I have a confession to make: I... am an escapist. When I sit down to read, I want a good, gripping adventure that is actually fun and keeps me reading. The greatest thing in the world is to lose myself in a fantastic world, whether it's just a twist on our own or another realm altogether.
All of the books listed on this lens hail from the Young Adult section of the bookstore, but don't let that scare you! Some of the best fantasy stories out there are YA - they just generally tend to have protagonists who haven't made it out of their teens yet. The YA section is a great place to find fun, innovative, and gripping fantasy stories without having to worry about running into graphic "mature" scenes. Anyways on this lens, you'll find a sampling of my favorites and what I'm hoping to read soon, along with a few other fun things.
If you've got comments, suggestions, or questions, don't hesitate to sign the guestbook or contact me! And if you'd like to see the standard fantasy version of this lens, check out my Fantasy Fiction Novels lens!
Kit's Review: Howl's Moving Castle
A World of Magic, Worlds Apart From the Movie
Boy, was I wrong.
Sure, they're drastically different, but that's what makes it possible to love them both. Miyazaki's world is wracked by war and has a vaguely steampunk feel to it, while still having that sugary sweet heart that beats within all his works. How he got that out of Diana Wynne Jones's quaint world of magic, misguided souls, and mild mayhem, I'll never know. The bare bone elements were all there: Howl and his mess of quirks and flaws, Sophie's journey into the geriatric world, Calcifer's job keeping the castle moving. Beyond that... Well, this is a book lens, so let's focus on the book!
I'm ashamed to say I've never read Diana Wynne Jones before. Her works are older and very British in the way they're told - that is, they read like they're meant to be read aloud at bedtime. Normally, this style takes me a little while to get into, but in Howl's Moving Castle, I found myself ploughing well past my one chapter a day quota. Something about the story just grabbed me and kept hauling me along. I've no idea what it was - I usually prefer getting into characters' heads a little more, while the prose always seemed a little distant - but for a story where the majority of the action involves cleaning, I was completely hooked.
Overall, it had magic. It had whimsy. It had characters I really wanted to root for, and it made me completely forget the movie. That's more than good enough for me, and I'll be looking into her other books for sure.
Howl's Moving Castle
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
Howl's Moving Castle
I know, I know, this is a BOOK lens, but in this case, I gotta direct you to the movie, too. If you like the book and/or like movies with that feel-good Disney-like core, definitely give this one a try!
Amazon Price: $23.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
What Kit's Waiting to Read
Sometime in the near future...
The Thief
You can probably tell by now that I'm a fan of thieves. I'm not entirely sure what drew me to this book, but it sounds like a rollicking good adventure, and who am I to say no?
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3)
Book Three of the Bartimaeus Trilogy - which is a fantastic series that I personally think kicks Potterdom's butt (and I am actually a Harry Potter fan).
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
So You Want to Be a Wizard: The First Book in the Young Wizards Series
I've eyed this book several times on the shelf, and I finally gave in and picked it up. I mean, come on - how great would it be to actually run into a how-to manual for becoming a wizard in your local bookstore? Young protagonist Nita couldn't resist... how could I?
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 08/07/2008)
Kit's Favorites
Books I've read, re-read, and really recommend!
The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1: Mister Monday
Here is an author with one heck of an imagination. Our asthmatic, luckless hero inherits the House, gets far more attention from the weekdays than he ever thought possible, has to protect his world from magical interference, and has one week to do it. Mister Monday is the first book in the series, and a must read.
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
Wild Magic (Immortals)
I didn't start with Pierce's The Lioness Quartet - I started with Wild Magic, and it's still my favorite of her books. No need to read the Lioness Quartet first if you want to dive right in, but they're a good read, too. I just have a fondness for Daine and Numair.
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic, Book 1)
I thoroughly enjoyed The Circle of Magic quartet. My favorite was Briar's book (because I love that boy), but you really should start with Sandry's. A good series that stresses the strength of friendship.
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
Search for Senna (Everworld, 1)
Looking for a YA series that's a little grittier, a little darker? Then check out K.A. Applegate's Everworld series. Here is an author who doesn't shy away from the darker side of life, and her teen heroes are sent through the gauntlet in these books. Features alternate realities, ancient gods, and teen issues.
Amazon Price: (as of 08/07/2008)
Fall of a Kingdom (Farsala Trilogy, Book 1)
Take your average fantasy world, give it a heavy dash of classical history, add in three compelling main characters, and what do you get? The fascinating first book of Hilari Bell's Farsala Trilogy, Fall of a Kingdom! Bell weaves an intricate tale of war, conflict, personal and family honor from the three intertwined stories of Jiaan, Soraya, and Kavi, three teenagers trying to find their place in a rapidly changing world. This book kept me turning the pages, and I can't wait to read the next two!
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
Mark Your Place in Style!
Fantasy Author Links
Because Authors Have Websites, Too...
- Hilari Bell
- Want to keep tabs on where Hilari Bell's going to be or what's new from her? Check out her website! She also has some interesting and helpful tips for serious writers - a definite plus!
- Jonathan Stroud
- The creator of the Bartimaeus Trilogy's official website! Want to learn more about him or where he'll be making his next appearance? This is your stop!
- The Bartimaeus Trilogy
- Want to find out more about Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy? Then visit the official website! Features information about the books, excerpts, references, trivia, and more.
- Rick Riordan
- The creator of Percy Jackson and the Olympian's homepage. Features information on his books and himself, as well as his own section of hints and tips for aspiring writers.
