Gillian Bronte Adams

YA Epic Fantasy Author

Fantastic Creatures

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A few weeks back, I posted about my favorite mythical monsters, so I think it’s only right to follow it up now with a look at favorite non-monstrous fantasy creatures. And yes, if you haven’t guessed it already from the  common themes in the covers of my books and the hints I’ve been dropping about my new top secret project all over Instagram, I love all the fantasy creatures.

I suppose you could say I’m an animal person …

So fantastic animals with magical abilities, um, yes, please!

Of course, I could never dream of making this list complete on my own, so I hope you all will chime in and add your favorites onto the end. Ready?

Here we go …

1. Eanrin

Honestly, I hesitated about putting Eanrin from Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s Tales of Goldstone Woods series on a list of Fantasy Creatures because he’s a Faerie and sometimes appears as a man and sometimes as a cat, and of course that’s confusing, but I love him as both Eanrin the man and Eanrin the cat, so he made the list.

Because he is awesome. ‘Nuff said.

(Sadly, my copies of the Tales of Goldstone Woods are still packed in a box somewhere – tragedy – so I had to make do with a stock cover image.)

2. Nighteyes

Nighteyes is a wolf from Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy who is witbonded to FitzChivalry Farseer, which means that they can share thoughts and feelings and abilities and pretty much everything. And I just love their relationship. The two of them together are so awesome and practically unstoppable.

Also … wolves are just cool.

3. Sea Dragons

Singing sea dragons? Yes please! I fell in love with sea dragons in Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga and especially the idea of the Dragon Day festival in Glipwood when the dragons sang and rose from the water in their annual dance.

A long, warm note like the sound of a yawning mountain rose in the air and bounced off the belly of the sky. The deep echo was absorbed by the tall trees of Glipwood Forest and was answered a moment later by a higher sound that felt like a soft rain.”

– On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

4. Thestrals

Okay, the thestrals from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series may seem strange, but I’m all for the magical steeds, so even though the thestrals are skeletal, bat-winged, carnivorous horses who can only be seen by people who have been truly touched by death … I’m including them in this list.

I just kind of think they’re cool! Also, can you imagine being one of the people who hadn’t seen death firsthand who had to ride an invisible steed?

(Diclaimer: So … I realize that thestrals don’t really come into play until the fifth book in the series … but I only have the first four to photograph at the moment, so we’re rolling with it!)

5. Frey

Just going to sneak this one in here …

I know, I know, I said I was going to try to stop putting my own creatures on the lists. But you guys know that gorgeous creature on the front cover of Song of Leira with Birdie? Well, I honestly can’t wait for you all to meet him. His name is Frey and he is a saif—a horselike creature with the slim legs and antlers of a deer, cloven-hoofed, and bearded like a goat, with the softest, downiest, fly-away mane.

But the eyes—oh, the eyes—were the most entrancing things. Birdie couldn’t tear herself away. The dark bluish-brown of a woodland pool, half concealed beneath soft, white lashes like a dusting of snow.”

– Song of Leira

6. Axehounds

This one is kind of random but I just had to include the axehounds from Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive mainly because they sound so interesting and I haven’t the faintest clue how to visualize them!

She was sleek and lean, six legs extending before her as she sat on her haunches. Axehounds didn’t have shells or skin; instead, their body was covered with some fusion of the two, smooth to the touch and more pliable than true carapace, but harder than skin and made of interlocking sections.”

– Way of Kings

Anybody? I guess I need Shallan to draw a picture for me! ;)

7. Cham Bear

The cham bear is a fire-breathing bear from Jill Williamson’s Blood of Kings Trilogy. How cool is that?  Actually, probably pretty terrifying. Not the sort of beast you’d want to tangle with, but I’m sure it would be fascinating to see from a distance, and I have a soft-spot for fire-breathing beasties, so it had to make the list!

Your Turn! Any favorite fantasy creatures to add to the list?

Tell Me Your Story

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He leaned against the coconut tree, arms crossed over his chest, wrinkling his mustard yellow tank top. Mud and sweat stains covered cloth that had been worn thin through repeated hand washings. After two days of working in the mud and rain, we all basked in the sunlight, allowing the warmth to seep into our skin and drive out the chill of dampness as we waited for the tools needed for the next job.

Six trips to Haiti had accustomed me to a different pattern of life than the clock-drive culture I am familiar with. Long moments of sitting and waiting in between jobs was not uncommon, and it provided a chance to chat in broken English/Creole with new friends, or to sit and simply observe.

I took a long drink from my water bottle, sneaking the chance to glance at him again. Chin jutted forward, eyes staring off into the distance, one bare foot propped against the tree behind him. Only fourteen years old, but that expression on his face made him seem older. I remembered meeting him on my first trip to Haiti six years earlier, but the teenager before me now seemed a far cry from that mischievous little kid who had followed us around, joking and laughing endlessly.

