It’s not just magic and mystery that define the fantasy genre, but the relevant messages delivered in books with beautifully human quotes that will hit home for readers. It’s not surprising that the best fantasy books feature some of the best quotes in fiction. Authors who dedicate their lives to crafting unforgettable fantasy sagas incorporate deep thematic truths and messages into their writing that result in quotes that will stay with readers for years to come.
The context of these quotes matters, as what character states them and their motivations for saying them alter the meaning of the words. However, most of these authors are able to craft lines that are both universal and specific, which is no easy feat. 2020s high fantasy books have clearly been inspired by these works and influenced by the unforgettable words of the authors who came before them.
“You Have To Be A Bit Of A Liar To Tell A Story The Right Way.”
Patrick Rothfuss, The Name Of The Wind (2007)
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The nature of stories is a relevant part of The Kingkiller Chronicle, as Patrick Rothfuss’ epic saga is told through the frame narrative of the protagonist recounting his life’s journey. From the beginning of The Name of the Wind, the reader is aware that they should take everything Kvothe says with a grain of salt, as he isn’t always the most reliable narrator. A bard, magician, and fighter, Kvothe understands how to tell a good and powerful story, and this is one of his most dangerous skills.
While Kvothe definitely obfuscates some truth throughout the series, this quote is less about outright deceit than it is about finding the nature of a story’s emotional and thematic truth. An audience member could miss the point of a tale if it’s bogged down by needless detail or an element that might be true to life but doesn’t adhere to the purpose of a story. Once a tale is told and released into the world, it will change and evolve to fit the needs of the teller and the listener.
The Name of the Wind is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“After All, A Person Is Herself, And Others. Relationships Chisel The Final Shape Of One’s Being. I Am Me, And You.”
N.K. Jemisin, The Obelisk Gate (2015)
The award-winning second installment of The Broken Earth trilogy, The Obelisk Gate, demonstrates N.K. Jemisin’s writing at its best. Drawing the audience into a gripping tale of survival and sacrifice, the characters aren’t just defined by what they do, but by the people they encounter who shape and change them. This connection brings people closer together and also illustrates how deeply intertwined every person is, as no one can exist without the whole of humanity.
Jemisin is stating that no person exists in a vacuum and that every relationship, however it ends, is part of the tapestry that creates an individual. It’s an especially relevant quote within The Obelisk Gate, as the characters, particularly Nassun, are constantly torn between connections to their past and family and doing what’s right for their development. However, even when these relationships don’t end happily, they’re part of what drives the actions and desires of the characters.
The Obelisk Gate is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“Home Is People. Not A Place. If You Go Back There After The People Are Gone, Then All You Can See Is What Is Not There Anymore.”
Robin Hobb, Fool’s Fate (2003)
The Realm of the Elderlings series is an enormous fantasy saga comprising 16 books and a massive ensemble of characters. It’s no small undertaking to dive into Robin Hobb’s epic adventure. However, the payoff is incredible, especially in the Tawny Man collection, which is one of the best subseries. The Fool, arguably the best character in the books, delivers this quote to Fitz, one of the main protagonists, explaining that what people really have to hold onto is each other, and that a home can be wherever you build it and wherever your loved ones are.
There’s a bittersweet tinge to this quote, as the Fool is a wanderer, destined to help and meet many, but rarely forming the kind of connections described here. Throughout Realm of the Elderlings, the characters travel far and wide to fulfill their destinies, often finding that the home they left is not the one they return to. The ghosts of the past and lost loved ones haunt the narrative in the series, but that doesn’t mean home is lost forever.
Fool’s Fate is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“If They Want To Give You A Name, Take It, Make It Your Own. Then They Can’t Hurt You With It Anymore.”
George RR Martin, A Game Of Thrones (1996)
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A brutal, unflinching fantasy series, Game of Thrones puts its characters through far worse than name-calling throughout the novels. However, in this quote, George R.R. Martin communicates one of the central themes of the text, particularly relevant in the first book, A Game of Thrones. Martin uses this quote to demonstrate that there are many forms of strength, and hurtful names and labels that others give you don’t have to determine your fate.
This quote comes from Tyrion Lannister and is told to the young and sensitive Jon Snow, who is plagued by his deep sense of pride as a person, which is at war with his shame at being illegitimate. Tyrion understands how deeply the words of others can cut, but as one of the wisest characters in the series, he knows how to use people’s cruelty against them and turn the names others call him into a source of power.
A Game of Thrones is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“War Doesn’t Determine Who’s Right. War Determines Who Remains.”
R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War (2018)
R.F. Kuang’s debut novel, The Poppy War, is a sprawling, violent, and shocking addition to the fantasy genre that is a vivid exploration of the cost of war. The protagonist, Rin, trains to fight and channel power she can’t control in the name of a war she doesn’t fully understand. Though Rin is youthful and rash, her teachers attempt to help her understand that there is more nuance to a conflict than good and bad sides, and that no matter what you’re fighting for, the cost will be enormous.
