The Way of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
Epic Quests Reader Engagement 1: Emotional Impact
Epic quests captivate readers by immersing them in stories that are both grand in scale and deeply personal. These tales often evoke powerful emotional responses, drawing readers closer to the characters and their struggles, making the journey as interactive as it is immersive. Whether you are a reader a writer, or both, finding out how this method enhances your experience will offer insight into why you read or write as favorite authors. Look at your favorite books and you will find the emotional impact and see how it can bring you deep into the setting and quest aim, making you relate to the protagonist and why they choose the decisions they make.
An example of Emotional Impact.
A Song of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin: “When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die. There is no middle ground.”
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson: “Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.”
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: “It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”
Emotional Impact within the epic quest novels is the brunt of this blog’s discussion. This writing method takes the reader into the emotional highs and lows of the story. Writers often use the characters they create to show flaws, desires, and personal struggles on their journeys. They put these characters in life-or-death situations, give them moral dilemmas, and have them undergo significant emotional growth with moments of triumph or heartbreak. Even the emotional release, such as resolving a long-standing conflict, is a moment of impact for the reader. Character development often reveals these situations, such as Kvothe’s journey, filled with personal achievements and devastating losses (The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss). Or through plot twists and shocking revelations, like the infamous Red Wedding (A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin) or the character Bayaz becoming far more manipulative and ruthless than initially thought (The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie). It’s almost as if Bayaz was like Gandalf (LOTR by J.R.R. Tolkien) both ancient mentors with power and grand manipulators in the large scheme of the worlds they preside in. However, as you move through the series, Gandalf’s actions are primarily driven by a desire to combat evil and protect the world, whereas Bayaz is more manipulative and morally ambiguous, often prioritizing his interests over those of others. These character developments resonate emotionally with readers, providing an immersive experience that lingers long after the last page is flipped.
The Way of Kings
My adult epic fantasy novel, Sparrow’s Legacy, delves deeply into the scattered emotions of the siblings who lose their parents during a magical battle. Here is a sample:
The door bolt was heard sliding back as Jock’s gigantic upper frame poked outward from the partial opening. Tara pushed inward against his solid form, and he gave way. They entered a small living area.
Looking around, Teng saw no sign of Matie. Tara stood waiting for Jock to lead the way. The burly man stopped to slide the bar back into its locked position before circling them. His normally cautious, moving bulk seemed more agile and quicker than before. Tara noticed as he neared them.
“Yu ma is hurt reel bad. I hide heer from others.” His baritone voice cautioned them, his I’dian accent more pronounced than normal. They headed toward the front of the shop. He was tense with suppressed emotions. He moved into a connecting hall that led to another door. Off to the side was a stock room opening that held sacks of grains and a stack of barrels. Turning into the stockroom, he crossed to the far wall and reached in between two of the barrels. His hand touched something that made an audible click. Tara and Teng saw a sudden movement to the empty wall near the barrels. The shape of a hidden door became visible as the wall pushed inward. Jock turned to look at them, waiting.
Tara moved forward and was stopped by Jocks’ huge arm barring the way.
He looked at her and shook his head.
“She not look good. Maybe Teng stay heer with me?” Tara looked over at Teng and back at Jock. Shaking her head, she disagreed.
“He stays with me!” She murmured, firmly. Jock’s eyes narrowed as he hesitated. Dropping his arm, he let them enter the small room beyond.
Tara pushed the door open further and saw a still form lying on a small cot across the room. A soft glow from a lantern nearby showed the freshness of the white bandages newly applied. Tara felt a cry of pain escape from her throat as she quickly crossed to the cot. The damage was unbelievable. The still form barely resembled the woman they had left just days ago.
Charred clothing had melted against the skin into the blisters forming where she wasn’t wrapped. The clean bandages encased each arm and hand. What little tuffs left of her hair were drawn upward away from the scalp to allow air to reach the burns forming on her neck and face? Although singed and filthy, the strong auburn coloring was completely gone. A strange gray whiteness now covered her head. Her once clear seamless face was now lined with ans of age she had not lived.
Tara fell to her knees, searching for some sign of life. The small breath lifting Matie’s chest was all that moved. Her red shining skin showed heat burns everywhere. With eyes shut, face turned toward the wall, she lay motionless.
“Matie?” Tara whispered, shaking with the need to touch her and be reassured. Teng gasped as he neared Tara’s side. Tara ignored him as Matie’s expression changed to a frown.