There was still plenty of mischief in the teenager. When he did smile, his whole face lit up. But his laugh was quieter now, and there was an air of maturity and responsibility to him, as he looked after the younger boys who also helped out around the camp where my team had come to work.

Something about the way he stood—leaning so casually against the coconut tree yet with an air of readiness to his posture, that paradox of rest and alertness wrapped up in the lanky limbs of a fourteen year old—caught my eye that day.

Instantly, the writer side of my brain set to work, firing off questions. I wondered what sorts of hopes and dreams he had for the future. What fears whispered inside his head. What events shaped the person he was now.

I wanted to know his story.

Discovering new stories is one of my favorite things about traveling. Not only does traveling broaden our horizons in terms of locations visited, but it expands our understanding of the people we meet and the lives they live. It is woefully easy to force stereotypes and misconceptions upon people who live a few blocks down the street, let alone on the other side of the world, and even easier still if our interactions are limited to a computer screen.

But when we come face to face with people and are confronted with their lives, an amazing things begins to happen.

Our focus begins to shift from our story to theirs.

This desire to understand other people’s stories feeds directly into the side of me that loves being a writer. As a writer, I get to walk through the stories of my characters. I get to slip inside their heads and figure out what they feel and fear and long for. Unfortunately, it’s not always so easy to do that in real life.

But have you ever sat in a vehicle in a pack of cars at a stoplight, or halted in the midst of a flow of people in a crowded mall or airport, and observed those around you?

Have you ever wondered about who they are and where they are going and what will happen when they get there?

Have you ever been staggered by the understanding that the person in the vehicle next to you thinks and feels and hopes and fears as deeply as you do? That they too bear the life-giving breath of God. That they were valued at the price of the life of God’s Son.

And then multiply that by all the other vehicles around you, and all the people in your city, your state, your country, the world?

Sometimes, the knowledge of the sheer numbers of unfolding lives and the stories they are living is overwhelming. Then, it almost seems easier not to dwell too much on it, because if we are confronted by it, I think it must change how we interact with others, or else we must pull the blinders more firmly around our eyes and sink ever more deeply into self-focus.

Thinking like a storyteller …

But when it comes to character development over the course of a story, storytellers know that it is often the smallest, most seemingly inconsequential act that can make the largest impact. It could be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Or the legendary finger that plugged the hole in the dike. Small actions accomplishing either great good or great bad in a character’s life.

I think the same is often true in our lives. Recently, I came across a meme that set me thinking. If I could find the original, I would share it with you, but the gist of it focused on the idea that when people talk about jumping back in time, they are afraid that the littlest action could massively alter the course of the future. But few people think practically about how the converse of that idea is that the littlest actions now are affecting the course of the future.

It struck me most strongly when I started thinking about it on a interpersonal “story” level.

Imagine for a moment the dozens … hundreds … of other life stories happening alongside us every day – the teenage guy behind the check out counter or the girl in the drive through window. The business woman hustling past. The mom with three kids hanging on her legs. The homeless man with a sign on the street corner.

And ask yourself, how often do we think deeply about how our interactions, our words, or the things we do or don’t do or say, impact the stories of the people you simply brush shoulders with?

Impacting Stories

I don’t know about you, but I have seen the impact of words and actions — both large and small, heedless, and kind — in my own life a dozen times over. In fact, only a few months ago, someone went out of their way to remind me that my story—both my personal story and the stories that I am writing—matter. It was a simple thing to say, and yet coming at that moment and in that way, it had a profound impact on me.

This person had no idea that I was just coming out of a year of the worst self-doubt and writing-fear that I had ever experienced. But they took the opportunity to offer a small kindness, choosing to make their brush with my story a far-reaching one.

So, I will seize the opportunity to tell you the same thing now. You … your story … matters. It has value because you have inestimable value too.

This year, oh beautiful 2018, I hope to focus more upon the lives and the stories of the people I interact with and to be more intentional about the moments that I have to offer even a small kindness. This blog has always allowed me to share snippets of my story with you, but I don’t want it to be about me. I want to hear your stories too.

Will you share your stories with me?

I know that’s a broad invitation and comment boxes aren’t really geared toward whole life stories, but here are some ideas if you care to share:

  • Something you have learned or discovered in the past year …
  • Something you have accomplished or some way that you have had a chance to grow or change …
  • A twist in your life that offered good when you didn’t expect it …
  • An example of the Lord’s faithfulness in your life …
  • A person with a story that surprised you …
  • Something that has had an impact on you – an event, a conversation, a book, a movie, a song, or a Scripture reading …

Come, fellow wanderer, sit here a while and share a story beside the hearth.

Mythical Monsters, Oh My!

