Mystery isn't a common thread in most fantasy novels, but in Bloodline: Alliance, author, LR Saul manages to weave a tapestry that's sure to satisfy the most discerning readers of both fantasy and mystery fiction. Bloodline: Alliance is the first of two books in the series. Its sequel, Bloodline: Covenant, will soon be available.

Bloodline: Alliance is a fantasy novel that delivers a message of injustice and how it can virtually destroy people - or an entire world. In our own world, we know that injustice exists and every word or description we hear conjures up an image -- whether good or bad. But in fantasy, words can be used that have no meaning to us.

For example, Saul creates a race of people in her book called "Korzekans." The image you create in your mind of these people is totally created by Saul in her use of words and development of characters. She develops the race and you come to your own conclusions. That's difficult to do in the real world, where our images and ideas of race are built from several different factors such as environment, media and life's experiences.

Saul's latest book catapults fantasy into a serious genre that delivers an important and powerful message. If you've never read fantasy and have made a judgment that keeps you from reading it, you should give Bloodline: Alliance a chance. The combination of mystery and situations that make you feel and question your beliefs is a powerful force that will make you want to read more.

Through the medium of fantasy, Saul sends a message that can be used in real life to help us discern if what we're thinking is based on unrealistic judgments or what our eyes and ears are telling us. Bloodline: Alliance entertains as much as it teaches, taking us on a magic carpet ride into a world we've never visited or experienced - and, unlike most fantasy novels, also gives us the unexpected, the mystery and the unrevealed.

Bloodline: Alliance will leave readers breathless with more twists and turns than "The Da Vinci Code," and the characters will live on in their minds long after the last page is turned. Readers of Saul's books should use her themes as metaphors in their own lives and the challenges we face on an every-day basis.

Saul's newest book, Bloodline: Alliance, may be a fantasy novel, but it doesn't merely whisk you away to an "unreal" world and leave you there to escape. Saul's first book in her two book series gets in the readers' heads and make them feel what the characters are feeling. They come to life and live in the readers' minds as most fantasy novels don't even attempt to accomplish.

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If you have read my previous article regarding what is Fantasy; you know that I define all things written, by their disconnection from reality. Fantasy fits under Speculative Fiction; which is the longest leap away from reality. However, Fantasy, despite what many think, is actually a broad genre and read far more often than many people thing. What most people consider as 'Fantasy' is better termed as 'High Fantasy'.

High Fantasy is a Sub-Genre that is known both not only for its quality and singularity of content, but indeed, its often noted for the quality and style of the actual literature. I define High Fantasy as any fantasy involving an epic conflict, and an equally epic history (termed a Mythopoeia). Often; these books are also noted for a supernatural factor, and a setting which is pre-industrial.

So what do I mean by Epic Conflict? In High Fantasy; the heroes are often pitted and arrayed against forces that threaten a nation, the whole of existence, a religion, or some other great task. Their quest, the battles they fight, take on the utmost importance, because if they fail; it means the end of not only them, but most likely everyone they have loved or cared for. Often, these conflicts are against a humanoid player for an antagonist, but sometimes not. For example, a lone sorcerer trying to end a magical drought that threatens to kill of humanity...is an epic conflict.

In addition, High Fantasy is defined by a back story that far surpasses the back cover of a book. JRR Tolkien, for instance, wrote quite a few pieces which he carefully used to craft his Mythopoeia (a term which he coined). He developed not only back-stories for his main characters, but back-stories for his minor characters, maps, histories of entire nations and peoples...he even went so far as to craft written languages for each of his major races. This sort of dedication not only builds a dedicated fan base, but is often a good source for future stories and works, and will make a work seem that much more 'complete'.

As I mentioned, often times the stories take place in a pre-industrial setting, and feature a supernatural factor (such as magic and wizardry). These elements are essential for the item to be defined as High Fantasy, instead of a subset of another Genre, for these factors (and indeed the Mythopoeia itself) help define that this world which we are experiencing is not our own.

