Subgenres: Historical Fantasy

My brother is an avid history buff. While I may not share his enthusiasm for all things history, especially when it delves into the politics of the past, *gags* I do enjoy historical fiction. I’ve already written a post about this genre, and my opinions have only slightly changed, so I’d like to jump into a blend of genres—historical fantasy.

Historical fiction can be a fun genre. Fantasy can also be great. But what about when you have historical fantasy! Prepare for historically inaccurate magic, everybody. Or maybe it’s real…

 

Historical fantasy: a subgenre of fantasy that takes place in the real world in the past. The character(s) may be involved in historical events, meet historical figures, or experience historical settings. Magic is an element that puts a twist on events that we may be familiar with.

 

Suspension of Disbelief

In historical fiction, writers might get flack if they didn’t get that one date right. Or maybe that character was supposed to be blonde. Hold up. What is this, a movie adaptation? *checks notes* Nope. It’s about books. Okay, moving on.

Historical fantasy is designed to be inaccurate. Or maybe a more appropriate word would be unexpected.

One thing I enjoy about fantasy is the suspension of disbelief. Historical fantasy is one of those fantasy sub-genres that pushes that boundary of disbelief. It puts characters real or made up and puts them in situations that actually happened, then asks the readers to bear with them while it throws in a touch of magic, in a similar manner to magical realism, where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.

A great example of book that suspends disbelief is Megan Banne’s The Bird and the Blade. Though it leans more toward the historical than the fantastical, there are fantastical elements that may leave the audience wondering, “Hey, wait a second… Did I read that right?”

 

Historical Events

Many of us have heard about the Battle of Waterloo, and if you’ve happened to read Les Miserables (not fantasy), you’ve probably read more than you wanted to know about it. But, have you heard about time during the Battle of Waterloo where the magician broke his moral code to create zombie soldiers? Okay, when I put it that way, it sounds weird, but I suppose weird applies to the entirety of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke).

 

Historical Figures

What’s historical fiction without historical figures? Okay, so they don’t show up in every book. But historical fantasy sometimes includes historical figures too. Just because it’s fantasy doesn’t mean it doesn’t try to be true to the character(s), though. Nadine Brandes does a great job with historical fantasy characters in Romanov (Anastasia Romanov) and Fawkes (Guy Fawkes). Though I prefer the plot of Fawkes, both stories serve as a great introduction to real figures and their tales.

Another example that includes historical figures is Dante’s Inferno. In the epic, Dante goes on to meet long-dead poets like Virgil, Homer, and Ovid. It’s a common characteristic in classical fantasy where the main character meets with a historical figure or somebody of prominence, who would now be considered historical. Though those don’t quite qualify as historical fantasy.

 

Historical Settings

Not going to lie, this is one of my favorites because a lot of these places, you can actually visit!

One of my favorite examples is The River of Time series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Why stop at a fictional visit to Italy when you can time travel to medieval Italy and fight with a broadsword or a bow. I really want to take up broadsword fighting now. Thanks a lot. After reading these books, my sister and I visited Siena, one of the cities where the story takes place, and Firenze (Florence).

It’s been a while since I’ve read the stories, though. Perhaps it’s time for a reread…

There you have it! Just a few characteristics of historical fantasy and some recommendations.

 

Let’s chat! Do you enjoy historical fantasy? Have you read any of the books listed? Any that I missed?

 

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Similar posts: Subgenres: Portal Fantasy, 7 of my Go-To Authors, and 7 Reasons I Enjoy Historical Fiction

Subgenres: Portal Fantasy

Do you ever have those moments where you’re visiting in a garden and see a stone archway or maybe you’re walking in the woods and come across a peculiarly bent tree and think, “This looks like a portal to another world”? Sometimes I do.

Today, I’m picking back up with blogging with a new mini-series—subgenres! Every month for an undetermined time, I’m going to pick a subgenre and recommend a couple books. I’m going start with one of my favorites, and one of the more familiar ones—portal fantasy.