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I recommend reading this post curled up in a comfy chair with a warm blanket, the lights on, the doors locked, and a weapon close to hand. Because we are venturing into creepy territory here, my friends, where there be monsters …

Really, this post is going to be so much fun! Fantasy, legend, and mythology alike are populated with all sorts of incredible creatures and terrifying monsters. I’m planning a list on favorite fantasy creatures (of the less monstrous sort) from some favorite novels, so be looking forward to reading that one eventually—whenever I happen to get around to it, of course.

But in the meantime, this list is dedicated to my favorite fantasy creatures of a more unsavory nature.

Narrowing this list down from the horde of monsters and evil creatures that populate the pages of fantasy novels was no easy task. It is by no means complete, so I hope you’ll join the conversation and weigh in with some of your favorites at the end!

1. The Nazgul

Of course, I simply had to start with a Lord of the Rings reference. (You all know where my loyalties lie.) The Nazgul—Fell Riders of the Air, Black Riders, the Nine, Ringwraiths, really they have so many names—were absolutely terrifying to me when I first read the Lord of the Rings. Terrifying and fascinating, so of course, I turned to the Silmarillion to learn more about them.

Before they fell, they were kings, mighty men, sorcerers, and warriors who became ensnared by the very thing that gave them power.

And they became forever invisible, save to him that wore the Ruling Ring, and they entered into the realm of shadows. The Nazgul were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy’s most terrible servants; darkness went with them and they cried with the voices of death.”

– Silmarillion

One of the aspects of the Nazgul that didn’t really make it into the movies was the “Black Breath.” Instead of swooping down to destroy trebuchets and snatch people from the walls, like in the movies, the Nazgul’s attack in the book was much more subtle and deadly.

The Nazgul came again, and as their Dark Lord now grew and put forth his strength, so their voices, which uttered only his will and his malice, were filled with evil and horror. Ever they circled above the City, like vultures that expect their fill of doomed men’s flesh … At length, even the stout-hearted would fling themselves to the ground as the hidden menace passed over them, or they would stand, letting their weapons fall from nerveless hands while into their minds a blackness came, and they thought no more of war, but only of hiding and crawling, and of death.”

– The Return of the King

And those who suffered under the shadow of the Nazgul for long came down with an illness that the people of Gondor called the “Black Shadow,” and it often proved fatal. Faramir, Merry, and Eowyn all fell under the Black Shadow, offering Aragorn the opportunity to step in as Healer … and King of Gondor. (One of my many favorite chapters in The Return of the King.)

2. Dementors

These things. *shudder* The dementors from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are creepy, hooded and cloaked, gliding, wraith-like creatures that like to suck away happiness. Delightful, right?

Side note: I will never understand why the Ministry of Magic thought that it would be a good idea to employ dementors to guard Azkaban … or to send them to Hogwarts (a school for kids) to hunt for Sirius Black?

Um … dangerous much?

Yeah, I’ll take my chances with the “murderous” wizard who escaped from the inescapable prison over the soul-draining monsters, thank you very much.

Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can’t see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you.”

– Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Don’t know about you, but that’s the stuff of nightmares right there.

3. The Raven Steed

Yes, I’m doing it again, throwing creatures from my own books into these lists. *grins* Well, it is a list of my favorites, so it stands to reason, right?

If you haven’t read Songkeeper yet, minor SPOILER alert, but the Takhran rides through the Pit on a steed that is half horse and half raven.

Sounds cool, right?

Flanked by a dozen Khelari, the Takhran was mounted on a massive black steed with the head, beak, and wings of a raven, and the muscled body of a horse, on the far edge of the flickering circle of light.”

– Songkeeper

The Takhran’s steed jerked its neck and snorted. Its beak clipped the air only inches from her head. Corded muscles stood out along its chest and deep-cut hindquarters, and an iron collar encircled its neck, visible through the feather-like strands of its mane.”

– Songkeeper

Also, slightly creepy …

Surrounded by the slain, the steed’s nature as a carrion beast revealed itself in its snuffling breath, rasping voice, and the taut lines in its outstretched neck. It took a little hop-skip toward the nearest corpse, but a harsh word from the Takhran bade it be still.”

– Songkeeper

Unfortunately, the raven steed only gets a little bit of page time, which makes me kind of sad. Because as creepy as it may be … I still think it is cool!

If there are any wonderfully artistic people out there who would like to try their hand at recreating an image of the raven steed, I love fan art. *hint hint* If I had any artistic ability at all, I would love to create a picture of this creature. Sadly, my only artistic ability lies with words. But I have the highest respect (and envy) for those with skills in the visual arts.

4. The Fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree

No list of fantasy monsters would be complete without mention of these deadly beasts from Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga. They are, in fact, cows with gifted with a fearsome nature and hideous toothiness.

