#pagesunbound — Public Fediverse posts

Fantasy with Friends: Interesting Witches

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

What are some interesting witches in fantasy? Is there a certain portrayal of a character that makes them a “witch” vs. a “sorceress” or other magic worker, in your opinion?

I’ve been writing fantasy stories for a really long time. At one point, after reading several adult fantasy novels as a teen, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around when a woman was a witch or a sorceress or a mage. Maybe the reference sources I used back then are a little outdated since that was over 20 years ago, but there was no real difference that I could see. It seemed more like a difference in power level, if anything. Maybe a difference in what kinds of magic they could do. But I found them to be rather interchangeable depending on what the author wanted to say about the magic in their story. Witch, I found, was more likely found in books where magic was more a curse or a blight, while sorceresses and mages were in stories where magic was more highly regarded.

I grew up watching witches in Disney movies and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and watching Charmed was something special my mom and I did every week. I developed an early love of magical women, and am still waiting to come into my own powers. Books didn’t help matters. Whether a woman with magic was evil or good, I loved how powerful they were. This was well before I learned just how powerless male-dominated societies like to make women into. I grew up believing women were powerful and could do anything, especially if they had magic. Even the evil women I read about were at least a little awe-inspiring, even if I didn’t agree with how they used their magic. It never really mattered to me if they were witches, sorceresses, or something else. Personally, I prefer mage. There’s just something a little mystical about that one that I like, though I don’t often read about magic users of any gender who are called mages. Witch often feels like the prevailing term.

I loved the girl they called Witch in the Blood Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop. For a time, I liked Hermione. Then I grew up and just never finished the series. There were Tamora Pierce’s Alanna and Daine. I adored the witches in the Wheel of Time series and, for a brief time, the magical women of the Sword of Truth series, until nothing about those books sat right with me.

Since then, I haven’t paid too much attention to whether I’m reading about witches, sorceresses, or otherwise magical women. Magic tends to be part of the stories I read; sometimes the people have magic and sometimes they don’t. In the end, it all starts to blur together. This book has magic, that one, too, but what they called the magic users often escapes me.

That said, I did recently finish the Crimson Crown duology by Heather Walter. A loose retelling of Snow White from the Evil Queen’s perspective, there’s quite a few witches, and it’s not a good thing to be a witch. The magic felt a little too non-specific for me, and I couldn’t tell you how it works, but Ayleth was a witch queen, and it was interesting to see how she had to hide that. And I can’t forget about The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer. I love the idea of book witches being able to jump in and out of books. Other than those, I’m honestly drawing a blank because it’s not something I pay attention to anymore.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
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Fantasy with Friends: Interesting Witches

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

What are some interesting witches in fantasy? Is there a certain portrayal of a character that makes them a “witch” vs. a “sorceress” or other magic worker, in your opinion?

I’ve been writing fantasy stories for a really long time. At one point, after reading several adult fantasy novels as a teen, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around when a woman was a witch or a sorceress or a mage. Maybe the reference sources I used back then are a little outdated since that was over 20 years ago, but there was no real difference that I could see. It seemed more like a difference in power level, if anything. Maybe a difference in what kinds of magic they could do. But I found them to be rather interchangeable depending on what the author wanted to say about the magic in their story. Witch, I found, was more likely found in books where magic was more a curse or a blight, while sorceresses and mages were in stories where magic was more highly regarded.

I grew up watching witches in Disney movies and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and watching Charmed was something special my mom and I did every week. I developed an early love of magical women, and am still waiting to come into my own powers. Books didn’t help matters. Whether a woman with magic was evil or good, I loved how powerful they were. This was well before I learned just how powerless male-dominated societies like to make women into. I grew up believing women were powerful and could do anything, especially if they had magic. Even the evil women I read about were at least a little awe-inspiring, even if I didn’t agree with how they used their magic. It never really mattered to me if they were witches, sorceresses, or something else. Personally, I prefer mage. There’s just something a little mystical about that one that I like, though I don’t often read about magic users of any gender who are called mages. Witch often feels like the prevailing term.

I loved the girl they called Witch in the Blood Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop. For a time, I liked Hermione. Then I grew up and just never finished the series. There were Tamora Pierce’s Alanna and Daine. I adored the witches in the Wheel of Time series and, for a brief time, the magical women of the Sword of Truth series, until nothing about those books sat right with me.

