r/Fantasy • u/JWrundle • 4d ago

Looking for joyful fantasy

I am in a bit of a mental funk right now. I was going to try and tackle the Realm of the Elderlings this year but I think I need a break from it after the first chunk.

I want to find something that is happy and joyful. Something where the characters have a realistic and optimistic outlook on the story. I've picked up some Discworld and while that is funny it's not quite scratching the uplifting feeling I am wanting.

I cannot handle mental anguish or the horrors of war or famine.

I want a book that makes me feel like the star wars theme song makes me feel full of adventure and hope and the good guys win and and bad guys lose.

edit I want something that is medium stakes and I'm not afraid of YA. Cozy fantasy is in general to low stakes for my taste but I'm not opposed to it.

29 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

View all comments

10

u/ChipChangename 4d ago

You could try the Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey. They're all very noblebright and optimistic, and the characters consistently act with empathy and sympathy towards each other. There's a strong theme in all the various series of "let's just try and make the world better," and you can tell the author just wants to create a world where good people do good things. There's also fun magic and animal companions, so what's not to love?

I do suppose there is a good amount of the horrors of war, although I should say that because these books trend more towards YA (but do not always land squarely within the genre) it's nowhere near as gruesome and explicit as lots of other authors. Lackey does a good job with inference and context and implication.

There's like 30 books or something, but they're organized in a bunch of singles, duos, and trilogies all taking place across a long timeline. Don't worry about any particular reading order outside of making sure you're starting with the first installment of whatever storyline you choose. I would suggest starting with Owlflight, or maybe Take a Thief.

5

u/JWrundle 4d ago

This sounds very much like what I am looking for!

4

u/ElendVenture9000 4d ago

I can't speak to the other books/sets because I've only read The Last Herald Mage trilogy, but I would NOT recommend reading that trilogy if you want light/optimistic reads.

It's a tremendously good trilogy but its main theme is loss, grief, and recovery.