Monday 13 February 2012

Why Fantasy Rocks

I love fantasy. I used to read a lot more of it before -- like years ago -- and I don't really know why I stopped. Just a disclaimer up front, I am in no way an expert or even very well-read in this genre. I'm just a fantasy lover.

What inspired this post? I'm reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore right now (yeah, yeah... I'm a little late to the party) and I am SO IN LOVE. I feel like I need an outlet to gush and what better place than here? Obviously these things don't apply to all fantasy novels.

The Things About Fantasy that
ROCK MY SOCKS sword?* OFF.


1. There are maps!

For a kid that can barely remember the capitals of all the provinces and territories of Canada, I sure have an inexplicable adoration for maps. I LOVE when fantasy novels have those maps at the beginning of the book with all of the different kingdoms/territories/countries/whatever. It's so cool to flip back at the end and be like gleefully tracing a route that the characters took. FUN.

(The settings in fantasy period are amazing... no question.)

2. There are girls! They do stuff!

Maybe this is a less common trend than I think it is. You'll have to forgive me if it is, because I grew up on a steady diet of Tamora Pierce and you just try and mess with Kel! (Kel is my favourite forever, end of contest.) I love seeing the women bust out their swords and bows or even maybe just their minds to help things get done. They are awesome and brave and strong and I just have so much love for it.

3. There is fighting!

In real life, I hate fighting. I can't stand it at all. In novels though? I have to admit that it's pretty fantastic when the swords are drawn and the battle commences. It's exhilarating and oftentimes superbly written (again, not an expert by any means). It's also at these points that trying to get me away from the book to do anything besides like breathe becomes a battle in itself.

4. There is magic!

I haven't made it a secret that I love magic on this blog (at least I don't think I have). Fantasy tends to be so charged with it and it amazes me every time. All of the discrimination and the battles of wills. All of the control aspects and the mastery of a certain skill. It's all so exciting every single time. I love it.

5. The sequels have purpose!

You know what I'm talking about, right? There are those genres that seem to have more of a tendency -- certainly not with every book -- to add sequels for the sake of adding sequels. I don't generally find that to be the case with fantasy. Does that mean that the series would be incomplete if it was cut off after the first book? Maybe not. It just has more of a feel that there are still (new) things to be explored and enough plot left over for a book just as thrilling as the last.

***

Well, those are some of the reasons I love fantasy. I'm sure I've forgotten some pretty huge ones though! Thoughts?

*Y'all are SAINTS for putting up with this crazy lameness. I'll stop now, I swear!

Also: I said the word 'love' NINE times in this post. I kid you not.

17 comments:

  1. I love love love LOVE Graceling and Fire both!! Kristin is a rock star!! Can't wait for Bitterblue!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can only speak for what I read in Graceling but YES! Kristin Cashore <3 I really need to get on reading Fire!

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  2. Haha these are all so true especially the second one!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love fantasy! <3 My fav fantasy author has to be Maria V Snyder!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me tooooo <3 My favourite is still Tamora Pierce (old habits die hard) but Maria's books are so full of WIN.

      Delete
  4. Soo happy you're loving Graceling! Adored that book. And I think I agree with everything here. Especially number two - so much better than those books you get where the heroines stand back and weep in the corner, literally doing nothing while someone else saves them over and over. I wanna see them stand up for themselves! With swords, if possible! :P Great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My goodness, everyone has read Graceling :| Haha, at least I can include myself now!

      Yeah, that's a pretty good definition of the heroine we all love to hate. It's all, "SAVE MEEEEEEE! AM I NOT PRETTY? SAVE MEEE!"

      Oh, Liz <3 Finally. Someone that understands my love for swords.

      Delete
  5. YOU'RE READING GRACELING. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I need Fire now now now now NOW! Actually, maps in books don't really interest me (unless it's HP, because that's a series I need to know everything about, down to the last leaf on the Whomping Willow). But generally I skip over maps haha.

    The rest, though? YES!!! Badass girls! Fights! And bloodshed! And swords! And super intriguing magic! And okay, so I love sequels in any book because I'm a greedy little book muncher. But you're so right, fantasy usually has more of an over-arcing plot that NEEDS to extend over multiple books.

    And you realise you have me on such a fantasy kick right now??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can you believe that I checked Fire out of the library when it first came out and then RETURNED IT WITHOUT READING? *slaps younger self* D: Brodie no like maps? Oh...

      *perks back up* Fights! Bloodshed! Magic! SWOOOOOOOORDS! Hehe, yeah. I complain about sequels sometimes but... I love 'em.

      Serves you right for all the books you have me frothing at the mouth for! :P

      Delete
  6. EEEEEE! YESSSS! Seriously, I developed my love of reading on Fantasy (David Eddings! ♥♥♥) and I LOVE it when I get to revisit now.

    I am SOOOO glad you're loving Graceling!!!! Is it not AMAZING? And Fire is as good! AND BITTERBLUE WILL BE WITH US SOOOOON! *fangirls*

    Have you read Poison Study and/or Touch Of Power by Maria V. Snyder? You might like them if you love Graceling?

    Errr... sorry... I always get this irrepressibly urge to recommend them if someone says they're reading Krisin Cashore, and vice versa XD

    LOVED this post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I developed my love of reading on a promise from my teacher that I would get free pizza if I read enough every month LOL.

      IT'S AMAZING! I WANT FIRE! AND BITTERBLUE! AND KRISTIN'S BRAIN! Okay, maybe that's going a bit far...

      Um, YES! I love Maria's books <3 The only ones I haven't read are Inside Out and Outside In but I own a copy of the first book.

      No worries! :) I am always up for recommendations! My TBR monster could always use some fattening up.

      Delete
  7. I love this list! The maps are the best part!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey, thanks for the follow, I've followed you, too :)
    I LOVE this post. I love fantasy, too :D I adore maps, as well, I have a few that I intend to stick on my wall. :) Any fantasies that you'd recommend? I feel like I haven't read a great fantasy in a while.

    ReplyDelete