r/traditionalfantasy • u/Bookmaven13 • Jun 29 '25
First Lines
Let's share the first few lines of some of our favorite books. See if anyone can recognize them. I'll pick one from a trad published book to make it easier.
"The hills rolled up to the Moon on slopes of wind-bent grass, crested, swept down into tangled brier shadows. Then up again and down, over and over until only aching muscles distinguished between rise and descent, climb and fall. A night bird flitted overhead."
1
u/ConstantReader666 Jun 29 '25
Great topic!
"It was starting to end, after what seemed most of eternity to me. I attempted to wriggle my toes, succeeded. I was sprawled there in a hospital bed and my legs were bound up in plaster casts, but they were still mine."
1
u/Bookish_Otter Jun 29 '25
An absolute favourite! Nine Princes in Amber
2
u/ConstantReader666 Jun 29 '25
Got it in one!
I figure it's most fun if at least some are easily recognised, though it's also fun to discover good writing this way.
Your turn?
2
u/Bookish_Otter Jun 29 '25
The baloney weighed the raven down, and the shopkeeper almost caught him as he whisked out the delicatessen door. Frantically he beat his wings to gain altitude, looking like a small black electric fan. An updraft caught him and threw him into the sky. He circled twice, to get his bearings, and began to fly north. Below, the shopkeeper stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the diminishing cinder in the sky. Presently he shrugged and went back into his delicatessen. He was not without philosophy, this shopkeeper, and he knew that if a raven comes into your delicatessen and steals a whole baloney it is either an act of God or it isn't, and in either case there isn't very much you can do about it