Since then, I haven’t paid too much attention to whether I’m reading about witches, sorceresses, or otherwise magical women. Magic tends to be part of the stories I read; sometimes the people have magic and sometimes they don’t. In the end, it all starts to blur together. This book has magic, that one, too, but what they called the magic users often escapes me.

That said, I did recently finish the Crimson Crown duology by Heather Walter. A loose retelling of Snow White from the Evil Queen’s perspective, there’s quite a few witches, and it’s not a good thing to be a witch. The magic felt a little too non-specific for me, and I couldn’t tell you how it works, but Ayleth was a witch queen, and it was interesting to see how she had to hide that. And I can’t forget about The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer. I love the idea of book witches being able to jump in and out of books. Other than those, I’m honestly drawing a blank because it’s not something I pay attention to anymore.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Reading Order

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

When reading a favorite fantasy series, which reading order would you recommend? For instance, when reading Narnia, do you think people should go by publication order or by chronological order? Or, if you like to recommend Tolkien, do you think readers should start with LotR or The Hobbit? Feel free to discuss any favorite fantasy series you have!

Very fortunately, the series I tend to read aren’t written like the Narnia or LOTR books, or even the Magic of Recluse. I tried those, but the author’s writing kind of put me to sleep. Then again, I was about 15 when I tried them, so maybe I just need to be a little older.

Similar to the topic of whether I prefer a series or standalones, I just really want however many books it takes to tell a story. So the series I tend to pick up usually tell a full story, and that’s usually in chronological order. I’m aware many authors return to their world and/or characters to tell a different story, but I don’t always pick those up, especially if they don’t follow the same characters. When it comes to the same world but different characters, I like chronological order. History exists on a set timeline in my head.

And then there’s the Discworld books. I’ve only read a handful or so, and most of those in publication order as I was getting acquainted with the characters (I never finished doing that), but the friend who recommended the books to me insisted I read Death’s books first. I never finished doing that, either.

I have to say I do enjoy series that could be read as a series of standalones. Then I feel like I can pick and choose which stories I want to read and disregard the ones that don’t interest me. I love that they never make me feel like I’m losing out.

My preference is usually chronological order if I’m faced with the choice, but I wouldn’t dare recommend how other readers read. For me, preference always wins out over whether some group is a proponent of chronological or publication order. Otherwise I’d rather say to just pick what most piques your interest and go from there!

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Reading Order

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

When reading a favorite fantasy series, which reading order would you recommend? For instance, when reading Narnia, do you think people should go by publication order or by chronological order? Or, if you like to recommend Tolkien, do you think readers should start with LotR or The Hobbit? Feel free to discuss any favorite fantasy series you have!

Very fortunately, the series I tend to read aren’t written like the Narnia or LOTR books, or even the Magic of Recluse. I tried those, but the author’s writing kind of put me to sleep. Then again, I was about 15 when I tried them, so maybe I just need to be a little older.

Similar to the topic of whether I prefer a series or standalones, I just really want however many books it takes to tell a story. So the series I tend to pick up usually tell a full story, and that’s usually in chronological order. I’m aware many authors return to their world and/or characters to tell a different story, but I don’t always pick those up, especially if they don’t follow the same characters. When it comes to the same world but different characters, I like chronological order. History exists on a set timeline in my head.

And then there’s the Discworld books. I’ve only read a handful or so, and most of those in publication order as I was getting acquainted with the characters (I never finished doing that), but the friend who recommended the books to me insisted I read Death’s books first. I never finished doing that, either.

I have to say I do enjoy series that could be read as a series of standalones. Then I feel like I can pick and choose which stories I want to read and disregard the ones that don’t interest me. I love that they never make me feel like I’m losing out.

My preference is usually chronological order if I’m faced with the choice, but I wouldn’t dare recommend how other readers read. For me, preference always wins out over whether some group is a proponent of chronological or publication order. Otherwise I’d rather say to just pick what most piques your interest and go from there!

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Magical Libraries

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

Fantasy books often feature magical libraries that have anything from floating platforms to books with characters that come to life. What are a few of your favorite fantastic libraries?

Honestly, my favorite library is the one in the Lemoncello books by Chris Grabenstein. I read a couple of those books to my son, so they’re very contemporary fiction and puzzle forward. But I think if that kind of library actually existed I wouldn’t have much trouble getting my kids in there. It feels like an amusement park in library form, and doesn’t even need magic to function!

