So I've been away for a while but I feel like now is a great time to get back into blogging. Spring is coming so its time to break out of those winter chills and turn over a new leaf.
So in my next post, I plan on going into this a little more. But here I mean it is worth it to try out other versions or sus-genres of fantasy rather than necessarily just jumping into reading high fantasy.
High fantasy is definitely the most difficult of the fantasy sub-genres to get into. Mainly because it is the most demanding of the reader. However, though it may be difficult to get into it is NOT impossible.
A good idea here would probably be to read something urban fantasy first or something that has high fantasy elements so you can settle into it a bit more. One example I would give here which is AMAZING to start with (although I could just be saying this because it is honestly my favourite series of all time) is the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
But equally, if you are trying to get into high fantasy because you're a fan of urban fantasy then personally I would just skip to my next tip.
At the beginning of most high fantasy novels, there is a drawing of a map. Usually, these maps have the names and clear locations of the key places within the novel. So what I like to do if I find myself getting lost is to flip back to it. Flipping back to the map allows you to get a larger picture of where the characters are. This also allows you to see what is surrounding such as other cities or kingdoms which is sometimes useful if you know that a character is under particular threat from one of these cities/kingdoms.
This new year I want to try to battle my own reading demons and try to get into books I never before have or have just landed in the DNF pile. So I wanted to address some of the reading fears that I've had in the past or that I know people around me have had recently.
Over the last few weeks, I've noticed that the minute someone says high fantasy to someone who really has never delved into it before a look of absolute fear crosses their face. Now while this might be confusing to veteran readers this fear is actually completely understandable. Trust me I've had the same thoughts.
Your worried your not going to understand the world. You think it will be full of descriptions of the landscape and the plot will fall to the sidelines. You worry you will lose track of where the characters are within the world. You even worry you are going to forget the names of the characters with how much you have to remember about everything else, let alone the plot!
Honestly, these are all common issues that stop readers getting into high fantasy. All of these can also be combatted. If you follow the top tips below you will be well on your way to reading and most importantly LOVING all the high fantasy books you can find.
Mizza's Top Tips to High Fantasy
1. DON'T JUMP STRIGHT TO A HIGH FANTASY BOOK
High fantasy is definitely the most difficult of the fantasy sub-genres to get into. Mainly because it is the most demanding of the reader. However, though it may be difficult to get into it is NOT impossible.
A good idea here would probably be to read something urban fantasy first or something that has high fantasy elements so you can settle into it a bit more. One example I would give here which is AMAZING to start with (although I could just be saying this because it is honestly my favourite series of all time) is the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
But equally, if you are trying to get into high fantasy because you're a fan of urban fantasy then personally I would just skip to my next tip.
2. SUBMERGE YOURSELF IN THE BOOK!
Just like I'm sure you do with all those books you love the most try and get utterly enwrapped in the book.
In order to enjoy these books sometimes, you just have to immerse yourself. Forget about the real world. Forget about whatever is worrying you. Just experience another world.
Each world you dive into will have its own set of traditions, ideas and even religions. These basic foundations of what makes up the society can often be confusing as they can be very different to our own. However, if you find these ideas difficult to understand and accept it is important to (at least on your fist reading) not to get too caught up in why these traditions exist or where they come from. Just simply accept the ideas and embrace them. Even in our everyday lives, there are sometimes things where we don't quite know entirely why we do them, we only know that it is tradition or what is expected. Therefore, it isn't any different for the characters within the worlds.
Just like I'm sure you do with all those books you love the most try and get utterly enwrapped in the book.
In order to enjoy these books sometimes, you just have to immerse yourself. Forget about the real world. Forget about whatever is worrying you. Just experience another world.
3. DON'T GET TOO CAUGHT UP IN THE WHY OF THINGS
Of course, sometimes the characters attempt to change beliefs or the structure of society. This is the only time more of the why seems to get investigated with High fantasy. Essentially don't hold out or pick a book based on this. Simply appreciate the world.
Remember if you forget something about a world's traditions that Google is always there to answer any questions 😂 (I actually can't tell you how many times I have had to do this when I have gotten utterly confused, so feel no shame!).
4. USE THE MAP
At the beginning of most high fantasy novels, there is a drawing of a map. Usually, these maps have the names and clear locations of the key places within the novel. So what I like to do if I find myself getting lost is to flip back to it. Flipping back to the map allows you to get a larger picture of where the characters are. This also allows you to see what is surrounding such as other cities or kingdoms which is sometimes useful if you know that a character is under particular threat from one of these cities/kingdoms.
5. USE LONG DESCRIPTIONS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Those long descriptions of sweeping plains and pages upon pages focused on trees while they show the craft of the author, sometimes for a reader ... these descriptions can feel like they go on for too long. Although you may just wanna skip these just to make them end and trust me when I say that we've all been there. But honestly, sometimes you are just going to have to suck it up and read because especially early on in the book these long descriptions can really help solidify your ideas of the world.
Of course equally, if you find that there is something grating on you as you read and you really just can't seem to get into a book you can just put it down and try again another time. Sometimes for me, I have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy these long whimsy descriptions and don't be afraid of that feeling. Do what you need to do to keep that reading hangover away!
Of course equally, if you find that there is something grating on you as you read and you really just can't seem to get into a book you can just put it down and try again another time. Sometimes for me, I have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy these long whimsy descriptions and don't be afraid of that feeling. Do what you need to do to keep that reading hangover away!
Really my main point here is to try and use these descriptions to form the world in your imagination but if you can't handle the writing style there are options out there that will glide you into this more softly. Before you know it you could be reading Lord of the Rings and loving the long descriptions of the world but don't put pressure on it. Sometimes what we truly love takes time to bloom.
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