Lastly, stylized narrative is very much apart of High Fantasy, as crucial as anything listed above. Given the amount of time and dedication spent to develop the world, equal parts of time and dedication are given over to make the narrative poetic yet enjoyable. This also goes hand in hand with the development of a Mythopoeia; as the writer is responsible for the poetry and language of the people he has Created.

Basically, what most people imagine and more, in fact, High Fantasy. Fantasia is still high can be mixed with other elements. But of course it is all his own letters.

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Having never played a MMORPG game before, and being a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series of games, Jaden was keen to try his hand at Final Fantasy XIV, with its great visuals and addictive gameplay. However, he found the going much tougher than he initially thought and soon became quite frustrated. Sick and tired of being killed, not leveling up quickly, and always being short on Gil, Jaden decided to use the following Final Fantasy XIV strategy guide, which is based around 5 key principles that newcomers and old-hands alike can benefit from:

Choosing The Correct Class: Most gamers looking at playing this game will probably want to know the answer to the question "what is the best class in Final Fantasy 14?" The answer is that there is no best class- it all depends on how you intend playing the game. Generally. if you want to focus on magic then you should opt for Lalafell, and if you want to deal damage up close then choose Elezen. If you have never played a MMORPG game before and are concerned about being killed or not being able to fight effectively then you should select a character from the Roegadyn class- these guys are complete and utter tanks!
Learn Important Combat Shortcuts: Another important aspect of this Final Fantasy XIV strategy guide is learning keyboard shortcuts for use during combat. Because the action in this game occurs rather rapidly, you can quickly be overwhelmed if you don't know what you are doing. Pressing the TAB key during combat will allow you to cycle through targets without having to click with your mouse- this well help you get out of many sticky situations. Set up actions on the 1-9 number keys that will aid you in combat, and remember that as long as you have enough stamina you can keep bashing on the number keys to repeat these actions.
Don't Fight Out Of Your Depth: You want to avoid fighting monsters that are simply too powerful for you, or you will get killed and injured before you know it, as well as find the game really frustrating. The secret is to look at the color of the shield that is displayed next to the monster's name when you highlight it with your cursor. A green or blue symbol means "go for it", whereas yellow or red will likely get you killed. Not biting off more than you can chew is one of the most important Final Fantasy 14 combat strategies.
Focus On One Quest At A Time: Rather than attempting numerous quests and then subsequently getting bogged down, you should focus on one quest at a time. Pick the quest which seems most interesting and entertaining to you, then complete it, then move on to the next.
Avoid Getting Distracted: Whether you are questing, trying to make Gil, aiming to increase your level, or anything else it is important that you don't get distracted. Pick one task and see it through until completion, or else you won't actually get anywhere quickly. Final Fantasy XIV is a huge game with lots of scope, but once you have got the hang of it, along with a strong character you can start to explore more.

By following the above Final Fantasy 14 strategies you can become like Jaden and master this exciting and addictive MMORPG game. Don't feel intimidated by the sheer scope of the game- once you get the ball rolling it really is enjoyable.

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I'm a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to my reading. I will deride and verbally mutilate anything on which the writer's name is written larger than the title. I hate the supermarket slush machine that is the publishing industry, and for no real good reason. Probably just because truly brilliant writers like Auster or Lethem are left to play computer games at home while their dumb older jock brothers are out fooling around with all the cheerleaders. True, the dorky little brothers change the world, but what's a writer gotta do to get a little action around here.

But, I have to admit that I have carved out a little niche in the pop-fiction corridors in which I spend a percentage of my time devouring less than perfect prose. I'm not ashamed of it. Everyone deserves to read something that's pure entertainment, no messy exposition or thinking, just good old fashioned fun. We hate the guys who make $60 million to throw a ball into a basket, but we still go and watch and root for them because it's fun to watch.

