Princes and strategists, martial champions and war heroes, grit, sweat, brawls, and schemes. Since the beginning of time, we have told stories about the best and worst of men – from myths and epics, to action and adventure classics, to modern superheroes and fantasy rogues, such stories have touched hearts across language barriers and millennia.
So why are they hard to find on bookshelves today?
Let’s take a look at the modern publishing market, reader tastes, and my own perspective as a book editor (plus a few obligatory caveats):
These are 8 of my favorite books of all time. Notice any commonalities?
All of these stories are about men (and boys) – clever, dangerous, heroic, stalwart men. Some are written for general audiences, while others go all in on the “bro vibes.”
Each tale contains passion and violence, loyalty and steadfast friendships, promises broken and kept, strategic and psychological contests, and a mix of wit and heartbreak. The ones that have stood the test of centuries reveal great truths about the human condition.
There’s something else I’ll point out though. The most recently published of these 8, Virtuous Sons (read my review) and Theft of Swords, were both self-published first, and only picked up by publishers after finding great success. The same is true of the wildly popular Cradle series by Will Wight and the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.
2 more of my favorites, The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard (read my review) and Paranoid Mage by InadvisablyCompelled, have continued to gain momentum as self-published works.
It’s not like we have a net shortage of books about boys and men – that’s the majority of what’s been published for all of human history. But, naturally, modern readers gravitate toward books written in a modern voice – we want new ones.
If I, as a female reader, am irritated by the lack, I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for male readers, especially boys and young men who are developing their taste for reading!
Big publishers don’t want boy books – they’re wrong
But the Big 5 publishers don’t want to publish “boy books” anymore. Many will deny there’s even such a thing as a “boy” book, or that there shouldn’t be (“that’s not inclusive!!!”).
I strongly disagree with all 3 statements:
I want to see boy books published – I want to read them! And edit them. And market them to more readers who will love them.
There’s definitely such a thing as a book by, for, and about men/boys, that male readers enjoy more than female readers (not that girls can’t as well – I’m a woman and you just saw my favorites list). That doesn’t change the fact that at the core, they are bro books.
There should be boy books. Stories that feel like they were written just for you are incredibly powerful! Everyone should have the chance to read stories that delight and resonate with the deepest parts of our soul. If that means reading books about people that are like you… well, duh.
Modern publishing has a chicken and egg problem. They claim they don’t publish as many books about male main characters because male readers don’t buy books as much as female readers.
Male readers respond thusly: “We’ve stopped buying your books because you won’t publish the types we actually want to read.”
There are thriving indie publishers and reading communities online for action and adventure books that are just straight up fun – no identity politics, no need for sensitivity readers – just cool dudes running around with swords. Virtuous Sons, published initially as a web novel on Royal Road, received over 4 million views.
In the past, before the digital age and the advent of self-publishing, books published by the Big 5 were the only option. If you weren’t reading them, you weren’t reading. In their elitism, the Big 5 have refused to adjust their attitude. They blame their potential buyers rather than their own business model. But men are reading. They’re just taking their time and money elsewhere.
And why wouldn’t they, when their tastes are being insulted?
No, I have no interest in reading any of the “adventure fantasy” books on Amazon with grotesquely proportioned anime pinup girls spilling across the covers. No more than I want to read any of the romantasy featuring glowering, glistening, shirtless shifters.
But male readers (and female ones) are told they’re stupid or backward for wanting to read books about male heroes running around killing dragons, clearing dungeons, leveling up with ridiculously powerful magic, sitting around with their comrades swapping scar stories, and chasing (and getting) the girl at the end.
You’re not stupid. Those are great stories. Some are just good stories – that’s ok too.
What I’m NOT saying
Because everyone gets triggered so easily these days, let me tell you what I’m not saying.
I’m NOT saying that girl books are stupid, or that female authors shouldn’t write the stories they want to tell, or that female characters are worse than male characters, or that if a book can’t appeal to a male audience too, it shouldn’t be published, or that female characters can’t compel male readers etc. etc. etc.
I’m certainly not saying that for a book to be truly great, it needs to be by, for, or about men.
But the publishing industry needs to stop saying the opposite. Stop telling (white) male authors that it’s their duty to step aside and “stop taking up the limelight already so that others can have their turn.” Stop telling authors that their stories are “too male-centric” and that unless they have at least one female POV/main character, their book won’t even be considered. Stop telling male authors that strong, masculine, confident male protagonists are inherently problematic.
Write boy books!
I want to read your boy books! Even more so, I want to read your “men books” – with characters worthy of the tag “epic.” So please write them (whether you’re a male or female author)!
If you’re also on the hunt for modern bro books, you’re not alone. Guess what my most popular blog post is? By a massive margin.
There is demand. Don’t let people tell you otherwise.
And if you’re a male author looking for a book editor, but are feeling a bit querulous after discovering that almost all book editors are women, you don’t have to worry that I’m going to treat you like a tasteless jerk for “having the audacity to think a story deserves to be told about a male main character who starts out as kind of a jerk.”
Characters are supposed to have weaknesses. There wouldn’t be a story if your characters didn’t have to grow and change.
Neither does a male protagonist have to be the most profound, unique character ever written in order to make a good story that readers will buy. The female protagonists in most modern books sure aren’t.
I would be delighted to read your story, review it, and perhaps even work with you to edit it into the best it can be.
So keep writing about brave boys and mighty men!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
A grimdark, character-driven adult fantasy tale full of morbid wit and deft turns of phrase, but too many POV characters which make the pacing suffer.
Summary
A war hero turned crippled torturer. A barbarian war leader turned refugee. A fop turned unworthy fencing champion. Three extremely different men face wars past and present, uncover political schemes, and get dragged around by the machinations of an entitled old wizard.
Characters: 4/5 stars
This book follows 3 POV characters for the first half of the book and then eases in 3 more in the second half. Glokta, the Inquisitor, is cynically hilarious and a refreshingly realistic take on the “tortured survivor turned torturer” trope. Logan Ninefingers is your lonesome barbarian, trying to find redemption after a very bloody life. Luthar, a noble fencing fop, is insufferable and I wondered why we had his POV at all.
Of the 3, only Glokta gets a real character arc. The problem with stories with so many POVs is that often the first book can feel like only the first act of every character’s story. That’s mostly what this book felt like.
The modern reader will also likely feel dissatisfied with the lack of female representation. The only female character in the first half is the object of Luthar’s sexual fantasies. A vengeful warrior woman is introduced much later, but that’s 2 total women we follow across 3 continents of characters.
Plot: 3/5 stars
I love a character driven story (which this is), but there really isn’t much plot in this book except in Glokta’s arc. The problem mostly lies in the fact that all the characters are in different parts of the world or are introduced before they really become relevant to the plot.
Logan spends the entire book traveling from over the mountains to the main city (where Glokta and Luthar are), thinking about his past and getting caught up in petty fights on the way. If this book was told only from his POV, everything that happens to him in this book would take up only a third of a standalone book.
Similarly, Luthar is a shallow narcissist who spends the whole book sort of fencing and really drinking. He’s the frat boy we know must eventually mature, but it would have been perfectly fine plot-wise to introduce him an entire book later, so little does his POV do for the story (besides irritate us). Glokta gets to chase mysteries and rediscover a friendship he thought lost, which was genuinely moving.
Worldbuilding: 3/5 stars
Nothing special. All the familiar late-medieval/renaissance era equivalents. Faux Viking barbarians in the north. Faux European castles and trade guilds, full of infighting and politicking. Faux “evil Muslims” in the south. Wizard orders and tales of old world demons and magic.
There are some interesting focal points in the soft magic system – the laws forbidding certain practices (hence the title of the series – The First Law), but I won’t spoil that. 😉
Writing: 5/5 stars
I was the most impressed by Joe Abercrombie’s writing style which is truly masterful! It’s why I kept reading. I usually can’t stand books with over 3 POV characters, but he managed them so deftly that I quite enjoyed it. He is an expert at pacing. That may sound strange since I said the plot was slow, but on a scene-by-scene level, Abercrombie is excellent at starting and ending in just the right places.
Everything that needs to happen in a chapter happens – no more, no less. Each segment feels like a full part of the character’s journey, not just a step to get somewhere else. He uses, but does not abuse cliffhangers. He switches between POVs at natural places in a way that doesn’t make the reader distracted and frustrated waiting to get back to them.
We receive just enough information about the characters’ pasts and mysterious plot points to keep us aching for more, and he then reveals the next piece in quite an enjoyable way. His sentence structure and style itself is quite refreshing, not bloated like that of many modern fantasy authors. Great turns of phrase, humor, purposeful descriptions that don’t take a full page to get through, and a great clip at the sentence level.
I went on to complete the trilogy because of how much I enjoyed Abercrombie’s writing style.
Logen Ninefingers, worn down by years of feuds and bad luck, flees the North with more enemies than allies.
In the civilized Union, Jezal dan Luthar coasts on privilege towards a fencing tournament, while Glokta—once a proud soldier himself, now a crippled torturer—cuts through thickening treason cases.
When old Magus Bayaz pulls all three men into his schemes, their paths collide amid political rot and rising conspiracies which threaten the fate of kingdoms.
CONTENT WARNING: Readers may like to know that the book is very R-rated for graphic violence, swearing, and sexual content, in that order of frequency.
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Apparently I’m in the minority, but I much prefer reading stories set in antiquity than in medieval times and on. Due to fragmentary or absent records, many people might not even consider books about ancient times to be “historical” fiction. Such stories do tend to incorporate much more of myth, legend, and folklore (which is perhaps why I love them).
For this reading list, I’ve compiled historical fiction books set in the BC era, with a focus on Bronze Age empires and civilizations. I love the Greco-Roman and Egyptian world, but they make up the bulk of ancient historical fiction. It can be hard to find novels from the perspectives of any other ancient cultures!
But I’ve wrangled up some options which are intricately researched and can help you expand your story’s worldbuilding beyond Medieval European or Mediterranean analogues (I would LOVE to read more “bronze age fantasy”).
They were brothers, best friends, rivals in love. But, though it seemed that nothing could come between them, only one of them could become master of the dazzling Assyrian Empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the western borders of India; only one could know the love of Esharhamat, the woman they both desired.
Seven centuries before Christ, the young Assyrian princes Tiglath Ashur and Esarhaddon were forced to compete fiercely against each other, for the greatest Empire the world had ever seen.
1315 BC. The Hittite Empire faces threats from Egypt, Assyria, and Mycenae. The birth of Prince Hattu should unite the Hittites in celebration.
But the Goddess Ishtar delivers a chilling omen: the boy will bring ruin, betrayal, and bloodshed. Thus, he grows up as an outcast, feared by his people, scorned by his father and hunted by prophecy.
Yet as war burns across the horizon, Hattu is drawn into the fray. Will he fulfill the goddess’s curse—or rewrite destiny itself?
Old and blind but still unyielding, Persian ambassador Cyrus Spitama breaks his silence in 445 BC, furious at Herodotus’ tales and determined to dictate the Persian truth of empires, wars, and the gods themselves.
He recounts a life spent at the heart of Darius’ court, surviving boars and palace coups, debating with Buddha and Confucius, taking an Indian wife, and witnessing the rise and fall of kings from Babylon to Cathay. His “travel memoir” becomes a sweeping counter-history to the Grecian perspective.
Note: If you’ve read Herodotus, you’ll understand why many readers say this is hard to get through.
Historical Fiction Set in North Africa
I couldn’t find any historical fiction set in Africa during antiquity, except about cultures bordering the Mediterranean. It’s hard enough to find pre-colonial fiction and records from Africa, let alone pre-Medieval ones. There are many great novels about Egypt, notably River God by Wilbur Smith, but essentially all other fiction set in Africa in antiquity focuses on myths and folklore, as oral histories were lost.
Carthage—an opulent superpower ruled by greed, gods who demand sacrifice, and citizens far too wealthy to fight their own battles. Following the end of the first Punic War, 20,000 mercenaries, still unpaid rise in fury, laying siege to the city.
A rebel warlord’s obsession with the high priestess Salammbò adds fuel to the flame, resulting in a clash of armies so savage the earth itself seems to bleed. Epic, operatic, and unflinching, this is War and Peace by way of the Punic Wars.
