3 is the magic number for these wizard tales

The Harry Potter series of novels may have awoken an interest in all things magic, but there are other collections of books which also provide something of the supernatural to delight readers and these ones come in threes.

The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin

This features magic and supernatural happenings on a grand scale. There’s not turning enemies into frogs, in the Broken Earth Trilogy, characters can move and spilt entire continental plates and bring about apocalyptic events. All this is intertwined with personal stories about loss, death and betrayal.

The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence

Epic war and dark magic come together in this sweeping trilogy which kicks off with the first book Prince of Thorns. The opening offering introduces readers to Jorg Ancrath, the young prince referred to in the title of the first books. The conflict as scarred him from an early age as he has to deal with the death of his parents and his sudden elevation to power. Often brutal and uncompromising, the trilogy also contains enough magic and mystique to allow readers to get lost in the sumptuous storytelling.

The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman

This series has drawn comparisons with the Harry Potter series due to the fact that it is set in a school for magic, just like JK Rowling’s famous wizard. However, while Hogwarts was more like a high school/boarding school for would-be wizards, Brakebills College tends towards the teenage angsty end of the young magician. So we have the usual introspection of young adults wondering where they fit in in the world mixed with the fact that they can do magic.

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The Origins of the Dragon

Think about a mythical beast that can often be found in fantasy novels… at least one of your thoughts will almost certainly be a dragon. While there is no physical evidence of any fire-breathing winged lizards ever existing, the motif of the dragon permeates so much of our culture from East to West, that it is as if it were a real creature who once walked the earth.

Here is some of the story behind the myth of the dragon.

The word ‘dragon’ first appeared in the English lexicon in the 1200s. It stems from the word ‘draconem’ or ‘draco’ in Latin which means ‘giant snake’. Original representations of dragons are very serpent-like. You can find images of dragons in almost every culture across the globe, and so there is much dispute about the actual origins of the creature.

One theory is that dragons represent an innate fear that humans are born with: a fear of snakes and large predators, such as birds of prey. According to this theory, the winged, snake-like creature is therefore an amalgamated representation of our evolutionary fears in the form of a generic monster.

Another theory is that people discovered fossils of dinosaur bones and were inspired to create images resembling giant lizards. And yet another is that people would have seen and heard stories of real giant lizards, such as crocodiles and komodo dragons and the stories became elaborated over time.

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Two fantasy classic series you need to read in your lifetime

There are millions upon millions of books in the world with many released every single day, however, there are some classics out there that you need to read. If fantasy is your chosen genre, you need to add these books to your must-read list.

Lord of the Rings - As one of the best-written novel series of all time, Lord of the Rings is an essential book to read in your lifetime. Going by the title, the books follow the story of the ring. Long ago twenty rings existed: three for elves, seven for dwarves, nine for men, and one made by the Dark Lord Sauron in Mordor which would rule all others. Later he was killed and the ring fell to the bottom of the ocean. It’s found and the story unwinds from there with the aim to destroy the ring as it harms anyone in its power.

A Song of Ice and Fire series - Now made into the renowned action-packed TV series, Game of Thrones, the show originated as a series of books, and is worth the read. ‘A Games of Thrones’ is the first one in the series followed by A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. The series follows the different families in the seven kingdoms who are all after the throne. There’s violence, death, honor, and shock as you plod your way through the novels.

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