Actually, I don’t really gravitate towards books in general that feature a library. I did like the library in Heather Webber’s The Forget-Me-Not Library because it has a magical cat that helps patrons find exactly the right book they need. Otherwise I feel a little hard pressed to come up with a fantastical library I love.

I think the only fantastical library coming to mind is the one from The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith. That was a fun one, mostly because it’s located in Hell. But I liked how the characters with unwritten and unfinished stories could walk out of their books and just kind of hang out. Even though I wouldn’t know any of them and their stories, I think it might be fun to have tea with them.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Magical Libraries

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

Fantasy books often feature magical libraries that have anything from floating platforms to books with characters that come to life. What are a few of your favorite fantastic libraries?

Honestly, my favorite library is the one in the Lemoncello books by Chris Grabenstein. I read a couple of those books to my son, so they’re very contemporary fiction and puzzle forward. But I think if that kind of library actually existed I wouldn’t have much trouble getting my kids in there. It feels like an amusement park in library form, and doesn’t even need magic to function!

Actually, I don’t really gravitate towards books in general that feature a library. I did like the library in Heather Webber’s The Forget-Me-Not Library because it has a magical cat that helps patrons find exactly the right book they need. Otherwise I feel a little hard pressed to come up with a fantastical library I love.

I think the only fantastical library coming to mind is the one from The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith. That was a fun one, mostly because it’s located in Hell. But I liked how the characters with unwritten and unfinished stories could walk out of their books and just kind of hang out. Even though I wouldn’t know any of them and their stories, I think it might be fun to have tea with them.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Bookish Merch

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

If you could design merch based on any fantasy books, what items would you want?

I’m a minimalist at heart. I dislike clutter. Some is fine, but collecting knickknacks that aren’t particularly useful is not something I do. What am I supposed to do with 10 mugs that my kids will probably break so I probably won’t use them and they’ll just sit on a shelf? My daughter will happily take all the stickers and plaster them literally everywhere. I suppose I could use tote bags as grocery bags, but we wear those bags through so quickly. Stationary is pretty, but I don’t write letters anymore. Book sleeves and Kindle protectors would inevitably be lost, or I’d get annoyed fighting with them. I wear dresses, not T-shirts. I have a fear of fire, so, while I love the idea of candles, I freak out when it comes to birthday cake candles.

Besides, books themselves have become so expensive. I don’t even see the point of paying so much for special editions just so it can look pretty (can you tell yet I’m not a collector?). Any book I spend more than $10 on is automatically treated with extreme care because, at this point, I can’t even get 2 gallons of gas in California with $10. I remember when I could get 3-4 paperbacks for $20. Now one paperback is over that. So I can’t really see the use of bookish merchandise.

Obviously, my anti-consumerism is showing. Which seems weird for a book blogger with an affiliate link, but I’m kind of too lazy to get rid of it. Besides, I do want to support the author.

But are there any kinds of bookish merch I would actually pay for?

I had to think long and hard about this. It would have to be useful in my day-to-day functioning and not get in my way. Oh, maybe mechanical pencils. I love mechanical pencils. With 2 kittens who like to steal my pencils, I can absolutely see how those would be really useful. Maybe some cat toys? That would be interesting. Um, some dinner plates that will withstand some serious wear and tear? It really has to be microwavable and dishwasher safe. And, yeah, I think that’s probably it.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Bookish Merch

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

If you could design merch based on any fantasy books, what items would you want?

I’m a minimalist at heart. I dislike clutter. Some is fine, but collecting knickknacks that aren’t particularly useful is not something I do. What am I supposed to do with 10 mugs that my kids will probably break so I probably won’t use them and they’ll just sit on a shelf? My daughter will happily take all the stickers and plaster them literally everywhere. I suppose I could use tote bags as grocery bags, but we wear those bags through so quickly. Stationary is pretty, but I don’t write letters anymore. Book sleeves and Kindle protectors would inevitably be lost, or I’d get annoyed fighting with them. I wear dresses, not T-shirts. I have a fear of fire, so, while I love the idea of candles, I freak out when it comes to birthday cake candles.

Besides, books themselves have become so expensive. I don’t even see the point of paying so much for special editions just so it can look pretty (can you tell yet I’m not a collector?). Any book I spend more than $10 on is automatically treated with extreme care because, at this point, I can’t even get 2 gallons of gas in California with $10. I remember when I could get 3-4 paperbacks for $20. Now one paperback is over that. So I can’t really see the use of bookish merchandise.

