The Book of Three is a high-fantasy adventure. High-fantasy stories describe realms where magic is a constant in the lives of the characters: It imbues their world like a law of physics. In The Book of Three, wizards and evil rulers possess magical abilities, some people can talk to animals, swords contain thunderous power, and a pig foretells the future. Low-fantasy stories, in contrast, involve magic that occurs in a limited way. For example, a character develops super-abilities, or someone finds a magic implement that gives them power.

High-fantasy stories often take place in a medieval context. Much of the lore of Western nations derives from stories told during the European Middle Ages, the period roughly between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE and the Renaissance that began around 1400 CE. These tales and myths include knights on horseback, magical swords, gray-bearded wizards, spells and potions, and strange creatures—faeries, ogres, giants, and enchanted animals. The Book of Three includes many of these tropes.

Well-known high-fantasy sagas that depict medieval-style realms include Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) operas and the books and screen adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Witcher.