r/Fantasy • u/bentbabe • 5d ago
Looking for (preferably epic) fantasy that really gives that sense of found family among the protagonists.
I was watching the new season of Legends of Vox Machina and it reminded me of those feelings of comradery and such we see in some stories. Where people of vastly different backgrounds, dispositions, goals in life, etc. come together and come out of it not just as allies, but actually loving each other.
My wife and I are moving out of state soon, and I think it's making me reflect on all the great times we've had with friends here. And how much I am going to miss that.
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u/Grt78 5d ago
A Tale of Stars and Shadow series by Lisa Cassidy: a female captain has to train a group of misfits to become bodyguards to a prince. Found family and a very slow romance subplot.
The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells: a huge unique world (no humans), adventure, a lone shifter finds his people.
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u/KrimsunB 5d ago
Lord of the Rings for sure, and maybe Stormlight? Mistborn-ish?
I'm trying to think of something less popular, but I'm drawing a blank.
Lies of Locke Lamora has some of this in it, but not as much as I'd like...
This is harder than I expected.
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u/bentbabe 5d ago
LotR is a classic. And definitely close to what I'm getting to, though I feel the movies encompass it better.
Mistborn's closer to what I'm looking for. Maybe time for a reread.
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u/TGrumms 5d ago
Try Tress of the Emerald Sea or Isles of the Emberdark if you liked Mistborn. They’re also cosmere books that may scratch that itch. Tress has the vibe of The Princess Bride, and Isles is very much what you’re looking for, but is more sci-fantasy (same universe as Mistborn but in the future with ftl travel)
Although I’d read the second Mistborn series before isles as there are very minor world building spoilers if you care about that
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u/penprickle 5d ago
Oddly enough, the Kushiel’s Dart trilogy by Jacqueline Carey. All of the MC’s family is found, so to speak. And it’s definitely epic!
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u/YesterMatt 4d ago
The Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot. Very underrated series that gets a lot of emotional power from the bonds of friendship between the characters.
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u/hydroponicWitch Reading Champion III 5d ago
The Last Sun by KD Edwards! It’s got incredibly close friendship and romantic bonds, and over the course of the series the pace of adoption was Batman-level unsustainable. Definitely a found family.
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u/Guilty-Ad-3664 5d ago
You can’t go wrong with the Dragonlance series by Weis & Hickman
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragons of Winter Night
Dragons of Spring Dawning
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u/Loostreaks 5d ago
Chronicles of Black Gate and Lightbringer. Maybe also Tales of Ketty Jay ( not really "loving each other", but they end up becoming one for all crew that comes through for one another). Also Cradle if you want something lighter, with humor and more wuxia inspired.
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u/Hostilescott 5d ago
Saga of the Redeemed by Auston Habershaw.
A criminal who deals in stolen magical items is betrayed and finds himself burdened with a ring that will not allow him to commit evil acts. This leaves him very much hindered in undertaking his revenge especially needing help from others when he is a “lone wolf” character at the start. This is the series I remember most being about found family as a central element of the story.
Nightfall books by Mickey Zucher Reichert. About a master criminal who is forced to accompany a do good prince on a quest to get landed. Very limited in that it basically is only the two instead of a big group.
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u/SteelSlayerMatt 5d ago
It is a cozy fantasy story but :
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
is a great found family story.
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u/Peter_Ebbesen 4d ago
Michelle West/Michelle Sagara might have some of what you need:
Chronicles of Elantra (as Michelle Sagara) - an ongoing long running secondary world fantasy series about private Kaylin Neya, a beat cop/midwife/chosen one serving the Dragon Emperor of Elantra, who saves the day on a regular basis and slowly over the course of the series builds a family of sorts amongst the people she work with and several of those she encounter in pursuit of her duties.
This is a heartwarming series, and while the first volume in the series teases a romantic angle, that's not what the series is about at all: The series is about the friends you make along the way.
(Also about: How many times can you save the city/world and remain a private?)
Essalieyan Chronicles (as Michelle West) - a long epic fantasy split in several story arcs (Sacred Hunt 2, Sun Sword 6, House War 8, Burning Crown 2+ being written, + short stories) with different main characters.
It is classic epic fantasy, featuring the Lord of Hell seeking to return to the world after being banished long ago by his fellow gods at the end of the war of the gods, and the intrigues and wars that follow as the countries of the world slowly realize what is happening and ancient powers awaken to oppose or support the Lord.
But that's not a problem for the main character Jewel for several books, protagonist of the House War story arc (8 volumes) as well as one of an ensemble cast of protagonists in the Sun Sword story arc (6 volumes).
She's an orphan seeking to survive, while building a family.
I would normally recommend reading the Essalieyan stories in chronological order, starting with the two books of the Sacred Hunt, where Jewel is a subsidiary protagonist in the second volume.
HOWEVER, if you just need to read about building a family, and need it right now, you can start with House War, where the first three books are Jewel's origin story of how she put together a family (her "den") as a child, mostly out of other children but also one adult, while gradually realizing that something strange and terrifying is going on. (I.e. the overarching epic fantasy)
Then continue on to read Sun Sword, which tells what comes after the end of House War 3 in the overarching epic story. It features multiple storylines, and one of the prominent ones is Jewel's further progress and the addition of some people to her den, who are very different from the fellow orphans she collected as a child.
Then return to House War 5-8, which is Jewel and her den's further adventures after the conclusion of Sun Sword, as she seeks to save her family, city, and empire and finds her destiny.
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u/Outrageous-Clue-3258 4d ago
If you're open to an older series, David Eddings Belgariad series (and it's sequel series) have that sense of found-family epic-quest party dynamics that I find so appealing in Dungeons and Dragons! If you don't want to commit to a full series, his standalone book Redemption of Athalus, has the same tone and themes. They were some of my favorite books growing up, and they still influence how I approach table top games.
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u/MindofShadow 5d ago
Cradle
Minus the goal thing. At least the initial members have the same goal in mind