Five Of My Favorite Fantasy Books

I am so not procrastinating right now. Or am I? I should be reading Our Chemical Hearts but I’ve been majorly distracted by Stranger Things, which I’ve been binge watching for the past two days. (I’m almost finished and holy crap THAT SHOW!) I also got the idea for this post though so now instead of reading or watching tv I’m doing this!

I’m a huge fantasy fan. This post is a few of my favorites, some from way back when and some more recent. 😊

This is in no particular order and all of the images are clickable links to Goodreads.

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Eragon by Christopher Paolini

One boy. One dragon. A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.

Eragon was my first experience with dragons in books. I read it back in middle school and was in love with it for the longest time. I never did finish the full series, but I hope to one day. The world was so complex and interesting and I still think about it a lot. 

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Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals–well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she’s crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn’t her biggest problem–staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.

If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Two words – Greek Mythology. I love books that deal with greek mythology and this book in particular was so unique. I loved the characters and the whole story. The series is actually my favorite by JLA and is what started my love for her books. 

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Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind

In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher’s forest sanctuary seeking help … and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.

In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword– to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed … or that their time has run out.

This is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.

 

Me picking this book up was the product of my obsession with the tv show adaption called Legend of the Seeker. (Which was canceled and I’m still sore over that.) It was my first experience with more serious fantasy (if that makes any sense, I can’t think of a better way to explain it). I never got the chance to finish the series but I loved the ones I did get to read. The whole journey, the magic, and paranormal aspect is incredible and really unique. 

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Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a crucial gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and talk to ghosts. This mysterious ability had always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she could undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because Dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding – and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura’s relationship with with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart… and clues to the secret of the Shift.

This one is a bit more paranormal fantasy than magic/dragons/swords fantasy. It also made me cry a lot. BUT don’t let that make you shy away from it because it’s an incredible book and series and way underrated. It’s also one of the few series I know of that is partly set in both Ireland and Scotland. 

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Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause 

Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?

Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He’s fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.

Vivian’s divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really—human or beast? Which tastes sweeter—blood or chocolate?

Has anyone else seen the movie for this? I feel like the movie is more well known than the book. (The movie and book are really different.) I read this book as well as her other book The Silver Kiss back in middle school and loved them both. I especially loved this one! I was never a big fan of werewolf books but this one really stood out for me. I guess it was the whole tradition she built for her werewolves and how their society ran. It was different and intrigued my middle schooler self. It really is a great book though and this author’s writing is incredible. 

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Have you read any of the above books? Do you want to?

What are some of your favorite fantasy books?

 

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