 

Portal fantasy: a subgenre of fantasy that features at least two different worlds. The character(s) often start in our world and travel to another world via some magical method, often a portal, which often takes the form of a door.

 

Coming-of-Age

Many, though not all, portal fantasy stories tend to include some sort of coming-of-age protagonist, so it’s a great subgenre for young adult fiction. Part of the charm of portal fantasy is experiencing the wonder of a place through the perspective of a child.

Take C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia for example. When the Pevensie children first discover Narnia, they may not want to live there for the rest of theirs lives, but they soon come to love the talking animals of the land. In later books though, some of the characters “age out” of Narnia and are told it’s time to live in their own world from then on. While this can be disheartening, it’s a part of the growing up process (or in some cases, the re-growing up process) that the characters endure.

 

The Journey

Another feature includes one or more characters trying to stay in the other world or trying to get back to ours. In this sense, portal fantasy always features some sort of journey, from one world to another. Though why anybody would want to leave these fantasy worlds, I don’t know. They tend to be pretty awesome. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—if I happen to find myself in a magic realm, please leave me there. I don’t want to come back.

A lot of traveling takes place in Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, from a tiny little town in England called Wall across the realm of Faerie and even into the clouds where ships sail the skies. Not to mention various methods of travel from a magical candle to a unicorn to a ship to just plain walking. It’s a weird book. I like it.

One might even put Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones in this subgenre because it features a character originally from our world who ran away to another, and with a title like Moving Castle, yes there’s lots of traveling. I’m talking about the book, here, not the movie. England pops up once or twice, but it’s not the main setting. The castle also features a portal door, which lets out in various cities. Maybe I’m stretching it.

 

Magical Items and/or Abilities

Portal fantasy doesn’t just feature magically transporting from one world to another, though. It also tends to feature some sort of magical item or ability or both. Take the Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab. Some of the characters have the innate magical ability to world-hop, and some characters (sometimes the same ones) have magical items like a multi-sided cloak or an evil rock that will corrupt the heart of an entire realm.

The term world-hopping makes me think of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere books, but they don’t feature our world, so it’s not exactly portal fantasy… Oh, well.

 

Various Quests

One of my favorite things about fantasy is the variety of plots, and portal fantasy is no different. Some stories like Cornelia Funke’s Inkworld series feature a quest to defeat tyranny and go home (or find a new one), and others like Alix E. Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January feature one character’s hunt for the truth while evading those trying to cover it up and uncovering many Doors along the way. Some stories are about realm or kingdom saving, and others have lower, more personal stakes. I enjoy them both.

 

 

I’m seeing a trend in author names. If you abbreviate one or two of your first names, you might be a perfect fit for the portal fantasy genre. L.A. Klein. What do you think, guys? Should I write a portal fantasy?

One might also argue that multi-verse stories could be portal fantasy, but I’m not actually a fan of most multi-verse stories or the multi-verse theory, so I’m going to leave those books alone for now.

Thanks for reading!

 

Let’s chat! What are some of your favorite portal fantasy novels? Have you read any that I listed? Are there any others that you’d recommend?

 

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Similar posts: 7 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book-to-Movie Adaptations I Enjoy, 8 Popular Fantasy Novels I Enjoy, 7 Reasons I Enjoy Fantasy Novels

Book Review: Raybearer

“‘Uniformity is not unity. Silence is not peace.’”

 
Wow, just smack society in the face, why don’t you? Too often we see globalism’s attempt to erase culture in the name of peace. I think we need to read that again: “‘Uniformity is not unity. Silence is not peace.’”

 

Book: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Genre: Young adult fantasy
My rating: 4/5 stars
Mini description: courage in the face of confusion
 
For someone who has often struggled to get into young adult fantasy, I really enjoyed this one! The main reason I struggle with YA fantasy is because it’s often lackluster in comparison to the epic worlds and characters you see in adult fantasy. Not so with this book.