Obviously, my anti-consumerism is showing. Which seems weird for a book blogger with an affiliate link, but I’m kind of too lazy to get rid of it. Besides, I do want to support the author.

But are there any kinds of bookish merch I would actually pay for?

I had to think long and hard about this. It would have to be useful in my day-to-day functioning and not get in my way. Oh, maybe mechanical pencils. I love mechanical pencils. With 2 kittens who like to steal my pencils, I can absolutely see how those would be really useful. Maybe some cat toys? That would be interesting. Um, some dinner plates that will withstand some serious wear and tear? It really has to be microwavable and dishwasher safe. And, yeah, I think that’s probably it.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Series or Standalone?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

Do you currently prefer standalone fantasies or series? Is there a certain number of books that seems like “too much,” whether that means the series feels intimidating to start or just that the author might need to move on to something else? Is there a point at which you worry that a series is just a “cash grab?”

Once, mostly when I was in high school, I almost always only picked books based on how many books were in the series. The longer the series, the better, in my opinion. It made hunting down my next read easier, and faster. I had a somewhat odd method of finding what I wanted to read next, which took a lot of time.

In a way, I still feel like that. I love getting to spend as much time as possible with some favorite characters in an amazing world. I would gladly take more books with them. I always believe there are more adventures out there, and I always wonder what the aftermath of the big clash is like and how the heroes deal with life afterwards. I feel like the epic high fantasies could turn into delightful cozies as we follow the heroes from the beginning to the big battle and then to what happens next when life settles down.

At the same time, sometimes the story is just over and I don’t feel like I need or want to know what comes next. At that point, it definitely feels like it’s “too much” in that the author should probably move on. Sometimes it feels like some authors just get stuck and they run out of interesting stories to tell. I don’t think I ever feel intimidated by long series; I feel like I never have enough time. Between my never ending work as a mom and my pursuit of publication, I just don’t have as much time as I’d like to spare for everything I want to read. So, if it’s a really long series, it goes on a mental list that I quietly promise I’ll get to one day when I’m old and my kids are, hopefully, self-sufficient. Or at least don’t need me to make food for them every few hours.

During this season of my life, I’ll take either a series or a standalone. I just want a whole story, however many books it takes. Sometimes I feel like a series really needs more than 3 books. Other times, one probably would have been good enough.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Series or Standalone?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

Do you currently prefer standalone fantasies or series? Is there a certain number of books that seems like “too much,” whether that means the series feels intimidating to start or just that the author might need to move on to something else? Is there a point at which you worry that a series is just a “cash grab?”

Once, mostly when I was in high school, I almost always only picked books based on how many books were in the series. The longer the series, the better, in my opinion. It made hunting down my next read easier, and faster. I had a somewhat odd method of finding what I wanted to read next, which took a lot of time.

In a way, I still feel like that. I love getting to spend as much time as possible with some favorite characters in an amazing world. I would gladly take more books with them. I always believe there are more adventures out there, and I always wonder what the aftermath of the big clash is like and how the heroes deal with life afterwards. I feel like the epic high fantasies could turn into delightful cozies as we follow the heroes from the beginning to the big battle and then to what happens next when life settles down.

At the same time, sometimes the story is just over and I don’t feel like I need or want to know what comes next. At that point, it definitely feels like it’s “too much” in that the author should probably move on. Sometimes it feels like some authors just get stuck and they run out of interesting stories to tell. I don’t think I ever feel intimidated by long series; I feel like I never have enough time. Between my never ending work as a mom and my pursuit of publication, I just don’t have as much time as I’d like to spare for everything I want to read. So, if it’s a really long series, it goes on a mental list that I quietly promise I’ll get to one day when I’m old and my kids are, hopefully, self-sufficient. Or at least don’t need me to make food for them every few hours.

During this season of my life, I’ll take either a series or a standalone. I just want a whole story, however many books it takes. Sometimes I feel like a series really needs more than 3 books. Other times, one probably would have been good enough.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Future Fantasy Classics?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

What contemporary fantasy works do you think could become future classics?

