When Etta at Chonky Books tagged me, I was really excited because the tag looked like a fun one. Chonky Books is a blog I regularly hop onto. Several of the books from my TBR come by way of the fantastic reviews from the website. Please check out the blog when you have a chance to! Also, I crave donuts every time I go there. (You’ll know what I mean once you head on over there.)
Rules:
- Make sure you give credit to the original creators of this tag – this tag was originally created by Bree Hill.
- If you want to, pingback to the post you first saw this tag
- Have fun!
What is your fantasy origin story? (The first fantasy you read)
The very first fantasy book I can recall is Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede. This solidified my love of dragons and smart heroines who refuse to succumb to societal pressures about appropriate behavior. Cimorene can live with a dragon rather than want to be rescued if she wants!
If you could be the hero/heroine in a fantasy novel, who would be the author and what’s one trope you’d insist be in the story?
Stacey Lee mainly writes YA historical fiction novels. She creates these compelling, strong female leads, and I need her to make me both compelling and strong. My novel would be Lee’s foray into romantic medieval fantasy with a rivals-to-lovers trope about two individuals (me and my love interest) who have to figure out how to not butt heads long enough to combine their strengths to overcome a plot they stumble upon to replace the newly crowned king’s betrothed with an imposter. The one bed problem is welcomed. Spoiler Alert: The imposter is the real betrothed and she’s just trying to get her rightful place back as the true heir to the throne. The imposter was there along put there by the newly crown king so he could take the throne. It’s still a work in progress. Heh…
What is a fantasy series you’ve read this year, that you want more people to read?
Anela Deen’s In the Jaded Grove (my review)is the first book in the Kindred Realm series, and it deserves more love! It’s a beautifully written fantasy that is fast-paced. The two main characters Jessa, a woman who has suffered great tragedy, and Simith, a pixie who is tired of his realm’s on-going war, have great chemistry together. I enjoyed Deen’s writing, which is full of vivid descriptions. I’m eagerly awaiting the next in the series!
What is your favourite fantasy subgenre?
Medieval fantasies have always been my favorite with magic, dragons, and swords. I do, however, prefer damsels who may be in distress but are actively working to get out of the distress themselves instead of waiting for a knight in shining armor. Kick-ass female protagonists are my favorite!
What subgenre have you not read much from?
I consulted with the list of subgenres linked from Etta’s tag responses for this question to find subgenres. There are so many!! I don’t think I’ve ever read a weird west fantasy. I certainly was not aware this was a subgenre.
Who is one of your auto-buy fantasy authors?
I don’t think I’ve found an auto-buy fantasy author yet. I plan to get the rest of Andrea Stewart’s The Drowning Empire trilogy and Lori M. Lee’s Shamanborn trilogy. Does that count?
How do you typically find fantasy recommendations? (Goodreads, Youtube, Podcasts, Instagram..)
I’m a regular blog hopper. Blogger reviews have contributed to more than half of the books on my TBR and it just keeps growing by the week. For instance, I have Tricia Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King on my reading app because I came across the reviews on Chonky Books. I might have skipped it otherwise. Bloggers are awesome! (Not that I’m biased of course…heh)
What is an upcoming fantasy release you’re excited for?
I’ve repeatedly gushed about it on posts here and there but I’m eagerly awaiting Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf (June 1) and Lori M. Lee’s Broken Web (June 15). Of course, I need more Mephi from Andrea Stewart’s The Bone Shard Emperor (November 11). I’m super excited!
What is one misconception about fantasy you would like to lay to rest?
Fantasy is all dwarves, elves, and an all-seeing eye. Sure, Tolkien can be a starting point but the perception that fantasy is a single subgenre undervalues the richness of a genre that is nearly limitless in possibilities. The list of subgenres is fairly long and the books I’ve mentioned in the post range from elves to witches to magical scissors to magical books. It’s not just Tolkien. There’s more out there.
If someone had never read a fantasy before and asked you to recommend the first 3 books that come to mind as places to start, what would those recommendations be?
Fantasy novels have always been diverse in the beings or creatures (e.g. humans, elves, fairies, trolls, etc.) that exist, but I would like to highlight how characters have become diverse in other important ways. We have BIPOC representation, and I hardly ever got to see characters that looked like me in fantasy novels. Leads having social anxiety were less likely as well. Inclusion is slowly but surely happening!
Who is the most recent fantasy reading content creator you came across that you’d like to shoutout?
I’d really love to give a shoutout to authors for providing me with magic and adventure in what otherwise be a mundane life. Bloggers are awesome for the love and time they devote to creating content and subsequently fueling my ever growing TBR.
I TAG: Alienor @Fox’sWanderings, Andrea @Andrea’sBookCorner, Julie @OneBookMore, and if your name or the name of your blog has the letter “O” in it. If I didn’t tag you, you should still do it. It was fun.
This is a great tag! Thank you again, Etta, for tagging me! I had fun figuring out my novel and who would write it. I hope you choose to partake in it. I look forward to reading your responses!
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