances the studying expertise.
Query 5: Are there sequence that discover comparable themes of future and free will?
Sure, exploring themes of future and free will is widespread in epic fantasy. The A Tune of Ice and Fireplace sequence by George R.R. Martin delves into the complexities of destiny and particular person selections in a world of political intrigue and fixed warfare. Steven Erikson’s Malazan E book of the Fallen additionally explores these themes inside an enormous and sophisticated world full of numerous cultures and conflicting ideologies.
Query 6: The place can I discover suggestions for extra books like The Wheel of Time?
On-line communities devoted to fantasy literature, equivalent to subreddits or Goodreads teams, provide invaluable assets for locating customized suggestions. E book evaluation web sites and blogs typically characteristic curated lists of comparable sequence primarily based on particular themes, tropes, or writing types. Native bookstores and libraries may also present suggestions primarily based on particular person preferences and studying historical past.
Discovering a sequence that resonates with particular person preferences is dependent upon varied components, together with most popular writing types, thematic pursuits, and desired degree of complexity. Exploring totally different authors and sequence permits readers to find new worlds and narratives that seize the essence of what they loved in The Wheel of Time.
This concludes the regularly requested questions part. The next part delves additional into particular sequence suggestions.
Suggestions for Discovering Related Books
Finding comparable narratives requires a nuanced method, contemplating varied components past surface-level similarities. The following tips provide steering for readers searching for immersive experiences akin to The Wheel of Time, specializing in key parts that contribute to its enduring enchantment.
Tip 1: Think about the Scope and Scale:
Search narratives with a grand scope, encompassing huge worlds, intricate histories, and sophisticated socio-political buildings. Epic scale permits for multifaceted character growth and exploration of profound themes, mirroring The Wheel of Time’s expansive narrative.
Tip 2: Discover Detailed Magic Programs:
Magic methods with clearly outlined guidelines, limitations, and penalties improve immersion and narrative depth. Search for methods that play integral roles within the story, influencing character growth, societal buildings, and plot development.
Tip 3: Search Character-Pushed Narratives:
Prioritize tales the place character growth takes middle stage. Search for narratives exploring inner conflicts, advanced relationships, and transformative character arcs, fostering deeper emotional connections with the story.
Tip 4: Embrace Intricate World-Constructing:
Detailed world-building enhances immersion and narrative richness. Search worlds with constant inner logic, numerous cultures, detailed histories, and distinctive geographies. These parts create a plausible backdrop for advanced narratives and character interactions.
Tip 5: Discover Ensemble Casts:
Ensemble casts provide a number of views on a shared world, enriching the narrative and permitting for a extra nuanced exploration of themes. Search for tales the place a number of characters contribute meaningfully to the plot and bear important growth.
Tip 6: Think about the Pacing and Size:
Prolonged sequence provide the house for gradual character growth, intricate plotlines, and detailed world-building. Nevertheless, shorter sequence may also present satisfying experiences. Think about private preferences relating to pacing and size when deciding on a sequence.
Tip 7: Discover Thematic Depth:
Search for narratives that discover profound themes equivalent to future versus free will, the character of excellent and evil, the impression of particular person selections, and the cyclical nature of historical past. These thematic explorations add depth and that means to the narrative.
By contemplating these components, readers can navigate the huge panorama of fantasy literature and uncover narratives that resonate with their particular person preferences. The important thing lies in figuring out the precise parts that contribute to a satisfying studying expertise and searching for them out in different works.
The next concluding part summarizes key takeaways and provides last suggestions for readers embarking on their quest for comparable literary journeys.
Conclusion
Exploring narratives akin to The Wheel of Time requires understanding its core elements: epic scale, intricate magic methods, ensemble casts, detailed world-building, prolonged sequence format, excessive fantasy parts, and character-driven narratives. These parts contribute to the immersive nature of the sequence, permitting readers to lose themselves in a richly imagined world full of advanced characters and compelling storylines. Recognizing these parts supplies a framework for locating different works that supply comparable narrative experiences.
The enduring enchantment of epic fantasy lies in its skill to move readers to different worlds, discover profound themes, and forge connections with compelling characters. The journey to search out comparable narratives is an exploration in itself, providing alternatives to find new authors, increase literary horizons, and deepen appreciation for the facility of storytelling. The search for narratives akin to The Wheel of Time represents a unbroken exploration of the huge and ever-evolving panorama of epic fantasy.
