View Full Version : Most Epic Fight In A Fantasy Novel?
Legato
10-29-2005, 03:27 PM
Sure LOTR had it's moments with the battle of Helms Deep but what other battles, in any types of fantasy, do you feel has the most epic fights and battles?
Shem the Penman
10-29-2005, 03:48 PM
I'm not sure I'd call it "epic," but Swelter and Flay's fight near the end of Titus Groan is unforgettable.
The Black Company series is a good one for epic battles, particularly the siege of Charm. So is the Malazan Books of the Fallen series -- it's hard to top battles like the one at the end of Gardens of the Moon, with entire mountain ranges getting casually blown up.
Arvandor
10-29-2005, 04:07 PM
David Gemmel has written a couple of my favourites.
At the end of Legend, where Druss gives his life defending Dros Delnoch against the Nadir horde.
And the flashback sequence at the end of the First Chronicles of Druss the Legend - where Druss singlehandedly defends a narrow pass against an entire army, including the elite Immortals. Not exactly realistic, but utterly badass.
R.A. Salvatore has his faults, but he is a master at writing fantasy battles. And the final battle between Drizzt Do'Urden and Obould Many-Arrows at the end of The Two Swords, is an absolute epic.
Karl J. Barnes
10-30-2005, 07:05 PM
David Gemmel has written a couple of my favourites.
At the end of Legend, where Druss gives his life defending Dros Delnoch against the Nadir horde.
And the flashback sequence at the end of the First Chronicles of Druss the Legend - where Druss singlehandedly defends a narrow pass against an entire army, including the elite Immortals. Not exactly realistic, but utterly badass.
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Totally agree with this post. The end of Legend was just magnificient. Also, the battles in Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice have all been fantastic. Though not fantasy, the battles in Benard Cornwell's The Archer's Tale are realistic and fantasstic, especially the Battle of Crecy.
Spiff
10-30-2005, 07:53 PM
Some of the battles in Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga were pretty damn awesome. I particularly liked the one fight where the guy whose name I forgot blew up his city, scorched earth style. I thought it was pretty neat.
InfoBroker
10-30-2005, 10:39 PM
Narnia has had several very classic and detailed battles, with The Last Battle being a penultimate clash.
-jb the ib-
BoosterBronze
11-03-2005, 10:48 AM
The battles between C'Nedra's army and the Murgos in the final books of "The Belgariad" by David Eddings are some of the more interesting battle's I've read, highlighted by the fact that they're being relayed by a young woman with a magic necklace that lets her see bits of it, making it feel oddly like TV Coverage.
Karl J. Barnes
11-03-2005, 10:50 AM
Some of the battles in Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga were pretty damn awesome. I particularly liked the one fight where the guy whose name I forgot blew up his city, scorched earth style. I thought it was pretty neat.
Arutha?? Yes, I do remember enjoying the battles in Feist's Riftwar.
Karl J. Barnes
11-03-2005, 10:51 AM
The battles between C'Nedra's army and the Murgos in the final books of "The Belgariad" by David Eddings are some of the more interesting battle's I've read, highlighted by the fact that they're being relayed by a young woman with a magic necklace that lets her see bits of it, making it feel oddly like TV Coverage.
What they were(the books), the battles were fairly exciting.
CaptMagellan
11-03-2005, 11:20 AM
My vote is also for Gemmell's "Legend." Damn powerful.
it's not a description of a battle but the prologue that I like, from Eddings' The Hidden City":
"The mounted knights fanned out with crisp precision to form up on a broad front stretching across the entire valley. Rank after rank of Cyrinics, Pandions, Genidians, and Alciones, all clad in steel and mounted on belligerent horses, lined up in what was probably one of the more intimidating displays of organized unfriendliness in the known world."
just find it amusing.
I'm not too widely read in what's called fantasy, but I think Roger Zelazny was possibly the best I've ever encountered at writing erpsonal, one-on-one combat scenes. Highlights sprinkled liberally throughout his work ... the one between Corwin and Benedict in the Amber books comes to mind, Corwin and Gerard as well. Creatures of Light and Darkness, my favourite book of his contains several, but Wakim and the Steel General might be top of the list.
On a side note, the other writer who I think writes great combat scenes is Peter O'Donnell in his Modesty Blaise series. Not fantasy in the usual sense of the term, though.
Shellhead
11-10-2005, 11:15 AM
I'm not too widely read in what's called fantasy, but I think Roger Zelazny was possibly the best I've ever encountered at writing erpsonal, one-on-one combat scenes. Highlights sprinkled liberally throughout his work ... the one between Corwin and Benedict in the Amber books comes to mind, Corwin and Gerard as well. Creatures of Light and Darkness, my favourite book of his contains several, but Wakim and the Steel General might be top of the list.
Zelazny's hobbies included fencing and judo, I believe. That practical knowledge enabled him to write extremely realistic one-on-one combat scenes.
Indigo Al
11-10-2005, 12:18 PM
Kelson vs. Charissa in Deryini Rising
Karl J. Barnes
11-10-2005, 04:02 PM
Kelson vs. Charissa in Deryini Rising
Yeah that was a good showdown, but I thought the battle at the end of her The King Kelson Histories, The King's Justice was so dramatic with Dougal saving Father McClain from being burned at the stake and Kelson putting an arrow between his uncle's eyes.
If we are talking most epic regarding clashes of powerful armies full of powerful individuals, I don't think anyone is doing this like Steven Erikson or near thw scale.
From an individual perspective, Matthew Stover and his Caine novels hands down right now.