A crashing noise came from the forest, the sound of something large and moving fast. Leeli and Janner were too terrified to move. They saw through the knot of trees a dark creature the size of a horse—bounding directly toward Tink.”

– On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

That’s right. Toothy cows are highly ferocious beasts prone to chasing down prey, pouncing, and devouring them with excessive … toothiness.

He whipped his head around in time to see the fearsome cow bearing down on him, its long teeth bared, its girth trembling.”

– On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

But the best description comes from the footnotes—yes, the books have footnotes! How awesome is that?

In it, Bloge describes the cows as being ‘squarish in frame, with a moist snout and eyes that at first appear dull as a bowl of mud. But woe to that man who considers not the lethal potential in that bovinial thrump. In those yellowish sabers that protrude from its lippy mouth! How I wish my dear Molly had not spurned my warnings of the toothy cow’s cunning and thew, ere that thoothed brute devoured her!”

– On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

Yet another monster I will be endeavoring to avoid ….

Side note: There’s a fantastic short film based on the Wingfeather Saga that was just released! The artwork is beautiful, the music is simply gorgeous, and yes, they even included the footnotes. You can watch it FOR FREE here!

5. Ungoliant

In a ravine she lived, and took shape as a spider of monstrous form, weaving her black webs in a cleft of the mountains. There she sucked up all light she could find, and spun it forth again in dark nets of strangling gloom, until no light more could come to her abode; and she was famished.”

– Silmarillion

I’m guessing that Tolkien really wasn’t a fan of spiders, and honestly, who could blame him? I almost put Shelob on this list, but really, Ungoliant from the Silmarillion is about a hundred times worse! Even Melkor (about a hundred times worse than Sauron) was afraid of her, so you can bet she’s one monster that I wouldn’t want to tangle with.

Then the Unlight of Ungoliant rose up even to the roots of the Trees, and Melkor sprang upon the mound and with his black spear he smote each Tree to its core, wounded them deep, and their sap poured forth as it were their blood, and was spilled upon the ground. But Ungoliant sucked it up, and going then from Tree to Tree, she set her black beak to their wounds, till they were drained; and the poison of Death that was in her went into their tissues and withered them, root, branch, and leaf, and they dried.”

Consumed by a never ending desire for more, she devours all things beautiful and lovely and belches forth a hideous darkness. She destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor, enabling Melkor to break in and steal the Silmarils, and essentially launching the Noldor headfirst into all the horrors that followed: the Oath of Feanor and his sons, the Flight of the Noldor, the Kinslaying at Alqualonde.

Although no hero arises to defeat Ungoliant, the Silmarillion hints at her end. A fitting—if horrifying—end, really. It’s rumored that her unending hunger eventually led her to devour herself …

And the world heaved a sigh of relief. No tears shed for Ungoliant.

6. Chimera

Chimeras are mythical beasts that can be found in many a legend or fantasy tale, but this specific one is another Songkeeper monster. (Apparently, I went crazy on the monsters included in the second book of the Songkeeper Chronicles.)

Amos McElhenny is known—by himself and others—as the great Amos McElhenny, so of course, he needed a monster to fight that was worthy of standing face to face with a legend.

Enter the chimera. If you google “chimera,” you’ll most likely see that it’s a creature from Greek mythology that typically has the head of a lion at the end of its neck, the head of a goat sprouting on a second neck from its back, and a tail that ends in the head of a snake. Occasionally, you’ll see it with wings, or with all three heads sprouting from its chest.

That’s the version I decided to go with.

Out of the tunnel came a beast of nightmare. To be sure, it had stalked his dreams since that fateful night when he first braved the horrors of the tunnels, but night terrors were nothing compared to seeing such a monster again in the flesh. Three heads joined at the shoulders above a massive muscled chest. In the middle, it had the head of a lion, flanked by the head of a long-horned goat on one side and a fanged serpent on the other. Hunched back with knobs of spine jutting like blades. Long, strong forelimbs. Short, squat hindlimbs. Body covered in patches of scales, hides, and tufts of fur.”

– Songkeeper

There’s a simply delicious fight scene that takes place after that … but I won’t give any more spoilers. Suffice it to say that scene was one of the most exciting, intense, (and fun) fight scenes I’ve written. I wrote it in one sitting, about three hours from start to finish, and that scene made it almost wholly unchanged into the finished product.

The goat head bleated. Amos would have died before admitting that the bleat of a goat could sound menacing, but the utter wrongness of the sound from such a beast made his hackles rise.”

– Songkeeper

Yeah. I’m with you Amos.

I actually have a funny (embarrassing?) story about being caught off-guard by an unexpected goat bleat once … if you’re dying to hear what it is, ask and I’ll share it in the comments. ;)

7. Koloss

Of course, this list simply had to include these monstrous creatures from The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Blue-skinned, red-eyed “humanoid” creatures that range from human sized with baggy skin, to massive monsters whose skin stretches and splits because of the size of their form.