That said, I'm a Fantasy reader. I like the escapist, epic, otherworldliness of the genre, and have since I was eight years old and my mom introduced me to Anne McAffrey and the Pern series, shortly preceding the granddaddy of them all, Tolkien. I've probably read more fantasy than anything else in my life (thank you awkward teen years) so I think I'm in a decent position to throw out what I think is an essential reading list for all Fantasy readers. These are high fantasy, epics. I'm not including Sci-fi or speculative fiction (yes there is a difference) because the list would be too long. Here we go:

1. Eye of the World - Robert Jordan

It's the first in the now 11 books series (supposedly ending with the next one...sure). No matter what's said about this series, the first four books or so are incredible - epic, gripping, and must reads. After that, it's up to you.

2. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R Tolkien

The first, and still the best. And by far the greatest film adaptation of all time. That's all.

3. A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

The first in Martin's super huge fantasy-politico-epic. He's the best at what he does. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

4. Sabriel - Garth Nix

I don't care if they put it in the young adult section. It's a great book, and the start of a great series. He manages to weave in the mythos of half a dozen different cultures and perspectives and still stand strong on his characters. A necromancer was never so lovable.

5. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

The whole thing, yup. This is a modern classic, sure to go up there with Tolkien in the long run, already with the crossover in genre, age, and sales. And the movies coming out starting next year will put it up on the map where it belongs. The characters are key here, and you'd never have thought a bear could be so damn awesome.

6. Changing Planes - Ursula K. LeGuin

One of the newer short story collections from LeGuin. I know I'm not listing Earthsea, but that's for a reason. These are incredibly good stories, tightly bound together and exploring the human perspective by repeatedly destroying it. She visits the intangible greater than any fantasy writer around.

7. Sandman - Neil Gaiman

A comic book? Hell yes. The greatest comic book ever written to be precise. Gaiman's exploration of the mythos of the God of Dreams is spot on Fantasy perfection, and each volume just gets better than the last. He visits Shakespeare, Hell, and Death regularly, and they all tremble before him.

8. Discworld - Terry Pratchett

The funniest fantasy around. Pratchett has mastered the genre he helped to invent, and by doing so made himself one of my favorites. Every book is a little different, but they all Deal with the endless giggling same rate law and two nights.

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This is what the 'Alternate History' genre is all about. Alternate History looks at history - this is applicable in any country of the world - and asks the question: 'What If?' What if British India hadn't occurred? What would have happened if the British capital city had been built elsewhere - say, where Newcastle-upon-Tyne is today? Would that have altered the course of history? Alternate history can ask and answer so many questions - and sets your thoughts chasing off on all sorts of trails!

Alternate History
Alternate history is often alluded to as allohistory. To those aficionados of alternate history, it is frequently referred to as uchronia or uchronie which is what the French call alternate history; as parallel worlds; or even as abwegige geschichten. Regardless of which name alternate history is known by, it involves past events with their outcomes ultimately altered - and then subsequent events evolving from the altered perspective. Robert Sobel used alternate history as the primary plot in his book 'For Want of a Nail...If Burgoyne had Won at Saratoga'. Similarly, Peter G Tsouras wrote 'Gettysburg: An Alternate History'.

Alternate history has also been referred to as 'counterfactuals' which is not completely accurate: counterfactuals really relates more to academic historical research than it does to the genre of science fiction. You will find a good selection of these kinds of books in our alternate history section: One book I would particularly recommend is that written by Professor David Krasner, entitled 'Unmaking the West: What-if?' I am not going to say a word about this book - you will have to read it yourself!

Fantasy
Magic, the supernatural and Middle Earth: stories such as 'The Middle Kingdom' and the series of 'Lord of the Rings'. Fantasy as a genre avoids the nasty and macabre - it also avoids the scientific. Fantasy is - well, pure fantasy! It's what dreams are made of. Tolkien's books follow the fantasy theme perfectly. Add parallel kingdoms and you have 'The 10th Kingdom' which is now available on DVD - and well worth watching! Add magic and you have John W. Campbell Jr and the stories he wrote for 'Unknown' magazine. Add destiny and you have 'A Storm of Swords' by George RR Martin: you will find this book on Page 5 of the Fantasy section under the Science Fiction tab on our website. It's a good read and the 3rd volume of the six-part epic novels, 'A Song of Ice and Fire'.

