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Identifying the fantasy tropes in books allows us to create our own tropes, too. Read on to discover the most popular and common ones!
A trope is a cliche storyline or overused plot point authors use to convey their fantasy story. Authors often employ tropes in certain recurring plot devices or storylines that have become widely recognized and expected by readers. Using fantasy tropes in books can also serve as a useful tool for writers to quickly establish familiar story elements and allow readers to immerse themselves more fully in the created fantasy world.
A Fantasy Novel That Ignites
Castle Forks by Chris Cochrane is a story about immortal Demon Shadows. It is a fantasy fiction that also follows a trope. This involves the story of Chris and his father as they are transported to a magical world that forever alters their lives. In this world, they must navigate dangerous circumstances, uncover lifelong secrets, and confront an ancient enemy that seeks to destroy the world.
Castle Forks, a story about immortal Demon Shadows, delves into Chris Cochrane’s pursuit of protecting the world. Will he emerge victorious, or will the Demon Shadows prove to be an unstoppable force? Only time will tell in this epic battle of good versus evil.
This book takes readers on a thrilling journey through a magical world full of wonder and danger. If you are interested in fantasy novels, we highly recommend reading Chris Cochrane’s story about immortal Demon Shadows. Click here to grab your own copy today.
Below are some of the popular and common fantasy book tropes.
The Chosen One: Destined to Save the Day
This is quite a commonly used trope where the protagonist or main character is provided with a destined fate and prophecy to save the day.
Secret Hidden Worlds: A Shift From Reality to Magical
The story starts with a regular person in a real-world life but then discovers a hidden or magical world.
Novice to Expert: Zero to Hero
This starts off depicting a weak protagonist who discovers a certain power and later becomes the strongest character. This usually doesn’t involve the protagonist taking the time to develop their skills; instead, it makes it seem that abilities are not that hard to acquire.
Good vs. Evil: Different Shades of Both
This is when confusion falls upon the protagonist as there is no clarity between who the villain the hero must defeat.
The Quest: A Long Journey of Pursuit
This usually involves the protagonist on an ongoing journey to accomplish a goal and reach a destination. Along the way, he encounters mini-quests and battles in preparation for the ultimate fight at the end.
Antagonist to Hero: The Redemption Arc
This is when a villain or antagonist turns into an ally with the hero or protagonist. There is some sort of redemption that runs in this book.
Inheritance/Hidden Truths: Secret Prophecy or Bloodline
This is usually when the protagonist discovers and learns about his past. A secret prophecy or bloodline could have been revealed in this case.
Training Sequence: Mentor vs Main
It is the awaited encounter with a mentor to train the protagonist for an ultimate battle. This is where the hero usually is at the peak of giving up. This is where the protagonist grows stronger as he sharpens his skills with the guidance of a side character.
Price for Winning: A Price to be Paid
The story usually ends with some sort of consequence: the protagonist or hero loses an ability, loved one, position, etc. It interlaces with paying the price for winning.
Creating Your Own Unique Twist: Using Fantasy Tropes
Now that we have done a deep dive into fantasy tropes in books, we can conclude that applying them to our fiction novel can significantly impact it. However, since readers are familiar with tropes, they already know what to expect. This makes our novel predictable or cliche at some point.
Given the prevalence of familiar tropes in books, it may be advantageous for us to explore the possibility of infusing our own unique twist into these common themes. By doing so, we can introduce an element of surprise that will captivate our readers.
Perhaps we can even formulate our own tropes. It is surely a good idea to build your own forte, giving your book an opportunity to stand out from the rest. This gives it an unpredictable flair and makes it more interesting.