10 Must Haves for an Epic Fantasy by Jonathan J. Michael, author of the Blood of Azure series

 

Today, Jonathan J. Michael is sharing with his his Blood of Azure series, including a sneak peek inside, as well as what he deems to be the 10 Must Haves for an Epic Fantasy. Be sure to let him know what you think in the comments section! Follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

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BLOOD OF AZURE SERIES

Four races with powers dictated by the seasons seek balance and prosperity. However, life instinctively primes itself for survival, and when one race commands the touch of death, all others fall in line. Tyranny plagues Azure as an immortal ruler governs the knowledge of the seasons and those wielding its power.

Four young protagonists, Stone, Jaymes, Goose, and Astor, each navigate their way to escape his shadow and reclaim their freedom. Simple ambitions for young souls. But little did they know, they would uncover the secrets the realm is built upon, and the unique talents they each carry. Their ignorance allows the knowledge of the seasons to escape into the world around them little by little, and with it, a power loosing anarchy upon the realm. A power most aren’t worthy of wielding. It is up to Stone and his companions to tame that power and reclaim the balance.

Four seasons to balance the land. Four sages to balance the life.

Courage is for the bold. It is not for Stone McLarin. He’s been in hiding for four seasons after being orphaned by the Taoiseach. He doesn’t care for the heroic antics of avenging his parent’s death or securing his freedom. He only desires one thing—to protect his sister’s life.

This proves challenging when his sister, Jaymes, possesses a rivaling power of decay to that of the tyrant ruler’s. She’s a threat to his dominance, and there will be no escaping his shadow.

When the Taoiseach manipulates his way into Jaymes’s life and steals her away, Stone has no choice but to follow. He must venture into the heart of the tyrant’s domain and figure out how to penetrate the impenetrable. And if he succeeds there, he will have to slay the most powerful man in Azure.

In a world ruled by decay, what chance does life stand?

Season of Sacrifice is part one of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy full of grim encounters, heroic adventures, unique magic, and a captivating world to explore.

Author’s Note: Contains explicit language and some graphic descriptions.

Read an excerpt:

My heart beats heavier. I inhale and, with the back of my hand, brush a drop of sweat that has found its way down my forehead. I know what these tracks be-long to. But why now? Am I projecting my ambitions—to slay a Creature of the Night? I grab a handful of Everweed from the ground and reluctantly head in the direction of the trampled vegetation.

My experience with these beasts is nonexistent, but then again, there isn’t another who can claim otherwise. They’re the type of animal man stays far away from, which was the primary reason for choosing this location as a refuge. We chose to risk being mauled by the Creatures of the Night over the public execution we would have inevitably encountered by hiding in a small village. Some would consider us the biggest halfwits in all of Vedora, all of Azure even, for making the decision we made, but I know Harris Martelli personally, and the fact he is capable of persuading a strong-willed and morally sound man like my father to do what he did is far more threatening than any beast living in the wood.

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A villain in his own mind, Stone McLarin is labeled the hero for murdering a man.

Not only is Stone weighted down as a hero, but he’s idolized by the dominant religion, and he’s the sole protector of the knowledge of the ages. The pressure of the entire realm is on his shoulders.

Carib Reign, a shapeshifter building an army of immortals, plans to purge the Crimson Capital to find this hidden knowledge. His motive, to give the people of Azure the freedom they deserve.

With many adventures along the way, Stone will lead the charge to defend the Crimson Capital against the Immortal Army. Should he fail, anarchy is inevitable. Death for all Azure, a possibility.

Where there is life, death anticipates. But what if death is abandoned? Life will rebel.

Season of Suffering is part two of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy with both light and dark hearts. You’ll experience many fantasy tropes, clashing swords, unique magic, fantastical beasts, and a wide range of Azure’s scenic terrain.

Author’s Note: Contains explicit language and some graphic descriptions.

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Ten Must Haves for an Epic Fantasy

A common story will include relatable characters, an inciting incident pulling the main character from their norm, a goal or mission to accomplish, and many obstacles in between. But we aren’t discussing a common story today. We’re going to find out what makes a story EPIC… Epic… Epic… Epic…

So, let’s put aside the typical elements of a story and look exclusively at what makes an epic fantasy. You’ll soon find out this list is clearly debatable. But not really. These are must haves. You should write this down.

Magic—Lots of Magic

Why magic? Because it’s wonderous. It’s enthralling. It is the unknown. And it’s why we explore an epic fantasy to begin with. Magic can come in any form; large or small; hard or soft; scientific or bewildering, but there must be some element of magic.