One large creature—its skin revoltingly split and cracked by stretch marks—led a few medium-sized beasts, whose bleeding rips were only beginning to appear at the corners of their mouths and the edges of their eyes. A smattering of smaller creatures—their baggy skin loose and sagging beneath their eyes and arms—accompanied their betters.”

– The Well of Ascension

They were created by the Lord Ruler to help him conquer the world and can be “controlled” to a point by Allomancers. Of course, uncontrolled koloss—or ones controlled by an enemy—are destruction unleashed and prone to killing anything in their path.

She climbed it, retreating slightly as the creatures surrounded her again. They crawled over the corpses of their fallen brethren, rage frothing in their blood-drop eyes. Human soldiers would have given up, going to seek easier fights. The koloss, however, seemed to multiply as she fought the, others hearing the sounds of battle and coming to join them.”

– The Well of Ascension

As with most of Sanderson’s works, even what you “think” you know about the koloss is overturned and expanded as the series goes on, so I won’t say too much more, because SPOILERS. Suffice it to say, these are not the sort of creatures you’d like to casually run across, particularly not when they’re in a blood rage. Although they are pleasant conversationalists …

“We are not koloss,” the lead koloss suddenly said, turning to Elend as they walked.

Elend frowned. “Explain.”

“You think we are koloss,” it said through lips that stretched too tightly to work properly “We are humans. We will live in your city. We will kill you, and we will take all.”

– The Well of Ascension

Your Turn!

Of course, the list could continue on and on! Tolkien’s Uruk-Hai, particularly Ugluk, certainly belong in this list, also the Steel Inquisitors from the Final Empire Trilogy—yeah, talk about creepy!—and the Cauldron Born from The Prydain Chronicles, and about a dozen others, but in the interest of time, it’s probably best to stop there and turn the conversation over to y’all!

What are some of your favorite fantasy monsters?

Is the Writing Life the Life for You?

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Sometimes, writing is coffee and book covers and words that roll off the fingers like a mountain shedding snowmelt to make way for spring.

And sometimes, writing is trudging on through dust and heat and still typing away, even when  inspiration is far away and putting words on the page feels like prying rocks from the heart of the earth with your bare hands.

And sometimes, writing is late-night typing when the muse finally hits after days of silence, and so of course you’re going to keep pounding the keys until 2:30 AM and beyond, even though you had hoped to log off around midnight and get some sleep. But the muse is talking—at last, she’s talking!—so you down another cup of coffee—or three—and keep on typing.

And sometimes, writing is scrapping chapters—yes, whole chapters—that you have agonized over for days because they still aren’t working, and somehow you need to get back to the basics because the whole thing has become such a muddled mess on the page and in your brain that even you have forgotten what is supposed to be happening.

And sometimes, writing is realizing that the characters all sound the same, and you thought you knew them, but do you really? Because, somehow, in the last chapter you mixed up three character names, and if even you can’t keep them straight, no reader is going to be able to. They aren’t really characters at all, only cardboard props that populate your scenes, and they have no heart. No heart. How do you give them heart?

And sometimes, writing is typing so fast your fingers feel like they’re going to fly away with you! All is going beautifully, the prose is singing, the story is winging, and the characters are forging onward to glory … and you lurch to a stop on the edge of a glaring plot hole and nearly tumble headlong into the cavern. And then you have to backpedal, gasping for breath, and collapse at a safe distance away, and wonder how in the world you got here, when it all seemed to be going so well.

And sometimes, writing is the fear that strikes to the heart when you think of those chapters you scrapped, those heartless, cardboard characters, and that gaping chasm of a plot hole that you still can’t figure out how to get around, and you wonder if you have any skill at all.

And sometimes, writing is scrolling back a few chapters to read a previously written scene, and feeling that glorious warmth that spreads through your chest as you realize that all may not yet be lost and that there may be some good in this story yet.

And sometimes, writing is stumbling across a line, a paragraph, a word that gives you a glimpse beyond the page to the heart of the character you’re trying to portray and you want to leap from your seat because it’s there, it’s there, there’s a heart to be found after all.

And sometimes, writing is sitting on the edge of that gaping plot hole, and tipping your head upside down and walking on your hands, for a moment, instead of your feet, and in that moment of upside down perspective, the world shifts, and the pieces fall into place, and you surge to your feet ready to launch the story in a direction you had never before considered.

And sometimes …

Writing is all of that in one day, and you close your computer at last, ignore the single-digits on the hour slot of the clock, and tumble into bed, exhausted and restless and satisfied all at the same time. And you wake later that morning, down a cup of coffee—or three—and begin again.

Because that is writing.

And the writing life is the life for me.

If all of this terrifies you, but you want to be a writer anyway, because there are stories within you begging to be told, characters that must come to life in your imagination, and themes that grip you by the heart and won’t let go, then maybe it’s the life for you too!

