Pages As Planes: Fantasy Worlds

It is no secret that in 2020, I have become obsessed with some fantasy worlds. I never was drawn to the genre before, but now that I’ve found what kinds of fantasy I vibe with, I cannot stop finding more worlds I love! In the chaos of this year, it has been a real joy to escape into worlds that exist beyond our very imaginations.

There’s just something about the Winter that makes me think of fantasy books and cozy stories that transport you to unfamiliar places. While today’s destinations aren’t real, I hope they bring some magic to your reading. Even if you don’t think fantasy is the genre for you, like I did, I challenge you to give just one book a try!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas—This is the series that introduced me to the genre and it will always be so special to me. The first book is good but the second book is AMAZING. I cannot wait to reread it in preparation for the new book, A Court of Silver Flames, coming out in February!

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout—I read this 600 page book in a single day. It is incredibly digestible, sexy, romantic, and mind blowing. The third book is out in April!

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jessimin—N.K. Jemison is a treasure and her work needs to be read by everyone! This book is pretty heavy and deals with some violent scenes, loss of a child, and rape. Overall, the trilogy is a masterpiece and I can’t wait to read more from her.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown—I read this book over the summer when I was looking to pack as much fantasy as possible! It’s really cool and surprised me. The second one is out this summer!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo—This series is so well loved! I still need to finish it but I know so many people who love it. It’s being made into a Netflix series as well!

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo—This was the first urban fantasy I ever read, but I almost don’t want to classify it as that because it is so grounded in reality. It’s set at Yale with all the secret societies. I’d definitely say it’s rated R for violence and graphic scenes though, so just be cautious going in!

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin—This series is so fun! I love Reid and Lou, the main character, has definitely grown on me in the second book, Blood & Honey.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman—This is a series I really want to read in 2021! It reminds me of The Hunger Games and Divergent a bit. It’s about a world that has eradicated death, so Scythes make the decision on who is to be eliminated. Big eye emoji

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas—I am on the last book of the series and while I don’t love it as much as the ACOTAR series, it is still so good. It’s much more action based but there is still a strong romance and a cast of characters that will make you fall in love with the world. The first book is okay, I loved the second book (the ending!!!), the first novella has tons of important information but can mess with the flow of reading, the 3rd and 4th books are mind blowing, the 5th starts out strong but dragged in the middle and had an ending that made up for it, the 7th book (second novella) i loved, and I’ll let you know how I feel about the 8th and final book when I finish the whole series!

This doesn’t even scratch the surface of fantasy novels out there, but I want this post to serve as some encouragement for those of you who think you’d never pick up these books. Never in a million years would I have thought I would and now, I just love them!