What would fantasy be without the amazing worlds?

Boring, uninspiring, run-of-the-mill. Certainly not as awesome.

To me, the world of a fantasy story is the most important part. It’s integral to what makes it fantasy. Strip away the imaginative world and you have an ordinary—if not entertaining—story.

What would Lord of the Rings be without the sweeping presence of Middle-earth?

Or Harry Potter minus the wizarding world of Hogwarts?

When we think of fantasy, many things come to mind:

• Mythical creatures
• Knights and castles
• Dragons
• Magic

But if we’re talking traditional fantasy, the world is what defines fantasy, a place foreign yet familiar, mysterious yet arresting.

This was a hard choice for me. There are so many choices, from the unique oceans and myriad islands of Earthsea, to the unparalleled scope and detail of Middle-earth, to the grim lands of ash and mist in Mistborn.

In the end, though, one world stands out above the others—at least in my mind.

My favorite fantasy world is…

Dun-dun-dun.

Roshar, from Brandon Sanderson’s groundbreaking series Stormlight Archive.

It’s arguable that with Middle-earth, Tolkien created a world as fully realized as humanly possible. History, languages, creatures, races, flora and fauna—he hardly left a worldbuilding stone unturned. I don’t know if anyone will come close to creating a world so vivid and real.

But if anyone can, Sanderson has the ability with Roshar.

I’ve read the first two Stormlight books. They’re freakin mind-blowing, and the world where the stories are set is a huge part of the awesomeness.

By world, I don’t mean all the sub-level elements, such as races, cultures, magic, creatures, cities, and the like. Those are pieces that combine to make up the puzzle, but topics for another time.

Right now, I mean the actual world. The geography, the weather, the landmasses and oceans, the lunar phases, the seasons. The nuts and bolts, if you will.

Here are a couple reasons I picked Roshar as my favorite fantasy world.

1. The highstorms

On the surface, this seems odd. What’s so interesting or important about storms? Ho-ho, my friend. I’m glad you asked.

They aren’t regular thunderstorms; they’re the equivalent of hurricanes that sweep across the land on a regular basis. Because of this, they affect a host of other worldbuilding features—plants, animals, architecture, and city layouts to name a few.

The highstorms also provide Stormlight, which is essential to various magical abilities and devices found in Roshar.

And if you’ve read Words of Radiance, you know highstorms play an even larger role. No spoilers, but if you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s time to rectify that.

2. The Geography

I love geography, and the layout of Roshar fascinates me to no end. There are so many facets to make it interesting

• The Purelake, a body of water the size of a small sea, that’s shallow enough to walk in
• The Shattered Plains, where thousands of chasms form a complex system of plateaus
• The Horneater Peaks, where clans of people live removed from the lands below
• The Reshi Isles, where strange customs and people abound

If you’ve read the first two Stormlight books, you understand the brilliance of Roshar. If you haven’t, hopefully I’ve convinced you to make that a priority. For fantasy lovers, it’s a candy shop.

What’s your favorite fantasy world? In your opinion, what makes a good fantasy world? I would love to hear your thoughts.