Category: Fantasy

/ˈfan(t)əsē/ noun. a composition, free in form, typically involving variation on an existing work or the imaginative representation of a situation or story; a fantasia.

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

“Here is something I learned in Empis: good people shine brighter in dark times.” pg 250

Charlie is a typical teen- plays sports and helps his father out around the house. But one day, after helping a neighbor after an accident, Charlie enters a world that is not our own. And discovers an adventure that he wasn’t looking for.

The incomparable Stephen King has written a mammoth fairy tale (600 pages in my digital version!). I thought it was too long.

Not that I mind long books. It sort of felt like King started the book thinking it was going to be about something different than it turned into.

The reason I feel that way is because the first quarter of the book takes so long to establish Charlie’s character and real world connections.

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I wanted to just get on with it. Then, when we finally made it to Empis, events went too quickly!

King uses quite a lot of foreshadowing which was ok at first, but then it started to become too much. I realize he was trying to build tension- it was just over-used.

“Remember when I said at the outset that no one would believe my story?” pg 494, ebook

I enjoyed any part of the story that had Radar the dog in it. She was my favorite character. King really took his time developing her and her reactions to the world around her, which was fun.

King is at his best when he’s describing the eerie atmosphere of the other world and its unfortunate denizens. Like I said, those parts went too quickly.

Other than my small gripes, this was a well-written story and worthy of its Good Reads nomination. Readers who like Stephen King for his horror should read a different book. This is definitely more fantasy than horror.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Jennifer Saint writes the mythological story of Ariadne from her and her sister Phaedra’s points-of-view.

“I took that story with me in the coming days and turned it over, like the stone in a ripe peach: the sudden, unexpected hard shock in the center of everything.” pg 14

Like Circe, Ariadne gives the female figures in the classic tale a voice, something they have never had in the original telling.

“The cold green of his eyes. Like the shock of the chill waters when the seafloor drops away unexpectedly beneath your feet and you realize that you have swum out far beyond your depth.” pg 34

For those not familiar with the myths, Ariadne was in charge of the Minotaur’s labyrinth on Crete. Theseus relied on her for help when he confronted the monster, who was also Ariadne’s half-brother.

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What happens next is the main part of this story. The labyrinth encounter is finished in the first 100 pages, which surprised me. I expected it to be longer.

Saint touches on the unfair nature of many of the classic myths towards women, which includes the story of Medusa and any number of Zeus’s mortal lovers. Zeus took lovers again and again, and his wife visited all sorts of nasty revenges upon them. But that didn’t stop Zeus’s prowling.

Ariadne is somewhat empowered in this story- she realizes the unfair treatment- but at the same time she isn’t able to do much to change her own fate, or the fate of her beloved sister Phaedra.

The gods and goddesses are bound by fate as well. This is most easily seen in some of the stories Dionysus tells about his time among mortals. I could see book clubs having a great time discussing the roles of fate and free will in this story.

I think Saint could have gone a little further in her interpretation of the myths, she stays pretty close to the original telling. It still makes for a beautiful story, but it could have been even better.

Recommended for readers interested in Greek and Roman mythology.

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Three friends from the sea go on a magical adventure on the land- and can’t recall the magic to return to the sea.

Thirsty Mermaids is a fun tale for teens or the young at heart that explores the themes of friendship, self sufficiency and belonging.

At first, the merfolk and sea witch believe they don’t have any skills that could translate to jobs on land. But after exploring what they are already inclined to do, they find their way into situations that fit them quite well.

The sea witch’s task, to find a way to break the spell, is more difficult. She has to go on a soul-searching mission which, as we all know, is one of the hardest tasks of all.

The artwork of Thirsty Mermaids is quite similar to Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy, another graphic novel which I love. The reason for this is because Kat Leyh is a co-author of Lumberjanes.

Both works share messages of acceptance and body positivity, the kind of messages which always deserve reminders.

I enjoyed this graphic novel very much. Highly recommended.

Chivalry by Neil Gaiman (Author), Colleen Doran (Illustrator)

Chivalry by Neil Gaiman (Author), Colleen Doran (Illustrator)

Chivalry is a delightful fantasy short story by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by the talented Colleen Doran.

The story itself is simple: an elderly woman discovers the Holy Grail at a second-hand shop and takes it home. A knight comes questing for the grail and she is unwilling to give it up.

Does everything end up happily ever after for everyone in our tale? Read and see…

I loved the artwork of this story. Doran uses beautiful colors to highlight the art. Some of the pages are done like medieval folios, they were my favorite.

In the notes at the end of the book, Doran shares she wanted to make the whole book like an illuminated manuscript but she discovered that was unworkable. The pages she did do in that style are breath taking.

Highly recommended for fantasy and comic book fans.

Vita Nostra (Vita Nostra, Book One) by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko

Vita Nostra (Vita Nostra, Book One) by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko

The reader joins Sasha Samokhina as she begins her magical training at a school where no one tells her what they are teaching.