Historical Fiction Set in the Americas
The same problem exists concerning historical fiction about ancient civilizations of the Americas. Records were deliberately destroyed by conquistadors, relegating much of what we know to the areas of myth and anthropology. It’s even harder to find historical novels that have been translated into English by native authors.
Set amid the upheavals of the Maya civilization’s Late Classic period, House of the Waterlily follows Lady Winik, a young royal thrust into the rising danger and political chaos of a failing civilization.
As rival powers close in and the world she knows begins to fracture, Winik’s journey invites readers to explore the splendor and dangers of Mayan life, as seen through the lens of Kelli Carmean’s PhD in anthropology.
Centuries before Arthur and Merlin, the orphaned Celt Ainvar rises to master the druidic arts—mind, magic, healing, and war—becoming the unlikely soul-friend of the future warrior-king Vercingetorix.
Together they journey across a fractured Gaul, uniting the Celtic tribes in a defiant stand against Julius Caesar and the relentless legions of Rome.
Note: Yes, the antagonists in this are Roman – hard to avoid. But as the POV characters and culture are not, I let this slip in.
A dying stranger’s trove of gold ignites a deadly rivalry between three brothers. The eldest, Lengar, the warrior, harnesses his murderous ambition to take great power for his tribe.
Camaban becomes a feared wise man, and it is his vision that will force the youngest brother, Saban, to create a great temple where the gods will appear on earth. But when Saban falls in love with Aurenna, the sun bride destined to die for the gods, the great monument becomes a battleground.
Note: this gets into prehistory, but by the acclaimed author best known for his Saxon and Richard Sharpe stories.
Historical Fiction Set in Asia
Most novels set in ancient India are mythic retellings, taken from the delightfully massive epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata or other legends.
Chinese historical records from antiquity are apparently sparse, making accurate historical fiction difficult. I thought I’d be sure to find some fiction about the Warring States period and the first unified dynasty (Qin), or the Han dynasty’s Golden Age and the formation of the Silk Road, but almost everything (including the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms) takes place starting in early AD around the fall of the Han dynasty.
It’s even harder to find examples of historical fiction set in antiquity from the rest of Asia, though it looks like Korea has some popular options (Goguryeo by Kim Jin-myung) that haven’t been translated into English yet.
Discover the ruthless origins of the famously peaceful Emperor Ashoka the Great.
A Brahmin prophesies that a legendary ruler will be born to the Mauryan ruler Bindusara, but the child is born frail and ordinary-looking. Shunned by his father, and bullied and humiliated by his elder brother Susima, prince Ashoka learns from an early age to be the master of his own fate.
Under the determined tutelage of his mother, and inspired by a spirited young woman, he begins to dream of ruling the vast empire.
India, third century BC: a conqueror from Greece has arrived on their doorstep. Chanakya, a wily political strategist looking for vengeance against the ruthless rulers of Magadha, seeks out a hidden heir. Moriya, raised by a tribe of peacock-tamers, is oblivious to his identity until Chanakya becomes his teacher.
The tentative young man, now christened Chandragupta, makes his way across the vast plains of Bharatvarsha to meet the famed invader Alexander, build an army of his own, and right the wrongs of his fathers.
China, 184 AD: the Han dynasty is falling. Liao Hua, a young peasant boy, becomes the symbol of the Yellow Turban’s vengeful uprising. As untrained farmers face the full might of the empire, Liao Hua vows to do whatever it takes to become the greatest warrior of his time. However, when his path crosses that of the bearded warrior, he must face the fact that an iron will won’t be enough to triumph in an age of chaos.
Note: this story falls just barely at the end of antiquity, and is the only modern, well-reviewed novel about the Han dynasty that I could find in English.
If you know of other historical fiction novels set in ancient times, please leave a comment to recommend them!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
I love reading fantasy books influenced by a vast range of storytelling methods, mythologies, cultural traditions, and locales! It’s fascinating to encounter entirely new monsters, folk legends, turns of phrase, and psychological approaches to age-old story elements.
In this list, I’ve focused more on authors who live in each region than on members of a diaspora, as there are some great lists out there already for the latter! It can be harder to find English versions of fantasy books from international authors.
Some of these works have been written in the author’s native language and later translated into English, while others were first written in English. A number of these stories feature a world inspired by the author’s cultural mythology or land, but not all. I favor adult epic fantasy, but you’ll also find urban and young adult fantasy, plus some magic realism and mythological retellings.
I hope you enjoy this challenge to read fantasy from around the world:
When Elān traps a salmon-thieving raven, he discovers it holds the secret to stopping the shapeshifting Koosh, and must lead a strange crew of beastly allies across storm-lashed seas to recover a lost weapon of power. As giants, monsters, and crumbling alliances close in, the reluctant storyteller must decide whether he’s willing to become the hero his dying homeland needs.
Cliopher Mdang, the reserved secretary of the Sun-on-Earth, risks everything by inviting the Emperor of Astandalas to his remote Island home—an act of friendship that could either spark his execution or upend the world.
But years after the devastation wrought by a black curse, a handful of courageous men and women embark upon a dangerous crusade to overthrow their despotic conquerors and bring back the brilliance of a long-lost name… Tigana.
Carl Corey wakes up in a secluded New York hospital with amnesia. He escapes and investigates, discovering the truth, piece by piece: he is really Prince Corwin, of Amber, the one true world of which our Earth is just a shadow. He is one of nine men who might rule Amber, if he can fight his way past the armies of his older brother Eric.
Raised to survive the brutal Tournament of Heirs, siblings Acalan and Metztli Amos must outwit rival houses and deadly trials to keep their empire from falling heirless—yet the deeper they go, the more they uncover a destiny far darker than victory alone. In a contest where only two blood-bound tributes can win, the heirs of the House of Life soon learn that triumph will demand sacrifices neither ever wished to make.
When Casiopea Tun accidentally frees the Mayan god of death from a mysterious box, she must help him reclaim his throne—or die trying—sending her on a perilous journey from Yucatán’s jungles to Mexico City and deep into the shadowy Mayan underworld.
In this haunting classic of Latin American literature, a young man’s search for the father he never knew leads him into the ghost-ridden town of Comala, where the corrupt legacy of Pedro Páramo has poisoned every soul and memory lingering there.
Exiled warrior Colibrí and her son Narune must confront a corrupting curse that has plagued their world since its dawn, resisting the maddening effects of their own magic to become the champions their people desperately need.
Born conjoined, daughters of a mortal woman and a demigod, twins Makeda and Abby grew up inseparable—until Abby’s magic blossomed and Makeda was left feeling painfully ordinary. Makeda strikes out on her own, only to be drawn back into her family’s tangled supernatural world when their father disappears, forcing her to uncover her own hidden strengths—and mend the bond with her sister—to save him.
A liberating, avant-garde recreation of popular tales and characters from the Guatemalan collective unconscious—including, from the Mayan sacred text, the Popol Vuh—this book contains a riot of folklore, colonial resistance, animistic nature, and ethnic identity.
South American Fantasy
Fantasy from Latin America heavily favors magical realism. There are few examples of epic fantasy translated into English, but many highly acclaimed literary works that incorporate folk legends and hints of the spiritual world.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s translation of Angélica Gorodischer’s award-winning Kalpa Imperial brings to English a sweeping, many-voiced chronicle of a legendary empire that rises and falls across ages. Fairy tales, oral histories and political commentaries are all woven tapestry-style into Kalpa Imperial: beggars become emperors, democracies become dictatorships, and history becomes legends and stories.
With his characteristic piercing irony, inventiveness, and skepticism, Borges sends us journeying into a bizarre yet resonant realm; we enter the fearful sphere of Pascal’s abyss, the surreal and literal labyrinth of books, and the iconography of eternal return.
When omens foretell a mysterious fleet approaching the Remote Realm, the seven tribes gather in a perilous council where betrayal, prophecy, and impending doom collide as they face the terrifying question of whether salvation—or the Son of Death—has finally arrived.
Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits follows three generations of the Trueba family, blending political upheaval, forbidden love, and quiet magic into a sweeping portrait of a nation in transformation. From Esteban’s fierce ambitions to Clara’s otherworldly grace and Alba’s revolutionary destiny, this modern classic entwines the intimate and the epic into an unforgettable saga.
One Hundred Years of Solitude chronicles the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo and the Buendía family, weaving love, war, lust, and death into a dazzling saga that mirrors the history, myths, and humanity of Latin America—and, ultimately, the world.
In a land ruled by war and love and strange enchantments, Cuchulain—torn between gentleness and violence, haunted by the croakings of a sinister raven—fights for his honor and his homeland and discovers too late the trap that the gods have set for him in the fatal beauty of Deirdre and the brutal jealousy of King Conor.
This gentle story takes us to a simpler time and place where Princess Irene and her best friend Curdie must save the kingdom from a evil Goblin plot. Join them as they outwit the Goblins and save the day.
Follow Ophelia, a plainspoken young woman who can read the history of objects and slip through mirrors, as she’s forced into a political marriage that drags her from her warm home ark to the treacherous, ice-bound Pole. There, amid secretive clans, hidden agendas, and a world fractured into floating realms ruled by immortal ancestors, Ophelia must survive a dangerous game where she is both pawn and unexpected power.
Full of philosophical and allegorical themes, The Little Prince tells the story of a young prince who travels from planet to planet, meeting different inhabitants and learning important life lessons along the way.
Ahren’s miserable life changes forever when he’s chosen as apprentice to Falk, the forest guardian—learning archery, battling Dark Ones, and unexpectedly illuminating the Stone of the Gods. Joined by a prickly wizard and racing toward the elven kingdom for aid, Ahren must face a destiny that has already drawn the eye of a relentless, ancient force.
When a merciless demon wreaks havoc across human and elven realms, Northlander Jarl Mandred joins forces with the elf queen Emerelle and the legendary warriors Farodin and Nuramon to hunt it down through a series of brutal battles that span parallel universes.
Abandoned as a child and raised among humans, Tungdil the blacksmith must embrace his hidden dwarf heritage to face a threat no one has ever survived—and save Girdlegard from destruction.
When sickly Karl Lion loses his beloved brother Jonathan, he longs for the afterlife paradise of Nangiyala—only to find it threatened by a tyrant and a fearsome beast once he arrives. Reunited at last, the brothers must summon courage neither knew they possessed to defend their new world from darkness.
When fifteen-winter-old Hirka discovers she’s an “Odin’s child”—a tailless outcast from another world—she’s thrust into a brutal storm of prophecy, xenophobia, and hunted secrets that could shatter her Norse-rooted realm and ignite a war between worlds.
When a beloved friend vanishes before their annual reunion, three men return to their Puglian hometown and uncover rumors of miracles, mafia entanglements, and a mysterious “Book of Hidden Things” that suggests Art has crossed into a realm far darker, and more wondrous, than any of them imagined.
Set in modern Moscow, Night Watch blends urban fantasy with spy-thriller intrigue as Light and Dark Others—magicians, shapeshifters, and vampires bound by a fragile truce—quietly war for advantage. When mid-level Light magician Anton Gorodetsky encounters a cursed young woman whose allegiance could tip the balance, he’s drawn into a dangerous struggle where a single misstep could doom the city—or the world.
After a thousand-year exile meant to break him, Hedin—Sage of Darkness—returns armed with forbidden magic and a vengeful resolve to overthrow the mages who condemned him and even challenge the gods themselves.
Determined to rid herself of the magic she fears, Liska ventures into a demon-haunted forest to claim a mythical fern flower—only to strike a perilous bargain with its warden, the enigmatic Leszy. But in his crumbling manor, where past bargainers have vanished and something far more terrifying stalks the woods, Liska must uncover the Leszy’s secrets and confront the monster within herself if she hopes to survive.
Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have prepared him for a sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good…
Hunted by her monstrous ex (the Tsar of Monsters), and dying without the shadow that fuels her magic, witch Kosara has just twelve days to reclaim her power—forcing her into a perilous alliance with a too-honorable detective as every clue drags her back toward the one monster she fears most.