I really have no clue. I don’t even know what’s made the books we consider to be classics today to be classics in the first place. It’s something I’ve asked myself many times over the years as I’ve tried to puzzle out why we still read some books over others. I haven’t figured it out yet. So I really have no idea what might make today’s fantasy novels the classic fantasy novels of tomorrow.

But, if I had to pick, it would probably be most of the books I don’t care to read because I tend to not read the more popular books. I also tend to find them to not be to my taste. But everyone seems to be reading them, so that’ll probably prolong their popularity enough to make them last. Maybe?

Then again, I think it’ll probably be those books that have a timelessness to them, or that say something about today’s society. I really enjoyed those classics, the ones that revealed what life was like back then. But I also loved the classics that had a timeless story, one that could, in theory, play out today. There are probably a number of current fantasy novels that might match that criteria.

I also think that, with so many books being adapted into movies and TV shows, those books will probably stand the test of time a little longer. People years from now will be able to watch them and then maybe they’ll be curious about the source material and that’ll lead to a whole new group or generation of people reading them, perpetuating those stories.

But I, personally, would be hard pressed to point to specific novels I think might become classics in the future. Who am I to say what teachers will use to teach, or what tastes readers will have, or even what some people in their ivory towers will deem the books to read? I can only hope that some truly decent novels with excellent prose will make it onto those lists. Because some of the classics sometimes read more like pointless drivel than actual stories worth reading today.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Future Fantasy Classics?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

What contemporary fantasy works do you think could become future classics?

I really have no clue. I don’t even know what’s made the books we consider to be classics today to be classics in the first place. It’s something I’ve asked myself many times over the years as I’ve tried to puzzle out why we still read some books over others. I haven’t figured it out yet. So I really have no idea what might make today’s fantasy novels the classic fantasy novels of tomorrow.

But, if I had to pick, it would probably be most of the books I don’t care to read because I tend to not read the more popular books. I also tend to find them to not be to my taste. But everyone seems to be reading them, so that’ll probably prolong their popularity enough to make them last. Maybe?

Then again, I think it’ll probably be those books that have a timelessness to them, or that say something about today’s society. I really enjoyed those classics, the ones that revealed what life was like back then. But I also loved the classics that had a timeless story, one that could, in theory, play out today. There are probably a number of current fantasy novels that might match that criteria.

I also think that, with so many books being adapted into movies and TV shows, those books will probably stand the test of time a little longer. People years from now will be able to watch them and then maybe they’ll be curious about the source material and that’ll lead to a whole new group or generation of people reading them, perpetuating those stories.

But I, personally, would be hard pressed to point to specific novels I think might become classics in the future. Who am I to say what teachers will use to teach, or what tastes readers will have, or even what some people in their ivory towers will deem the books to read? I can only hope that some truly decent novels with excellent prose will make it onto those lists. Because some of the classics sometimes read more like pointless drivel than actual stories worth reading today.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Low or High Fantasy?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

Do you prefer low or high fantasy? Or both?

As a longtime fantasy reader I have certainly read both, but high fantasy will always hold my heart. I love being swept away on an epic adventure through a world that may or may not resemble anything I recognize at all. Part of the fun of fantasy is getting to explore a completely new and unique world.

Low fantasy does sometimes find a spot in my reading life. It often feels simpler and easier on my brain, so I like using it, as well as a couple of other genres, as something of a palate cleanser. I love the way high fantasy makes me think fast just to keep up, but sometimes it gets a little heavy book after book after book. Sometimes life just gets too messy and heavy. So I turn to low fantasy for the simplicity I find in the worlds. There are fewer rules to remember, and so much more is familiar so it’s easy to put them aside until they pop back up instead of having to store that information in a spot in my mind. I think it also allows readers to really focus on things like character development, the emotions, and the plot because the world building isn’t so massive.

But my favorite thing about fantasy is the world building. To me, any story can be nested in fantasy. A romance, a mystery, an adventure, academia. Anything. Fantasy, to me, is all about the world and the unexplained. It’s the strange worlds, the strange creatures, the magic, the weird. While low fantasy can certainly have all of that, I just happen to have a greater appreciation for those authors who build worlds from the ground up. I’ve been writing fantasy worlds since I was 10 (technically 8, but that was co-written), so I understand what a massive undertaking it is and just how much work goes into creating a working world. So that’s a big part of the reason why I love high fantasy.

