Fantasy

My life is rather dull and boring but when I read fantasy, a part of my brain is living in this other world as I go about my daily life.  The fantastical world and characters are there, nibbling at my mind until I can get back to the book.  Other genres of books do that too, but fantasy worlds have magic and dragons.

I remember reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe back in the ‘70s when I was in middle school.  It made a huge impact on me and fantasy is still my favorite genre.  I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series in high school.  Brilliant – quite the high standard for epic fantasy.   Nowadays it takes a lot to impress me because I have read so many YA fantasy books.  In reviewing books, I try not to dismiss the book because there is a familiar plot or characters similar to those of another author.  I have to remember that today’s teens most likely have not read books published before 2000 and to them, this new book may contain what they think is an original plot twist or unusual character. 

Currently , I enjoy political fantasies above all others.  My favorite series is by Megan Whalen Turner that begins with The Thief.  There are so many twists and turns that I am in awe of the author’s genius.  Mimus by Lilith Thal is another book that I find myself thinking about years after I read it.  I call that the linger effect.

I’ve assigned my favorite fantasy books into subgenres.  Most titles could easily fit into two or more types of fantasies.  If the subgenre page links disappear, try moving the cursor a bit more rapidly down the menu. To see all of the fantasy subgenres, be sure to scroll down the page before scrolling over this Fantasy tab.

Recent books may appear in the book review section and can be found under the category tab to the right.