Swords of Enchantment and Renown

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There is something wondrous and intensely beautiful about a blade. Something about that shining steel with an edge like breaking dawn that grips the heart of you and won’t let go.

I received my first sword at the ripe age of five or six. It was a beautiful blade that shone in the moonlight that streamed through my bedroom window, hand-fashioned by dad out of aluminum foil so I could face the night terrors (orcs, goblins, and the like) that I was convinced were hiding in the darkness beyond my bed.

How I loved that blade.

Unfortunately, aluminum foil is not dragon-forged steel, and my sword did not last long. But my fascination with weapons, and particularly with swords has never completely gone away. Yes, in this regard, I earn my geek card … and wear it proudly.

Rarely do you read about magical axes or legendary spears, though there should be a challenge in that for all us fantasy writers out there. But swords have earned a special spot in fantasy, myth, and history alike. In history, swords became endowed with religious significance to the knight. In myth, swords became masters of destiny and weapons of power. And in fantasy, swords run the gamut from lifeless steel to dragon-forged steel, to blades invested with magical abilities, to swords that can talk.

Cursed blades. Blessed blades.

Legends and tales of faerie are filled with both.

So for all you sword-lovers out there, here’s a look at some of my favorite examples of fantastical swords out there. It started out about a mile-long, but I have done my best to trim it down … Okay, so it’s still a mile-long, but awesome.

So without further ado, and in no particular order, SWORDS!

1. Anduril, Flame of the West

He [Aragorn] cast his sword upon the table that stood before Elrond, and the blade was in two pieces. “Here is the Sword that was Broken!” he said.

– The Fellowship of the Ring

The Sword that was Broken has claimed a special place in my imagination since I first read The Lord of the Rings. In the movies, I actually liked Aragorn’s Ranger sword better than Anduril. It was just … cooler. The simplicity of the design, the hue of the steel, the knife in the sheath … really, really, awesome.

But as a kid reading the books, I was captivated by the idea of Strider, the weather-beaten Ranger, who went about with a broken sword in his sheath. (Why would anyone do that?) I still remember my awe at discovering the history of that broken blade. Narsil, the blade that cut the ring from Sauron’s hand. Wow. And I was filled with even more awe when it was reforged into a mightier blade still, Anduril!

The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent moon and the rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor. Very bright was that sword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it, and the light of moon shone cold, and its edge was hard and keen. And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Anduril, Flame of the West.

– The Fellowship of the Ring

*cue all the awesome heroic feelings*

2. Nightblood

“Honestly,” she said. “You would think that you’d admit that bringing a five-foot-long black sword out in public would be rather conspicuous. It doesn’t help, mind you, that said sword bleeds smoke and can talk in people’s minds.”

– Warbreaker

I love reading about talking swords. Kind of like I love reading about talking cats. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the idea, so if you have read a book with an awesome talking sword (or talking cat, for that matter), send it my way!

Nightblood, the talking sword from Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker is so funny. (It may also show up in certain other of Brandon Sanderson’s works which will remain unnamed, because SPOILERS!)

It’s a thin-bladed sword with a pure black hilt that bleeds black smoke when drawn from its silver sheath. It also kills things, frequently, including its wielder if the wielder is not prepared properly.

I did very well today, a voice said in his mind.

Vasher didn’t respond to the sword.

I killed them all, Nightblood continued. Aren’t you proud of me?

Vasher picked up the weapon, accustomed to its unusual weight, and carried it in one hand. He recovered his duffel and slung it over his shoulder.

I knew you’d be impressed, Nightblood said, sounding satisfied.

– Warbreaker

Dangerous as the blade is, Nightblood really is quite awesome. (The sword itself says so!) Though I can’t say I would care to wield it …

3. Artair’s Sword

The blade glowed with a pale shimmering light, like that of the moon. It rippled beneath the surface of the metal, fading now as she gazed upon it.

– Songkeeper

Of course, I can’t write a post about magical swords without mentioning the white gold blade of the Songkeepers from my own beloved Songkeeper Chronicles. I (somewhat) broke with tradition in that series by not giving the sword a name of its own. In the books, it is simply referred to as Artair’s sword (the name of its original owner) or the sword of the Songkeepers.

But it is a beauty.

The strips of cloth shriveled, as if consumed by fire, and fell back, revealing the sword. Long bluish-white blade, glowing and wet, like flames seen through rippling layers of water. A gold crossguard and pommel. Leather-wrapped hilt. A high-pitched metallic voice emanated from the blade and blended with Birdie’s melody.

The sword was singing.

– Orphan’s Song

Yes, a singing sword. *grins* Come on, you have to admit that’s pretty awesome. I know I want one!