Ukraine
Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko and Sergey Dyachenko
Chosen for the enigmatic Institute of Special Technologies, Sasha Samokhina enters a nightmarishly strange school where unreadable books, surreal lessons, and brutal consequences reshape both her and her reality. A complex blend of adventure, dark magic, science, and philosophy that probes the mysteries of existence
In this sly, illustrated fairy-folk exposé, gnomes and pixies hilariously dissect the absurd rituals and baffling anatomy of humankind, turning classic folklore on its head to reveal the uncanny truths hiding inside our strangest behaviors.
Four desperate warrior heroes swash and buckle and slay across the exotic landscapes of original, Asian-inspired settings in these novella-length, action-packed tales. From serpent-goddess temples in the jungle lands tot he snowy peaks and hidden valleys of the Drokpa Mountains, Swords of the Four Winds delivers rousing sword and sorcery adventure in the classic vein, rife with cruel schemes, betrayals, grisly magic and swift, savage swordplay.
Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.
They took his daughter, so Micah comes to take their kingdom. Fifty thousand gun-toting paladins march behind him, all baptized in angel blood, and only the janissaries can stand against them. But their living legend, Kevah, is drowning in grief over the loss of his wife – whose side will the gods choose?
Once a brilliant cultivator turned feared demonic master, Wei Wuxian is resurrected in another man’s body and thrust back into a world that still hunts the shadows of his past. As old mysteries resurface, he must confront them alongside the steadfast Lan Wangji—an ally whose loyalty, strength, and shared history may finally illuminate the darkness that once consumed them both.
Sun Wukong, the mischievous Monkey King, must redeem himself by protecting the monk Tripitaka on a perilous fourteen-year journey to India, facing dragons, demons, and gods while using every trick, transformation, and daring stunt to survive.
Rin, a war-orphaned peasant girl who surprises everyone by entering the elite Sinegard military school, must master her lethal shamanic powers and confront the vengeful god Phoenix to survive deadly rivalries at school and a looming war that could cost her her humanity.
When fifteen-year-old Saya learns she is the reincarnated Water Maiden—and heir to the very Darkness she was raised to hate—she’s thrust into the center of a generations-long holy war. Hunted by both sides as the only one who can awaken the Dragon Sword, she must choose between Light and Dark…or face the fate that doomed every Water Maiden before her.
Naruto Uzumaki, a spirited young ninja, is ostracized for housing the Nine-Tails demon who attacked their village, but he trains hard and battles formidable foes to gain acceptance and fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage, the leader of his village.
In a necromancy-driven empire where even death means servitude, a young sorceress, a chained seven-eyed dragon, and a determined swordswoman must rise against dark magic and imperial tyranny—or watch the world burn.
Sung Jin-Woo is the weakest of all hunters, until he gains the ability to grow stronger without limits, and embarks on a deadly journey against dungeons, monsters, and conspiracies to become the world’s most powerful hunter.
When a boy discovers his father’s diary, he is transported to an enchanted alpine world of talking animals, tree spirits, and fleeting magic, where friendship, loss, and the passage of time intertwine in a hauntingly beautiful fable.
Bled by war and on the brink of collapse, the Mathuran Republic is caught in a deadly web of ambition, vengeance, and prophecy. As senators, pirates, warriors, and gods maneuver for power, old scores, forbidden desires, and forgotten deities collide, setting the stage for the rise of the fabled Son of Darkness.
The illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor, and born with the blood of desert spirits, Mehr must navigate a world that both covets and persecutes her, using cunning and magic to survive the Ambhan Empire’s ruthless mystics.
Ambitious lone wolf Phi Hunter, Ex is hired by the pregnant runaway Arinya to escort her through a ghost-haunted forest to the safety of the Capital, but there’s more than men and monsters chasing her, and the secrets could unravel the whole Kingdom.
When the djinn king Melek Ahmar awakens after millennia expecting to conquer Kathmandu, he instead finds a perfectly managed techno-paradise ruled by the omniscient AI Karma—one its citizens have no desire to overthrow. Only exiled Gurkha soldier Bhan Gurung burns for vengeance, drawing Melek into a spiraling conflict that will expose buried crimes and shake the city to its core.
The Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz refashions the classic tales of Scheherazade into a novel written in his own imaginative, spellbinding style.
Ten years after Jasad’s royal family was slaughtered and magic banned, hidden Heir Sylvia’s magic is exposed, forcing her to strike a deal with enemy prince Arin. Can she keep her identity, and her growing attraction, secret as she helps him hunt rebels in exchange for her life?
Nigeria
I was delighted to discover how many fantasy books are being written by Nigerian (and Nigerian-American) authors, including Son of the Storm, Raybearer, The Rage of Dragons, Black Leopard Red Wolf, and the ones listed below!
Step into a world true to Yoruba cosmology, full of warriors, sages and kings; magical trees and snake people; spirits, Ghommids and bog-trolls. Here are the adventures of Akara-ogun—son of a brave warrior and wicked witch—as he journeys into the forest, encountering and dealing with all-too-real unforeseen forces, and engaging in terrifying spiritual and moral relationships with personifications of his fate.
A small boy wanders into a fantastical African forest filled with grotesque and terrifying beings, survives ghosts, burials, and spider webs, and faces a chance at escape when a “television-handed” ghostess appears.
They killed my mother. They took my magic. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Twelve-year-old albino Sunny discovers her latent magical powers and joins a quartet of young mages learning to bend reality—but when a cunning magic-wielding criminal strikes, she must discover if her new skills are enough to stop him.
When a woman follows a dazzling blue-headed bird to the timeless village of Sonokrom, she unwittingly sparks an invasion from the modern city of Accra, led by a young pathologist determined to explain the unexplainable. Tail of the Blue Bird is a poetic, darkly funny fable where ancestral spirits, forest magic, and the power of storytelling defy scientific logic and challenge the very boundaries of truth.
The founders of the Gĩkũyũ people set cunning challenges for the 99 suitors of their ten extraordinary daughters, “The Perfect Nine,” in this tale that blends narrative verse, folklore, mythology, adventure, and allegory.
In a crumbling apartment in the Angolan city of Luanda, the melancholic Odonato searches for his lost son, but as his hope fades and his city changes beyond all recognition, Odonato’s flesh becomes transparent and his body increasingly weightless – a captivating, experimental portrait of urban Africa quite unlike any before yet published in English.
Three gifted outsiders—a “cursed” African woman who cannot die, a runaway Virginian with incredible strength, and a half-Jamaican boy who can vanish—chase their dreams of freedom and acceptance in a fledgling Liberia.
In Itakaa, where gods and kings play a deadly game, Crown Princess Ekara Amaare faces the Prancing Ceremony and an unexpected summons to the Oracle Asylum—the trials that will choose the next ruler. With the newly risen Oracle Kazani hiding secrets that could unravel the kingdom, every choice in the trials carries stakes that will shape or destroy Itakaa.
When Sabriel’s father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, she must journey into the perilous Old Kingdom, where Free Magic and the restless Dead threaten at every turn, and only with the reluctant help of a cunning cat and a haunted young mage can she hope to face the forces of life and death.
Young Kahu, the only potential heir in a line of male chiefs, must harness her magical bond with whales to challenge tradition, win her great-grandfather’s respect, and secure the future of her Māori tribe.
Putera Mikal has spent his life seeking the Amok Strength, the divine power that his impious father somehow wields effortlessly, but when prophecy plunges him into captivity, he must win Kudus’ favor, reclaim his throne, and save his people from certain doom.
In a world where the seadragon’s egg—the dragonfruit—can erase a person’s deepest sorrow, Hanalei of Tamarind must navigate exile, ancient magic, and deadly rivals to reclaim her home and undo a terrible wrong. Alongside Prince Sam, who seeks a cure for his mother and a chance at hope, they confront not only enemies but the perilous cost of the dragonfruit itself.
Queen Talyien’s bloody rise to power nearly tore her nation apart, and her attempt at peace fails when her fiance, the son of a rival clan, disappears. Years later, he sends her a mysterious invitation, but when Talyien journeys across the sea to meet him, an assassination attempt strands her alone and untrusting in a strange land.
Sixteen-year-old Emma, long aware of a mysterious “between-worlds” hidden in the Hawaiian forests, discovers a strange boy from Hilo who has stumbled into that realm—and into the path of the ancient Menehune, the islands’ first people.
As old magic stirs and the Menehune’s purpose becomes clear, Emma and the boy must unravel their intentions before their home—and the worlds—are changed forever.
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
So, your editor has sent you the manuscript assessment for your story, and it’s a good 10+ pages long. It’s packed with useful feedback, some tough suggestions, and market advice you may never have thought of. You’re probably feeling excited, thoughts whirling, but also a little intimidated about where to start. It’s a lot to consider all at once.
The last thing I’d want is to complete a manuscript assessment for an author, only for them to sit and stare at their draft, with no idea what to edit first. And that’s not the author’s fault!
Think about it. You were taught (or learned through experience) how to write and how to accept and incorporate feedback from other writers or beta readers. If no one teaches you how to break down a long editorial report into steps you can implement in page-to-page editing, it’s little wonder you might feel stuck or overwhelmed.
So here are 8 tips for self-editing your book using the developmental feedback found in a manuscript assessment:
Note: if you haven’t received a manuscript assessment, but are reading this article to determine how helpful it might be to acquire one, I recommend you check out this sample manuscript assessment I completed for one of my author clients.
1. Reorganize Feedback into a Simple Checklist
I tend to organize my manuscript assessments by topic:
Character arcs
Plot
Structure and pacing
Opening, mid-point, ending
Writing style
Marketability
More
However, this might not be the most helpful form of organization for you to refer to quickly while editing. You could rearrange feedback into a chronological checklist.
For instance, in my section on characters, I may offer the following feedback: “I immediately related to the characters, but drifted emotionally from them in the middle of the story when they lost sight of their goals, but was moved by how they pulled through in the ending.” I might also say of writing style: “The first half of your story contained a heavy amount of passive voice and some awkward sentence structure, but your writing improved over the course of the manuscript.”
You could then pull out feedback suggestions and organize them into an editing checklist:
Act 1 Edits: – Active voice – utilize a thesaurus to vary verb choice – Sentence structure – sign up for a free trial for a grammar program (like ProWritingAid) to highlight my most common problems with sentence structure – Reexamine my turning point moving from Act 1 into Act 2 – compare it to what I did in the opening hook – how can I strengthen it to propel readers into the middle of the story with greater character clarity?
If another method of organization is more intuitive to you, then go for it! The idea is to pull out the common threads and compile them into a quick reference sheet that you can work through methodically.
2. “Pants” it!
Or, you could just throw organization to the wind and start where you’re most excited! If you’ve already rewritten your opening more times than you want to count and you dread editing it AGAIN, then skip to the part you WANT to write.
Don’t worry about the whole manuscript. Pick one scene that you have a ton of new ideas for, and start playing with it. It doesn’t have to be the chapter that needs the most work, or the scene that’s most important to the story as a whole.
I hope you can still have fun! Even if editing isn’t your favorite part of the writing process. It’s so important to remember why we even do this. Cling onto the joy of your story!
3. Make small edits that affect larger patterns
Complete a read-through with an eye out for small choices that contribute to consistent problems or patterns. For example, if I tell an author that their protagonist often comes across as whiny and disrespectful, I will mention several specific scenes where this problem was most apparent to demonstrate what I mean. But I won’t list every single instance.
That’s what a developmental edit is for – in a full edit I would highlight each time the character’s attitude appeared problematic and offer suggestions for improvement. But after an assessment, it’s up to you to read through your work again, watching for others ways such problems may appear.
The same is true for any issue your editor mentions was consistent throughout your story – the dialogue was drawn out, the descriptions were confusing, the action scenes felt clunky, etc.
This is where an editing checklist can come in handy again. If there are problems you know will come up consistently, write yourself a reminder.
In each chapter, check: – MC attitude and speech – Can I trim dialogue? – Read descriptions out loud to see if I stumble over them. Rewrite and trim for clarity.
4. Brainstorm with Friends
Get a second or third opinion from writer buddies and beta readers, especially regarding feedback that is hard for you to hear. It’s difficult to maintain emotional distance from a story that’s so close to your heart. So how will you know which editorial suggestions you should definitely implement, and where you can trust your own instinct as a writer?