I also just love the idea of stepping into the unknown. I love discovering something new, and high fantasy usually gives me that more than low fantasy. I love the feeling of feeling completely lost in a new world, because, very often, as I keep going, it suddenly starts to make sense and that’s just the most incredible feeling to me. I think that’s why I loved The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick so much. It was sometimes overwhelming, but, halfway through, things just started clicking, and nothing can take that excitement and sheer joy from me. It’s what makes high fantasy so incredible to me.

Then there’s just the sense of being swept off my feet into an extraordinary adventure, whether it takes me out into the wider world or confines me to a specific location. I find there’s something exciting about maybe finding a familiar story nested in a unique world or finding the adventure of a lifetime in a place I never thought could exist. I love how things can be bent and broken and somehow make sense. I do not like when things bend and break for the sake of the story, but, when it just works, it feels like magic all on its own.

And, at nearly 40 years old, I still find myself waiting to come into my powers or finding a portal that will take me elsewhere, so I consider high fantasy to be an acceptable way of doing what I’ve always dreamed of.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Low or High Fantasy?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

Do you prefer low or high fantasy? Or both?

As a longtime fantasy reader I have certainly read both, but high fantasy will always hold my heart. I love being swept away on an epic adventure through a world that may or may not resemble anything I recognize at all. Part of the fun of fantasy is getting to explore a completely new and unique world.

Low fantasy does sometimes find a spot in my reading life. It often feels simpler and easier on my brain, so I like using it, as well as a couple of other genres, as something of a palate cleanser. I love the way high fantasy makes me think fast just to keep up, but sometimes it gets a little heavy book after book after book. Sometimes life just gets too messy and heavy. So I turn to low fantasy for the simplicity I find in the worlds. There are fewer rules to remember, and so much more is familiar so it’s easy to put them aside until they pop back up instead of having to store that information in a spot in my mind. I think it also allows readers to really focus on things like character development, the emotions, and the plot because the world building isn’t so massive.

But my favorite thing about fantasy is the world building. To me, any story can be nested in fantasy. A romance, a mystery, an adventure, academia. Anything. Fantasy, to me, is all about the world and the unexplained. It’s the strange worlds, the strange creatures, the magic, the weird. While low fantasy can certainly have all of that, I just happen to have a greater appreciation for those authors who build worlds from the ground up. I’ve been writing fantasy worlds since I was 10 (technically 8, but that was co-written), so I understand what a massive undertaking it is and just how much work goes into creating a working world. So that’s a big part of the reason why I love high fantasy.

I also just love the idea of stepping into the unknown. I love discovering something new, and high fantasy usually gives me that more than low fantasy. I love the feeling of feeling completely lost in a new world, because, very often, as I keep going, it suddenly starts to make sense and that’s just the most incredible feeling to me. I think that’s why I loved The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick so much. It was sometimes overwhelming, but, halfway through, things just started clicking, and nothing can take that excitement and sheer joy from me. It’s what makes high fantasy so incredible to me.

Then there’s just the sense of being swept off my feet into an extraordinary adventure, whether it takes me out into the wider world or confines me to a specific location. I find there’s something exciting about maybe finding a familiar story nested in a unique world or finding the adventure of a lifetime in a place I never thought could exist. I love how things can be bent and broken and somehow make sense. I do not like when things bend and break for the sake of the story, but, when it just works, it feels like magic all on its own.

And, at nearly 40 years old, I still find myself waiting to come into my powers or finding a portal that will take me elsewhere, so I consider high fantasy to be an acceptable way of doing what I’ve always dreamed of.

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Fantasy with Friends: Underrated Fantasy Books

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

What is an underrated fantasy book you would recommend?

Considering I tend to read off the beaten path, most of the fantasy I’ve read is probably underrated. I’ve been reading fantasy for over 20 years, so probably a lot of the books I read back when I was a teen? It’s kind of amazing to see how fantasy has evolved since the 80s and 90s.

One of the early fantasy series I read has always felt like one of the more underrated of the author’s series. Readers tend to think of the Alanna when Tamora Pierce is mentioned, which I enjoyed as long as I read the first and last books. But I adored her Circle of Magic quartet, even to this day. My copies are probably close to falling apart, but I can’t bear to part with them. While I’m pretty sure Lark and Rosethorn, the two women caring for four orphaned and abandoned children with particular magics, were lesbians, there’s no focus on romance, which makes sense since these were written for children! Instead, it focused on the friendship between these four very different kids from different walks of life and the siblinghood they formed.

