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The 10 Greatest Final Lines in Fantasy Books, Ranked
The article ranks ten memorable final lines from fantasy books, arguing that a closing sentence can shape how readers understand a story and leave them with a lasting feeling. Its examples range from hopeful endings to reflections on love, mortality and the choices characters make.
The excerpt discusses Kage Baker’s *The Anvil of the World*, where the cynical Smith finds hope after choosing to destroy the power in his arm, and William Goldman’s *The Princess Bride*, whose final thought weighs the good in life against its unfairness. It also introduces the *Inheritance Cycle*: after defeating Galbatorix, Eragon leaves his homeland to protect the next generation of dragons. The supplied article text cuts off before giving the rest of the ranking.
In short
- The article ranks ten fantasy novels’ most memorable final lines.
- Its examples include *The Anvil of the World* and *The Princess Bride*.
- Eragon leaves home after defeating Galbatorix to protect future dragons.
Explained simply
Fantasy novels often end by showing what a character’s journey has changed, or by leaving readers with a thought that reaches beyond the plot. A final line can make an ending feel hopeful, bittersweet or unresolved, and shape how readers remember the book.
The examples include Kage Baker’s The Anvil of the World, in which the cynical Smith finds hope after giving up the power in his arm, and William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, which reflects on life’s pleasures and unfairness. In Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, Eragon’s decision to leave his homeland after defeating the tyrant Galbatorix connects the story’s ending with the future of dragons.