Scytale
11-15-2005, 12:49 PM
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LordEd1976
11-15-2005, 12:58 PM
The battle of the Five Armies in the Hobbit
Shellhead
11-15-2005, 01:44 PM
The battle of the Five Armies in the Hobbit
Does the battle count as epic when it takes place completely outside of the reader's viewpoint?
pesmerga316
11-21-2005, 08:54 PM
Salvatores best work comes in his Demon Wars books
ELbryan v De'Unnero was one of the most gut wrenching thigns I ever read, the whole series had unforgettable moments.
The Ashamans first encounter witht he Aeil in WOT was riveting to read as well, they are getting their asses kicked and these men dressed in black step out of portals everywhere and rip every Aeil in sight to bloody shreds, it was awesome!
theres too many great moments in fantasy IMO to pick any one
Takashi_Kurita
11-22-2005, 10:49 AM
I second the Zelazny motion. He's fantastically good at writing fight scenes.
Stephen R. Donaldson wrote some of the most memorable fight scenes I've ever come across in The Chronicles of Thomas Convenant. *Especially* alot of the scenes in The Illearth War.
Lord Mhorham. The man.
Ghost
11-23-2005, 12:39 PM
I'm not too widely read in what's called fantasy, but I think Roger Zelazny was possibly the best I've ever encountered at writing erpsonal, one-on-one combat scenes. Highlights sprinkled liberally throughout his work ... the one between Corwin and Benedict in the Amber books comes to mind, Corwin and Gerard as well. Creatures of Light and Darkness, my favourite book of his contains several, but Wakim and the Steel General might be top of the list.
Four words: The stairs of Kolvir. :cool:
Motormouse
11-23-2005, 01:57 PM
The Battle of Armengar in Raymond E. Feist's "A Darkness At Sethanon" is fairly epic especially the good guys flight from the city.
The Demon Hoard attack on the Elven city of Arborlon in Terry Brooks' "The Elfstones of Shannara"
:cool:
JadeDragon
11-24-2005, 04:04 PM
Neat thread!
My favorite battle occurs in the Indian Epic "The Ramayana". The demon king Ravana and his son and demon armies defeat all the gods of the earth then fly to heaven to wage war with Indra, the King of the Gods. They fight the battle of Heaven and the gods are defeated. Necessitating that the great god Narayana (The Spirit of Vishnu) be born as a Man (Rama) on the earth to defeat the Demon. The rest of the story is about how Rama grew, befriended Hanuman the MonkeyGod and quested to destroy the demon king, his giant brother Khumbakarna and a bunch of other magic weilding creatures, saving Rama's wife, Sita.
It's my favorite story!~~~JadeDragon
Takashi_Kurita
11-24-2005, 08:57 PM
Four words: The stairs of Kolvir. :cool:
:D
I see that. And raise you one: Siege of Revelstone.
Neat thread!
My favorite battle occurs in the Indian Epic "The Ramayana". The demon king Ravana and his son and demon armies defeat all the gods of the earth then fly to heaven to wage war with Indra, the King of the Gods. They fight the battle of Heaven and the gods are defeated. Necessitating that the great god Narayana (The Spirit of Vishnu) be born as a Man (Rama) on the earth to defeat the Demon. The rest of the story is about how Rama grew, befriended Hanuman the MonkeyGod and quested to destroy the demon king, his giant brother Khumbakarna and a bunch of other magic weilding creatures, saving Rama's wife, Sita.
It's my favorite story!~~~JadeDragon Always wanted to read this - do you recommend any particular version? I think I've seen one in Penguin, and there's a newer one from a guy named Ramesh Menon that looks a lot thicker.
Dennis K
11-25-2005, 08:51 PM
The Sword of Shannara
Dragonlance Chronicles
Twins Chronicles
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
JadeDragon
11-26-2005, 03:08 AM
Always wanted to read this - do you recommend any particular version? I think I've seen one in Penguin, and there's a newer one from a guy named Ramesh Menon that looks a lot thicker.
Im SO SO glad you asked me that. I have read many versions of this tale, and sometimes they can feel quite dry. But there is one re-interpretation of it that is great beyond my words to describe it.
It's the version by WILLIAM BUCK. You can find it in most Borders or other bookstores. It has a light blue cover. Really neat illustrations scattered throughout by Shirley Triest.
Mister Buck has also given a great version of the Mahabharata which I love as well. Its related to the Ramayana. The Ramayana is the story of Rama...and the Mahabharata is the story of Krishna, although he is a secondary character. The Mahabharata is the story that contains the Bhagavad Gita which is the cornerstone of all the Hindu philosophy that inspired the Beatles and all the hippies of the sixties.
Anyways, before I get too off topic....the Ramayana by William Buck is the one I would recommend to ya. Its so well written and I have read it probably 10 times by now. And I dont have much free time.
Have fun and let me know what ya think!~~~JadeDragon
UniqueFrequency
11-26-2005, 03:18 AM
The battle of the Five Armies in the Hobbit
the thread is talking about MOST epic fights and not least :D
Ghost
11-29-2005, 07:43 AM
:D
I see that. And raise you one: Siege of Revelstone.
Thomas Covenant-books, eh? Haven't managed to read those, mainly because the main character was too damned cynical for my taste.
EDIT: Honorable mention: The battle onboard that gigantic ship at the end of "Days of Magic, Nights of War."
Minnesota was flooded by an otherwordly sea and the heroes fought the forces of Midnight while Christoffer Carrion and Mater Motley had a rather fatal falling-out. Stray magic caused part of the ship to come alive and join the fray. (When the figurehead suddenly comes to life and tries to clobber you, you know you're in the fight of the century!)
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