I also finished the story in about a week, which is refreshing since I didn’t had a lot of time to read at the time I was reading the book, but I didn’t want to put this one down!
Though there were a couple of times where I had a hard time connecting with Tarisai, the main character, the writing style was really good. The details were spectacular without being overwhelming, as is common with adult fantasy.

The writing style takes an untraditional approach, though the trend is becoming more common, and covers several different years of Tarisai’s life. It really showed how she grew over time, going from being naïve and wanting to please those around her to being well researched and determined to stand up for what she believes is right, even when it's not always clear.

Also, can we talk about the emphasis on culture and the dangers of continent-wide conformity? Throughout the story, readers get a taste of the disunity in an empire, but the emperor and his council keep trying to fix it in all the wrong ways, which is frustrating but typical of governments.

I enjoyed the book so much, I went out and bought a copy of my own. Now I have a wait a whole year before the sequel’s paperback edition comes out… But that doesn’t stop me from borrowing the sequel from the library!

In all, I gave Raybearer 4/5 stars for excellent themes and character development albeit some reader disconnect. I would recommend the story to anybody interested in YA fantasy. I was still in the beginning of the story when I noticed that there's going to be a sequel, and I got really excited. Even once I reached the end, I have similar sentiments.
 
Interested in the book? Have you read it yet? You might also enjoy these fantasy novels: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, Fawkes by Nadine Brandes, The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrowand, and The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi.
 
Let’s chat! Have you read Raybearer yet, or has it made it to your TBR? What are some of your favorite YA fantasies?
 
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Similar book reviews: Elatsoe, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and Fawkes

Book Review: Elatsoe

In the last couple months, I made a wonderful discovery. Audiobooks! More specifically, I discovered Hoopla, an app available at my local library, which has a plethora of audiobooks. With work picking up again (I’m exhausted but enjoying it), audiobooks have been particularly nice.

My only warning, if you’re like me and want to read all the books at once, watch your number of checkouts. Hoopla only lets you use five checkouts a month.

That being said, Elatsoe was a delight to listen to! I’m particularly glad I listened to this one so that I could learn how to pronounce the name, eh-lat-SOE-ay. Though apparently the book contains illustrations, and I missed them!

 

Book: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy, mystery, contemporary

My rating: 4.5/5 stars

Mini description: ghosts versus vampires

 

The dog doesn’t die in the end because the dog is already dead. Kirby is Ely’s ghost dog, whom she brought back after he died of old age. I’m not going to lie, I want a ghost dog, or even a ghost beardie! I’ve lost pets over the years, and it would be a delight to see them again, even if I couldn’t pet them.

Yet there are still limitations in this fantasy world. Animals may make great ghost companions, but human ghosts, as the story often reminds us, are terrible things. And the vampire curse, as it’s called, may have its advantages for the young but grows more difficult with age.

I particularly liked the way the story wove Native American mythology, particular Lipan Apache, with what is to me, familiar fantasy elements. The cultural aspects were also quite fascinating, and I appreciated reading about a perspective I don’t normally hear from.

Then there were the mystery elements to the story. Early on, readers get the who in the who-done-it. It’s the why that kept me guessing, and I hadn’t figured it out by the big reveal.

I also enjoyed the way the narrative contained stories within the main story. They weren’t just flashbacks but stories within themselves. I was incredibly pleased with the book as a whole.

In all, I gave Elatsoe 4.5/5 stars for an excellent narrative and characters. I only wish it were a little longer. I’d recommend the book to anybody interested in creative contemporary fantasy. I look forward to reading more of Darcie Little Badger’s work.

 

Interested in the book? Have you read it yet? You might also enjoy these fantasy novels: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.

 

Let’s chat! Have you read Elatsoe yet, or has it made it to your TBR? What are some of your favorite contemporary fantasies?