Jumping forward a bit, well, it’s probably most of the books I read. When I was in high school, there was no Goodreads and I definitely hadn’t even heard of Amazon yet. I didn’t even really start using the Internet until college in the early 2000s, so I literally had no clue what books were out there unless they were stocked in the bookstore and library. There were no reviews to peruse, and none of my peers were reading adult fantasy (some years ago, I did share the books that were popular when I was in high school…that I mostly didn’t read). My favorite turned out to be the The Watershed trilogy by Douglas Niles. Today, I don’t actually remember a whole lot, but it felt like quintessential fantasy. There were dark lands and evil beings and magical waters. There was romance and friendship. There were adventures and danger. I loved these books. They were so much fun to read. I remember the story and world building being relatively easy to follow, so, if you’re looking for old underrated fantasy, this series might be fun.

I ended up taking a long break from reading fantasy between college and when I became a mom for the second time, basically when I started book blogging. I had grown dissatisfied with fantasy and nothing was really piquing my interest. But, thanks to book blogging, I’ve enjoyed so many different kinds of fantasy books, from indie authors to traditionally published books.

I can’t fail to mention two fantasy authors I absolutely love (and, no, it’s not just because I’ve been a faithful reader of their blogs and have been following their author journeys for years!).

Jennifer M. Zeiger’s Hidden Mythics series only has two books so far, but she’s hard at work on the third. They’re perfect for YA and adult readers, with friendship and romance and family drama. But it’s the world building that gets me every single time. I’m in complete awe of how beautiful it is and how it manages to transport me. I normally see the settings in vivid color no matter what book I read, but these make me feel like I’m literally standing there with the characters. The attention to detail is incredible, and I always think these books are worthy of being traditionally published.

Lucia Damisa’s A Desert of Bleeding Sand series gets me in the heart every time. The third book is due to be published soon, and I am on pins and needles after the way the second book ended. I have a soft spot for African-inspired fantasy, and these books absolutely live up to every expectation. The romance is gorgeous, and yet these aren’t romantasy novels. There’s danger and war and enemies infiltrating. There’s friendship and family and loss. There are tenuous ties that are tested at every turn. These characters are stunning. And, yes, I know I mentioned Lucia’s books last time with the religion question, but, like Jennifer’s books, I’ll take every opportunity to mention them.

Other than those, I would have to say the Captain Kit Brightling books by Chloe Neill, especially for readers who enjoy Napoleonic and regency era books. Considering this series was basically canceled after 2 books, I’d say they definitely weren’t popular. And yet I had so much fun with them. They were exactly the light kind of reads I needed during the pandemic. These books are light, fluffy fantasy, blending RJ Barker’s The Bone Ships series and Jane Austen’s novels, a really fun blend that spoke to my fantasy and classics loving heart.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Underrated Fantasy Books

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

What is an underrated fantasy book you would recommend?

Considering I tend to read off the beaten path, most of the fantasy I’ve read is probably underrated. I’ve been reading fantasy for over 20 years, so probably a lot of the books I read back when I was a teen? It’s kind of amazing to see how fantasy has evolved since the 80s and 90s.

One of the early fantasy series I read has always felt like one of the more underrated of the author’s series. Readers tend to think of the Alanna when Tamora Pierce is mentioned, which I enjoyed as long as I read the first and last books. But I adored her Circle of Magic quartet, even to this day. My copies are probably close to falling apart, but I can’t bear to part with them. While I’m pretty sure Lark and Rosethorn, the two women caring for four orphaned and abandoned children with particular magics, were lesbians, there’s no focus on romance, which makes sense since these were written for children! Instead, it focused on the friendship between these four very different kids from different walks of life and the siblinghood they formed.

Jumping forward a bit, well, it’s probably most of the books I read. When I was in high school, there was no Goodreads and I definitely hadn’t even heard of Amazon yet. I didn’t even really start using the Internet until college in the early 2000s, so I literally had no clue what books were out there unless they were stocked in the bookstore and library. There were no reviews to peruse, and none of my peers were reading adult fantasy (some years ago, I did share the books that were popular when I was in high school…that I mostly didn’t read). My favorite turned out to be the The Watershed trilogy by Douglas Niles. Today, I don’t actually remember a whole lot, but it felt like quintessential fantasy. There were dark lands and evil beings and magical waters. There was romance and friendship. There were adventures and danger. I loved these books. They were so much fun to read. I remember the story and world building being relatively easy to follow, so, if you’re looking for old underrated fantasy, this series might be fun.