That’s where additional feedback can help! Talk it out with a friend. Share the editorial advice you received and ask them what they think. Even if you can’t find a critique partner for your entire project, you could find people who are willing to look at a few chapters.
When you start hearing the same thing from different readers of your genre (that distinction is vital), you’ll gain more confidence and clarity about the necessary changes.
5. Decide What Feedback to Reject
Decide what feedback you want to accept and what you don’t. You’re not going to agree with everything your editor says, and that’s ok. There may be things your editor doesn’t know about later books in your series, or you could just love the way you have something and not want to change it. Editing is a collaborative process.
Of course, don’t reject professional suggestions out of hand. Some changes won’t feel fun, but really will strengthen your story.
But you might come up with alternate ways to address a problem your editor raises. Suggestions are just that. They’re meant to be helpful, not to pigeon-hole you or kill your creative spirit and voice.
Trust your instinct! Don’t pain over everything. If there are gut decisions you can make after going through the assessment, write them down on a “do” and “don’t” list, and move on.
This is one way that editing with a manuscript assessment can be more efficient than working from a developmental edit! All of your feedback is in one place, so you can read through it and make your “yes”/”no” list quickly, without first having to re-read through individual comments on your entire manuscript.
6. Ask Your Editor Questions
If you’re stuck, feel free to reach out to your editor again! I always invite authors to send me follow-up questions, and surprisingly few do. Perhaps they’re being considerate of my time, which I appreciate. After all, if I ended up offering writing coaching, I should bill for that time. But I consider follow-up questions to be part of the manuscript assessment service. It’s not hard to answer a few questions over email.
I also really enjoy talking about the stories I’ve worked on! Sometimes I’m actually disappointed when the author doesn’t have anything to say after I return my work, because I’m invested in their story and so curious and excited to see how they develop it further! You love talking about your book – so do I!
Of course, you could ask for a one-off coaching session. Or, if you feel like you need more detailed edits on a “problem section,” you could hire your editor to work on certain chapters. Not all editors will agree to edit “a-la-carte” like this, but some do, especially if they’ve already read your entire manuscript and understand the context.
One of my clients, for whom I completed a manuscript assessment, later hired me to edit his action scenes, as that was an area of weakness I had highlighted. He decided it wasn’t worth it to struggle over them – it wasn’t one of his strengths. So we worked on those portions together. It’s a great way to stay within budget, while still ensuring your work meets the standards you want.
7. Allow Yourself to Take Breaks
You might think, “but I’ve already been on a break, waiting to get my assessment back. I should jump back in now.” Not necessarily. You can allow some time for the ideas to percolate.
It’s hard to open yourself up to feedback on your story, which is your precious baby! It’s ok to take a breather, go read or write something purely for fun, and then come back to the assessment once your creative juices are flowing again.
Often, I offer reading suggestions to authors in my assessments – whether standout works in your genre, comparative titles I think could help you pitch your book, or writing resources.
It’s better to do something productive or uplifting than stress yourself out or do nothing at all!
8. Make a Plan Against Procrastination
The longer you put off getting started, the harder it’ll feel to go back and look at that editing list again. Try to set a schedule, set aside a consistent time to write, and make some personal deadlines.
This often works best when you have a writing buddy who can help hold you accountable! Try swapping each newly edited chapter with a critique partner once a week or biweekly. Your speed of editing isn’t important, but chipping away at your project little by little IS – or it’ll never happen.
This is general writing advice. If you had the self-discipline to finish and edit a draft, and send it to an editor, then you’ve learned some great habits over the years! Apply what you know of yourself as you use your manuscript assessment, even if the process feels different from how you’ve worked in the past.
If you’ve edited your novel using the feedback from a manuscript assessment, what worked best for you? What didn’t? Reach out – we’d love to add your advice as an author into this post!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Professional book editing can be pretty expensive. Perhaps you’ve researched standard rates, or have recently received a quote that’s outside your budget. Either way you’re probably feeling pretty frustrated and wondering if there’s a way to save on costs, without sacrificing on the quality of feedback.
I’m here to tell you there is! It’s called a manuscript assessment or manuscript evaluation – a detailed editorial letter summarizing developmental feedback (without in-line edits).
It’s hard to find an actual example of a manuscript assessment on the internet, but I’ve uploaded one (with my client’s permission) here! I’ll also go over:
A manuscript assessment is an 8-15 page editorial letter detailing developmental feedback on:
Characterization
Plot
Style
Pacing
Structure
Dialogue
Openings
Endings
Marketability
Recommendations for next edits
More!
Here is an example of a manuscript assessment which I completed on a speculative fiction novel, shared here with the author’s permission. The complete version I provided to the author was 15 pages, but I have redacted some content and blurred names to protect the author’s unpublished work.
Please note that my author-editor contract specifies that I cannot share any portion of an author’s manuscript or any sensitive details about their work (without permission), which is professional standard. This is why it is difficult to find examples of a manuscript assessment online, and perhaps why this service is not more commonly known by authors.
How a manuscript assessment differs from a developmental edit
A manuscript assessment does NOT include line-by-line edits and comments.
A developmental edit examines characterization, plot, structure and more through in-line comments and notations on the manuscript itself. An editor will include specific feedback throughout each chapter, sometimes even on every page (depending on how much work the writing needs).
As such, a developmental edit takes a lot more time, with much more detailed attention paid to each scene and portion of the manuscript.
A manuscript assessment summarizes the most significant feedback into a single document – saving the editor a lot of time!
How Much a Manuscript Assessment Costs (compared to an edit)
Because a manuscript assessment takes less time, editors can offer the service at much more affordable rates. Which is a huge win for authors!
A manuscript assessment usually costs half or less than half of a developmental edit, while still offering a significant amount of feedback.
The Editorial Freelancer’s Association compiles median editorial rates as self-reported by their members. Please note that since these are median rates, this means an equal number of editors charge above and below these amounts.
Median developmental editing rate for fiction: 3.0-4.0¢/word
Example project: a developmental edit on a 100,000 word fantasy manuscript would cost $3,000-4,000.
Median manuscript assessment rate: 1.5¢/word
Example project: a manuscript assessment for a 100,000 word fantasy manuscript would cost $1,500.
Our Book Editing Rates
If you are interested in working with Creative Cornerstones, my rates are $0.02/word for developmental editing and $0.007/word (a third the cost) for a manuscript assessment.
Example projects: a developmental edit on a 100,000 word fantasy manuscript would cost $2,000 and a manuscript assessment would cost $700.
Beware of excessively low editing rates
You may be thinking, “but it’d still be better to get a full developmental edit than a manuscript assessment. I could find someone online who will do a full edit for a lot less than $3-4K!”
That’s true. But beware of cutting costs too much, or you risk hiring someone whose feedback may actually do more harm than good.
I met a self-published author once who said she found someone on Fiverr to “professionally edit” her whole novel for only $200. That’s barely enough to cover, at a living hourly wage, the time it would take to read the full manuscript. This service may have functioned like a valuable beta read, but it was by no means a professional edit.
If you have to make the choice between hiring a hobbyist to complete a “full edit” and hiring a professional to complete a shorter task like a manuscript assessment, I would absolutely recommend the latter. You will gain more if a professional gives your book 20 hours of their time than if a novice gives your story 40 hours of their time.
Is a Manuscript Assessment the Right Choice for You?
Still, it’s not the right choice for everyone. Unless you are willing and able to put in significant work self-editing your novel, I would not recommend a manuscript evaluation.
A manuscript assessment is a great fit for:
Authors looking to traditionally publish their book who want to make their manuscript as competitive as possible before seeking representation.
Authors intending to self-publish their work who do not have the budget for a full developmental edit.
Authors who are confident self-editors, but are looking for a professional second opinion.
Newer writers who aren’t sure what their manuscript needs and are looking for detailed feedback that still affords room for significant rewriting.
I have worked with all of the above types of authors!
One of my author clients had been working on her story for over 10 years and had re-written it many times. She had reached a point of frustration – not ready to start on the sequel, and not confident enough to explore publication. She opted for a manuscript assessment almost as a way to receive writing coaching for her specific project.
Another of my clients is pursuing traditional publication, but he wanted to make his manuscript as strong as possible before querying agents since he understands how competitive the market is.
Why don’t more Authors know about manuscript assessments?
If manuscript assessments are so great, why is this the first you’re hearing of them?
Even after I started working in the publishing industry and was trained in the differences between developmental, line, and copy editing, I didn’t hear anyone talking about manuscript assessments.
I discovered the term quite by accident, and was astonished that it was not more widely known – because it is a perfect fit for authors looking to self-publish! Indie authors don’t have a huge budget, but still absolutely need to receive professional developmental feedback.
So many authors have reached out to me requesting a sample edit, gotten excited about moving forward, but then felt crushed when they heard my quote for a full edit. In such cases, I’m so glad to be able to suggest a manuscript assessment as an alternative!
I love books! I love authors! I want every writer to be able to afford professional feedback, even in a condensed form!
These authors go from crestfallen and overwhelmed, to delighted. So many have said, “I didn’t even know that was an option!” I feel frustrated on their behalf. The editorial industry has not done a good job of marketing this service.
How many self-published authors have inquired about professional editing, realized it exceeded their budget, and released their work without the benefit of any professional feedback?
I’m writing this article so you know there’s another option!
Yes, the best case scenario is to receive several rounds of editing on your work – developmental, line, copy editing, and proofreading. This is what traditional publishers do. Is this realistic for most indie authors? No. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Getting a manuscript assessment and incorporating the feedback in a final round of self-editing can massively improve your story!
If you’re an author, I’d certainly love to work with you on your manuscript, but I’m writing this article mostly to educate the writing community. I hope you go on to tell all your writer friends that there is such a thing as a manuscript assessment!
If you are serious about your author career, then your books are a business. Every business invests upfront in creating a top-quality product. Your book needs professional developmental feedback to maximize its potential. But that doesn’t have to be out of reach for you!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Brandon Sanderson is arguably the most popular contemporary fantasy author, with a massive body of work. His books tend to feature a large cast of 3+ point of view characters, a hard magic system, culturally diverse and richly developed worlds, and deeply emotional characters. I have no doubt that his work will remain of mainstay of the fantasy genre for generations to come.
What is the Cosmere?
The Cosmere is a shared universe featuring multiple planets, realms of existence, and a common mythos and magic system. Sanderson has written 3 major series (The Stormlight Archives, Mistborn Era 1, Mistborn Era 2) and multiple standalones, short stories, and anthologies in this larger, interconnected universe. You can find more details about his massive universe on the fan wiki the Coppermind (ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK OF SPOILERS).
I’ve read a veritable heap of Sanderson’s books by now, and have had the privilege of meeting both him and his wife at DragonCon and JordanCon! So to get you addicted started, here are mini reviews of 5 major works set in Sanderson’s Cosmere:
This is one of my favorites, and I actually recommend that readers new to Sanderson’s work start here, as it’s a standalone (currently), that still gives readers a great sense of the width and breadth of Sanderson’s worldbuilding and magic systems.
Princess Siri of the kingdom of Idris is sent to marry the God King of Hallandren, a vibrant city full of color magic (inspired by Hawaii and South Asian cultures). Her sister Vivenna chases after her to save her and becomes entangled with a man of mysterious powers. This story has a little of everything – politics, mystery, cultural clashes, a love story against all odds, political and religious turmoil, and of course, a fascinating magic system.
I was disappointed by how abruptly the story ended after its epic conclusion. We didn’t really have any chance to sit with our characters and enjoy their transformations and newly strengthened bonds. A huge plot surprise isn’t enough to create a satisfying ending – there needs to be emotional closure too. This book is the reason I describe Sanderson’s style as a multi-course meal with the final dish exploding like fireworks in your mouth, but with only one bite of dessert – and you’re asked to leave the restaurant immediately afterwards. When you’re in a food coma from a mindblowing meal, you need some more time to sit and savor.
Perhaps Sanderson agrees that Warbreaker is a good place for new readers to start, because he offers it for free on his website.