 The sword was vibrating in her hands now, and the hum of it seeped beneath her skin, settled in her bones, and grew in volume until it became the melody, and her voice awoke in answer.

– Songkeeper

And like any good magical sword, it’s got more than a few tricks up its sleeve. Or … scabbard?

Amos’s heart sank when he recognized the blade—Artair’s sword. It must have slipped from his belt when he fell. The pirate held the sword aloft so firelight glinted off the gold hilt and blued blade and then dropped it suddenly, cursing. He clutched his hand to his chest, and Amos could have sworn he saw steam arising from the man’s blackened skin.

The sword was up to its old tricks again. Amos spat a glob of blood out of his mouth and grinned at the pirate. “Smarts, don’t it?”

– Orphan’s Song

We may get to see more of the blade in Book Three of the Songkeeper Chronicles, Song of Leira (coming June 5, 2018), but I make no promises.

4. Anglachel

This blade is among the more obscure among the legendary blades of Middle Earth, though if you’ve read the Silmarillion or The Children of Hurin, you should be familiar with it.

As one would expect to find in a tragedy the likes of the tale of Turin Turambar—if you haven’t read it yet, prepare for a feast of tears, my friends, a feast of tears—the blade Anglachel is cursed. Perhaps not in the traditional sense, but if you combine a blade forged from iron from a fallen star and influenced by the dark heart of the smith who made it with the son of a man cursed by Morgoth himself, you should expect tragedy to ensue.

“There is malice in this sword. The heart of the smith still dwells in it, and that heart was dark. It will not love the hand that it serves; neither will it abide with you long.”

– The Children of Hurin

[SPOILER ALERT ] Through a tragic (of course) series of events, the sword Anglachel passes from Turin’s friend Beleg to him and is reforged and renamed Gurthang, Iron of Death. With the Black Sword, Turin fights many enemies, earns a dozen new names, and eventually slays the Father of Dragons, Glaurung, before he is driven to madness by the way the curse of Morgoth has unfolded and turns the blade upon himself. (Did I mention this was a tragedy?)

In that moment before Turin’s death, the blade speaks.

And from the blade rang a cold voice in answer: “Yes, I will drink your blood, that I may forget the blood of Beleg my master, and the blood of Brandir slain unjustly. I will slay you swiftly.”

– The Children of Hurin

This is one mighty blade from this list that I would not want to own.

But as tragic as the tale may be, I was always fascinated by Turin’s story and will admit to being a big enough Tolkien geek that I read it in every format available—The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Children of Hurin. (Yes, I wear my “Tolkien” geek card no less proudly than my “I Love Swords” geek card.)

Honestly, the blades of Middle-Earth deserve their own post, because there are so many magnificent ones—Angrist, the blade that cut the Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, Sting, Glamdring, Orcrist, and so many more. Tolkien loved his mighty blades.

But for the sake of time, it’s probably best that we move on to other sword-rich fantasy tales.

5. Caudimordax (Vulgarly Tailbiter)

“This sword,” said the parson, “will not stay sheathed, if a dragon is within five miles; and without doubt in a brave man’s hands no dragon can resist it.”

– Farmer Giles of Ham

Okay, okay, so I said we would move on from Middle Earth, and I wasn’t lying, even though this next blade happens drawn from another Tolkien tale, Farmer Giles of Ham.

Caudiomordax (or Tailbiter, in the vulgar) is an ancient sword of a magical nature that is bestowed upon a gruff old farmer in reward for his “bravery” in chasing off a marauding giant by shooting him in the nose with his blunderbuss. (In truth, the giant thought he had been stung by a large fly, and disliking being stung by flies as much as the next person, he decided to go home instead.)

The beauty of Tailbiter is that the sword can fight and win a battle practically on its own, and though it’s far more deadly in the hands of a trained swordsman, it’s enough to give an old farmer the means to win a victory, no training required.

He [Farmer Giles] stepped toward Chrysophylax, waving his arms as if he was scaring crows. That was quite enough for Tailbiter. It circled, flashing in the air; then down it came, smiting the dragon on the joint of the right wing, a ringing blow that shocked him exceedingly.

Of course Giles knew very little about the right methods of killing a dragon, or the sword might have landed in a tenderer spot; but Tailbiter did the best it could in inexperienced hands.

– Farmer Giles of Ham

As much as I would love to own an Anduril or an Excalibur, Tailbiter might be the best blade for my own, admittedly, less experienced hands.

6. Excalibur

Oh, yes, speaking of Excalibur, let’s touch on that one next. Because, really, no list of magical swords could be complete without mention of the sword of Arthur, King of the Britons. Forged in dragon fire, drawn by the king from the rock—or offered up by the Lady of the Lake, depending upon the tale—Excalibur is one that has filled the imaginations of children for centuries.

Excalibur … Excalibur …

The word itself rings with the weight of legend and might and song.

