A Very Great Adventure - Mage Knight Review

At some point in the last 50 years, "fantasy" came to denote a certain image: elves, dwarves, and wizards who embark on a quest and have lots of big adventures. There's a certain epic sweep to fantasy, but at its core it tends to be pulpy. That basic silliness must be overcome or cast aside for a fantasy novel to really shine. The exception to goofy nature is what most people would consider the first true modern fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's classic may have many similar trappings, but its attitude is entirely different. Instead of action there are journeys. The tone is lyrical and elegiac, rather than fast-paced. As such, some modern readers find The Lord of the Rings to be curiously slow. It's not a book that is meant to be burned through. It demands something from the reader.