I absolutely love Kaladin, a grieving slave dragged to the Shattered Plains, the location of a war of attrition, who is followed around by an ancient, mysterious spirit called a spren. His arc from despair to loyalty and self-sacrifice is incredibly moving – he’s my favorite character in all of fiction. We also follow a King trying to avenge his brother’s murder, a girl with seriously strange mental issues, and many other actors who all have their own conflicting opinions of how to save the world from impending Desolation.
However, I found it frustrating to get through this book because of how the many POV characters affected the pacing. That’s just a matter of preference – I usually don’t like reading books with more than 2 POV characters, especially when one of them is on the opposite side of the world the entire time (Shallan) – her story arc could have been an entirely separate book. I also found some of Dalinar and Adolin’s point of view to be unnecessary – sometimes less is more. But I am so glad I kept reading, because this world is stuffed full of incredible mysteries, such real people who are deeply broken and struggling to get back up again, and such dramatic magic and fight scenes!
The second book in this series, Words of Radiance, is my favorite (4.7/5 stars), and Sanderson’s writing style only improves from there. I think his handling of multiple POV’s became utterly masterful in books #3 and #4. I have yet to read #5 because I’m honestly afraid of how it’ll end. But that just goes to show how powerfully Sanderson has seized hold of my emotions and imaginations. A great book makes you cry, enrages you (F*** Moash!), blows your mind, and leaves you aching for more – this series definitely does all these things and more!
This story feels like one of Sanderson’s most daring – how many authors turn their traumatized revolutionary leader figure into a psychopathic, narcissistic cult leader? Unlocking magic by consuming metals – so unique! Through the Inquisitors, secret police with metal spikes through their body, Sanderson also expertly dances along the line between villainy and horror.
This story had a unique flavor that instantly caught me, but it took longer for me to buy in to Vin as a character. She’s a street rat with magic powers who joins a heist crew’s attempt to overthrow an eternal tyrant. In lots of ways she felt like a typical YA character, but Sanderson draws much more nuance from her over the course of the story, letting us enjoy a true found family dynamic on top of the satisfying political webs and mysteries surrounding the nature of their Ruler.
Be forewarned, the second book in this series is hard to get through, and is pretty universally considered Sanderson’s weakest book. But the third one, which ties everything together in a glorious conclusion, is absolutely worth it.
It definitely shows that this was Sanderson’s debut novel, as his style, particularly when it comes to how he switches POV characters, was not yet well-defined. Sometimes Sanderson goes over the same scenes again from each perspective, which would be interesting if done once or twice, but gets repetitive.
This story follows 3 POV characters in the city of Elantris – a prince who falls under a magical curse and is exiled to the old city with others who suffer the same fate, the princess betrothed to him who is at a loss when she shows up for her wedding to find him supposedly dead, and a magically twisted ambassador who actually came to start a religious war.
I loved that the story read like a mystery about the nature of the curse, magic, and their land. I found Prince Raoden to be a refreshingly straight-laced “good” prince, and I shipped him with Sarene – I liked their chemistry together. I think a lot more could have been done with Hrathen, whose ending was all “tell not show.” He had a lot more potential and could have had a much more compelling change. But otherwise, the ending had a satisfying reveal and resolution.
This started out as a rather sweet story, but I DNF’ed about a third of the way through, just because it’s not my personal cup of tea. This is definitely a young adult book about a young woman who sets out on a treacherous sea to rescue the nobleman she loves. The main character was cute, loyal, and brave, but there wasn’t much about her that compelled me to keep reading. As always, this piece was well written and featured fascinating worldbuilding, unique magic, and Hoid running around being ridiculous.
I’ll probably go back and finish it to find the Easter eggs dropped about what (not) on earth Hoid was doing. But for the time being, I’m fine knowing that I just wasn’t the target reader for this particular story. If you like feel-good, lower stakes fantasy with characters that are actually nice people, and still delightful worldbuilding, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this.
Non-Cosmere Works by Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson has written many books outside his fantasy universe as well, including some middle grade and YA urban fantasy and sci-fi books like Skyward and The Rithmatist. You can find his whole body of work on his website and follow him on social media, where he posts actively.
Cosplay!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Book covers! We love ’em but we hate them too… once we see the price tag that comes with a professional artist. If you’ve decided to make your own book cover, it’s easier and more affordable than ever.
BUT, an unprofessional or lackluster cover will result in poor book sales, while a polished, eye-catching design will draw the right types of readers to your book. Your book cover is your best sales tool – you really need to nail it!
So, to help as you design your own cover or pursue working with an artist, we’ll examine the following marketing concepts and cover art guidelines:
NOTE: since I specialize in sci-fi and fantasy, all the cover examples will fall within these genres. However, my general advice about marketing angle, artistic direction, and design programs is applicable to all fiction authors.
Your Book Cover is Your #1 Marketing Tool
Your book cover is your most effective marketing tool. And that’s how you need to think of it. You probably have a ton of images in your head of favorite scenes, cool characters, and dramatic vistas.
But accurately conveying the beauty of your world or main character is NOT the most important element of your cover. A cover is only effective if it will make your target reader pick up your book (and ideally buy it).
To interest your ideal reader, a cover needs to convey:
Genre – a fantasy book looks a lot different than a contemporary romance. Make sure to use the general trends that are appropriate for your genre AND sub-genre. First impressions are lasting!
General tone and themes – use color scheme, lighting, and subject matter to narrow your audience – is there a male or female figure on the front? A close-up of a face, or a unique, sprawling vista? Cool or warm tones?
Accurate reader expectations – if your book doesn’t feature a lot of romance, you won’t want a steamy couple on the cover. If there’s a dragon on the cover, that dragon better show up! If your cover looks bright and cheerful, but has a tragic ending, readers might be miffed.
It is vitally important that you follow through on “the promise of the premise.” If your cover promises “high concept space opera” and you deliver “found family scrapping by in space,” you’ll irritate the readers who do pick up your story, and fail to find the ones who’d truly enjoy it.
Have you heard of “Chekhov’s gun?” It’s a phase that originated in the film industry – if you depict an element that has exciting connotations – like a gun, legendary sword, dragon, or battle – that element better show up in the story, or readers (viewers) will feel misled and let down.
Your cover makes a “promise” about the type of story and emotions readers can expect. Keep that promise.
How to Do Market Research
The best way to ensure that your book signals to the right type of reader is to complete market research. In other words, look at other covers within your genre and sub-genre to see what’s resonating with readers.
Look up your favorite authors. Skim through lists of Amazon new releases in your category. Save your favorite (genre-relevant) book covers to a Pinterest board.
What catches your eye? What do you skim past without really noticing?
Your own tastes are a good place to start, but it’s important to poll a wider field. There are some great communities online where you can post cover mockups, in-progress works, and alternate versions, and ask readers to vote on them!
Just make sure you’re polling people who actually read within your genre. Facebook, Reddit, and Discords have pretty active groups that tend to be pretty kind, in my experience.
Trends come and go, especially on social media – ask readers what designs they love, what turns them off in a cover, and which version of a cover looks best. These are effective ways to ensure that your cover not only looks professional, but also has the highest chance to sell your book.
Fit in But Stand Out
It’s important to find a balance between originality and familiarity. You want readers to look at your book and, within 0.01 seconds, understand what genre and sub-genre your story falls into – that’s all the time they’re going to give you.
However, you do still want to stand out. A book cover with a close up of a sword’s handle may convey “sword and sorcery” plenty effectively, but that’s all it does. Seriously, enough already – this tells me absolutely nothing about your story!
The same goes for the plethora of covers that feature a noblewoman in a puffy dress, a cloaked boy facing off against a dragon, or a random space ship hovering over a planet.
You need to imagine not just how your book will look on its own, but how it will compare when stacked up against the competition – literally stacked in a pile at a bookstore, or more commonly these days, on an Amazon new releases list, Instagram or TikTok feed, or any other online platform.
These covers all look sharp and effectively convey “dark romantasy,” but because of the vague titles and intense similarity in visual elements, I get overwhelmed when looking at them all. I don’t know how they stand out from each other. I’ve stood in bookstores reading the back covers of books like this, and then as soon as I set them down, I forget which description goes with which title.
That’s why when covers like this come along, in the same genre and sub-genre, they shoot to the top of #booktok lists – because they stand out, while still fitting in!
So scroll through those lists! And especially look at the books and authors you’re using as comparative titles. You may love covers that use graphic design, but if your comps use highly realistic oil paintings, you may want to consider using that style to flag the same readers.
The Visual Elements of a Strong Cover
Choosing Fonts
I’ve put this at the top of my list of visual elements because unprofessional fonts are the most common mistake I see on covers these days. With photo manipulation, pre-made covers, and accessible programs like Canva, it’s more affordable than ever to acquire an attractive image for the base of your cover.
But a generic, improperly formatted, or genre-inappropriate (e.x. corporate text on a fantasy book) font will scream “amateur” even if you use a great image.
The above covers make the following mistakes:
The font is simplistic, more fitting to a word document than a cover
The color of the text doesn’t stand out well against the background
The font is too small
The title and design compete, rather than working in concert – part of the design is obscured, and part of the text is less readable – neither win (more on this in the next section)
Here’s a simple rule of thumb for picking your actual font: if you’d use the font in an email, DON’T use it on your cover (except in your blurb, which should be highly readable).
If a font is available for free in a word processing program, it probably won’t look professional on a book cover. It’s absolutely worth it to pay $15 for a month of Canva premium to select a few unique fonts.
A book’s title, author, series name, and any taglines or testimonials are often written in different but complementary fonts. Keep that in mind as you look through examples.
Focal Point and Composition
Focal Point
A book cover needs a strong focal point – the place in the image that your eye is instantly drawn to.
Covers tend to use either the title or the image as a focal point. Note that in the first two covers below, the image and backgrounds are relatively simple, while the text is much larger. In the second two covers, the images are much more striking, causing the eye to fix on them immediately.
Both choices are valid – just make sure that your text and image don’t compete with each other, like on the Realm of Dragons cover above.
Ensure your image has enough negative space for your title, or an area that is simpler in texture and color, so the words don’t have difficulty showing up clearly against the design.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a useful compositional strategy that divides an image into nine equal parts with two horizontal and two vertical lines. It’s recommended to place key elements along these the lines, at their intersections, or within the segments.
Our brains like segmenting things and following patterns. Harry Potter is placed squarely in the middle of his cover, and the title takes up the full top third. The pillars frame him pretty closely along the horizontal lines of the thirds.
On The Neverending Story‘s cover, each “third” in the bottom only contains one fanciful creature, giving us some mental space to process one and then another. The mandala motif on The City of Brass takes up exactly the top 2/3 of the image, with the pillar of fire and figure strikingly illuminating the center “column” of the book.
Guiding the eye
Using the rule of thirds is also helpful in designing a composition that draws your reader’s eye around the full frame – from image to title, to author’s name, and back again.
Amok‘s cover by @jiwosophy does a stunning job of this!
1. The title starts at the top left focal point, taking advantage of the reader’s instinct to read from top left to right.
2. The curve of the woman’s body along the top 1/3 of the image follows our reading path, ending in a second focal point – her face.
3. The linked arms and blades then cleverly lead us to the author’s name!
4. The dynamic curve of the young man’s body draws us to his head, which rests at another intersection of two lines.
Significantly, we don’t see his face. If we did, it would likely compete with the title for attention, as the human eye gravitates toward faces. The back of his head still serves as a focus, and his outstretched hand points us upward toward the woman’s feet, and back to #1 – the title.
Masterful! Not to mention, the motifs and style of this cover hint at the story’s unique worldbuilding – inspired by author Anna Tan’s Malaysian ancestry.
Artistic Style and Medium
Artistic style is one of the best ways to give readers a hint of your writing style and the “feel” of your story. As my lit professor loved to say, “form reflects meaning.”
Some top design styles include:
Traditional media – oil painting or watercolor
Digital painting
Real life images – models, landscapes
Cinematic cover
Culturally or historically inspired artwork – Chinese ink painting, Greek pottery motifs, and wood cut prints
Graphic design
Mixed elements
Medium hugely impacts the depiction of light and color – watercolor or acrylic will look much softer than richly saturated oils or bright digital paintings. So this choice will greatly affect your book’s perceived sub-genre.
What style makes you the most excited? More importantly, which one makes you want to pick up the book?