Later that evening she was supposed to attend prep courses at the university. Sasha did not go. She lay on her bed, textbooks thrown aside, and thought, What’s the point? Because clearly the world did not work the way she imagined before.” pg 29, ebook

Through pain and suffering, Sasha slowly finds her way in this new world. If she fails, real world consequences follow, so she doesn’t dare to fail.

But what is it, exactly, that she’s learning? Discovering that is one of the joys of this book.

“Attention, students,” continued Portnov just as softly. “You are at the beginning of a journey, during which all of your strength will be required. Physical and mental. What we will be studying is not for everyone.” pg 70, ebook

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A friend pointed out to me that this book has quite an eastern European feel to it. I knew as I was reading it that the tone was dark, but as soon as he said that I had to agree.

This is not your typical magic school. It isn’t kind, gentle, or forgiving.

“What will happen if we don’t learn it?” Sasha asked. All three girls fell silent. The question that had tortured them all day was now out in the open.” pg 76, ebook

That being said, the magic system itself is one of the most unique I have ever read. The reveal is very slow, but I thought it was definitely worth the wait.

Recommended for older teens or adults because of some disturbing content.

BRZRKR #2 by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt

BRZRKR #2 by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt

BRZRKR #2 continues the quest to examine the ancient warrior’s past in order to reproduce his incredible powers for modern warfare.

The collected issues didn’t advance the story very far, but the art was good.

There was much less violence in this book. Perhaps they’ve already established what an astounding warrior our main character is and don’t feel the need to show that as much. Whatever the reason, I felt this book was much easier to read than the last.

The authors are introducing more side characters and Diana, one of the lead scientists who are examining our titular character, gets an interesting twist in her storyline.

The artwork and lettering is as good as the last book. There are some very talented artists bringing this series to life.

Recommended for adults because of the content.

BRZRKR, Volume 1 by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt

BRZRKR, Volume 1 by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt

An absolute blood-fest of a book, BRZRKR introduces readers to an ancient warrior who can’t die and who is driven to kill by an internal impulse he’s had since birth.

Honestly, for a first book from actor Keanu Reeves, this wasn’t too bad.

If you can get past the gratuitous violence, it has some great themes- the hero’s birth and crossing the threshold of manhood, the death of the parents or guardians, the eternal war of the uncivilized portion of the psyche and the civilized part.

As a first book in a series, it introduces the main character very well. The method it uses is war and the panels are drenched in red. After a couple pages, I just started skimming for the words because the art was starting to gross me out.

I am most likely not the intended audience for this book, but that didn’t stop me from jumping into it. I’ve never let a little thing like not being the intended audience hold me back.

Recommended for adults only. In fact, the library I borrowed this book from has a Rated-R sticker on the spine to warn readers of its contents. They nailed that. Way to go, librarians!

Animal Castle Vol 1 by Xavier Dorison, Félix Delep

Animal Castle Vol 1 by Xavier Dorison, Félix Delep

Beautiful panels tell the story of Animal Castle, a farm where the humans have disappeared and the animals have taken to governing themselves.

At the top of the food chain, we have a bull and his enforcers, a militia of dogs.

Everyone else farms or builds in order to, unbeknownst to them, feed their leader’s champagne tastes.

The story follows a cat with two kittens, whose mate died prior to the beginning of this story, and a male bunny whose night job includes servicing the female bunnies at the farm.

With the help of a traveling rat, the animals will organize in order to take their power back.

I very much enjoyed this story, except that it ended on a cliffhanger. Other than that, I couldn’t get enough of the artwork. The colors are deep and beautiful.

At times, the lettering is a little small, but only in one or two panels.

There are definite nods to Animal Farm in this tale, but I think this story does well on its own.

Because of some depictions of violence and its aftermath, I’d recommend this book for adults or older teens only.

Dark Age (Red Rising Saga, #5) by Pierce Brown

Dark Age (Red Rising Saga, #5) by Pierce Brown

In Dark Age, author Pierce Brown has created an incredibly dark fantasy novel, a continuation of his Red Rising series.

For readers who haven’t picked up his excellent books yet, and you really should, this series is about a futuristic world in which humanity has divided itself into “colors” based on genetically engineered changes to our DNA. The Golds, the top of the color pyramid, were created as war machines, and they dominate all other colors.

At the bottom of the pyramid, the Reds mine and complete menial duties, basically as slaves to the rest of the colors. Other groups don’t have it much better.

Enter Darrow, a former Red whose DNA was manipulated to change him into a Gold. This entry in the series has him and his allies fighting against the remains of the Society, a group that believed in the divisions of humanity.

Darrow’s faction believes all humanity is created equal.

This is not a series for young adults. The action contains graphic sequences and includes various forms of torture, so much so, that I had trouble getting through some of the chapters.

And so many people die. I was starting to think author Pierce Brown killed off everybody I cared about… then he killed more! Silly me.

I didn’t enjoy this entry in the series as much as previous ones because of this gratuitous violence. But still, this is an epic work of fantasy and I have to give the author props for all his hard work.

Looking forward to the final book in the series which is set to publish next year. Highly recommended for adult fantasy readers.