“Hot!” she croaked out in Flaren.
“I’m here!” Tara murmured repeatedly. She reached over and grabbed some cloth rags resting in cold water nearby. Gently sponging over the burns on Matie’s face, she helped her turn her head. The cooling liquid helped bring her awake as she struggled to come out of her pain-filled dream.
“Tara? Cami e Teng?” Matie choked out as the drawn breath raked over her dry throat.
“He’s right here, Matie,” Tara murmured, looking over at Teng’s frozen gaze. Tara shouldered him into action as she continued to sponge the cold water on her skin. Teng jumped with Tara’s movement. He looked over at her and shook his head.
“Talk to her, Teng,” Tara whispered, gently. Teng looked at his mother, his eyes capturing the damaged body’s injuries. He felt tears rising and swallowed rapidly.
“Cami a, Matie!” He spoke, his voice broken with emotion.
The First Law Trilogy
by Joe Abercrombie
Matie moaned and reached out a wrapped hand to find him, her eyes still closed. He carefully took the bandaged hand in his, wincing as he watched her face flare in pain at the contact.
“Teng ‘mi pasi’.” She mumbled in broken Arish and Flaren. Teng shook his head, trying to understand. Tara shrugged, showing she didn’t understand either. He leaned forward to catch her words.
“Svayant a ti mir!” ‘Your fate is protected’, Teng translated. “You are ten ‘pashir’.” She broke into a cough that caused severe pain. Her hand tightened its grip on his. Tara laid the cold cloth on her neck and chest where the blisters had gathered. The smell of burnt skin and hair was sickening. Matie shook her head, trying to force something out.
“Tara! Tara, cami pasia! Protect Teng. He…will need…” she drew in a deep breath that caused more coughing. Her hand loosened its grip. Teng cried out. Reassuring Teng, she tightened her grip once again.
“Tara take the broach, a cristi.” Matie managed. Tara gently removed the necklace her mother had worn forever. She didn’t recognize the word. Putting the necklace in her pouch, she heard a whispered mumbling.
“No!” Tara yelled out. Reaching up, she turned Matie’s head toward her. The pain of the movement brought a sharp cry from the wounded woman. Tara’s eyes blurred with tears as she refused to let Matie talk to the dead. The mumblings were a greeting to their dear passed Patie.
“We need you Matie!” Tara cried, losing any ability to keep the pain from showing. Matie seemed to come back to her momentarily as Tara’s voice penetrated her fog.
“I am dead!” She stated, opening her eyes to show the hollows of burnt-out sockets. Tara gasped and withdrew in shock. She heard Teng turning away to throw up. Looking back at the woman she loved and admired all her life, Tara saw the tension disappearing from her pain-filled body. Inside, she knew. Their Matie was dying. Reaching over, Tara pressed the cool cloth over the missing eyes of the shell of her Matie that lay before her. She grabbed Teng’s arm to turn him back toward their mother.
“Say goodbye, Teng. She is leaving us.” Teng held himself rigidly away from the wounded woman and fought the battle between repulsion and love. Love won out as he watched her breathing slowly. He threw himself across the space to lie nearer to her. Whispering his love, he felt Tara crowd beside him, saying her peace. They sat in silence until they realized she was gone.
In conclusion, epic quests are not just journeys across fantastical worlds; they are emotional odysseys that resonate deeply with both writers and readers. Writers craft these tales with a keen awareness of the emotional impact that each twist, triumph, and tragedy will have on their audience. Through richly developed characters, high-stakes conflicts, and immersive worlds, they create involved narratives that pull readers in, making them feel every victory and loss as if it were their own. For readers, the emotional engagement with these stories turns a mere reading experience into something profound, where they find reflections of their own lives, aspirations, and fears. Ultimately, it is this shared emotional journey that makes epic quests timeless and universally compelling, ensuring that they remain a beloved cornerstone of the fantasy genre.
Please read and review my serial publishing novel, Sparrow’s Legacy, on Kindle Vella. You can read the first three chapters free on Amazon by searching for “Sparrows Legacy Kindle Vella” or clicking here. My debut SFF novel, the space opera Drayton’s Discoveries is available on Amazon. For the love of all fantasy and SFF, if you read something please leave a review. Feedback is my sole sustenance for writing. Don’t let me starve.
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JL Nich, Science Fiction Fantasy Author
