Give Me a Tale That Isn't Stale

​I became hooked on the fantasy genre and read little else during the 1980s and 1990s. Back then, most fantasy novels were set in pseudo-medieval lands based on Britain or Western Europe. Many of these stories involved a quest to find a sword, a book, or some other powerful artifact. Many were epic sagas, involving wars between human kingdoms, or conflicts between humans and faeries, elves, or dwarves. Nearly all had male protagonists, and women were relegated to stereotypical, insignificant roles.

Eventually, I became burned-out on fantasy. I had read too many books about quests and wars, too many stories about farmhands or orphans with newly-discovered powers who must single-handedly save the day. Today, many books continue to follow these time-worn tropes, and there's nothing wrong with that, but when I read a synopsis with these elements, I usually pass and choose a different book.

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