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Fantasy

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Ravenclaw

Thu, Mar 14 2019, 10:53 pm

tigerwife wrote:

Fantasy
Medieval
Magic
Anyone detect a theme

Okay this is the next winning genre after historical fiction for April!
We will come back to old genres with time, don't worry.

Any suggestions?

youngishbear

Thu, Mar 14 2019, 11:12 pm

Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik

"Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.

But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand."

4.7 stars on Amazon
4.3 stars on Goodreads
...and it's on my to-read list!

I enjoyed her other book Uprooted. This one's protagonist is Jewish. Although this reviewer had some things to say about that:
https://jewishreviewofbooks.co.....spun/

The reading of which led me to
https://jewishreviewofbooks.co.....rnia/

And down the rabbit hole I go...

sequoia

Thu, Mar 14 2019, 11:41 pm

Aw I love that essay! It was nice to re-read it.

We may as well read The Magicians. Whoever is interested can finish the trilogy on her own.

Also I know Lev Smile

tigerwife

Fri, Mar 15 2019, 12:42 am

Awesome, I can’t wait to read the recommendations!
Youngishbear, thanks for linking that article! I’ll have to point out that one flaw in the logic is that there are Jewish fantasy writers, but we wouldn’t know because they will write under a pen name to avoid controversy (I have a fantasy novel or three waiting to be written someday but it won’t be under my own name).

I’ve already read The Magicians so I hope there will be more recommendations. I found it a bit crude but this is coming from someone who mainly reads super clean kiddie books lol. I did finish the trilogy fairly fast, and I loved the micro world and sad history the author created, although I disliked the protagonist.

youngishbear

Fri, Mar 15 2019, 1:02 am

tigerwife wrote:

Good point, tigerwife. I do think that if one of your novels becomes famous מהודו עד כוש you wouldn't be able to hide behind a pen name for too long, and the fact that we don't any great Jewish fantasy stories supports his point.

ETA: Others agree with you...

https://fjm.livejournal.com/907353.html

Another link: https://douthat.blogs.nytimes......rnia/

And then his response: https://jewishreviewofbooks.co.....eply/

The question is a bit deeper than "why don't Jews write fantasy." It's more along the lines of "can fantasy be based on Judaism the way Narnia is based on Christianity?"

Oh, and I don't think Quentin was supposed to be likable.

Last edited by youngishbear on Fri, Mar 15 2019, 1:18 am; edited 1 time in total

tigerwife

Fri, Mar 15 2019, 1:15 am

A while ago, there was a sort of Jewish fantasy/magic series advertised on this site by a member, The Palace by Catherine Green (I think). I read several of her books.

Ravenclaw

Fri, Mar 15 2019, 1:37 am

The Once and Future King by T. H. White

It's a bit heavier than what I usually read, but I want to push my boundaries. And it's Arthur! Who can resist that?

Ravenclaw

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:14 pm

Cmon guys! We need more suggestions.

Ravenclaw

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:17 pm

Mistborn
By Brandon Sanderson

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?

youngishbear

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:22 pm

Ravenclaw wrote:

Cmon guys! We need more suggestions.

Maybe you should change the thread title so people know what it's about.

"Book club April genre: Fantasy. Suggestions?" Or something like that

youngishbear

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:33 pm

I'd rather we choose something I haven't read yet, but here's one of my recent favorites. The description does not do it justice. It's light reading and really funny. If you like fantasy - or rather fairy tales- check it out even if it doesn't win.

Howl's Moving Castle
By Diana Wynne Jones

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

trixx

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:42 pm

I don't know the rules of this thread but Graceling - officially young adult but such a great read

Rappel

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:50 pm

I love all of the suggestions here!

Just to mix up the pot a little:

Sabriel, by Garth Nix

It's the first (and standalone, if I remember correctly) of the Abhorsen series, and describes a unique magic system based on musical bells and necromancy.

------

Edited to seperate suggestions, for voting purposes.

Last edited by Rappel on Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

Rappel

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:52 pm

youngishbear wrote:

Literally my childhood.

youngishbear

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:57 pm

Rappel wrote:

I love all of the suggestions here!

Just to mix up the pot a little:

Sabriel, by Garth Nix

It's the first (and standalone, if I remember correctly) of the Abhorsen series, and describes a unique magic system based on musical bells and necromancy.

------

Am I allowed to suggest two books?

The Magicians of Caprona, by Dianna Wynne Jones.

An excellent exploration into alt-world Italy, with tons of humor and fascinating social, cultural, and religious references.

Maybe in a separate post so we can tally votes.

Rappel

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:57 pm

I see everyone else made multiple suggestions, so I'm just going to add another:

The Diamond in the Window, by Jane Langton

The description doesn't even stratch the surface of the book, but here, from Goodreads:

A very unusual house...Eddy and Eleanor Hall have always known that their family was a bit out of the ordinary. After all, they live in one of the most remarkable houses in all of Concord. But they never guessed just how extraordinary their house really is, or what tremendous secrets about their family's past it holds. That is, until they discover the magical attic room with its beautiful stained-glass window, abandoned toys, and two perfectly made-up, empty beds that seem to be waiting, perhaps for two children just like themselves....

Last edited by Rappel on Mon, Mar 18 2019, 8:03 pm; edited 1 time in total

Rappel

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 7:59 pm

The Magicians of Caprona, by Dianna Wynne Jones.

An excellent exploration into alt-world Italy, with tons of humor and fascinating social, cultural, and religious references.

Rappel

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 8:04 pm

The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling.

Need I say more? Smile

Miri7

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 8:12 pm

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. (A must read if you like fantasy)

Series: realm of the elderlings by Robin Hobb (16 books!)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (not very medieval but swords and time travel)

Game of Thrones - R R Martin. loved reading this.

tigerwife

Mon, Mar 18 2019, 8:13 pm

The Squire’s Tales series by Gerald Morris.
Each book is pretty short, I would definitely finish them in less than a month Smile

It’s a fabulous Arthurian series, light and funny.

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