Tag: YA Fantasy

Sabriel by Garth Nix

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

My lovely friend Mrs S has been trying to get me to read more fantasy books for a long time now. So, we agreed to buddy read ‘Sabriel’ by Garth Nix, which is a title that Mr Bookwormandtheatremouse has been trying to get me to read for a long time.

And, as usual, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I, in fact, have to admit that I really enjoyed it. I was worried as I started it that it may be a bit slow and just a lot of scene-setting (over-description is something that has often put me off fantasy as a genre) but once the action picked up, I was hooked. Sabriel is a fantastic lead character, I mean who does not love a strong female character who can use magic and fight dark magic? I do think I may have to return to the book to fully grasp everything that went on, but it was a brilliant read – and according to Mr Bookwormandtheatremouse my regular summaries were correct. Interestingly, for a book that is nearly 30 years old, it did feel like modern fantasy and does not appear to have aged (although, I am not an expert).

I will definitely be reading the next book, in a buddy read again, as I have to know what else goes on. This does mean that I seem to be gradually becoming more and more accepting of fantasy books – which is something that I never thought would have happened, as I have always been very anti-fantasy. But it seems to me that Mrs S may be getting her way and turning me into some kind of fantasy fan – well, YA fantasy; I am not sure I can go much more serious than that right now.

Has anyone managed to convince you to start to change your reading habits?

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

May appears to be the month for me to read outsdie my comfort zone. ‘Shadow and Bone’ is not a book I would ever had picked up before, as it is YA fantasy. Yet bookstagram and Netflix made me do it – and I do not regret anything.

I am no YA fantasy – or any fantasy – expert, despite Mr Bookwormandtheatremouse being a huge fan of the genre. However, I was gripped with this this book from the first page. So much so, I was finding sneaky reading time before work as I need to know what going to happen. So, it is safe to say that this is a page-turner.

I am probably the last person in the world to read this book, but I still do not want to spoil it just in case there are still some bookworms who need to pick the book up. However, what I loved about it is that there was a clear plot (as sometimes fantasy is all over the place – yes I said that) and there is a strong female lead in Alina. She demonstrates great strength and dedication to the things she believes are right. She may be a little misguided at moments, but she soon realises her mistakes and makes some better decisions.

I cannot wait to read the second book in this trilogy, and become even more immersed in these novels and this world.