by AshlynnCrow

Mundane Fantasy is a unique sub-genre of Fantasy and a category that I find completely fun to write in.  What makes it Mundane? Well, that simply means the story is set in modern times and is recognizable to the readers. (No epic world- building here.)  The main characters are also easier to identify with because they experience similar situations that we all go through, including high-school drama, real family issues, betrayal, first love's, and your normal every day-to-day activity. Although this sub-genre is the total opposite of traditional High Fantasy, magic and fantasy elements still find their way into this mundane world- thus leading our hero on an unexpected and sometimes magical adventure.

Just because it has "Mundane" in the title doesn't mean it has to be boring. In fact, there are a lot of well-written page turners out there:

1. The Builders by Daniel Polansky is considered Mundane Fantasy. It's a gritty story about a band of ex-mercenaries seeking revenge for something that happened five years prior. The twist? The main characters are not-so-cute fury woodland creatures. 

2. The Mortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare. Set in modern times, magic and supernatural forces do exist in this world but are kept secret.  The main theme revolving around each of her works is the idea of self-acceptance and coming into one's own in relation to the choices we make and the consequences that follow.

3. The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is a fantastic example of the genre. His stories are visually amazing, and his books blow any competitors out of the water! The trilogy centers on the fortunes of a variety of characters as they navigate through a growing war and other conflicts. Any supernatural forces that exist are so intrinsic that your suspension of disbelief is not a requirement.

4. The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence definitely falls under the category of Mundane Fantasy. The worlds takesplace in our reality- sometime in the future when science and magic collided and then destroyed one another. Most relics left over are considered "magical"- but the readers will recognize them as a logical invention. The writer takes something fantastic, like the existence of necromancers, and makes it logical and rather unremarkable.

Why do I enjoy writing in this sub-genre? Because Magic is rare, dangerous and often costs dearly. Anyone can die.

Example of Mundane Fantasy on Wattpad:
The Jasper by AshlynnCrow

Synopsis:

Bonfires were lit all across the footprint-patterned sand and music was loud with families enjoying their camp-out together. Venice was alive with people, and yet Erin still felt alone.
She walked closer to where the water met the land and stared into the black waters.
Her whole life was a lie. Knowing that Fairies, Witches, and Werewolves are real, terrified her to the point that she was shaking. What else was real? Vampires? Zombies? Demons?
Where Ghost's real too? These were questions that throbbed in Erin's head.
How could they have hidden so well for so long, and why keep it all a secret from her? She wiped her eyes and looked back at the parking lot and froze in fear.
A motorcycle was parked next to her Lamborghini.

Excerpt:

Erin's heart pounded against her chest.
It could be anyone's; she tried telling herself and her eyes shot across the crowded beach and found Knox; if not for his height then his elegant good looks is what made him stand out in the crowd. The wind ruffled his short dark hair and he caught a scent, turning in her direction.

Erin's heart did a back flip in her throat, and instinct urged flight. She turned in the opposite direction and ran. She moved as fast as her short legs would carry her, kicking up sand and racing beneath the balconies of the beach apartments. He was faster. She felt his breath on her like a warm caress of air.
Erin screeched and lunged forward onto the pavement, gaining better footing, but it was too late. His hand latched onto her upper arm and jerked her to a stop.
She gulped down the lump of fear caught in her throat and felt panic race through her veins as his muscled chest pressed against her back, and he herded her out of the crowd's way down a quiet alley and out of sight.

"Erin," Knox swung her around and pressed her against the back of a brick building. Intensity radiated in his cold blue eyes, and she couldn't move. "I finally found you." He said softly.

"Let me go." She struggled against his steel grip.

"Or what? You'll turn me into a toad?"He said and released her arms only to box her in by slamming each fist hard against the bricks next to her head. "You're a pathetic excuse for a Witch Erin, and we both know it."
Erin's face flushed red. "You're an animal!"
He growled.
A hysterical sob rose in her throat. He was going to punish her for trying to run away again. Lyric's threat about killing her mother flashed in her mind and it made her fight harder to get away. She started to kick and flail about, but Knox crowded her against the cold bricks, his legs pinning hers against the stone and his chest smashed against her body to keep her still.
Trapped.
She opened her mouth to scream and his lips locked with hers, cutting off her cry with a kiss.

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Music

https://youtu.be/A0n8UfYgRgE