I get it, we all love a good monarchy. There is something so primally satisfying about a story centered on a crumbling kingdom, a lost heir, or a tyrant who needs to be deposed. The stakes are clear, the line of succession is a built in plot generator, and the drama is always personal. It just works.
But let’s be honest. It has been done. A lot. From the sweeping grand epics to our favorite YA series, the default backdrop for fantasy is almost always a pseudo-medieval kingdom ruled by someone wearing a crown. Castles, thrones, and noble lineages are practically baked into the genre’s DNA.
That isn’t a bad thing. Monarchies can create instant drama and familiar stakes, which is why so many stories lean on them. Yet breaking away from that single template can be one of the most powerful ways to make a world feel fresh and alive. When readers encounter something other than kings and queens, it signals that they’re stepping into a story that won’t just retread old ground.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot as I prepare to dive into high fantasy myself. While I love a good tale of dynastic intrigue as much as anyone else, I find myself drawn toward other possibilities. What happens when power doesn’t concentrate in a throne room? What does a fantasy society look like when it’s shaped by guilds, councils, nomadic clans, or even consensus and cooperation? How does magic change when it’s woven into community rather than handed down through royal bloodlines?
These questions feel exciting because they push against expectations. They open up narrative space for different conflicts, different kinds of heroes, and a wider lens on culture and identity. Maybe the most radical thing you can do in high fantasy isn’t to add another dragon or magical weapon, but to imagine a world where the crown isn’t the center of everything.
And that’s the direction I’m eager to explore.
Think about it. The political system of your world dictates everything. It defines what power looks like, who gets to have it, and what people will do to get it. When you change the government, you change the story. So let’s explore some amazing alternatives to the classic king and queen.
The Magocracy: Rule by the Magical Elite
Instead of power being passed down through a bloodline, what if it was held by the most powerful magic users? This is a magocracy. The leader might be the most talented sorcerer, the wisest scholar, or the most politically ruthless mage. The plots that emerge from this setup are fascinating. Your protagonist might be a young mage trying to pass a deadly exam to earn a spot on the ruling council. Or maybe they are a non-magical person fighting for their rights in a society that treats them like a second class citizen.
The world of Thedas in the Dragon Age series gives us a fantastic example with the Tevinter Imperium, a nation ruled by a powerful circle of mages. Their society is built on magical supremacy, ambition, and a fair bit of backstabbing. The stories aren’t about who is the rightful heir, but about who is powerful enough, or clever enough, to seize control.
The Theocracy: Power From the Gods
A theocracy is a state ruled by a religious institution. The ultimate authority isn’t a king, but a high priest, a divine oracle, or a council of the faithful. Power comes directly from the gods, or at least from the people who claim to speak for them.
This opens up a whole new world of conflict. The central struggles could revolve around heresy and faith. Your main character might be a true believer who uncovers corruption at the heart of the church, or a heretic fighting against the oppressive dogma of the state. It allows for incredible moral ambiguity. Is the priest who orders a holy crusade a villain, or a man of unshakable faith? In A.K. Larkwood’s brilliant novel The Unspoken Name, the main character is raised in a death cult, showing how religious devotion can be a powerful and terrifying force for shaping a society.
The Oligarchy: All About the Money
Forget ancient bloodlines and divine right, some worlds are just run by the rich. An oligarchy can be a merchant republic, a collection of powerful guilds, or a corporate-run state where money is the only thing that matters. The rulers are the people with the most gold, the biggest trade empires, or the most ruthless business sense.
This structure is perfect for stories that are less about epic battles and more about espionage, heists, and intricate scheming. Leigh Bardugo’s Ketterdam from the Six of Crows duology is a masterclass in this. The city is run by a merchant council, and the real power lies with the leaders of its criminal gangs. The characters aren’t trying to claim a throne, they are trying to pull off a heist that will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams.
The Republic: Let the People (Sort of) Decide
What if power wasn’t held by a single person, but by a group? A republic or a council system introduces a completely different kind of tension. The story is no longer about a singular hero’s journey to the throne, but about navigating a complex web of alliances, debates, and backroom deals.
Imagine a fantasy version of the Roman Senate, where powerful families vie for influence, or a council of dragon riders who must reach a consensus before they can act. The drama is slower, more intricate, and deeply psychological. It creates opportunities to explore themes of bureaucracy, populism, and the difficult compromises of leadership. For a dark and incredibly complex take on this, Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant presents the Masquerade, a republic with a mission to colonize and assimilate other cultures through economic and bureaucratic means, not just armies.
Moving past monarchies doesn’t just add a bit of flavor to your world. It changes the core motivations of your characters and the very nature of the stories you can tell. So next time you are building a world, maybe let the lost princess stay lost for a bit, and instead, let us see who wins the campaign to become the next Archmage.
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