If you could pick any fantasy kingdom to live in, which would you choose?

Maybe Narnia, because of the grandeur of Cair Paravel, the possibility of seeing Aslan, and the natural importance you’d play being a son of Adam or a daughter of Eve. And how epic would it be have conversations with talking animals and creatures straight out of the pages of mythology?

Perhaps you’d settle on a more adventurous kingdom such as Scadrial from Mistborn. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, you’d love it there. Ash falling from the sky, Allomancers exercising their powers in ways ranging from manipulating your thoughts to shooting coins at you like bullets. If that’s not enough, there are also fiendish beasts known as Kolloss and an order of semi-deranged priest-type dudes called Inquisitors.

Oh, and did I mention the deadly mists that shroud the land every night?

Or, if you’re a real geek, you’d opt for something unique. I’m thinking the hidden elven kingdom of Gondolin. Built in the mountains by Turgon, it was an elven safe haven from Morgoth. As kingdoms go, it wasn’t exciting, but if you’re into plants and singing birds and breathtaking architecture à la Rivendell, you’d enjoy it.

Now I draw my spear and get to the point.

Kingdoms and fantasy are like Marvel movies and superheroes—inseparable. You could argue (if you wanted to be difficult and stubborn) that Harry Potter doesn’t contain any kingdoms as we imagine them. Yes, Hogwarts…but it’s more of a huge castle with surrounding lands. But other than that, not many fantasy books are seen without their companion kingdom—or throng of kingdoms.

Which brings me to today’s Fantasy Favorites topic. You guessed it…KINGDOMS. Give yourself a gold star.

As a fantasy geek, picking a favorite kingdom is akin to asking a dessert fanatic to go through a buffet line of pastries, cakes, pies, cookies, ice creams, and candies, and select only one. It’s painful. Cruel and unusual punishment. Self-inflicted in this case, so I guess I can’t point the finger of blame unless I’m staring at a mirror.

This week, there’s a slight caveat to the “favorite” part. I don’t honestly know if I can pick a favorite. I love different kingdoms for different reasons. However, I’ll pick one about which to wax eloquent.

And that favorite fantasy kingdom would be…

Er’Rets

At first glance, this might be a surprising choice. After all, Er’Rets comes equipped with the standard fantasy fare of knights, castles, kings, princesses, peasants, swords, and tournaments. But that’s only the first layer.

Beneath the customary fantasy features, Er’Rets is a kingdom of complex, imaginative design, throbbing with cool characteristics that pump lifeblood to each of its distant corners.

Cool Feature #1: Underground Tunnels

A network of tunnels and caves twists its way beneath the land of Er’Rets, near the center of the kingdom. If used properly, they can be the equivalent of a subterranean road system, hidden from sight.

How cool would it be to explore such a place? Or even better, use the tunnels as a way of sneaking to and fro, perhaps to avoid enemies or escape from bloodthirsty pursuers?

Cool Feature #2: Ice Island

Not the most creative name ever, but it gets the point across. A snow-ridden island north of the mainland, accessible only by traveling across the frozen sea. There stands the Prodotez, the prison where the worst criminals are locked away far from home and hope.

When it comes to dungeons and prisons, Ice Island is one of the coolest locations I’ve encountered. Why not build a high-security prison on a desolate island? With snow, ice, and plenty of guards?

Cool Feature #3: The Land of Darkness

This more than anything else stands out to me as a unique feature of Er’Rets. Where else can you find a kingdom divided literally between light and dark…with a visible line called the Evenwall?

Darkness contains all manner of surprising people, cultures, religions, and habits. Imagine living in a place where the sun never shone, where the vibrant colors of nature were but myths brought from distant lands. Where dangerous creatures prowled in the perpetual shadows.

To make it even more sinister, the darkness slowly advances across the land, consuming more and more of Er’Rets beneath it’s pall. If that doesn’t scream cool kingdom, I don’t know what will.

Those are a few reasons why I chose Er’Rets as my favorite fantasy kingdom.

Which fantasy kingdom is your favorite? I would love to hear your thoughts.