Tough Traveling: High Priests
The Thursday feature “Tough Traveling” is the brainchild of Nathan ofReview Barn, who has come up with the excellent idea of making a new list each week based on the most common tropes in fantasy, as seen in The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynn Jones. Nathan has invited anyone who is interested to come play along, so be sure to check out the first link for more information.
This week’s tour topic is: High Priests
HIGH PRIEST is nearly always evil, either on his own account or on behalf of the dark lord.
Sword of the Bright Lady by M.C. Planck
Christopher wakes up in a strange world and pledges his service to the Bright Lady, becoming a priest in training. The high priests who have the responsibility of overseeing his progress aren’t the kind who are evil or working under any dark lord, though they do become quite exasperated and vexed by Christopher’s shenanigans.
Age of Iron by Angus Watson
Druids are a priestly caste in the world of Age of Iron. There are all kinds of druids — healers, soothsayers, magicians and more. Some are good, some are bad, but the most bloodthirsty and depraved of them all is Felix, the druid who serves King Zadar, a cruel Dark Lord if there ever was one.
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
There are high priests and there are high priestesses. The Mists of Avalon has both, if you count Taliesin, the Merlin of Britain and old Archdruid of Avalon as a high priest. Then of course you have High Priestess Viviane, the revered Lady of Avalon who is the maternal aunt of Morgaine and Arthur.
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
The high priest of the Faith of the Seven is known as the High Septon. The qualifications for this job include being a greedy, pompous and corrupt fat fraud, since after the last one died in the riot of King’s Landing, the Queen has been displeased with all his replacements thus far for being much too ethical and good for her liking.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
It is quite surprising how many High Priests tend to serve a Dark Lord. The corrupt church had Lord Prelan Tevidian at its head, but as one of the chief lieutenants of the Lord Ruler, he was a target of the Steel Inquisitors who wanted to get rid of him and seat Head Inquisitor Kar in the High Priest position instead.
The BiblioSanctum 
This one would have been difficult for me as in the end I don’t read a lot of fantasy and all your books are new to me.
LikeLike
‘exasperated and vexed by Christopher’s shenanigans.’
I am guessing that is about the most letters that could be stuffed into a seven word phrase. Well done =)
This week ended up being a lot harder than I thought, you did good to get this many.
LikeLike
It wasn’t that many and I was already grasping at straws, but thanks 🙂
LikeLike
Damn – completely forgot about Lord Ruler and the Inquisitors.
LikeLike
Glad to see I’m not the only one that completely forgot about Mistborn!
LikeLike
@Bob and Rabindranauth – I had to look up the dude’s name 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, dear hearts! The Lord Ruler and his weird followers with spikes for eyes. Splendid!
LikeLike
Great list. Although I’m not sure that I would define Viviane as evil!
LikeLike
She’s not 🙂 There are a couple of priests/priestesses here who are good/benevolent, though there does seem to be a lot of evil ones.
LikeLike
Good ones 🙂
LikeLike
OMFG – Age of Iron – AGE OF IRON! How did I not get Age of Iron – I’m gutted! I couldn’t get any. I was so bad. And, even more annoying – I knew there was a Priest in Mistborn but I couldn’t bring the name to mind!! AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! I am such a big dunce.
Well done to you – I was totally crap!
Lynn 😀
LikeLike
High druid can also be high priest, right? Right, hee hee 🙂
LikeLike
Good job finding some good high priests. I should really read Bradley one of these days. (and Sanderson) I didn’t even thing of Song of Fire and Ice. I hated that guy!
LikeLike
Sanderson, absolutely you must!
LikeLike
seems the last three are the ones a few people have come up with. What about The Blood bound!!?
LikeLike
I don’t remember the high priest in Bloodbound! And I just read that? Who again?
LikeLike
I completely agree, there seems to be a disproportionate number of priests who serve evil overlords. Social commentary? Who knows, but it makes for some pretty cool baddies!
LikeLike
They do! And yeah, what’s up with that! 🙂
LikeLike