- Garth Nix
- Pretty basic, but it looks like he's in the process of building a newer, better one as we speak. It may not be pretty, but it's got lists of his series and published books, links to their seperate websites, and appearance listings.
- Tamora Pierce
- A very nice, if rather... glaring, site devoted to Tamora Pierce. Includes her public appearances, bibliography, sample scenes from her novels, her biography, FAQ, recommended reading from her, and more!
- K.A. Applegate
- Scholastic's site devoted to the author of such excellent fare as The Animorphs and Everworld. Has biographical information and information on her series.
- Diana Wynne Jones
- The official website of one of the classic, and still beloved, authors of fantasy for children and adults. And she's got a lot of books out there! Check out her site for more information on them all.
- Diane Duane
- Keeps tabs on what Diane Duane's up to, including her newest books, her biography, and her upcoming appearances. Beautiful, easy to navigate site. ^_^
Kit's Review: The Lightning Thief
Book One of Percy Jackson and the Olympians
That's exactly the kind of earth-shaking revelation that Percy Jackson has in Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. Percy is essentially your normal, average kid - if you ignore the fact that he's ADHD, dyslexic, and has been to six schools in six years. He certainly never thought he was anything special... until the day his pre-algebra teacher turned into a vicious winged beast bent on taking him straight to Hades the fast way. Shortly thereafter, he discovers that his real father is one of the Olympians and that Percy himself is being framed for the event set to spark World War III.
The Lightning Thief is a clever, fast-paced tale of friendship and courage with a sense of humor that kept me laughing and enough nail-biting tension to keep me turning the pages. I love Percy's character, and the twists kept me guessing.
If you're a mythology fan, or even just looking for a great adventure, you'll love this book. I've read books two and three, and the series just keeps getting better!
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 08/07/2008)
Kit's Review: Young Warriors
Stories of Strength
This fantastic collection of short stories from some of the greats in YA fantasy fiction explores those very questions. From a young sailor and a mermaid to a boy hunting a dragon to an African princess fighting back the Romans and three girls in WWII Ireland, the authors present a wide variety of heroes and definitions of heroic acts in a wide variety of magical realms (and a few versions of this world with a twist).
This is one of the best anthologies I've ever read, with a fascinating collection of stories in a pleasantly diverse number of styles. Each of the stories was gripping in their own way, and even if you don't like the style of one, the next one would be completely different. There's also a nice balance between heroes and heroines, which may not seem like an important element, but it's nice to see. All too often, one gender is strongly favored over the other.
Another nice touch was that the settings of these stories didn't all take place in fantasy realms - a good number of them were historical fantasies. Gotta say, I do love a good historical fantasy short story, and those included here were some of the best in the anthology. In fact, two of my personal favorites were historical fantasies: Pamela F. Service's "Lioness" and Lesley McBain's "Acts of Faith."
Almost all of the stories were engaging, and I appreciated the wide variety. This is definitely one for teens and up, though - a few of these stories reminded me just how dark YA can be. I'm not a big fan of real dark stuff, but Young Warriors had enough fun stories to keep me going. Overall, a great read!
Young Warriors: Stories of Strength
Amazon Price: (as of 08/07/2008)
Kit's Review: The Amulet of Samarkand
Book I of the Bartimaeus Trilogy
So, what's this book about? Well, our hero (well, MY hero, anyways) is a sharp, witty djinni by the name of Bartimaeus. When a 12-year-old magician-in-training summons him to take revenge on an arrogant magician who humiliated him, Bartimaeus and his summoner, Nathaniel, are drawn into a web of political intrigue and danger.
The structure of the book is an interesting mix of first- and third-person narratives. The chapters dealing with Nathaniel are told from a third person POV. This distances the reader from him a bit, and thus creates a bitter, dreary atmosphere. I'll admit it - each time I reached a set of Nathaniel chapters, I had to resist the urge to flip right through them. However, the further on in the book I read, the more tolerable Nathaniel became. This is definitely a character with room to grow, and I look forward to seeing what exactly becomes of him as the trilogy progresses.
Don't be fooled, though. I didn't stick with this book for Nathaniel. So, why did I stick with it? Why, for Bartimaeus, of course! When we're with Bartimaeus, we're given the pleasure of his perspective from his POV, complete with helpful (and hilarious) footnotes to supplement our knowledge of the world as he knows it. He has a sense of humor that literally had me laughing out loud and wanting to recite entire pages to share the with others. The Bartimaeus chapters are a delight to read, and a great contrast to the relatively cold and bleak Nathaniel chapters.
Overall, I am definitely glad this is a trilogy. I've got high hopes for it, and I thoroughly recommend The Amulet of Samarkand for anyone who wants a good, rolicking adventure set in a complex and tangible world and still has a great sense of humor.
Got you curious? Want to read the book? Pick it up from Amazon.com!
The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1)
Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 08/07/2008)
Escaping Reality: Reader Feedback
Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?
Got something to say? Comments on the lens? Want to recommend a book or topic? Then here's the place to do it!
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tandemonimom
Hi Kit, 5 stars and a lensroll for a really excellent lens! (Cute avatar, too.) Posted July 17, 2008 |
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FiveStarAuthor
Terrific lens, Kit. You've got a nice selection here, but you're missing MY book, THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY. Check it out at: Posted July 22, 2007 |
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tutor1235
Well done! I'm a big fan of sf and ff, and my daughters (17 and 14) read it voraciously. I'll be stopping by again to grab gift ideas! Thanks! Posted October 02, 2006 |
