67 pages 2 hours read

Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2017

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Background

Genre Context: High Fantasy and the “Chosen One” Trope

The high fantasy genre is characterized by completely fantastical settings and the presence of supernatural and magical elements. In high fantasy, events usually take place on a macro scale, with implications for the invented world at large. As such, themes of power, good versus evil, and saving the world are common to this genre, which may also include other elements such as a large cast of characters or an epic quest. Because Strange the Dreamer features an ensemble of primary characters who use magic as a mechanism to carry out a battle of good versus evil, with the entire city of Weep at stake, it is easily characterized as high fantasy.

A common trope in high fantasy is that of the “Chosen One,” in which the hero is destined by prophecy or fate as one specially ordained to solve the problems facing the characters. This trope has played out in many popular fantasy and science fiction series and is a hallmark of such popular titles as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Star Wars, and many more. The Chosen One usually follows the classical hero

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