Why I love Middle-earth - and my favourite low fantasy settings

Image courtesy of Fiction Horizon

[11 min read]

• Middle-earth
• The Witcher
• Game of Thrones
• What's next?

What is low fantasy? For me, it started with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Yes, there are dragons and dark lords, but Middle-earth is so grounded that even a simple journey feels like a real, exhausting struggle.

If Tolkien gave us Anglo-inspired fantasy, The Witcher brings in Eastern European folklore with its own edge. Magic exists, but it’s rare and risky. Most people are ordinary, caught up in everyday survival, and moral lines are almost always blurred - even for Geralt of Rivia.

And then there’s Game of Thrones, where the political intrigue can be as dangerous as any sword fight. Civil wars, social injustice, and clashing faiths make the setting feel strikingly real - with the odd dragon thrown in to remind you it's not.

So when I want to step into the shoes of a hero who doesn’t rely on superpowers, these are the worlds I reach for. They’re vivid, flawed, and human in ways that resonate even today. If that sounds like your kind of story, read on.

Middle-earth

Ever heard of The Lord of the Rings? 

Of course you have. It’s one of the most beloved fantasy tales ever written, and it all takes place in Tolkien’s carefully built world of Middle-earth.

It began in 1937 with The Hobbit, a “children’s book” that’s really about a homebody named Bilbo Baggins who gets dragged into a dragon-sized adventure with Gandalf and a band of dwarves. Along the way, Bilbo finds a certain magical ring - which turns out to be far more dangerous than anyone guessed.

That discovery sets the stage for The Lord of the Rings, the story of Frodo Baggins (Bilbo’s nephew) and his unlikely friends as they set out to destroy the One Ring forged by Sauron, the Dark Lord himself. It’s a tale of hobbits, heroes, and very long walks across very detailed maps.

But Middle-earth is more than just those two stories. Tolkien also wrote (and his son Christopher later published) deeper histories like The Silmarillion and the great tales of the First and Second Ages - stories of tragic lovers, fallen kingdoms, and enough lore to fill a small library.

Together, these works make Middle-earth one of the most complete and convincing fantasy worlds ever created. It’s no wonder generations of readers have lost themselves in its hills, halls, and hobbit holes.

Lose yourself in a real-world hobbit hole in New Zealand
Image courtesy of NZ Travel Organiser

Why I love Middle-earth

This is where it all started for me. I first met The Hobbit before I was ten - either my dad read it aloud, or I snuck it off his bookshelf. (Memory’s fuzzy, but I do know it hooked me right away.) By the time I was twelve, I’d tackled The Lord of the Rings, and I’ve gone back to it again and again ever since.

I credit Tolkien not just with sparking my love of fantasy (though that much is obvious) but with opening the door to exploring imaginative worlds of every kind. And when it comes to film, nothing tops Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy for me - those three movies are still my all-time favourites.

So what do I love most about Middle-earth?

• It’s the backdrop for timeless tales of courage against overwhelming evil.
• The journeys matter just as much - sometimes more - than the destination.
• Tolkien’s writing paints such vivid landscapes that the world feels alive in my mind.
• Magic is there, but it’s rare and subtle, which makes the world feel strangely believable.
• And of course, it inspired so many of the things I adore today - Dungeons & Dragons being at the top of that list.

Middle-earth is more than a set of stories for me - it’s the foundation of a lifelong love for fantasy.

Want to set off on your own journey?

Read or Listen

Begin with The Hobbit, then dive into The Lord of the Rings. If you’re hooked, take the leap into The Silmarillion but be warned - its history textbook style can be jarring after the others. I treasure my illustrated editions by Ted Nasmith - the painterly style makes these books feel like art. For something more portable, the audiobooks read by Andy Serkis or Christopher Lee are excellent companions. I love listening to them while walking through the forests and rivers here in Switzerland - it feels like Middle-earth is just around the bend.

My prized physical copies are littered with beautiful illustrations
Image courtesy of  Orel Fussli

Watch

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies are essential viewing (although the former was produced after the latter and is relies too much on special effects). The Rings of Power offers a window into the Second Age - visually spectacular, if not quite on par with something like Game of Thrones. I haven’t yet watched The War of the Rohirrim animated film, but reviews have been positive, so it’s definitely on my list.

Board Games

Middle-earth comes alive at the table, too. The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game is a charming co-op puzzle game that unfolds across a beautiful storybook board. Journeys in Middle-earth is a medium-weight adventure game - though it needs an app to run it. I’ve shared more detailed thoughts on this in another article if you’d like to explore further.

My wife and I successfully delivered the One Ring to the cracks of Mount Doom - the kids are next
Image by Ravensburger

Role-Playing Games

The One Ring is a brilliantly realized tabletop RPG that captures Tolkien’s world with care and depth. Even if you’re not into role-playing, the books themselves are worth collecting. They’re packed with striking art and extra lore that bring Middle-earth vividly to life. Read about my experiences here.

Video Games

This is my least favorite way to visit Middle-earth, mainly because the adaptations are hit-or-miss. Return to Moria is worth a look, but skip Gollum - it’s a rough ride. Your best bet is still Middle-earth: Shadow of War. It may feel a little dated now, but in my opinion, it’s the best Lord of the Rings video game we’ve had.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War produced by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Want to nerd out more?

Tolkien’s legendarium goes far beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Try The Children of Húrin, The Fall of Gondolin, or Beren and Lúthien for epic tales from the First Age. For the truly dedicated, Christopher Tolkien’s History of Middle-earth series is the deepest dive you can take - but even I haven’t braved all twelve volumes.