 

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Similar book reviews: The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Fawkes, and The Snow Child

7 Popular Sci-Fi Novels I Enjoyed

These posts are fun! Last month I posted on 8 Popular Fantasy Novels I Enjoyed, and 

this month I’m here to talk about fantasy’s slightly more advanced albeit slightly deranged twin, science fiction. I couldn’t quite come up with eight novels, but that’s merely because I haven’t been reading sci-fi quite as long. Give me time, and I’m sure I’ll find more!

Now I’m not a dystopian fan, so you can automatically strike those of the list, with one exception. Sorry, dystopian fans. It’s just too depressing for my taste. What you can expect, however, is some space opera, superheroes, and AI’s. You’re welcome.

Books are arranged alphabetically by the authors’ last names.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Many people have heard of the movie—which I hated—and it wasn’t until later on that I discovered there was a book, thanks to another blogger. (Thank you, fellow bloggers!) A collection of short stories strung together, I, Robot is set in a world where robots move from a focus on scientific advancement to a place of political influence. And some of the artificial intelligences of the book wind up being far more intelligent than those portrayed in the film adaptation. A thought-provoking read.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Funny story—I almost didn’t read this one, but I remember listening to my friends from college talk about it, so I gave it a try. Then I almost didn’t like it, but I picked up the rest of the series and liked it so much that I went out and bought the books. It’s probably time for a reread of Ender’s Game.

Thoughtful yet tragic, the story describes the ends humanity might go to in order to protect itself against a hostile alien race. And it’s about Battle School, a place where brilliant children learn to be military leaders. Though I don’t agree with many of the tactics used throughout the book by various characters, it is an interesting exploration of human psychology with compelling characters.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

An exploration of what it means to be human, the story of The Giver follows a young boy, Jonas through his training in a seemingly utopian society. Parts of the story I didn’t quite understand at first, like color first coming into Jonas’ understanding, which makes sense considering the point of view, but coupled with the beautiful interpretation of the movie adaptation, the story makes more sense. I still have yet to read the final book in the series, and considering how far apart I’ve read the books, I think I’ll go back and reread them all.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I have mixed feelings about this book and the llluminae Trilogy as a whole. On the one hand, it’s filled with less-than-admirable characters and profanity, albeit censored. But on the other hand, it’s got a unique format, a fast pace and great overarching themes, like standing up against tyranny. Overall, it kinda reminds me of Guardians of the Galaxy if you add a murderous AI who somehow manages to be a fan favorite.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Talked my sister into reading this gem, and now she’s more obsessed than I am. Focusing on events after the rise of superheroes, or prodigies as they’re called, the story explores what it means to be a hero or a villain. It’s not always as clear cut as some of the characters would like to think. With traditional superpowers and unique, new ones, Renegades is part one in a trilogy with the final book recently released.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

I recently posted a book review for this superb read, which you can check out here. Set on a planet where humans have been forced to live in cave systems to survive the bombardment of an alien species, Skyward follows the daring expeditions of the new pilots in training both in holographic simulations and in real flights. Not to mention the excellent characters, the AI, and the cave creature that the main character, Spensa, fondly names Doomslug. I’m curious to see what direction the future books will take.

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

This book is a long-time favorite of mine. I was first introduced to the movies when I was a kid, and I later picked up the book in college. Next on my list of childhood favorite films based on books is Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The Time Machine, though, is quite unlike its film adaptations (1960 and 2002). While they do an overall good job of portraying the Eloi and the Morlock, the two races that human beings have become, the films superimpose more plot on the story than was in the original book. If you don’t mind a little more wandering and scientific speculation, the book is a fantastic read!

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Let’s chat! What are some of your favorite popular sci-fi novels? Enjoy any of the ones I listed? What’s your favorite sci-fi subgenre?

