Tough Travelling“Tough Traveling” is a weekly Thursday feature created by Nathan at Review Barn where participants make a new list each week based on The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. This hilarious little book cheerfully pokes fun at the most prevalent tropes in fantasy. All are welcome to take part, and there is a link up over at his site. Join in any time!

This week’s trope is EVIL LAIRS

The evil lair is where a great fantasy villain will spend the plurality of his or her time (topic provided by Christopher Scott Hand).

Oooh evil lairs! Kind of surprising how many books have these suckers – I was able to pull together titles from a variety of genres without too much trouble.

MistbornKredik Shaw – Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
 

Kredik Shaw is the base of operations for the tyrannical Lord Ruler. The fortress is in the city of Luthadel and is described as having many towers topped with metal spires. What is it with villains and towers, anyway?

AngelfallUnnamed SoCal Hotel – Angelfall by Susan Ee 

 

What do a bunch of evil angels do in an apocalypse? Why, they take over a five-star hotel and party like Gatsby, of course! This hotel becomes the HQ for angel-pocalypse, where angels get their political schmooze on and perform truly grotesque torture/experiments on the lowly humans.

The Good The Bad and the UndeadPiscary’s Pizza – The Hollows series by Kim Harrison 

Perhaps the most bizarre villainous lair of all time, Piscary’s Pizza is a pizzeria – and the front for Master Vampire Piscary’s underground business. There are many a show-down at the quaint pizzeria between Interlanders on both sides of the law. Oh, and don’t forget to try the puttanesca!

Touch of PowerSogra Castle  – Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
 

Sogra Castle is home to Tohon of Sogra, king of a minor realm bent on conquering all the kingdoms. He uses Sogra Castle as a laboratory where her performs magical and genetic experiments…on children. The castle also serves as a storage locker for – you guessed it! – the bodies of his enemies, frozen in stasis. Gross.