As much as I love the tale of King Arthur, I haven’t actually read many books on the subject. (Though I love BBC’s show, Merlin!) But I fully intend to rectify that this year, so please overwhelm me with all your favorite King Arthur book suggestions!

I have a lot of catching up to do.

7. Dyrnwyn

All right. Last one. I promise. This magnificent blade forms an important part of the tales told in the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.

Although jewels studded the hilt and pommel, the scabbard was battered, discolored, nearly black with age. For all that, it had an air of ancient lineage, and Taran was eager to hold it.

– The Book of Three

Drawn from the barrow of a dead king by Eilonwy, Dyrnwyn is a mighty, light-wielding, flaming blade, and one that brings terror and ruing upon the Horned King, the Cauldron Born, and even Arawn himself. The sword’s scabbard bears a symbol of power to warn the unwary user from drawing the enchanted blade and perishing in fire.

Eilonwy interprets the words as saying that the sword can only be drawn and wielded by one of royal blood. Later on, it’s revealed that one of “noble worth” or even “purpose” might be a better translation. But like most enchanted blades, wielding it incorrectly is sure to get you burned, so it’s better to play it safe than sorry.

Your Turn!

And now you get to geek out about your favorite fantasy swords! There are so many more I could have mentioned here (Amos’s very non-magical but very awesome-all-the-same bronze dirk, Shardblades and … other … blades from the Stormlight Archive, etc.) but it’s probably best I leave it there and let you all take over.

  • Do you have one to add to the list?
  • Or did I already select one of your favorites?
  • And the all important question, which sword would you most like to wield in battle … and why?

Song of Leira Cover Reveal

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Can you believe it … Book Three’s cover is finally here!

Guys, I am so incredibly excited about this. It’s been a long time coming, but I think you’ll agree that this cover was well worth the wait.

Are you ready?

Like really ready?

Here goes!

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Song of Leira will release on …

June 5, 2018!

It seems like a world away still, but really, the year will just fly past. And you can pre-order the book today so that it will magically appear at your house on release date. Isn’t this modern era awesome?

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE SONG BIDS HER RISE TO BATTLE

Reeling from her disastrous foray into the Pit, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, retreats into the mountains. But in the war-torn north, kneeling on bloodstained battlefields to sing the souls of the dying to rest, her resolve to accept her calling is strengthened. Such evil cannot go unchallenged.

Torn between oaths to protect the Underground runners and to rescue his friend from the slave camps, Ky Huntyr enlists Birdie’s aid. Their mission to free the captives unravels the horrifying thread connecting the legendary spring, Artair’s sword, and the slave camps. But the Takhran’s schemes are already in motion. Powerful singers have arisen to lead his army—singers who can shake the earth and master the sea—and monsters rampage across the land.

As Leira falters on the verge of defeat, the Song bids her rise to battle, and the Songkeeper must answer.

Pre-Order Now on Amazon

Pre-Order Now on Barnes and Nobles

Add on Goodreads

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gillian Bronte Adams is a writer, wanderer, and wordsmith. Rarely found without a coffee in hand and rumored to pack books before clothes when she hits the road. Working in youth ministry for several years while managing an equestrian program, left her with a passion for walking alongside children and teens as they launch their own life journeys. It also enhanced her love of coffee. As an author, she writes speculative fiction novels that follow outcast characters down broken roads, through epic battles, and onward to adventure. And at the end of the day, she enjoys saddling her wild thing and riding off into the sunset in search of adventures of her own … and more coffee. She loves to connect with fellow readers and wanderers online on her Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook page.

FUN FACTS ABOUT SONG OF LEIRA!

  • This book is the longest one in the series, and ironically, it had the smallest amount of trimmed words.
  • It’s going to be about 448 pages when all is said and done, (though it’s still in the publication process so that’s not final yet) which makes this lover of long books insanely happy! Over 400 pages guys … this is so exciting! (For comparison, Book One sits at about 286 pages. Book Two sits about 340 pages. Pulling a C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy here guys.)
  • We get to meet some fun new characters in this one. And some old favorites too. Of course, no telling who those old favorites are … *evil grin*
  • This book is a bit of a wild ride. So many heart-wrenching moments. So much action. And in case the cover wasn’t indication enough, so many crazy awesome things happen. I recently reread the book while editing and honestly may have had to hold back the tears at a few points. (Which was slightly awkward, since I edited significant portions of it while traveling and surrounded by large groups of people … um … yeah.) Suffice it to say, everything is amping up in this book for an EPIC conclusion.
  • And … I just can’t wait for you guys to read it.

Your Turn! I’d love to hear from you now!

  • What did you guys think of the cover?
  • What are you most excited about in Song of Leira?
  • Which main and secondary character are you most hoping to see again?
  • Can you make it until June 5th?

 

 

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