When the ideas of the Far Stone Cycle first came to me over twenty years ago, they were just glimpses of a narrative that captivated me and wouldn’t leave me alone. In all my musings to write it down, I did not consider fantasy tropes, because I’d never heard of them before.

What is a Trope?

So, if you are as I was and don’t know what tropes are, let’s define them. Rolling with the times, I asked ChatGPT, and here is what it gave me:

A trope is a common theme, motif, or storytelling device used repeatedly in literature, film, television, and other forms of media.

If I had seen this definition six years ago, when I finally started penning the story, I would have steered clear of tropes, as they sounded like cliches. Well, the world has changed. I’ve since learned that not only must fantasy authors have tropes in their writing, but we need to enumerate them for our potential readers. So, after some research and inquiry, I stand ready to comply. Because, as ChatGPT further says:

Tropes are not inherently good or bad. They’re tools. When used well, they can enhance a story and resonate with audiences. When overused or used lazily, they can feel cliché or predictable.

In that case, let’s see how I’ve used these tools in the Far Stone Cycle. I will concentrate on tropes in the following categories: Characters, Worldbuilding, Plot, and Magic.

Character Tropes

• The Heir: Pergi is the eldest princess and should be the heir to the throne… But it’s complicated, actually just patriarchal.
• The Chosen One: It is usually an ordinary person… like a shunned princess who has the weight of destiny on her. Which brings us to…
• The Reluctant Hero: Pergi has a keen sense of duty and wouldn’t mind getting the kingdom, just not everything else that comes with being the One.
• The Dark Lord: Malchor fits this bill, except he wears white.
• The Mentor: Any guesses—someone like Gandalf but with a sharp tongue rather than a pointy hat? Yep, Shang-Li—everyone’s favorite, crabby non-grandmother.
• The Companions: These are some of my favorite characters and the most fun to write. But aren’t they always?
• The Scientist: Wait, is this one not supposed to be in a medieval fantasy?

Worldbuilding Tropes

• Pseudo-Medieval Setting: Castles, knights, kings, and swordplay abound. But so do camels, desert caravans, creepy jungles, and other medieval trappings beyond Europe.
• Prophecy: Check and check. Cryptic and meddlesome, the words are, of course, set to rhyme and maybe even music.
• Myths and Legends: There will be a few of those too, which are not unlike prophecies.
• Races and Species: They are mostly of men and beasts that are recognizable, but with a few twists! (Quick question: How many dragons are there in the picture above?)
• Locales: Mountains, forests, and caves—oh my! Along with other usual and unusual places, like palaces, tents, ships, caravansaries, and souks.

Plot Tropes

• The Quest: This is the central driving force of the plot—the quest to retrieve the Far Stones before Malchor does and destroys the world.
• Hero’s Journey: It isn’t interesting if the MC doesn’t grow, and all growth is a journey.
• The Magical Artifact: There are four to be exact, the eponymous Far Stones of Power.
• Good vs. Evil: This one seems pretty straightforward—or is it?
• Side Quests: With a sprawling cast of characters, our people will go different places and do different things.

Magic Tropes

• The Magic System: It’s decidedly a soft and undefined system, but discernible if you pay enough attention.
• Healing Magic: Which in general falls under the good kind.
• Music Magic: This one can go both ways, depending on the song or tune. And it’s definitely a thing.
• Forbidden Magic: Dangerous and evil magic will be provided by our friendly, neighborhood Dark Lord, Malchor.

Addendum

A surprisingly adequate list of tropes, considering I never set out to include any. I suppose these themes come with the fantasy territory and are the elements we all love in a fantastic story. But just because they are the tropes that most authors in the genre use doesn’t mean that it will pay out like anything you’ve seen before in my books.

Also, I should mention a final trope that is perhaps the most important to me. Secrets. This is not restricted to fantasy per se, as it is used in all genres. But I love them in any story and must include some in mine. What are they? Read the books and find out for yourself!