Gaming
Gaming has really come into its own since the advent of multimedia and the internet. In fact, gaming software must be one of the products being sold more and more, even during these times of recession. Believe me, once you start gaming properly, you will become hooked! It is probably one of the safer addictions to have, anyway! Today, the Games Workshop Group plc is one of the most prestigious war-games companies, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It sells war-games software and games around the world from their base in the UK. A completely different company, Game Designers' Workshop, was also in the business of selling role-playing games and war-games from 1973 until it closed in 1996.

The vast majority of this gaming software is based on science fiction of one sort or another - time travelling, myths and legends, magic - and any other slant incorporating one or other mix of groups. In 1977 'Traveller' was first introduced by the Game Designers' Workshop: this game is now carried forward by Mongoose Publishing. In nearly all cases the games are drawn from imaginary events occurring in the far future. Rules are drawn up for the players to follow and players progress through the different levels, buying and selling equipment and weapons to progress further into the imaginary realms of the games. As a player myself, I can understand the magnetism that keeps players totally engrossed but, unless you are a games' devotee, you wouldn't really understand the draw gaming can have on you.

Media
Arguably, one of the more respected science fiction films has to be 'Contact', starring Jodie Foster as Dr Ellie Arroway, directed by Robert Zemeckis. This film, released in 1997, was taken from the book 'Contact' written by Carl Sagan which you will find on our website, along with a variety of his other books: 'Cosmos'; 'Pale Blue Dot: a Vision of the Human Future in Space'; 'The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark'; and 'The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence' - all of these books, and more, can be found on our website, under the Science Fiction banner.

Amongst the Media section you will find 'Doctor Who: The Taking of Chelsea 426' by David Llewellyn - plus Babylon 5, Batman, Blake's 7, other Doctor Who vignettes, Lensman, Red Dwarf, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Crow, X-Files, and Xena

Science Fiction
Filed under the umbrella of Science Fiction you will find anthologies; classic science fiction; cyberpunk; science fiction encyclopaedias; graphic novels; high tech science fiction; adventure; history and criticism; science fiction series; and short stories. There are some delightful books within this section: here, you will find 'Orbus' by Neal Asher. This book has echoes of 'Star Wars' crossed with 'Deep Space 9'although the story it tells is all its own. Another charming book is 'Tom's Midnight Garden' by Philippa Pearce - a 'garden that shouldn't exist'. Do you find this as intriguing as I did? If so, you will love this read - a true and classic science fiction novel to lose yourself from reality in.

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The mystery of ancient civilizations teases you with the unknown. Unearthed artifacts whether they are masterworks of art or simple every day tools excite your imagination as you wonder what life was really like thousands of years ago. The recently discovered statue of the Greek Goddess Hera in the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Dion serves as an excellent example of the thrilling visions that we can see from the ancient world.

The marble statue of Hera was reported by archeologist Dimitris Pantermalis to be 2,200 years old. Preliminary analysis of its stone and craftsmanship has matched it to a statue of Zeus discovered in the same ruined city in 2003. Pantermalis speculates that the Hera and Zeus statues are a matched set, which would mark the first time two statues of different gods from the same Greek temple were recovered.

Images of the Hera statue as shown in numerous media reports show a female figure seated on a throne dressed in loose garments. Unfortunately the head is missing, but the life-sized figure still conjures images of the Goddess Hera presiding over worshippers in a grand and beautiful temple with Mount Olympus commanding the horizon.

The ancient city of Dion has been identified as a major religious center for the ancient Macedonians. According to a March 1, 2007 article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about the Hera statue, Alexander the Great gave offerings at her temple before launching his legendary invasion of the Persian Empire.

Although the Hera statue post-dates the era of Alexander the Great, she was placed in a venerable temple where once walked such heroes of history. At the feet of the Hera statue, supplicants with simple or complicated problems must have given offerings of food and fine goods. Women wishing for their Greek sons to return home safely from war likely prayed to the statue. And priests surely schemed in the shadows of their marble Gods for power and prestige.

