SLCLS Genre Study discussion

In high fantasy, entire worlds are created completely distinct from our own.There is usually a large cast of characters and the story is epic in scope, with a grand struggle against evil.
If the characters are concered with only adventure or personal goals then the book is likely to be sword and sorcery rather than high fantasy.
Some examples of high fantasy are:
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series
Tolkien's Lord of the Rings
George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones

Love Fionavar Trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay, as good as LOTR IMHO.

I just finished reading For Love of Mother-Not by Alan Dean Foster. This is an older book, the main character is very likable. There are magical creatures and terrible people. I liked it.

Another really good high fantasy is Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings. The second one is due to come out this year.

Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my favorite authors. He writes historical fantasy and low fantasy also. I've read almost all of his books and I have liked them all.

The Runelords by David Farland qualifies as high fantasy. I like the rune magic aspect of the story.

New High Fantasy series with small village setting A Turn of the Light: Marrowdell absolutely amazing how the author shows an entire world, with wars, refugees, new variations of magical creatures, and the influence of other cultures, all without leaving a small magical village on the northern border of the world.

My husband's reading Game of Thrones right now. He keeps observing to me that it's interesting to him how little magic there is. I think only 2-3 magical elements in the entire first book.

My opinion is that one magical element is enough for the book to qualify. Plus, Game of Thrones is a prototypical example of epic or high fantasy. Thoughts?

I agree, a book doesn't need to have a lot of fantastic elements to be a fantasy. If it has any element that can't really happen I think that makes it a fantasy.