Fantasy At Any Age

I started reading fantasy at a young age, due to my mom’s love of it. Throughout the years, I’ve gone through various ‘phases,’ so here I’ve decided to list some of the books that meant to the most to me at various phases of my life. (If I’ve reviewed these books on my blog, the title is hyperlinked)

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
When I was four, we took a family vacation to Wales and this book was in the B&B that we stayed at. I hadn’t finished it by the time our vacation was over, and the owner was kind enough to let me keep it! This is actually the only Blyton I ever read, but I absolutely adored reading the adventures of the children and their friends who lived in the tree that saw a new, different world appear with every cloud!

The Green Knowe series by L.M. Boston
These were my favourite books when I was in elementary school, and I still love them! They all center around various childrens’ experiences at Green Knowe, an old English estate with many magical properties. The writing is superb, and I love all of the characters as well.

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
I received these as a boxed set for Christmas when I was in sixth grade, and I read them all in two days! No need to tell anyone what they’re about, but I loved them to death (although I always felt bad for Susan).

The Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony
This is a seven part series (a combination of sci-fi and fantasy) that each focuses on a different ‘archetype’: Death, Time, War, Fate, Nature, Satan, and God. I haven’t revisited these in years, so I’m not sure how they hold up, but I absolutely loved the entire series in middle school (I even did a book report on On a Pale Horse!). The plotlines are complicated (all interwoven) and span centuries, and I still remember the characters, they were all so vivid.

The Belgariad by David Eddings
David Eddings was my absolute favourite fantasy author in high school-he creates epic worlds that always have a lot of focus on (made-up) mythology and various societies. The Belgariad was my favourite series of his (oh! all those awesome characters), but I really enjoyed all of his works. If you’re looking for something a bit shorter, try The Redemption of Althalus-it has the same feel, if not as much detail.

American Gods, Stardust, and Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
I read Good Omens towards the end of my senior year of high school, and I got really into Neil Gaiman in the early years of college. I love all of his books, but it’s impossible for me to pick a favourite of the three I listed. Gaiman works a lot with world mythology and tends to focus on the blending between the real world and the Other world (either gods or faeries). He’s incredibly versatile, with a wide range of styles, but somehow his voice always remains his own.

Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I read this two years ago, and I was just blown away by this historical, academic approach to fantasy. It reminded me a little of what A.S. Byatt did for romance novels in Possession! I loved all of the footnotes, and just the sheer believability of this alternative history, where magic still exists (though barely) in Napoleonic Europe.

The Little Country by Charles de Lint
I only read this about a month ago, but if a book could be perfect, this one is. It combines a love of music and reading with fairies and magic, as well as sympathetic characters who feel like they could walk off the page at any moment. Charles de Lint was my introduction into ‘urban fantasy,’ and a great one it was.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Another one I only read last year, this is significant since it marks my new interest in YA fantasy novels. Of the urban persuasion, this story about the intersection of faerie and one luckless high schooler was compelling all of the way through, with an ending that was perfectly satisfactory. Once again, the characters all stay with me, and I can’t wait to read more by Marr.