When studying ancient cultures, it is easy to let your imagination wander. There are always more questions than answers when information is coming from scattered ruins and scraps of written records. Where history must yield to the unknown, literature takes over. Authors conceive of grand sagas as intricate and entertaining as the mythology of ancient civilizations, like the Greeks, to serve the role of telling stories about people and places in the distant past. The fantasy genre is particularly inspired by the gaping holes of history. Think of all the lost civilizations and unknown ancient intrigues that have no way to be told except through modern muses whispering their stories to fantasy and historical fiction genre authors.

Tremendous inspiration lies among the ruins of ancient civilizations. Of all the myths and heroic adventures that have survived to the modern era, stop to consider how many good stories crumbled with the temples and are buried with Disappear Hera.

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The key to writing a real epic fantasy novel lies in the word "epic". But this doesn't just mean big in scale, scope, and size. An epic fantasy novel doesn't have to be a thousand page doorstop. It has to be epic in its ambitious reach for finding answers to the big questions in life. This is the true and hidden goal of epic fantasy. It is a vehicle for understanding what life is about. And even though the story may have dragons, and take place on an unbelievable world that doesn't really exist it needs to be applicable to the human condition.

So this is the first thing you have to do when writing an epic fantasy novel. Decide what you want to say about life or what important topic you want to explore. Write this down and keep it in mind throughout your whole novel writing experience. And remember that you don't have to come right out and explain your theme. It is usually better, and more rewarding for the reader, if you reveal the theme slowly and allow him or her to discover it.

Some common themes you may want to explore in epic fantasy include the examination of the nature of good and evil, the ultimate meaning of life, the quest to understand oneself, or the challenge of making the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Writing a book can be joyous, yet hard work, and you may need some motivation to get you through the whole task and here is all the motivation you will need. Write your theme down on a big piece of paper and pin it to the wall near your computer. Start it out like this: "My novel is all about: ". Then put in your theme or themes. Here is an example: "My novel is all about how adversity is the most important thing in life. It is through adversity that we each become a better person. Gold comes out of the ground dirty and ugly. It is by going through the fire that it is purified and made beautiful. And I am going to put my main character through the fire!" Whenever writing becomes difficult for you this will be a source of inspiration because you have something to say and your novel is how you are going to say it. The world truly deserves to hear your perspective on the big questions in life.

When doing the actual writing of the prose of the novel I recommend you set yourself a very distinct goal. This is imperative and the goal I recommend you set is that you will write part of the story every single day until it is done. It is even ok if you just write one sentence or even if you write a whole passage that you know you are going to delete tomorrow. The important thing is that you write every day.

I don't recommend you set goals that are pinned to dates or word counts. Dates can be tricky because a novel is a fluid thing. Your novel could end up being fifty thousand words or two hundred thousand words. This is because you are exploring a theme and more ideas and angles are going to come to you as progress. And I don't recommend pinning a daily or weekly word count to your writing because writing is a creative process and you could end up with just a lot of filler. Simply set yourself the goal of sitting down and writing every day. This will keep the writing going, keep the story moving, and insure your improvement. At some point in the middle of the novel you are going to look back and realize that you are in a routine and everything is flowing quite smoothly.

I have two final bits of advice for you when it comes to writing your epic fantasy novel. First off I recommend you keep a spiral bound notebook for ancillary information and notes. This is where you keep ideas, plot lines, character names, places and all your ancillary information organized. As your novel, and the world it portrays grows, you will need to manage a lot of information and over the course of months or even a year or more of writing you are going to forget things. But a reader could potentially go through your novel in just a few hours. He or she is going to see logical flaws. Write down the details in a spiral bound notebook and refer to it often.

The last bit of advice I have for you is that you should never rely on the fantasy aspect of your world as an escape route. What I mean is that there is nothing worse than watching the main character of a novel getting out of a tricky spot by whipping out a super-duper magical spell that the reader never even knew about. Make sure there are rules in your world and make sure your characters follow them. You are drawing parallels to real life and in real life there are tangible rules to everything. So create rules in your world and follow them.