It’s SO hard, but the most beautiful cover, isn’t necessarily the best cover. It’ll save you a lot of pain down the road if you accept NOW that some images are best left as supplementary art or interior illustrations, rather than as your cover.
You want to pick the style that best sells both your book and your brand as an author.
Here are some various covers for The Fellowship of the Ring over the years, and they each convey something different about the story. The 1st image is the original cover design, the 2nd cover looks more like a children’s book, the 3rd reveals the beautiful scope and literary quality of the work, the 4th is more cinematic, the 5th is a graphic design call-back to the original cover, and the 6th looks like a modern dark fantasy.
All these covers say something true about the story, but appeal to different readers. What type of reader do you want your cover to speak to?
Depicting Your Character
Some readers hate seeing characters on book covers, while others love it, or don’t really care. The choice is yours.
Characters are usually depicted on covers in one of 5 ways: silhouettes, shots from behind, multiple characters interacting, half or full body front view, and close-ups of faces.
1. Character silhouettes
In this style, characters are often seen from a distance or depicted through a simplified art style – little can be made out about the character except for gender, and pose.
These covers work harder to indicate their genre and sub-genre than to communicate what is unique about the main characters. These are meant to be archetypal depictions that make a reader think, “I like stories about swordsmen, or ladies in Victorian times.”
What to avoid:
You’ll want to be careful not to overuse graphic design elements that look like clip art cutouts. I’ve seen the same silhouette of warrior girls and dragons on so many book covers that it has become distracting. All I have to do is open Canva and I know exactly which one they used, which makes a cover appear less professional.
2. A figure shown in profile or from behind
In these cases, we don’t see the character’s face clearly, but are given more intricacy in clothing and other features.
This is a great way of indicating more about the personality and profession of your main character – soldier, noble, spy, alien, and so on, without committing your readers to a certain version of their face.
What to avoid:
You don’t want to be too vague here. I’ve seen a ton of fantasy covers that feature a cloaked or armored figure from behind, or a young woman with her hair blowing, and these figures don’t really tell us anything about the story or character. The examples above give enough detail to let us know general ages, professions, culture, and potential goals.
3. Covers that depict multiple characters
If your story centers around dynamics between one or more characters, featuring multiple figures on the cover can be a great way to establish reader expectations. You’ll let them know that the heart of the story centers around love interests, buddies, rivals, found family, master-apprentice relationships, and so on. Readers will also often assume that such a story follows multiple point of views, which is useful information to convey.
What to avoid:
Including too many characters on one cover can become distracting. It also makes it a lot harder to maintain continuity in later covers or if you have to change artists. Note that Kings of the Wyld, which features the most characters of those examples, still uses one character as a focal point, while the others fade into the background a little.
You also want to avoid having characters just stand around. In the covers above, the characters clearly have a task before them, and are not just posed before “the camera.” They look ready to solve a problem or leap into action.
4. A front view of the character (half or full body)
If you don’t mind committing yourself to an artist’s rendition of your character’s face, then go all in with a front shot!
The most effective character shots are dynamic, emotional, and indicate another layer of the world (plot, magic). These characters feel like they’re in the middle of a scene, and we’re holding our breath, waiting to jump in and see what happens next.
What to avoid:
You’ve likely seen many covers that show a character just facing the reader (as though looking at a camera), with a rather neutral facial expression and body language.
These depictions, while potentially “accurate,” are rather boring to look at. You want to at least partially answer the question: what makes this ranger, orphan, or prince different from the others?
5. A close up of a character’s face
This can be a very effective way to communicate something unique about the main character, display intense emotions, hint at a major theme in the book, or just show off a hot character! 😉 A close up can also indicate that the story will follow a single character’s perspective quite closely – perhaps even in 1st person.
What to avoid:
If you’re going to depict a character’s face prominently on your cover, you MUST maintain consistency across the series. Here is an example of a series that failed to do this.
These book covers all feature a different model, and none of them actually look like the main character, who is a redhead, not a brunette. Her face tells me nothing about the story or who she is – her expressions are passionless. These are also all essentially the same cover – a woman over a planet – which tells me nothing about how the series might progress.
In contrast, the most recent cover in this series actually depicts the point of view character accurately, down to her determined stare and dress uniform. We receive more information, including a fighter jet, which indicates the military themes of the book. Plus an accurate portrayal of her husband, and the inclusion of a unique celestial body, rather than a generic planet.
In summary, the face of a character rarely in and of itself creates a complete cover. Other elements, including clothing, lighting, and emotion, are incredibly important to hooking a reader.
Also Avoid
the uncanny valley
When creating faces digitally or with the use of photo manipulation, it’s easy for a figure to fall into “the uncanny valley,” the name for the unsettling, even repulsive, feeling people experience when encountering humanoid figures or artificial entities that are almost, but not quite, human-like.
Think creepy doll effect, photoshop catfishing, or CGI animals whose mouths and eyes don’t quite match up with their words.
Here are some examples of covers that look “off” because of over-photo-manipulation and the blurred effect of digital brushstrokes.
In addition to looking amateur, they just feel a bit creepy, which is the last thing you want a prospective reader to take away from your book. Make sure to look at an artist’s portfolio before you hire them. If you’re not confident your artist can depict faces well at your budget, it’d be better to simplify the design or show your characters from behind than to end up with this kind of effect.
Bad Photoshop
Badly photoshopped covers are less common these days. The technology is more accessible even for amateurs, and it’s a lot easier to find freelance artists on platforms like Fiverr that are both affordable and have better skills than those displayed in the covers below.
Still, it’s good to keep in mind that just because you can cram a lot of fanciful elements or light filters into one image, doesn’t mean you should. Even if the image layers are merged and shaded properly, such covers can still look a bit… extra.
AI-Only
This is a whole can of worms. But as a business, Creative Cornerstones takes a very simple approach: don’t do it.
AI can be a fun tool to create mock-ups for your own enjoyment, to brainstorm ideas, or to provide references for your artist.
But DO NOT use a fully AI crafted image as your book cover.
In order to create these images, AI scrapes existing art and copies it, stealing the hard work of real artists. You open yourself up to a word of copyright issues. Most lawsuits about AI are still ongoing, and you really just don’t want to risk it.
There are many ways to create a book cover for next to nothing.
Besides, readers can tell when a book cover is AI-made and often they won’t pick it up as a result. I participate in many author groups online, and when authors posts covers asking for feedback, one of the top, most repeated comments I see on AI artwork is, “if I saw this on Amazon, I wouldn’t buy it because it looks AI.”
Often, readers might not care about the AI art itself, but what it indicates about the work as a whole. It shows that the author didn’t have the budget to hire a professional artist, which means other elements about the book might lack professional refinement as well – especially the writing quality. They might think, “was this book ‘written’ by AI too?”
There are SO many books on the market, that if a reader has even the slightest doubt about the quality or ethical construction of your book, they’ll simply move on to something else.
Affordable Cover Design Tools
Whether you’re looking to create your cover by yourself, or simply want to make a mock-up for your artist, there are some great programs that are affordable and user-friendly.
Book Brush: $149/yr (this one is designed specifically for creating book covers, ads, reels, etc. with tutorials and templates)
Canva and Adobe Express both have completely free versions too, but I highly recommend getting the upgraded version just for a month – there are way more templates and design elements available that will make your cover easier to create and more professional-looking. Since hiring an artist could cost $50-2000, $10 or $15 is nothing.
For more information about technical details such as image dimensions, trim size, and printing details, I suggest you directly consult your publication platform’s requirements.
I do recommend hiring a cover design artist, at least as a consultant. There are a lot of refinements you may not consider, such as genre-appropriate lighting filters and color tone, or how much you should brighten an image to make sure it looks good once printed.
“Fixes” like this could take an artist just half an hour to spot and correct, saving you a ton of trial and error and pain down the road.
These days, I hesitate to recommend freelance platforms like Fiverr, because it’s hard to tell whether an artist’s work is genuine, or if they use AI and still charge “full price.” I’ve seen a lot of posts lately by authors who were burned by artists (often from abroad) who lied about their work, charging $100s-1000s upfront and then delivering work that contained obvious AI mistakes (distortions, disproportionate figures, oddly repeated patterns, etc.).
I strongly encourage you to choose an artist based on word of mouth recommendations. Ask people in your writers group, at local conventions and book fairs, and in online groups specifically designed to help artists and writers connect.
If, while doing your market research, you find an artist whose work you really admire, why not reach out? Don’t assume their work is outside your budget! Artists who work with small and indie presses usually have much lower rates than those who’ve created covers for the Big 5.
Here are 3 cover artists I recommend, in order of cost ($, $$, $$$):
1. Galadriel Coffeen, our in-house artist creates sharp, digitally painted covers that feature high contrast, striking colors.
Her covers range in cost from $50-500, depending on design complexity.
She also paints dragons and dramatic character illustrations!
2. Kirk DouPonce of DogEared Designs creates luminous covers for sci-fi, fantasy, and thriller books. At the moment, he is not accepting new commissions, but if you like his work, you can check back in the future and reach out on his website for a quote.
3. Jeff Brown has created stunningly epic covers for indie authors and big names alike. He charges $4000, which includes typography, full usage, multiple print covers, multiple deliverables, etc. and is currently booked over a year out. Find more examples and information on his website.
Market Testing
One more hugely important reminder: once you have a couple versions of your cover, test their effectiveness! Ask your target readers (on social media, in your newsletter, in groups, at book events, etc.) which cover they’d be more likely to buy.
You can even ask what the cover says to them about:
Genre (and sub-genre)
General tone and themes
Reader expectations
Readers LOVE seeing covers and voting on which ones they like. Don’t assume that just because you and your artist love it, they will too.
You can’t just “change it later,” as it becomes extremely complicated to list various cover editions on Goodreads, which is one of the major platforms for gaining reviews.
Learn More
If you’d like to learn more about creating a competitive cover, I recommend Eschler Editing’s Pocket Editor course: Crushing Your Cover. They go into further detail about cover design strategies for various genres, including nonfiction. You can use the code Cornerstones10 to receive 10% off the course.
I work with Eschler Editing, an award-winning team with over 25 years of publishing experience. They’ve successfully launched work with bestselling authors, traditional publishers, and indie creators.
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Kathy Tyers writes character-driven science fiction with a deep heart and an inquiring spirit. She is the author of the Firebird series – Firebird, Fusion Fire, Crown of Fire, Wind and Shadow, and Daystar – of the Star Wars universe novels Truce at Bakura and New Jedi Order: Balance Point, and of several stand-alones.
She returns to the Firebird universe with her upcoming release Firebreak, which takes place between Crown of Fire and Wind and Shadow. Releasing March 10, 2026 and now available for preorder, with 20% off on Enclave Publishing’s website!
Cover art by Kirk DouPonce at DogEared Designs
Lady Firebird Caldwell returns to the world of her birth, Netaia, intending to introduce her young sons to the noble Electors while her husband, Brennen, conducts a military inspection. When mysterious ships in distress suddenly approach the planet, the Electorate sends her to initiate first contact. Forced to work alongside a vengeful childhood enemy, Firebird uses everything within her power—even her passion for music—to negotiate, only to discover their alien technology threatens all the worlds she holds dear.
Facing ruthless betrayal, Firebird undertakes a deadly journey to salvage the mission. Brennen must make daring use of his telepathic powers to save human life in the galactic Whorl, including that of their young sons. But saving the worlds might force Brennen to give the order that would mean Firebird’s death. In a galaxy poised on the edge of ruin, survival may demand the ultimate sacrifice—from them both.
Caylah: I’m so excited to hear that you’re releasing a new book in the Firebird universe! The new cover looks stunning! Could you tell us more about Firebreak and how the story came to you?
One of the hardest choices an author can make is where to start and end their story – after all, the universe and characters never “end” in our own minds! It’s been quite a few years since your last book in the Firebird universe. How did you decide it was “right” to return?
Kathy: Caylah, thank you for the opportunity to talk about writing Firebird’s story again. If you don’t mind, I’d like to combine my answers to your first two questions.
In 2022, I thought I would never be able to write again. Long COVID had done bizarre things to my brain. Sometimes, I could barely wake up for two or three days, and then I’d have insomnia for most of a week. The worst of it was the sensation that something seemed to be creepy-crawling inside my skull. I barely had the energy to get through a day and cook dinner. Some people thought I was doing pretty well, but I had no energy left to write, which made me feel sad and old.
