The High Fantasy genre, also known as Epic Fantasy, has been around as early as 1937 when Tolkien first came out with The Hobbit. Since then, the world has been addicted to the magic of Epic Fantasy. Who wouldn't love a world of mythical beasts and places where even the most fantastical dreams aren’t too far out of reach? Modern High Fantasy continues to take the world by a storm, but for many readers the classics still reign supreme. Whether it’s Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia or George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, these series remain timeless for readers everywhere.
Tolkien’s books take the reader to Middle Earth where elves, dwarves, and orcs wander the planes. The inciting adventure follows Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit as he and a group of thirteen dwarves travel to reclaim their land and treasure from the fearsome dragon, Smaug. Middle Earth only grew more magical when Tolkien introduced the Lord of the Rings novels following Bilbo Baggins' cousin, Frodo, on his quest to save their world from ruin. Frodo inherits the One Ring, a mighty weapon with the power to destroy the world. He joins Gandalf on a perilous adventure to destroy the ring before Sauron can use it for his own plans.
Since Tolkiens’ enchanting novels made their debut, the love for High Fantasy has only grown. Authors like C.S. Lewis and George R.R. Martin have added to the genre with tales of powerful warring houses and mythical lands hiding behind a seemingly inconspicuous wardrobe.
C.S. Lewis’ series The Chronicles of Narnia, captured readers' hearts across the world when it first came out in 1950. The books follow four siblings as they enter the wondrous land of Narnia where talking animals and fantastical beasts roam. However, when the children first arrive in Narnia they are faced with a world that isn’t as marvelous as it once was. The powerful White Witch has brought an eternal winter to Narnia’s lands. Determined to help the people of Narnia, the children set out to defeat the tyrant Queen, learning the ways of war so they can help Aslan reclaim his land. Each of the seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia brings the reader along on a new heartwarming tale that inspires readers to crawl through wardrobes everywhere.
Next, perhaps one of the best examples of High Fantasy is Geroge R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. While the series had always been popular, it gained a huge following after the TV adaptation called Game of Thrones premiered in 2011. Even after the show concluded in 2019, the fans couldn’t get enough of this addictive universe of dragon fire and family feuds. Due to popular demand, a tv adaptation for Martin’s Fire and Blood, a prequel to the A Song of Ice and Fire series, was quickly created. The TV show titled House of The Dragon highlights the bloody history of the House Targaryen and features pivotal characters from the Targaryen family. Now that the second season of House of The Dragon has officially been released we can expect to see not only a plethora of new characters with ties to the original Game of Thrones series but also at least three new dragons for the fans to obsess over.
The team here at Juniper Books couldn’t be more excited to watch season two of House of The Dragon. We were so excited, in fact, that we designed an entirely new A Song of Ice and Fire Book Set which includes the prequel book Fire and Blood. Featuring a medieval scene across the spines, this new design captures both the visual and emotional essence of Martin’s novels. But don’t worry, our original design isn’t going anywhere! You can find both versions of this set in our newly curated High Fantasy Collection.
Epic Fantasy as a whole is well… EPIC! It’s truly hard to top the series that have defined this genre. From Tolkien to Lewis to Martin, these series are chalked full of mythical worlds, badass characters, and conflicts that leave us all on the edge of their seat. And we couldn’t ask for anything better!