I used to only think I could write stories about black-and-white, role-model heroes who never questioned their moral compass and always had clear goals. But life hit me upside the head with how gray it can be when I took a job working with war-rattled refugees. I discovered my own worldview needed room for heroes with broken, darker edges. Antiheroes are messy characters with human goals that may be broken, but still fight to do what's right. When a story is free to explore the shadows, it feels real. These heroes aren't just one color. They remind us we’re all broken, but we can find light in the darkest places.
An antihero, by definition, lacks the traits of a conventional hero, like selfless ethics or a kind personality. Katniss certainly doesn’t fit the traditional archetype. She’s the least "heroic" character of the bunch at the start of the series: her only instinct is survival, which I can respect. But Katniss feels real. Her fierce protectiveness of her little sister, her awkward and sometimes abrasive social skills, her self-preserving fear—these traits could belong to any of us. I don’t know how I’d act if I got dropped into an arena where my compassion was pitted against my will to live. Alongside Peeta’s noble intentions, Katniss’ motives may look selfish. But arguably, she becomes the most effective freedom fighter by the end of the series. A dark, character-driven story charged with realistic politics, The Hunger Games features an antihero that feels more human than many I’ve read.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before - and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...
Told from the perspective of a villain in a world full of superheroes, Renegades has to be one of my favorite stories. Right off the bat, Marissa Meyer sucks you into the depth of Nova’s pain, gripping a reader’s heart with the fury and tragedy that drives this antihero’s feud against the superheroes ruling her society. I don’t cry often in books, but I was moved to tears by the first few pages — empathizing on a visceral level with why Nova would fight for the Anarchists, the villains who raised her. Yet, as this series progresses, we see Nova’s moral dilemmas deepen as she grows to care for the heroes she’s supposed to infiltrate. Of all books I could recommend featuring antiheroes, this one is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a lovable, compelling cast of characters.
Secret identities. Extraordinary powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies-humans with extraordinary abilities-who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone . . . except the villains they once overthrew.
Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice-and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a…
This lovely novel is book #2 in the Books of Bayern series, so I'd highly recommend reading Shannon's fantastic The Goose Girl first — a retelling of an old folk tale. Enna is by far my favorite character of the series, and once she got her own book, this one quickly became one of my top reads. Enna is passionate, headstrong, and a little reckless. She doesn't always make the best decisions, and most importantly, the power she wrestles with flares against her own character flaws, which makes the conflict in the story deeply personal and human. We all wrestle with inner demons of some shape or size. But what if our inner demons could flame out and burn people around us? Enna Burning features a strong protagonist who isn’t your typical fight-for-the-good-guys heroine. In fact, she might just find herself burning for the enemy.
Enna and Princess Ani became fast friends in "The Goose Girl", but now that Ani is married to Prince Geric, Enna returns to the forest. Then Enna's simple life changes forever when she learns of her power to wield fire. Enna is convinced that she can use her ability for good - to fight Tira, the kingdom threatening the Bayern borders. But the power of the fire grows stronger and she is soon barely able to control it. Enna becomes more and more reckless and is captured by the Tiran army. A handsome and manipulative young captain drugs and holds…
This one’s an oldie, but a goodie. This fantasy tale follows Bink, an average plain-Joe hero. Without any magical powers, he’s exiled from his magical homeland of Xanth to the realm of Mundania, a land without magic. While trying to get back to his home, he meets a powerful exiled sorcerer named Trent, declared by all of Xanth to be a villain hellbent on taking the Xanthian throne. Trent is a character that’s stuck with me for a decade since reading this book. In spite of his flaws and debatably delusional dreams of grandeur, he’s perhaps the most admirable character of the story. He not only sees Bink’s true potential, where no one else does, but he believes in a greater good for Xanth he’s willing to fight for. If you’re ready to get behind a charismatic, flawed yet beautiful powerhouse of an insurrectionist, this book’s for you.
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…
Hands down, The Host is one of my favorite books. The main character, Wanderer, is the bad guy: an enemy of the human race, part of a species of aliens who took over the globe and forced humanity underground. However, as we learn more about her through her tumultuous relationship with her “host” body, a human girl whose brutal fighting spirit clashes with Wanderer’s gentle nature, this alien protagonist turns out to be the most selfless and truly heroic character of the whole book. I won’t spoil the ending, but if you’re interested in emotionally deep, complex tales of overcoming barriers of hatred and plumbing the depths of what it means to be human, The Hostis a spellbinding read.
Now in the trade paperback edition: New Bonus Chapter and Reading Group Guide, including Stephenie Meyer's Annotated Playlist for the book.Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and…
Orion City has been on lockdown for ten years. Courtney Spencer, a disillusioned barista doomed to live a “normal” life in a quarantined fishbowl, is certain she’ll never see over the Wall again. Until one rainy evening, Courtney unintentionally befriends W, an eccentric customer who leaves a switchblade in the tip jar. The unexpected acquaintance opens the door to a frightening string of questions that flips everything she knows upside down.
Intrigued and terrified to expand her world, Courtney finds herself toeing a knife’s edge between the law and justice, learning quickly that the two are not always compatible. In a gritty urban clash of hope and fear, passion and survival, The Walls of Orion explores the edges of light, dark, and the gray in between.
My favorite fantasy novels tend to be rather complex. Winding plotlines, mysteriously interconnected characters, whimsical settings, and intricate, thoughtful worldbuilding combine to create immersive stories that stick in the mind like overworn folklore. Time travel or interworld travel lend additional layers of intrigue and mystery, forcing the inescapable contemplation of a more thrilling, alternate reality. And if it’s all packaged in artful, breathtaking prose that breeds full-color images, audible noises, indelible flavors, nose-crumpling odors, and tangible textures, I will happily lose myself in the pages, truly forgetting about the strictures of everyday life… at least until I get hungry and remember I need to consume more than books to survive.
An Heir of Realms tells the tale of two young heroines—a dragon rider and a portal jumper—who fight dragon-like parasites to save their realms from extinction.
Rhoswen is training as a Realm Rider to work with dragons and burn away the Narxon swarming into her realm. Rhoswen’s dream is to Ride, but her destiny will pit her against her uncle and king, who have scorned her since before her birth.
In the Exchange, the waystation between realms, Emmelyn fights the G’Ambit, a gambling ring with members more intent on lining their pockets than protecting the realms—or their own lives.
Realm-devouring parasites threaten all existence. The Exchange is desperate to destroy them. But could their radical plans endanger the realms, too?
Soul-sucking parasites are overwhelming the realms.
Rhoswen of Stanburh is of age to train as a Realm Rider—a defender of the realms. Riders and their dragons work together to burn away infiltrating Narxon as they swarm in through tears in a realm’s fabric. But it’s not an easy battle: the mere touch of the smoky, dragon-like adversaries can reduce the lively winged beasts—and their Riders—to ash.
Becoming a Realm Rider is Rhoswen’s dream, but she carries far more responsibility…
