We write a lot of blogs here at Dueling Librarians. Some require some amount of research, and some are purely opinion. I would like to say that the blogs that are pure opinion are easier to write, but truly, they are not. Take the assignment for this week: my top five fantasy novels. It should be easy, right? All I have to do is write about five novels, and why they cap my list for the crème de la crème of that genre. But it is not that simple.

Creating a list of any type of favorite involves selecting criteria. In this instance, regardless of what criteria I select, I will be still inserting my opinion for what fulfills a certain requirement. For example, Joe Schmo might think that a fantasy needs to be set in another world with at least three fantasy races in order to be considered ‘epic fantasy,’ whereas Jane Schmane might believe that real epic fantasy has to occur on a slightly-altered Earth and incorporate real elements from history. Even with criteria, lists like this are totally subjective, so do not be offended if you do not see your personal favorite here.

Nevertheless, here it goes. I judged these five novels based on – first and foremost – their ability to suck me into the story and lose all concept of reality. I also looked for well-written books, with complex plots and characters that had more than one dimension. Finally, in an effort to be fair, I selected books from different age groups. Oh, and as one final note – I debated back and forth with myself about putting Harry Potter on this list. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is undoubtedly one of my favorite books of all time, and the HP series tops my list for favorite fantasy series. But HP phenomenon has grown so massive, so behemothly large, that even people who have never read the books or seen the movies have been inundated with Harry Potter images. It seems almost a given that it would be on the list, so let us just call that series the silent participant.

The Kid’s Book. Back in 1983, X.J. Kennedy published The Owlstone Crown. I was barely old enough to begin learning how to read, but when I did pick up the book some years later, it was an instant favorite. The reader follows Timothy and Verity Tibb as well as a ladybug detective through a sort of wormhole, simultaneously taking them out of the grasp of their awful guardians and landing in the Other Earth, where they must rescue their grandparents who disappeared years earlier. Kennedy’s novel marks one of the best times I have had while reading.

The ‘Young Adult’ Novel. The term young adult is in quotation marks for a reason. While book outlets of all kinds generally agree that the 1968 book A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin is a young adult novel, I have to say that the subject matter is certainly heavy enough for adults, particularly when it comes to the follow-up novels The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore. In the first installment, the young wizard must cope with the consequences of incorrectly using his still-developing magic in a moment of youthful stupidity, thereby releasing an awful specter into the world. This is probably the best coming of age novel and a novel of self-realization I have ever read.

The Epic. There had to be at least one epic on this list, and while I enjoyed The Lord of the Rings trilogy a lot, I only wanted to put one ‘epic’ on this list, and I was completely blown away by Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind. I forced my husband to read this one, and have purchased several copies of the book for friends. My own copy was lent out to a family friend some time ago, and I am considering a quiet little B&E to get it back. Read it, and experience the first-hand account of Kvothe, a powerful man recounting the legendary life he has led. Each book in the Kingkiller Chronicles represents a day of recollections, and – ahem – the third day has yet to come. If you want to save yourself some frustration, you might wait to read the first two novels until Rothfuss releases the third. Screw that – read them now. They are worth the frustration.

The Historical Fantasy. I have to own that, not realizing this was the second in a series, I read this book out of order and have not yet read the first installment. However, The Wicked by Douglas Nicholas is that good of a book; I still have to put it on this list despite missing some of the backstory. In the interest of not giving away plot points from the second book in a series, I will simply say that if you enjoy well-researched historical fiction, fantasy, strong male and female characters, and the kind of settings you can mentally step into, read this. Though, preferably, go back and start with Something Red, the first in the series.

The Satire. If Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman had not had the good sense to unite for the sake of a great story, I would be forced to use two slots on this list in order to accommodate a book from each of these renowned authors. However, they saved me the trouble by releasing Good Omens back in 1990. In the book, a slight mix-up has allowed the son of the devil to grow up, not influenced by angels or demons, but rather, as a regular kid. Needless to say, when his role in the impending apocalypse is explained to him, he has ideas of his own. This is another one of those books that I’ve lent to multiple people – and I am consequently on my third copy of the book because no one wants to give it back. It is brilliant enough that people will steal it from their friends.

**Finally, an honorable mention has to go to Alaya Dawn Johnson for her book Racing the Dark, the beautiful and complex story that is impossible to explain and even more impossible to forget. If I had not set myself the arbitrary number of “five” for this list, Racing the Dark would certainly have made the cut. Fair warning though, after book two, this series is “on hiatus,” so it may be unfinished for quite some time.

So there you have it, folks: after much consideration, Renee’s Reads list for the Top Five Fantasy Novels. Of course, this is the list so far. There are many fantasy novels already published that I have not yet read, and many more that will be published in the future. Talk to me again in three years, and the five books comprising this list may have changed completely. And I have to say that I am okay with that. I love being able to look forward to new things.

photo credit: Dr. Azzacov via photopin cc

Like this: Like Loading...