An epic fantasy novel is an exploration of the big questions in life. You have a very valuable point of view about these big questions and there is an audience out there that is very willing to listen. Write yourself a clear statement of what you want to say and then write toward that goal every day. Before long you will have a written work that you will be proud of and that will enrich other peoples lives by shedding light on the human condition.

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The fantasy classic A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin was first published in 1968 and this fantasy book deserves the praise it has often received. The fantasy world, Earthsea, created by the author is rich in detail. The fishy odor at the dock of every village and the salty tang of the sea literally wafted off the pages. The magical system revealed by Le Guin is convincingly real as well, and the way in which the wizards, witches, and sorcerers fit into the society felt natural and logical to me as a reader.

A Wizard of Earthsea tells the story of Ged from his childhood to his maturity as a wizard. The son of a blacksmith, Ged was born with a natural talent for magic, and the village witch is his first teacher. When his village is attacked by marauders, he helps to defend his village with a confusing mist that gives the villagers the upper hand.

With his power so evident, Ged is proud to a flaw. He wants to show off his power and impress people. When a wizard named Ogion comes to take on Ged as an apprentice, the union does not last long because Ged is impatient for knowledge. With Ogion's blessing, Ged moves onto a wizard school on the enchanted island of Roke. While at this school, Ged is further goaded to show off because a higher-born wizard student constantly makes Ged feel inadequate. Foolishly Ged accepts a dare to summon the dead, which results in him releasing a dangerous shadow from the netherworld. This shadow will be the nemesis of Ged throughout the rest of the story.

The strengths of this fantasy book:

1. The narrative has a graceful old style tone that makes you feel like you are sitting by a fire listening to a wise old wizard telling the tale.

2. This short novel packs plenty of action into every page. Something is always going on and the story never drags.

3. The development of Ged's character is deftly done. At first, I did not like Ged, but I was not supposed to because he was so prideful. But after Ged is horribly injured by the shadow he summons, his regret for his foolish pride is genuine, and I could relate to it. Most anyone has made a mistake because of the desire to show off, and, in severe situations, lessons learned from such incidents are life-changing as it was for Ged, who became much wiser after his mistake.

4. The entire fabric of A Wizard of Earthsea is tightly woven and the texture of the environment comes through in every phrase of the fantasy book. You can almost feel the windy coastlines and smell the food cooking, and the awe of the common people whenever they see a wizard is palpable.

Le Guin also includes clever and creative twists throughout the story. For a time, Ged has a pet animal called an Otak, and the affection between the wizard and the pet allow the reader to feel alongside the character because many people can relate to the furry comfort of a dear pet. In another episode, Ged encounters two strange old people cast away upon a small island where they have lived for many years. Their pitiful existence upon their island prison is shocking to contemplate and their punishment so thorough they cannot even accept Ged's offer to take them to land because they have been apart from society too long to go back.

Weaknesses of this fantasy book:

Only minor problems appear in this novel. In my opinion, despite the fact that the world is called Earthsea, the story had more descriptions of boats on the open sea than was needed. The ending of the story is a bit anticlimactic as well although meaningful in how it relates to Ged's character.

Overall, A Wizard of Earthsea is a splendid fantasy book. It might not satisfy readers of fantasy books who like multiple characters and subplots because it is very much a story focused on a single character, but even so, all fantasy readers will love Ged's battle with Dragon Pendora check points for the imagination of this book is the fifth active employees.

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When writing fantasy it is very easy to let your imagination soar and to create amazing worlds and incredible creatures; and while you may give your reader something to enjoy you won't really make a connection with him or her. The thing that will make the connection with your reader is the internal conflict your protagonist has to go through. This is what makes him or her human and this is where you have a memorable impact on your reader.

There is one steadfast rule when writing fiction and you probably know this rule. Your character has to grow. There has to be an internal path that is taken. And even if your writing takes place on an exotic world with a stable of wondrous creatures the main character is still human - and even if your main character is not human your reader is!

Your main character may have to rescue a damsel in distress, slay a dragon, or find the magical sword and all of this is good fun but it is not where the real power of epic fantasy lies. The power lies in how your main character must change in order to accomplish his goals. The real strength and the impelling part of the story isn't the slaying of the dragon, it's in the story of the main character's development of the courage to try.