I ended up taking a long break from reading fantasy between college and when I became a mom for the second time, basically when I started book blogging. I had grown dissatisfied with fantasy and nothing was really piquing my interest. But, thanks to book blogging, I’ve enjoyed so many different kinds of fantasy books, from indie authors to traditionally published books.

I can’t fail to mention two fantasy authors I absolutely love (and, no, it’s not just because I’ve been a faithful reader of their blogs and have been following their author journeys for years!).

Jennifer M. Zeiger’s Hidden Mythics series only has two books so far, but she’s hard at work on the third. They’re perfect for YA and adult readers, with friendship and romance and family drama. But it’s the world building that gets me every single time. I’m in complete awe of how beautiful it is and how it manages to transport me. I normally see the settings in vivid color no matter what book I read, but these make me feel like I’m literally standing there with the characters. The attention to detail is incredible, and I always think these books are worthy of being traditionally published.

Lucia Damisa’s A Desert of Bleeding Sand series gets me in the heart every time. The third book is due to be published soon, and I am on pins and needles after the way the second book ended. I have a soft spot for African-inspired fantasy, and these books absolutely live up to every expectation. The romance is gorgeous, and yet these aren’t romantasy novels. There’s danger and war and enemies infiltrating. There’s friendship and family and loss. There are tenuous ties that are tested at every turn. These characters are stunning. And, yes, I know I mentioned Lucia’s books last time with the religion question, but, like Jennifer’s books, I’ll take every opportunity to mention them.

Other than those, I would have to say the Captain Kit Brightling books by Chloe Neill, especially for readers who enjoy Napoleonic and regency era books. Considering this series was basically canceled after 2 books, I’d say they definitely weren’t popular. And yet I had so much fun with them. They were exactly the light kind of reads I needed during the pandemic. These books are light, fluffy fantasy, blending RJ Barker’s The Bone Ships series and Jane Austen’s novels, a really fun blend that spoke to my fantasy and classics loving heart.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Fantasy with Friends: Religion in Fantasy

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is:

What are some interesting portrayals of religion in fantasy? Do you like seeing invented religions, or do you prefer fantasy worlds to have none?

Religion and I had a falling out about 25 years ago. Despite being raised at a Lutheran school and attending a Catholic church on the big holidays, my family wasn’t particularly religious. So I’ve always been able to think rather flexibly about religions. Having an interest in Greek mythology, and even more ancient pantheons, helped, too. Religion has always felt more like a series of stories to me, especially since I can never quite decide if I believe in reincarnation or just, poof, zapping out of existence upon death. To me, religion has always been less a way of life and more of a desire to figure out what comes after death.

Anyways. I love invented religions in fantasy novels, when I do notice them. Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to whether there’s religion in the books I read. Most of the time, I can see the parallels to the religions we all know. Some of them are thinly veiled Christianity, and that doesn’t always work out well (like The Mystery of Lancelot Kingdom by Andre Alexander. It was just Christianity under different names, and it didn’t really work well with the fantasy story). Really, I could take or leave religion in fantasy. I don’t need it, but it’s fun to see what spins an author takes on religion. If a book doesn’t have one, I never feel like I’m missing out. I’m an atheist, so religion is just a fun bit of world building to me. Otherwise I don’t pay much attention to it. I’m assuming since so many of the books I’ve read have had gods interfering there must be some kind of organized religion around them, but I really don’t pay attention to it.

But I have to take a moment to talk about Lucia Damisa’s A Desert of Bleeding Sand series. I’ve been a faithful follower of her blog since before she wrote these books, and it’s so wonderful to be able to read them now. I know she’s Christian in the most beautiful way, and I love seeing how it translates into her novels. While it’s written under the guise of a fictional religion with a fictional god, it’s easy to see the references. I love how neatly Christianity, under a different yet similar name, slots into her world. It’s woven in so perfectly that I can see the inspiration, the pure faith, and still see her books as a fantastic fantasy world with its own religion. I feel like I’m explaining this poorly, because it’s really so masterfully done.

In answer to the question, I don’t really care if there’s religion in a fantasy novel. If there is, I hope it makes sense. If not, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
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