Still, every second Monday evening, I got together with some new writers from my church and helped them learn the craft. I tried to resurrect an old project of mine, Holy Ground, a rural fantasy novel. I’d written it in third person limited POV, and my writing friends encouraged me to try rewriting it in first person. Week after week, I simply had nothing to bring to the writers group. The passion just wasn’t there. I couldn’t persevere through the long, long process of writing a full first draft, even though the novel was substantially written already.
Finally, Broose–another founding member of that group, and a former Disney animator–challenged me to simply write something that brought me joy and fed my spirit. I had thoroughly enjoyed writing the Firebird series. They filled up something inside of me that had gone empty and dry during COVID. So, out of a sense of grateful nostalgia, I re-read all five of them. I found myself wondering what Firebird and Brennen were doing between Crown of Fire and Wind and Shadow. (Books 3 and 4) The next thing I knew, a new story was pouring out of me. The post-COVID lethargy was gone. Kathy Tyers was alive again.
Caylah: That is wonderful advice – returning to joy when our muse decides to hide under a rock. What did you enjoy most about this story and what are you excited for readers to experience (no spoilers of course!)? I’m personally excited to see more about Netaia’s culture and how it transforms over the years.
Kathy: The characters! I’ve known Lady Firebird for most of my life. Over the years, she has matured into someone who feels very real to me. So does Brennen. Letting them find each other and embark on their adventures together satisfied a hunger in my soul. In our fallen world, we long for a happy ending–but doesn’t a happy ending usually lead to the next challenge?
Caylah: Indeed! Firebird came so alive to me, so I’m excited to see more of her story.
How does your relationship with God influence your writing process and story planning? e.g. perhaps you have a prayer you like to pray as you sit down to write.
Kathy: I try to get to work immediately after my quiet time each morning. One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes says, in effect, that who/what you are will come out in your writing whether or not you try to put it there. So I work hard on telling a good story and, occasionally, on bringing forward the faith elements. Lightly but genuinely! The exception to “lightly” was Wind and Shadow, which was written as a Master’s degree project for Regent College, a wonderful theological school in Vancouver, BC. One of the main characters was a priest in training, you see….
Caylah: Amen! Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. I remember you published a different edition of Firebird before your deal with Enclave. How did you choose to release a version with enhanced religious themes (is that the biggest difference)? Have you received criticism from fans of your general market (Star Wars) work?
Kathy: My editor Steve Laube had been a fan of my writing before I moved over from Bantam Books to Bethany House publishing, where he worked at the time. During our first conversation, he told me he had suspected for some time that I was a Christian because he’d found hints here and there in my writing (see C.S. Lewis quote above!). Yes, people have left reviews online warning other readers that my books from a Christian publisher have Christian themes. Surprise!
Caylah: Personally, I found the themes of shame, faith, and new life incredibly challenging and encouraging – they make the story have eternal significance. Are there any readers who’ve approached you over the years to share how the Christian message impacted them? All authors want to think that their stories have the power to transform at least one life!
Kathy: One of the most moving experiences in my life was attending the baptism of a young woman who said she’d decided to become a Christian after reading the Firebird books.
Caylah: I love how much you weave music into the chapter titles and into Firebird’s thought processes! In my opinion, that’s one of the elements that takes a character from “good” to “great” – their hobbies and passions actually transform how they view and interact with the world. I actually use your trilogy as an example when I offer this advance to new writers! Are there any other tips for character development that you’d share with budding writers?
Kathy: My characters usually reveal themselves to me slowly. I need to spend time with them, thinking through what they find beautiful, meaningful,or challenging. Often, it’s through the process of writing a first draft that I learn what drives them. I enjoy involving some of my characters in music or other arts because that’s been a big part of my background since childhood. I grew up in a musical family. I might ask a hopeful writer, “What do you enjoy, what do you know something about, besides your fiction? Can you layer that into your story in some way that enriches the plot?”
Now and then, though, inspiration hits in an instant. For example, I first glimpsed one of my favorite characters, Tel Tellai, when he was standing at the foot of a breakaway strip while a space-and-atmosphere fighter took off. He was just standing there in shock and protest, holding both of his arms stiffly down at his sides. “Who in the world is that?” I wondered. Calmly, he told me his name (honestly, that’s how it felt) and that he loved Phoena Angelo. I was shocked. “You love HER?? What???? How could ANYONE….”
Caylah: Moments of “conception” like that make storytelling feel like such a superpower! Since we’re quoting C.S. Lewis, your description reminds me of how his main character in Till We Have Faces says, “I was with book, as a woman is with child.”
The interrogation scene between Brennen and Firebird is one of the most tensely compelling scenes I’ve ever read – the chemistry! I remember the first time I read it, how Brennen’s act of clicking his heels together and shifting forward to begin accessing Firebird’s mind was such a tangible moment that made me physically feel the tension in the room. Then I reread your annotated version and realized you did this deliberately (as good authors do, haha)! You articulated so clearly how physical actions can punctuate energy and emotion and create turning points within a scene without the characters using any words. Are you able to expand upon that idea, maybe going into when this tactic works and when it might not, for some writers?
Kathy: Thanks, Caylah. I love that scene too. I wrote at length about tagging dialogue with action beats in my book for the Christian Writers Institute, Writing Deep Viewpoint: Invite your Readers Into the Story.It isn’t always easy to find the right action beat. I hear my characters speak to each other long before I can see their body language or their surroundings. Every writer’s process is just a bit different.
Caylah: That sounds like a great resource – thank you! It’s encouraging to know that even elements which might not come as naturally or quickly to writers can still become a great strength.
There’s a lot of disagreement about what makes a “strong female character.” Some people have complained that Firebird too quickly gets “shunted into the role of wife and mother,” but I think you did a wonderful job of showing a variety of feminine strengths in Firebird. Being a lethal fighter pilot isn’t the only way to kick butt, which she still does throughout the rest of the trilogy! How would you describe your approach to writing female characters and do you think Christians “should” write women differently than we see in mainstream media?
Kathy: I’m especially glad you asked about this. “The role of wife and mother” is not the end of any story. In and of itself, it’s a high calling for many. For others, it’s a vital step into their unique future. When I brought Firebird and Brennen together, I knew that they both had strong reasons for wanting to create a family.
Still, they obviously weren’t the kind of people to live quietly-ever-after. How, then, would they balance parenting with the other calls on their lives? It’s been a challenge for me, just as it’s been a challenge for them. But they’re doing it! Just wait till you read how they get there in Firebreak.
Caylah: I can’t wait to see the kind of trouble Kiel and Kinnor got into as kids!
Ok, now for my “fan girl” moment. When Brennen first feels Firebird’s mental shout he expects to find brotherhood. Though it didn’t turn out that way, I’ve been fascinated by what that dynamic would look like in their culture. I would LOVE to see a short story about a Sentinel “blood brother” pair!!! Do they have any famous “Gilgamesh-Enkidu” pairs or stories about sisterhood (which is rarer to find in fiction, sadly)?
Can individuals have more than one pair bond? For instance, would a pair bonded husband also be able to pair bond with a brother in arms? Would his bonded wife feel his brother through their connection at all? I then had fun imagining what would have happened if one of the Shuhr assassins had discovered they were connatural with one of the men in the Caldwell bloodline. What do you think would have happened – would they have stayed their hand as Brennen did with Firebird?
Kathy: You may have given me a great subplot idea. Thank you.
Caylah: Ooh, yes! Is there anything else you’d like to share about your story, process, or world?
Kathy: Thank you again for the chance to share a bit about Firebreak, my favorite characters, and my writing process. It was a treat to meet you at Realm Makers, and I hope to see you there again in 2026, when Firebreak is finally available!
Caylah: Thanks! It was lovely meeting you too. And congrats on the birth of your grandson!
Kathy: Thank you!
Follow Kathy Tyers on Facebook for more news and discussions, and find the first book in her Firebird trilogy here. Firebreak, releasing March 10, 2026, is now available for preorder on Amazon or through Enclave Publishing’s website (20% off there).
Amazon links are affiliate links – I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Demigods vs. monsters, petty gods and kings, dramatic poetry, and way too many genealogies – these are just a few of the elements that have made epics stir the hearts of men for millennia.
But if you’re only familiar with Greco Roman and Nordic epics, you’re in for a treat – cultures around the world have told epic poems and oral legends since the beginning of time. I’ll highlight 16 major works from these regions:
Note that, of the works on this list, only 6 were actually recorded during antiquity – Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Mahabharata, and The Ramayana. The rest were either written during the Middle Ages, or are more recent compilations of culturally significant oral epics that have been passed down for generations.
According to a scholar of medieval literature that I consulted online, most scholars categorize literature according to the age it was written in, rather than by the story’s time of origin, theme, or setting.
But I’ve designed this post to serve as a reading list for people who love legendary, heroic, and mythic tales, so I’ve included works that feature a culture’s oldest, definitive epic traditions, regardless of when they were put on paper.
Most of these are narrative poems, some feature a mix of prose and verse, and a few are written purely in prose. I chose translations that capture the original beauty and style of the verse/prose, while still maintaining accuracy.
This article contains affiliate links – I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
So let’s dive in!
Mediterranean and the Near East
Gilgamesh – Mesopotamia
Gilgamesh is the oldest known epic in the world, inscribed in cuneiform on clay tablets. It tells the story of King Gilgamesh and his dear friend Enkidu, their adventures together before Enkidu’s tragic death, and Gilgamesh’s following epistemological crisis about life and death.
“How can I keep silent? How can I stay quiet? My friend, whom I loved, has turned to clay, my friend Enkidu, whom I loved has turned to clay. Shall I not be like him, and also lie down, never to rise again, through all eternity?” ― Gilgamesh
Modern Version of Gilgamesh
Here’s a three part illustrated version suitable for kids (pictured above). I’ve heard great things about this novelization by Emily H. Wilson as well!
Homer – Greece
The Iliad
The Iliad tells 10 days of the Trojan War, including Achilles’ refusal to fight for the Greeks after his King takes one of his female prizes, Patroclus’ tragic death, and Achilles’ revenge upon Hector.
“Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished since that time when first there stood in division of conflict Atreus’ son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.” ― The exordium of The Iliad, Richard Lattimore (translator)
Modern Version of The Iliad
Rosemary Sutcliff wrote a beautiful version of the Iliad called Black Ships Before Troy, accompanied by stunning illustrations by Alan Lee (Art Direction, The Lord of the Rings). And I will never not laugh at Overly Sarcastic Productions’ description of Achilles as a “sulky burrito.”
The Odyssey
The Odyssey tells of Odysseus’ decade-long attempt to get home after the war, impeded by angry gods, sea monsters, and idiot companions.
“Tell me, Muse, of the man of many ways, who was driven far journeys, after he had sacked Troy’s sacred citadel. Many were they whose cities he saw, whose minds he learned of, many the pains he suffered in his spirit on the wise sea, struggling for his own life and the homecoming of his companions. Even so he could not save his companions, hard though he strove to; they were destroyed by their own wild recklessness… here, goddess, daughter of Zeus, speak, and begin our story.” ― The exordium of The Odyssey, Richard Lattimore (translator)
Modern Version of The Odyssey
Gareth Hinds has created a lovely collection of graphic novel renditions of various classics, including The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Usborne Illustrated Odyssey is great for younger children.
The Aeneid – Rome
Roman fan fiction of Homer! The Romans thought it’d be super cool to have an origin story that connected them to the epic tales of Greek heroes, so Virgil got busy making a pretty propaganda piece about how the survivors of Troy, led by Aeneas, completed their own odyssey to find and establish a new land – Rome.
“I sing of arms and of a man: his fate had made him fugitive; he was the first to journey from the coasts of Troy as far as Italy and the Lavinian shores. Across the lands and waters he was battered beneath the violence of high ones, for the savage Juno’s unforgetting anger; and many sufferings were his in war- until he brought a city into being and carried in his gods to Latium; from this have come the Latin race, the lords of Alba and the ramparts of high Rome.” ― The exordium of The Aeneid, Allen Mandelbaum (translator)
Modern Version of The Aeneid
The Aeneid for Boys & Girls is a lovely modern telling, accessible for kids and adults alike. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find many illustrated versions of The Aeneid, unlike for Homer’s works, which have many! Though there is a recent graphic novel.