A Vast World to Explore

If you are driving down the freeway and find yourself wanting to cruise down that dirt road leading to the mountains, then you know why an epic fantasy needs epic terrain. If your dream house is not about the house, but the remote location surrounded by nature, then you know why an epic fantasy needs to have epic scenery. If you’re at a gathering (of people, not animals, insects, or any other odd habits you might have) and you find yourself stepping outside to stare at the night sky, then you know why an epic fantasy needs epic wonder. We are here to explore.

A Global Threat

It helps to have antagonists at every level—personal/local, national, international, and global. You don’t necessarily need all of these, but it adds layers. And the icing on the cake is the global threat. An angry villain with a good motive is cool, but how about a world dominating villain who threatens all existence unless you submit to their will.

“What are we going to do tonight, Brain?”

“The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world!”

A Hero

The hero almost goes without saying, but I figure not all stories have a hero, so it must be on this list. This can range anywhere from a typical hero with angelic-like values to a morally grey, almost charcoal black, anti-hero. An epic must have a hero.

Too Many Characters

Okay, this one is highly debatable. But is it, though?

Harry Potter: Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Neville, Draco, Lupin, Lestrange, Dobby, all the Weasleys, and the list goes on. LOTR: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gollum, Bilbo, Boromir, Arwen, Elrond, Gandalf, and the list goes on. GOT: A ridiculous number of characters, and wonderfully crafted.

If the world is vast, and the culture is deep, you’ll enthrall all with a character list equally as epic.

Too Many Pages to Read

I may have overshot this with my debut novel, but with lots of magic, a world so vast, a global threat, and too many characters, it is nearly impossible not to. For writers—do your best to be concise. For readers—you’ll get what you paid for.

An Inn

Because how else is the hero going to figure out where to go next? The protagonist needs some place to either uncover new information, make bad decisions, or just have a mead and enjoy the merrymaking. This can be an everyday inn with a public house and rooms, a brothel, or something more creative like a music house, as long as it can accomplish new information, bad decisions, or merrymaking.

A Journey

Like the hero element, the journey seems obvious for an epic fantasy. But what kind of journey is needed? In Harry Potter his initial journey was simply entering the world of magic, then he slowly journeyed into more of the magical world as the series progressed. And with Frodo, he had a long epic journey spanning across the entire series. Or the Kingkiller Chronicle where Kvothe treaded across much of Temerant to discover his potential. The epic world is wonderous and undiscovered, and the only way we’re going to discover it is by making those long expeditions across the terrain.

A Cliché Trope

You’ll find many articles/blogs discussing the avoidance of cliché fantasy tropes, but I think the intent is to not litter a story with them. Or you can attempt the opposite and put every possible trope into a story. If done right, it could be amazing. At minimum, you’ll need to include at least one cliché trope for the story to be epic. This offers a familiar comfort all fans enjoy. And secondly, it’s tricky to avoid because there are so many of them. This could be a chosen one, a magical artifact, a prophecy, a dark lord (global threat, yeah?), and certainly an orphan.

Something Ridiculous

Including a ridiculous element in your story adds a whimsical or comedy relief to the story. This isn’t dark fantasy we’re discussing, it’s an epic fantasy. Something ridiculous will draw controversy depending how flamboyant or subtle it is. Some will think it moronic. Others will fancy it. The Weasley twins in the Harry Potter series, for example. Or Merry and Pippin in Lord of the Rings. A well-written and subtle example would be Brienne in the Song of Ice and Fire series. I’m not saying women knights are ridiculous. I’m saying women knights in a medieval era are extremely unlikely and up for ridicule. This is the brilliance of something ridiculous, and why it’s a must have for epics.

This is my undebatable list of ten must haves for an epic fantasy. What would you include in a list of must haves for a story to EPIC… Epic… Epic… Epic…

Jonathan J Michael was born and raised in the greater Seattle area in the scenic state of Washington. Jonathan is an advocate of science, nature, and exploration, which has a heavy influence in his debut series, Blood of Azure.

When I drive down the freeway, I often want to veer onto the backroads and head for the mountains. When I'm at an evening gathering, I'm eager to step outside and gaze at the stars. When I'm on a ferry, I'm at the guardrail staring into the depths wondering what kind of leviathans lurk below. I'm an explorer, and since I'm not on the next Crew Dragon headed for the ISS, fantasy novels let me have what I seek. I write to explore a world of wonder.

~ Jonathan

SOCIAL LINKS

Website: https://jonathanjmichael.com/

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