A good example of this conflict comes from the ultimate work in the realm of epic fantasy: The Lord of the Rings. In it, Frodo Baggins has a ring that whisks him off into a nether world and makes him invisible in this one. But we don't actually see a whole lot of that very flashy idea. It only happens, very briefly, a few times. What we do get a lot of is the conflict that Frodo has, within himself, to stay centered in what he believes and to resist the temptations of the ring. This is a very major theme in the story and it is where we connect with Frodo. We can identify with his struggle to maintain what he believes and his struggle toward growth and development. The part about the powerful ring is albeit fun and one of the best things about fantasy but the reader can't really relate and make a real emotional connection. After all, how many people that you know who own a magical ring?

As you are writing your epic fantasy novel remember that all the wondrous worlds, scenes, and creatures are just in addition to the real meaning of epic fantasy -the struggle within us as humans.

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If you write fantasy or are thinking about writing fantasy you probably are going to have medieval weapons in your created world. Today's reader of fantasy is very savvy when it comes to weapons and armor and you want your writing to be accurate and to make sense when it comes to weapons. They are often a big part of the story. In this article I explain some important things about medieval weapons, how to get them right, and I look at some of the more popular types Weapons.

Synchronization with the world

The world we live sticks and stones are very clear path, and now a weapon, it is necessary to consider what you really want your writing. We are around the stone, copper, and copper, iron, steel finally moved. There are now and Kevlar composite materials. It is important to understand that the skills and weapons are made here based on the knowledge artificers weapons. IfIf they have to please support backup, sophisticated weapons and narrative fiction. Steel is a good example. This world it's wooden hut grass and meaning, out of nowhere when you need a high level of knowledge and skills for making steel case consists Rerunaru see only weapon of these steels. SUMMARY of your use of this weapon, which was created to match the world. Another consideration is availability. Ifare using Iron then there should be iron mines in your world. Availability of materials is also an important factor. Our world went through an extended Iron Age because iron was very readily available and easy to work with.

A Medieval Arms Race

Weapons, armor and tactics are always in a state of balance with each other. As metal working skills improve better swords and weapons are made and the other side of the coin of this is that better armor is also made. Keep this in Brain. Not only is the weapon smith and forge better skills, and armor and fortifications. The offense, under the equal protection, there is always balance. This is an arms race in the Middle Ages, always moving forward yet always in balance.

Philosophy weapons

One super-weapon to make sure that you can believe in the power to classify the biggest drawbacks fantasy writer. These rights are often left armsthrough magic. It is too easy to have an ancient sword that was forged by a magical Dwarven blacksmith who captured a dragon and used its fire to harden the magical sword like no other sword has ever been hardened. While this can be fun to write and maybe fun to read you should do your best to avoid situations like this. It is too easy to rely on things like this as ways to get you out of difficult situations. Remember, everything has to be in balance, and everything has to make sense. If you do have a weapon, say that your hero is wielding, and it has unusual powers, you should balance this with something. What is the cost of this weapon or sword? Does wielding it bring danger to the wielder? Is there a fatigue factor? Consider this. It also adds dimension and excitement to the story. If our hero is hesitant to use the sword it will add a dimension of drama to the story. He better have a really good reason to use it.

Our Development of Weapons

Here is a rough Weapons in our world, such as how to develop improved technologies, please remember to look at factors related to the actual development, forge oven. Really moved metal working forward from the stove and the bellows and received a warm fire. Wood processing technology, played a key role in the development of weapons. There was an important part in other types of hands and arms with an ax head and a powerful beam assembly.

OldestIt seems easy to work with copper metal, copper, flexible, easy to operate software. But it is the same reason, limited use of these weapons. It was possible to have fairly short dagger, could not be drawn into a long sword. Arms 90% and 10% copper and tin bronze (10 craft were found to develop a blend% or Friday). This development is 3.4% larger weapons, daggers are much longer, can be as short or as long as the sword. Butthese short swords were predominantly for stabbing with the point. Bronze was very effective for thrusting weapons such as dirks, daggers, short swords, and spearheads but they were not very effective for keeping and edge and slashing. Bronze axe heads mounted on wooden handles were very popular. They saw a lot of use and were reasonably effective.