Similar posts: 8 Popular Fantasy Novels I Enjoyed, 8 Obscure Books I Thoroughly Enjoyed, and 7 Reasons I Enjoy Sci-Fi

8 Popular Fantasy Novels I Enjoyed

Before I’ve written on 8 Obscure Books I Thoroughly Enjoyed, (some of which I should have classified as popular; oh, well) but today I’m here to talk about some of the popular ones. Obscure books are fun to introduce, sure, but popular books can help people find fellow readers with similar tastes, and you can talk with your bookworm friends about your favorite stories for hours on end. Here goes!

The following books are not books from my Treasured Books list. I originally had the books listed on this post, but the list got too long for one post. I rant enough about those anyway, so here are just a few books I may not mention much but deserve notice. Book are organized by author’s last name.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

Though lesser known than his fellow Inklings and writer friends J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain are still read and enjoyed today with over 66,000 ratings on Goodreads. The second book, The Black Cauldron, was probably my favorite of the series, but The Book of Three does an excellent job introducing this strange yet endearing world.

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the author’s last name with the book’s title? I was one of those kids who grew up watching the movies, wishing I could be a great warrior like Atréju and befriend a luck dragon. In college I read the book and fell in love with the story all over again, and more so. While the movies wrap up their plots with a neat little bow, the book just keeps going, reinforcing the title in a new way. The book is much better than its adaptations.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Pretty sure I rant about this one a lot. A really quirky and kinda dark fantasy with one of those movies that’s just as good as the book, though listening to Gaiman read his own book is rather enchanting! I particularly enjoyed the way the story included multiple types of fairytale tropes from the hapless (and somewhat idiotic) romantic to clever women (not all of whom are good) and greedy princes, all within the land of Faerie.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

A magical realism novel that left me wondering what was real and what was magical—this book is heartbreakingly beautiful. The story combines the myths surrounding Russian folklore of the snow child with the harsh reality of winter—and life—in rural Alaska. Not only is it an excellent portrayal of the harsh beauty of nature, but it’s also a profound story about the loss of a child and found love.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would, considering it’s length and how I initially didn’t make it past the prologue. But I’m glad I made the effort to read it. Like The Naming, the story features a musician, but from there on the stories differ. The main character Kvothe, as it turns out, is a troublemaker but will still go to extreme measures to help people. The only problem is that I didn’t care as much for the sequel, and the third book still isn’t out yet.

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Do you ever have those go-to authors? You know the ones, when you don’t quite know which genre you’re in the mood for, but you always enjoy X’s work? Sanderson is one of those authors for me.

While his writing style gets better with each book in the series, The Final Empire is still my favorite because the magic system is so well thought out, the characters are incredibly dynamic, Elend is a cinnamon roll, Vin is a beast, and Kelsier kinda scares me but I like him.

But let me warn you before you start… EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW IS A LIE! All right. You’ve been warned. Enjoy!

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Never judge a book by it’s cover. Hahahaha! (That is 12% authentic laugh.) I may have read this book because I saw it’s cover in England, thought it was so intriguing, then went back to my library in Italy and checked it out. That right there is effective marketing at work.

While the book reminded me a little bit of The Lord of the Rings—beware the evil trinket—and an even tinier bit of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell—haven’t we met this mad king of England before?—A Darker Shade of Magic also manages to have an intricately-built world. Or shall I saw worlds? There are four Londons after all.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

"I'm not a girl. I'm a shark!"

This graphic novel was an impulse read at my local library and later an impulse buy. 99% of the time my impulse reads or my impulse buys, when I haven’t read the book yet—those impulses are terrible. Nimona was that brilliant 1% exception. The art is quirky yet beautiful, and I enjoy the way the story confronts the definition of what a villain is and what a hero can be.

Let’s chat! What are some of your favorite popular fantasy novels? How about favorite characters? Enjoy any of the ones I listed?

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Similar posts: 8 Obscure Novels I Thoroughly Enjoyed, 7 Reasons I Enjoy Fantasy Novels, and A Guide to Getting Lost in Your Local Library