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings – Iran
The Shahnameh is an epic poem of about 50,000 distichs or couplets, composed by the poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010. He referenced prior histories and verses to compile the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning with Creation myths and continuing until the Arab invasion in the seventh century.
“I turn to right and left, in all the earth I see no signs of justice, sense or worth: A man does evil deeds, and all his days Are filled with luck and universal praise; Another’s good in all he does – he dies A wretched, broken man whom all despise.” ― Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings, Abolghasem Ferdowsi
Modern Version of The Shahnameh
Unfortunately, the “definitive translation” by Dick Davis, linked above, is already told mostly in prose, with snippets of verse scattered throughout. There is an earlier translation in full verse available on The Internet Archive, but it uses older English (“thou”), which makes it harder to understand. Since the leading version is already more of a summary than a direct translation of the full poem, I’d probably choose to read this gorgeously illustrated edition instead, which is actually how I first discovered the Shahnameh (my library had a copy)!
Europe
Beowulf – Norse
Beowulf is an Old English poem, written between 975 and 1025 AD, but set in pagan Scandinavia in the 5th and 6th centuries. It tells of how the warrior Beowulf defeats the monster Grendel, and then his mother (in a famous underwater battle), before sacrificing himself to defeat a dragon.
“So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns.
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes, a wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes. This terror of the hall-troops had come far… That was one good king.”
This is a lovely illustrated version, great for kids. There’s also an edition of Seamus Heaney’s translation that includes photos of helmets, horns, and other materials from the time.
The Saga of the Volsungs – Norse
The Saga of the Volsungs is a late 13th century heroic saga, but in prose, rather than verse (excepting the prologue). It tells of the rise and fall of the Volsung clan, including the famous portion of Sigurd killing the serpent dragon Fáfnir.
“O hearken, ye who speak the English Tongue How in a waste land ages long ago The very heart of the North bloomed into song After long brooding o’er this tale of woe! Hearken, and marvel how it might be so, That such a sweetness so well crowned could be Betwixt the ice-hills and the cold grey sea.” ― The prologue of the Volsunga Saga, Eiríkr Magnússon, William Morris (translators)
Additional Nordic Epics
You may also have heard of the Poetic Edda, a collection of anonymous Icelandic narrative poems in alliterative verse, thought to have been composed sometime in the 9th-11th centuries. It’s more fragmented, and less of a cohesive epic, essentially like Ovid, but for Norse myths.
The Nibelungenlied is an epic chivalric tale (predates the romance) that recounts many of the stories present in the Edda and Volsunga Saga. However, it is much more Christian, containing less of the original pagan mythic content.
The Táin has its origin in Irish oral tradition, but wasn’t written down until the Middle Ages. Often referred to as “The Irish Iliad,” it is actually written in prosimetrum, alternating prose and verse.
Also known as The Cattle Raid of Cooley, it tells of a Queen who, to spite her husband’s wealth, raids a neighboring kingdom to steal a great bull. Only a young demigod steps up to defend his land in single combat, since his king’s entire army is burdened by a curse. Tragically, he must face his best friend in battle.
“I am alone against hordes I cannot stop nor let go I stand here in the long cold hours alone against every foe.” ― The Táin, Ciaran Carson (translator)
Modern Version of The Táin
I found a modern illustrated children’s version of this tale by Alan Titley, but also loved this beautiful animated short that summarized the story.
Kalevala – Finnish
The Kalevala is a 19th-century compilation of Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, collected through the many trips of Elias Lönnrot. It tells the story of creation, voyages and wars, and of a legendary wealth-making machine. Kalevala poetry was also known as runic song, often in alliterative trochaic tetrameter, and incorporating call and response, choralists, and dancing hand in hand.
“I am wanting, I am thinking To arise and go forth singing. Sing my songs and say my sayings, Hymns ancestral harmonizing, Lore of kindred lyricking. In my mouth the words are melting; Utterances overflowing To my tongue are hurrying, Even against my teeth they burst.” ― Prelude from The Kalevala Runo 1 – Creation and the Birth of Väinämöinen
Modern Version of the Kalevala
Kirsti Mäkinen (Author) and Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin (Illustrator) created a beautifully illustrated prose version of the Kalevala which also includes snippets of verse on each page – accessible for children.
Asia
Ramayana – India
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic (smriti) that narrates the life of Prince Rama, the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, following his adventures during a long exile, and his eventual crowning. It is attributed to Valmiki, and was likely written between the 7th and 5th centuries BC.
“O Ayodhya! Architects designed you to be beautiful, gracious and strong. Untouched by enemies, invincible behind towering gates with a wide moat circling your waist, your brave and noble warriors could find their target through sound alone.” ― The Ramayana: A New Retelling of Valmiki’s Ancient Epic, by Linda Egenes
Modern Version of the Ramayana
I dislike a lot of modern renditions of epics because they not only lose the beauty of the original verse or language, but they often just feel like a summary. That gets boring in a hurry. But this lyrical modern prose rendition of the Ramayana reads more like a novel!
Mahabharata – India
The other major Hindu epic, the Mahabharata tells of the tragic war between two factions of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the 5 Pāṇḍavas brothers, and their famous wife Draupadi. Attributed to Vyāsa, and composed over many centuries, starting in the 3rd century BC, it is often known as “the longest written epic poem in the world.”
“…I bless the name of Sarasvati, goddess of deep learning and of art, she who can touch a poet’s tongue with silver. To her I dedicate my epic poem.
This is the tale of a tragic dynasty; a narrative of hatred, honor, courage, of virtue, love, ideals and wickedness, and of a war so terrible, it marked the threshold between one age and the next.”
I really enjoyed this podcast audio drama by Sudipta Bhawmik, though I certainly recommend keeping a cast list handy since it’s way too easy to lose track of all the characters and their names. This prose rendering by Ramesh Ramon reads like historical fiction!
The Epic of King Gesar – Tibet
The Epic of King Gesar is drawn from centuries of oral traditions, combining cultural, literary, musical, historical, and religious values of Tibet, focusing on the tales of a superhuman warrior king. It includes some 120 volumes, and it looks like, so far, only a small portion of it has been translated into English so far.
“The white smoke of the juniper rises Fragrant and dense from the burning coals, Billowing into an empty shining sky, A vast mirror-like expanse Unclouded by the shadow of birth or fear of death. There, descending on this perfumed bridge of smoke and longing, Swirling and whirling in the smoke clouds, as in a gathering storm, Surrounded by a host of mounted Drala and Werma warriors, Whose golden armor and steel sword blades glitter like lightning, Rides the ever great and youthful conqueror, Gesar, King of Ling, Lord of the four kinds of warrior.” ― The Warrior Song of King Gesar, Douglas Penick
Modern Version of The Epic of King Gesar
The Warrior Song of King Gesar (excerpt above) seems like a captivating compilation of multiple parts of the tale. Shambhala Publication’s has translated the first 4 volumes of the epic more literally from the beginning, and they’ve published numerous other books about him, but I found the Warrior Song version more compelling. There seem to be a number of beautifully illustrated versions, but most are only available in expensive hardcover or sadly out of print.
Darangen – Philippines
The Darangen is a collection of pre-Islamic Philippine tales, passed down orally for generations. It has 72,000 lines divided into 17 cycles in iambic tetrameter or catalectic trochaic tetrameter. To perform the full cycle through song and dance takes a week! It tells of the grand city of Bembaran ruled by the main hero, Prince Bantugan.
“And now I shall commence my tale Beginning with the time of the Enthronement of the first ruler Called Diwata Ndaw Gibon. His kingdom was one vacant space Because he had as yet no wife, No fair partner to grace his throne And help him organize the place, Nor were there any settlements No subjects to people a town For this lord was indeed alone.” ― Darangen, recorded by The Folklore Division University Research Center Mindanao State University
Modern Version of the Darangen
Unfortunately, the translation I linked above is a bit awkward and not very engaging to read. It’s also only an excerpt from a book which seems out of print, though it is available at multiple libraries around the U.S. I was not able to find any modern or illustrated versions. But there are some great recordings of live performances by the efforts of UNESCO. I hope we’ll start seeing some lovely renditions and retellings in the future!
China?
China has a massive body of literature, including histories, poetry, religious works, and more. They did not seem to favor long-form narrative poems, though the Epic of Darkness, dated back to the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), was recently discovered. It features the creation myths and flood narratives of the Han people, including the tale of Pangu. No English translation exists yet, as far as I could find.
More people recommend the Four Great Classic Novels, particularly The Journey to the West, as an example of China’s cultural and mythic epics. I love this animated series about the Monkey King!
Africa
The Mwindo – Congo
The Mwindo epic is an oral tale from the Congo told by the Nyanga people, traditionally performed by a bard through dance and noisemakers like bells and a calabash rattle. The audience would participate, singing along, and young men would accompany the bard on percussion. It tells the tale of a boy with magical powers whose father tries to kill him, spurring him on a series of quests.
This is a fun retelling that includes a mix of prose and verse. It reads like a novel for kids, but I enjoyed it as an adult too! You can find a more official translation here.
More Oral Epics From Africa
Africa is rich with oral traditions, poems, and songs. This is a lovely site that includes many excerpts. The Epic of Sundiata is also well known, but chronicles the creation of the Empire of Mali, a Medieval, not ancient, kingdom of West Africa. The Liyongo Epic is another that tells of a Medieval Swahili warrior chieftain.
Americas
The Popol Vuh – Mesoamerica
The Popol Vuh began as Mayan oral tradition millennia ago, telling of the world’s creation, the acts of the gods, and the founding of the K’iche’ kingdom. In the mid-sixteenth century, during the European conquest, members of the nobility wrote it down in an attempt to preserve their culture, and it was later translated into Spanish, and the original document lost.
“This is the account of when all is still silent and placid. All is silent and calm. Hushed and empty is the womb of the sky. These, then, are the first words, the first speech. There is not yet one person, one animal, bird, fish, crab, tree, rock, hollow, canyon, meadow, or forest. All alone the sky exists. The face of the earth has not yet appeared.” ― Allen J. Christenson (translator), Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya
Modern Version of the Popol Vuh
Ilan Stevans has written a modern retelling of the Popol Vuh, complete with illustrations by Salvadoran folk artist Gabriela Larios. One reviewer said, “the art is so beautiful I wish it was available as prints.”
More mythic narratives from the Americas
While there is a difference between myths and epics, it’s quite sad that there aren’t more remaining works from Pre-Colombian Americas. So I thought I’d also include this great online database of Native American myths and legends. They focus more on tales from North American tribes, but include some from Central and South America as well.
Epics about Medieval Times
Many of the epics above were written during the Middle Ages, but about ancient legends or events that occurred through late antiquity (Beowulf, Volsunga). A number of other epics recount historical events that happened during the height of the Middle Ages, with far less mythic content.
The Epic of Sundiata – West Africa The Sundiata is an epic poem of the Malinke people that tells of the hero Sundiata Keita (died 1255), founder of the Mali Empire. It was passed down orally for generations.
The Song of Roland – France The Song of Roland is an 11th-century medieval poem (chanson de geste) about the feats of Frankish military leader Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in AD 778, during the reign of Charlemagne. It is the oldest surviving major work of French literature.
Cantar de mio Cid – Spain The Song of My Cid is an anonymous Castilian epic poem based on the true story of hero and Medieval knight Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar—known as El Cid—who fought for the unification of Spain during the eleventh century.
The Tale of the Heike – Japan An epic prose account (compiled prior to 1330) of the struggle between two clans to control Japan in the Genpei War (1180–1185). This was a major influence on other feudal samurai content.
The Secret History of the Mongols and The Epic of Jangar – Mongolia The Mongolian Tuuli is an oral tradition comprising heroic epics that run from hundreds to thousands of lines and combine spells, fairy tales, myths and folk songs. The most famous ones tell the tale of Genghis Khan and his children.
Dates of Ancient Epics
What do you love most about ancient, mythic epics?
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