Iron had a dramatic effect on weapons. It was readily available, easy to work with, and it was easy to sharpen. The big impact this had was to Weapons makes it easy to spread wider. Big chill the development of iron found where metal is heated, used in melting cast forging hammer. This technique is stronger than iron, more reliable than the brittle bronze weapons and many more. Because the choice of iron metal for many centuries, these factors for the relative affluence.

Steel is an important metal weapons or armor. It is still difficult than it is substantially ironHave a certain amount of flexibility spring back when he stressed. This spring back can be used under much more flexible and durable. Steel is in the process of forging it is simply an additional carbon steel. Carbon is usually the form of coal. Steel is the correct amount of carbon that a lot of artistic skills necessary to train properly to be added to the steel quenched. (Is the process of quenching and tempering heatfire and cooling with water). Steel brings weapons to new heights because it can be used to make longer, more durable weapons, and it can hold an edge extremely well, even on just one side. One big aspect of steel in combat is the affect it has on the speed of the fight. Weapons that are lighter and stronger means combatants can move much quicker. This was an important aspect of the arms race.

And the pinnacle of this development might lie in the rapier. It is a weapon that is extremely light yet still very strong. It is thin enough to be used as an effective thrusting weapon yet it still has an edge that can be used for slashing. We may be able to take this a further step to the fencing foil in that it is a thrusting only weapon that can be wielded extremely fast and is used to find even the smallest gaps in an opponent's armor.

Types of weapons

Here is a quick look and explanation of some common medieval weapons.

Dagger - The first effective metal Weapons. Originally used as a weapon, they simply press the development of skills in carrying metal that can be used to advantage to reduce. Was the ancestor of the sword dagger.

Dark, long dagger could be used to reduce a push. They are usually made from the cut edge of a sword down. They were the length of 6 inches to 22 inches.

Sword - The sword is a huge change, which is usually handed steel weapon, sharpened on both sides, there is no effectThey stick a weapon in hand.

Katana - Japanese sword edge bent to one side. Effective use of push and cut.

Sword - long curved sword sharp reduction in most of the weapons on one side.

Two hand sword - the length is usually between 60 to 70 inch sword. This is a two hand, effectively had to perform heavy duty. This is an average size person very much and it can take more than this type of sword to flyEffective weapon in the fight against the line of battle, especially against enemies wielding pole arms. The battle was limited to 1:1 so you can chalk swing the sword, fighting hard to have more control over the situation, it is often surrounded the base of the blade.

Paul weapons - these are just my favorite sounds - weapons are mounted on both ends of the bar. When together, arms battle group used to create a very large defenseor offense. A pole weapon could also generate tremendous force because of its long swing. They were also often used against combatants on horseback. A halberd is a good example of this. It typically had an axe for slashing, a point for thrusting, and a hook that could be used to pull an opponent down from atop a horse.

Mace - This is a one handed weapon that has a wooden handle and a steel or iron ball at the end of it. Sometimes this metal ball has spikes. It was effective as a crushing weapon and it could generate enough force to break a foes armor. The spikes could penetrate the hardest armor.

Flail - this is a wooden handled weapon with a length of chain. At the end of the chain was a mace ball either with or without spikes. When swung it generates tremendous
force and one of the uses for a flail was its ability to reach up and over an opponent's shield.

Axe - Axes were an effective weapon that could be created with moderate metal working skill. This is because the axe head could be bulkier and have less length that needed to keep an edge. This head would normally be mounted on a wooden handle. Axes came in many variations typically one side with an edge and the other with a point. Some axes had edges on both sides and a point at the top end tip of the handle for thrusting.

Even though you are writing fantasy and creating a fantasy world you still have to ground the world in ways that make sense and you have to give your Weapons feel real. That they are building you, they have pretty medieval weapons probably knowledge of the reader for sensible rules means to adapt the world must follow, and are used and how you how Masu.

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