Creating Memorable Fantasy Companions

Ask fantasy readers what they remember most about their favourite book, and they’ll often surprise you.

It usually isn’t the final battle.

It isn’t the magic system.

It isn’t even the villain.

It’s the companions.

The people who travelled together, argued together, laughed together, and somehow survived one another long enough to save the world.

Great fantasy isn’t built around a single hero.

It’s built around relationships.

Perfect Heroes Are Forgettable

Perfection is difficult to relate to.

Characters who never make mistakes, never disagree, and always know exactly what to do can be admirable.

They can also be rather dull.

Readers connect with flaws.

They remember the knight whose honour gets him into trouble.

The mage whose curiosity occasionally outruns his common sense.

The thief who insists every locked door is simply an invitation.

Imperfections make characters feel human.

Every Companion Needs a Distinct Voice

One of my favourite parts of writing fantasy is listening to conversations between the companions.

If every character sounds the same, the dialogue becomes interchangeable.

Each companion should see the world differently.

The optimist.

The realist.

The sceptic.

The quiet observer.

The one who asks the awkward questions everyone else was hoping to avoid.

Different perspectives create better conversations.

Contradictions Create Character

People are wonderfully inconsistent.

The largest member of the party might also be the gentlest.

The assassin may be the most patient person in the room.

The wizard may possess extraordinary magical talent while lacking even the smallest amount of self-preservation.

Those contradictions are what readers remember.

They’re also what make characters believable.

Relationships Matter More Than Abilities

Readers don’t simply fall in love with individual characters.

They fall in love with how those characters interact.

Friendships.

Arguments.

Quiet conversations around a campfire.

The shared look between companions that says everything without a single word being spoken.

Those moments stay with readers long after the final page.

Building the Companions of Ashes and Embers

When I began writing Ashes and Embers, I didn’t want seven heroes who happened to be travelling together.

I wanted seven very different people whose personalities naturally created conflict, humour, trust and friendship.

Each companion approaches problems differently.

Sometimes those differences save the day.

Sometimes they make the situation considerably worse.

Usually both.

That balance is what makes travelling across Axalar so much fun to write.

Final Thoughts

Readers may arrive for the adventure.

They may stay for the mystery.

But they’ll return for the companions.

Because while kingdoms rise and villains fall, it’s the people sharing the journey who make fantasy worlds worth visiting.

And if those companions occasionally drive one another to distraction…

…so much the better.

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Ashes & Embers is the first novel in the Voidshatter series, a humorous fantasy adventure set in the world of Axalar.

Amazon author page - Matthew Shilvock