One of the most interesting facets of The Poppy War series is the story’s relationship to Rin, and Rin’s development as both protagonist and eventually a kind of antagonist in the novels. After going through so much trauma and being pushed past her breaking point, Rin cannot see the line between right and wrong. She goes far beyond the teaching and training that were meant to make her into a weapon, becoming an indiscriminate tool of war.
The Poppy War is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“I Wish It Need Not Have Happened In My Time,” Said Frodo.”So Do I,” Said Gandalf, “And So Do All Who Live To See Such Times. But That Is Not For Them To Decide. All We Have To Decide Is What To Do With The Time That Is Given Us.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (1954)
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Remembered as one of the greatest fantasy sagas of all time, The Lord of the Rings has inspired countless additions to the fantasy canon. J.R.R. Tolkien shared some of his most profound thoughts throughout the text of the trilogy, as the characters go through unimaginable trials to prevent evil from overtaking Middle-earth. Frodo, a simple Hobbit, is tasked with destroying the One Ring, a burden that is placed upon his shoulders somewhat unfairly.
However, as Gandalf tells him, people cannot change the circumstances of fate or the machinations of forces out of their control. All people can do is choose how they respond and rise to the occasion, as Frodo does in The Lord of the Rings. The exchanges between Gandalf and Frodo in The Fellowship of the Ring are some of the best moments in the series, as both characters serve as mouthpieces for Tolkien’s ruminations on fate, choice, and what people are capable of in the face of impossible odds.
The Fellowship of the Ring is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“We Are All Subject To The Fates. But We Must All Act As If We Are Not… Or Die Of Despair.”
Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass (1995)
Questions of fate, destiny, and agency are at the forefront of Phillip Pullman’s fantasy series, His Dark Materials. Though there are relevant prophecies that influence the character arcs in His Dark Materials, this quote can be applied to any character or reader, as all individuals know their lives will end the same way. However, there is a power in living each day, taking actions that are your own, and deciding to preserve agency and live every moment to the fullest in the face of the certainty of life’s end.
Lyra, a victim of prophecy and a fate she never wanted, does everything she can to fight against what is written and be her own person throughout the trilogy. Succumbing to despair and deciding to stop in her quest to prevent suffering and the end of the universe is what makes Lyra such a great character, and one every reader can relate to. Even if she knows the end of the story, that doesn’t change the fact that she has a present to hold onto.
The Golden Compass is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“In What World Do Men And Women Pay The Same Price For Passion?”
S.A. Chakraborty, The City of Brass (2017)
Something that fantasy novels can do better than many genres is use their fictional, otherworldly settings to make timely commentary on reality. Even in the magical world of djinn and magic that defines S.A. Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy, women face similar struggles of oppression and patriarchy. The lead character, Nahri, might be powerful and the key to bringing a civilization back from the brink of all-out war, but she’s still used as a political pawn and controlled by the men who control the city of djinn.
Throughout the trilogy, many characters are carried away by their passions, but the fallout of these decisions isn’t the same for the men and women in the text. The Daevabad Trilogy touches upon plenty of relevant social and cultural commentary. In this quote, Chakraborty explores a relevant double standard that’s a familiar part of fantasy and real life. Even in fiction, women are often unequally punished for indulging their desires.
The City of Brass is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“I Believe You Find Life Such A Problem Because You Think There Are Good People And Bad People. You’re Wrong, Of Course. There Are, Always And Only, The Bad People, But Some Of Them Are On Opposite Sides.”
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards! (1989)
It’s difficult to pick just one quote from Terry Pratchett, author of the brilliant Discworld series and one of the most prolifically funny fantasy writers of all time. Many of his most iconic quotes have an edge of humor or satire in them, but this doesn’t discredit the emotional truth that permeates even his most outlandish work. Skewering the concept that there could be a group that is right or wrong in a conflict, Pratchett comments on how people quickly become capable of only seeing things from their side.
In Guards! Guards! Pratchett highlights how it becomes easier to fight someone else and enter into a conflict when delineations of right and wrong are drawn. However, Pratchett, with a view of humanity that is both warm and deeply realistic, points out that no one could be entirely virtuous and morally correct, no matter what, and this isn’t a bad thing.
Guards! Guards! is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
“To See A Candle’s Light, One Must Take It Into A Dark Place.”
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Farthest Shore (1972)
The third book in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle, The Farthest Shore, is the culmination of the many adventures of Ged, the wizard readers have been following since he was a boy in The Wizard of Earthsea. This quote in The Farthest Shore touches upon the idea that trials and difficulties are what spark growth in an individual. In our darkest moments, the best parts of ourselves come out, demonstrating what we were capable of all along.
There are many fantasy books Ursula K. Le Guin recommends, but it’s Le Guin herself who has contributed beautiful quotes to the fantasy canon. Much of The Earthsea Cycle revolves around the interplay between the inherent light and dark inside every person. It’s only when the characters integrate both sides of themselves that they’re able to move forward and be the most whole versions of themselves. Though The Earthsea Cycle is a fantasy series meant for younger readers, adult audiences will find themselves moved by quotes like this.
The Earthsea Cycle is available for purchase 10 Best Quotes In Fantasy Sagas.
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