On the back of my ragged edition of The Fellowship of the Ring is a picture of JRR Tolkien smoking a pipe. Even at a young age, I thought, “That’s what I want!” No, not the pipe. Though it would be cool to have it sans tobacco. I wanted to have my picture on the back of a book that was filled with fantasy characters, adventure, good, evil, magic, and elves. Since that time I have been writing books and chasing after my own characters and epic tales. So I’m thankful for that first inspiration.
Nearly any Terry Pratchett book will tickle your funny bone. He writes with that dry British wit that can be both understated and so over the top that you will be bowled over with laughter. And at the bottom of this particular story is rich characterization and a warm heart. Polly’s brother Paul is missing while at war. She dresses as a boy and joins the Monstrous Regiment, in the hope of finding her brother. But this isn’t any regiment, it truly is monstrous: including a vampire, a troll, and an Igor (named Igor!). Pratchett has the rare gift of making fun of religion, politics, human nature, and monster nature while telling an adventurous story directly from the heart. This is a book that brings me great comfort and escape.
A new stage adaptation of one of Pratchett's best-selling novels The Monstrous Regiment in question is made up of a vampire (reformed and off the blood, thank you), a troll, Igor (who is only too happy to sew you a new leg if you aren't too particular about previous ownership), a collection of misfits and a young woman discovers that a pair of socks shoved down her pants is a good way to open up doors in a man's army."One of the funniest English authors alive" (Independent)
What if there was a computer program that reduced every single thing in the world down to a set of numbers? Sounds mathematically boring. But what if by changing one number you could suddenly be six feet tall? Or levitate? Martin Banks has, by spending far too much time on the internet, discovered that program. And made himself rich. Which gets the authorities snooping around and next thing you know he’s fleeing to the middle ages, where several other mathematical types have taken up residence. They know the secret of the program and have made themselves wizards. And Martin becomes a wizard in training to learn these skills. Which is all well and fine, until one wizard starts to turn evil. I am a geek. I admit it. And this send up of geek culture had the perfect geekish vibe for me.
An io9 Can't Miss Science Fiction and Fantasy title in March 2014.
Martin Banks is just a normal guy who has made an abnormal discovery: he can manipulate reality, thanks to reality being nothing more than a computer program. With every use of this ability, though, Martin finds his little "tweaks" have not escaped notice. Rather than face prosecution, he decides instead to travel back in time to the Middle Ages and pose as a wizard.
What could possibly go wrong?
An American hacker in King Arthur's court, Martin must now train to become a full-fledged master of his powers,…
When I was around ten years old, I read everything I could get my hands on. This book fell into my mental lap and, though it was intended for an older audience, the puns and wit taught me how funny a fantastical world could be. I mean it has everything: a chameleon (who is actually three people), ghosts, zombies, witch battles, and more puns than you can shake a wand at. The protagonist, Bink, is born without an obvious magical talent, which is illegal in Xanth so he is exiled to Mundania where he is captured by an outcast wizard who wants to use him to invade Xanth. Written in the late 1970s, the book is a little dated but still immensely entertaining and the first of many Xanth books. It’s truly a cornucopia of wordplay.
BEST NOVEL OF THE YEAR, BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY • Discover the magical beginning of Piers Anthony’s enthralling Xanth series
Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled—where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. It was a land of centaurs and dragons and basilisks.
For Bink of North Village, however, Xanth was no fairy tale. He alone had no magic. And unless he got some—and got some fast!—he would be exiled. Forever. But the Good Magician Humfrey was convinced that Bink did indeed have magic. In fact, both Beauregard the genie and the magic wall chart insisted…
This is, by far, one of my favorite fantasy series. It was also one of the first books I listened to on audio, and I couldn’t devour/hear/audibly ingest the story fast enough. Nathaniel, a young wizard, has captured the djinn Bartimaeus and can give him commands. Bartimeus does not go lightly into this servitude: It is a most embarrassing thing to be under the control of a twelve-year-old. Bartimeus’s caustic wit, his inflated ego (he’s only a 14th-level djinni!), and his ability to get out of increasingly sticky and dangerous situations are wonderfully entertaining. And though he has a hatred of all things mortal, at his center is a heart of gold. But don’t tell him that. He’d turn you into a moth and pull off your wings.
The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence.
When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, both djinni and apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion.
Ok. First, you’re right. This isn’t a novel. In fact, it’s likely shorter than this review. But it is a book that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as many fantasy novels. This classic came out in 1980 and set the whole stereotype of what a prince, a princess, and a dragon are supposed to be, right on its head. Is it a feminist tome? Maybe. Is it funny? Yes. Does it do what the great fantasy books should do? Yes, it turns our ideas around, entertains and introduces us to the brightest, smartest, and most powerful character of all: the paperbag princess. And what gives her that power? The fact that she knows exactly who she is. There’s nothing more powerful than that.
When the fiercest dragon in the whole world smashes Princess Elizabeth's castle, burns all her clothes, and captures her fiance, Prince Ronald, Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands. With her wits alone and nothing but a paper bag to wear, the princess challenges the dragon to show his strength in the hopes of saving the prince. But is it worth all that trouble?
Readers the world-over have fallen in love with this classic story of girl power. Now a newly designed Classic Munsch edition will introduce the tale to a new generation of…
Dragon Assassin is what happens when an author asks the question, “what would it be like if an assassin were riding a dragon?” I mean that sounds way more dangerous (and exciting) than an assassin running with scissors. The middle grade (and older!) series features Carmen, an assassin in training who stumbles across a dragon named Brax. He has sharp teeth. He breathes fire. And he is the king of snark.
Together, they work to save her fellow assassins from a murderous classmate and from an empire that wants to rid the world of their kind. But Brax, prince of dragons, has his own secrets and his own enemies, too. All in all it is an adventure crammed with snark, mystery, and magic.
Delve into this internationally best-selling series, now complete! A fast paced laugh-out-loud mix of Urban Fantasy and Mystery.
I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time. I’m Jinx, a PI hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar–yet my gut tells me there’s more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, she’s a bookish soul who’s as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, I’m not the only one on her trail; she’s also being tracked by the implacable and oh-so-sexy Inspector Stone. Stone…
I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time.
I’m Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill – but let’s face it, it’s not normal. You’d think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still haven’t been able to track down my parent’s killers.
When I’m hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar – yet my gut tells me there’s more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, she’s a bookish…
