Elves and trolls, dragons and hobbits, fairies and gnomes:  Fantasy tales open whole new worlds populated by imaginary creatures, some good and some bad.  The stakes are usually high in these stories, with the fate of the fictional world literally in the balance.

The hero and/or heroine battle evil creatures through weird or dangerous lands to vanquish the baddies and save all good beings.  Sometimes there is a little romance along the way, but it invariably takes a back seat to the action and the magnificent vistas painted by the author.

Creating such fantastical places and creatures is no mean feat, and authors deserve credit for their ability to bring to life something none of us have imagined much less seen.

Do you read Fantasy novels?

[Thanks to Stefan Keller of Pixabay for the featured image.]