If the lore feels overwhelming, YouTube has your back. Channels like Nerd of the Rings and In Deep Geek do a wonderful job of breaking down Middle-earth’s tangled history into bite-sized, easy-to-digest videos. Perfect for late-night “just one more” viewing.

The Witcher

Toss a coin to your Witcher

The Witcher is a book, video game, and TV franchise that began with Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s short stories and novels. At its heart is Geralt of Rivia, a witcher - essentially a professional monster hunter with superhuman abilities earned through brutal training and mutagens.

The Geralt of Rivia I knew first - from the video games. I'm not getting into TV portrayal discussions...
Image by CD Projekt Red

Why I love it

The Witcher’s world is an intoxicating mix of the natural (bleak European forests, muddy villages, political strife) and the supernatural (herbal tonics, rare sorcery, eery monsters). What really grabs me is how it leans on Slavic mythology - giving it a different flavour than the usual Western European or Norse-inspired fantasy. It feels familiar, but also not.

How to start slaying

Read

Confession time: I started with the video games, not the books. If you want to go “proper,” begin with Blood of Elves and continue through the eight-book saga. Sapkowski’s writing is witty, morally grey, and deeply rooted in folklore.

Watch

Netflix’s The Witcher series has a fourth season due in 2025 and does a respectable job adapting the source material. There are also a couple of animated Witcher films on the platform if you want to dip your toes further into the Continent.

Some of the folkloric monsters that you'll meet in The Witcher live action series
Image courtesy of Dual Shockers

Video games

My own entry point was The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. It’s dated now - both in graphics and in its, let’s say, “2000s approach to romance collectibles” - but it’s a fascinating snapshot of where this franchise started.

The Witcher 2 sharpens things up, but The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a genuine masterpiece. Every side quest feels meaningful, the world is richly alive, and it set a new standard for open-world RPGs. If you’ve ever wondered why so many modern RPGs feel Witcher-esque, this is the reason. And yes, Witcher 4 is on the horizon.

Board games

The Witcher: Old World is a sprawling adventure board game with gorgeous art and miniatures. In the handful of plays I’ve had, it really nails the feeling of wandering, monster-hunting, and scraping together coin for your next potion. Another release, The Witcher: Path of Destiny, takes a different tack as a tableau-building card game that unravels stories differently each time you play. With a solid 7.3 rating on Board Game Geek compared to Old World’s 7.9, it might be worth checking out if you prefer curated vs emergent narratives in your board games.

The Witcher: Old World - become a Witcher and travel a world full of danger, secrets, and... dice poker
Image from Go On Board

Roleplaying games

The Witcher TTRPG (from R. Talsorian Games) has been praised for its rich lore, NPC-driven storytelling, and brutal, unforgiving combat. The downside? It’s rules-heavy and can feel daunting for newcomers. If you want a similar mood without quite so much crunch, I’d point you toward Symbaroum. It has that same low-magic, darkly forested vibe, but with streamlined d20 mechanics that will feel instantly familiar to D&D players.

Roam the mysterious forest of Davokar, where elves and ogres are not from your fairytales
Image by Free League

Game of Thrones

What is Game of Thrones?

Game of Thrones is a critically acclaimed TV series based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. It depicts a violent, politically grounded world where loyalty is fleeting and survival is never guaranteed. Supernatural elements exist, but they linger at the edges of the story — dragons on the brink of extinction, whispers of dark magic that always comes at a cost, and monsters most people dismiss as old tales.

The inhabitants of Westeros have no knowledge of what awaits them beyond the wall
Image courtesy of Screen Rant

Why I love it

Game of Thrones is probably the best TV series I’ve ever watched, drawn from books that have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. What hooked me is the way the story unfolds from multiple perspectives — a political drama where you never know whom to trust, whom to root for, or who will make it to the next chapter.

Eliminating political rivals happens early and often
Image courtesy of AP News

The low-magic world makes every twist more compelling. Dragons are rare and fragile, magic is shadowy and tied to sacrifice, and the greatest threats are the ones people refuse to believe in. Add in the shocking betrayals and gut-punch moments, and you’ve got a series that constantly keeps you off balance.

Where do you start?

The Game of Thrones TV series is phenomenal (except, well… Season 8). The prequel, House of the Dragon, has also proven itself to be a worthy addition.

Confession time again: I own the original Game of Thrones first novel, but I’ve never fully read it. When the show was that good, I didn’t feel the urgency. Blasphemy? Maybe — but I suspect I’m not alone.

House of the Dragon is a prequel series to Game of Thrones, that comes with 500% more dragons
Image courtesy of Geek Culture

What's next?

So there you have it — my love letter to Middle-earth and a couple of my favorite low fantasy settings. What they lack in over-the-top spectacle compared to my high fantasy fare, they more than make up for in immersion and nuance.

Got a favorite low fantasy world of your own? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear what settings pull you in. And if you don’t want to miss the next article in this series, make sure to subscribe to the newsletter.

Next up: we’ll close out the fantasy trio with my personal favourite flavour — dark fantasy, where horror bleeds into the fantastic and where merely surviving is often a victory.

Keeping it grounded,

Dashmeister

This blog is written by me, with a little help from AI editing for clarity and tone. All ideas, feelings, and memories are mine.

Sword & Sorcery - another type of low fantasy - is an area left for me to explore
Image courtesy of DMDave