You only have to look at some of the great work coming out to realise that fantasy does not have to copy what Tolkien did! You don't always have to have Elves, Wizards, Dragons etc if you don't want them.
I'd always recommend some reading to see what others have achieved. Here's an entirely unbiased list of some of my faves.
Try
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell for a truly weird and immense work that combines fantasy with the late 18th Century - plenty of politics and military detail.
Sandman comics show just how far you can go, how extensive and complex a work you can create without necessarily creating languages and maps. These also show that you can deal with gender politics and other modern and adult issues in fantasy.
Harry Potter of course has great plotlines whatever other readers think about Rowling. It also combines the modern world with the fantastic.
Mists Of Avalon is a long and complex novel which weaves a more Pagan take on the Arthurian legends, together with a lot of 'psychological' insights.