Get to know the fantasy reader tag

Hello, friends! It’s a week and a half into July and my brain was juggling with what my next post will be about, when I remembered that the lovely Pippin @ The Pigeon tagged me for this. Here we go!

The rules:

🔸Give credit to the original creators of the tag. This tag was first created as ‘get to know the romance reader’ by Bree Hill and was adapted for fantasy readers by The Book Pusher.

🔸Thank the blogger who tagged you and link back to their blog – thank you, Pippin!!

🔸 Have fun 💛

1. What is your fantasy origin story? (the first fantasy you’ve read)

There actually isn’t much of a story. I grew up on a diet of fairy tales and folk tales. Gradually I got into reading middle grade books and then young adult books, but there never was that ‘one’ book that got me started into reading fantasy.

2. If you could be the protagonist in a fantasy novel, who would be the author, and what’s the one trope you’d insist be in the story?

I’m racking my brain to think of a fantasy author whose book I’d like to live in, but I CAN’T THINK OF ANY.

As for the trope, that one is easy. Found family!

3. What is a fantasy series you’ve read this year that you want more people to read?

100% The Green Bone Sage by Fonda Lee. I wasn’t too impressed with the first book (the hype is immense and I just couldn’t see what it was all about) but I pulled through. By the time I started Jade War, I knew I’d fallen in love with all the characters. Jade Legacy was just an…amazing book. It’s massive and spans about twenty years, but so, so awesome. It is a trilogy that gets better with each book and ties off with a very satisfying and emotional ending.

4. What is your favourite fantasy subgenre?

Dystopian fantasy: I love dystopian fantasy. There’s just something about seeing this world in some messed up way in the future, the many allegories and parallels you can draw to stuff happening in the present day. Only, I wish the genre wasn’t so America-centric.

Gunpowder fantasy: just for the vibes.

5. What subgenre have you not read much from?

I haven’t read much urban fantasy. Ever too often I fall into the trap of thinking urban fantasies have not-great plots and cringey romances (or maybe I am to blame for reading Twilight and then not trying anything at all.)

6. Who is one of your auto-buy fantasy authors?

I haven’t bought a book in ages, but if I could? This would be Rick Riordan. I think I have read every book he’s written (save for Daughter of the Deep) so that’s pretty telling.

Honourable mention: Fonda Lee (I am in love with the Green Bone Saga)

7. How do you typically find fantasy recommendations?

I find books mostly through other bloggers’ recommendation posts or reviews. Most bloggers I follow prefer the same genres of books as myself, and I rarely get disappointed by what I read. Just sometimes I scroll through my good reads updates page and check what my other friends are reading. If a book sounds interesting, I immediately add it to my TBR.

I don’t trust good reads recommendations at all (like seriously, stop recommending me ACOTAR, I am not interested.)

8. What is an upcoming fantasy release you’re excited for?

I haven’t been keeping myself updated on the upcoming releases but these two books have fallen under my radar for all the rave reviews they’ve been getting. The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean has a very interesting magical concept. I know next to nothing about Simon Jimenez’s The Spear Cuts Through Water, but the story seems epic and emotional.

9. What is one misconception about fantasy you would like to lay to rest?

That fantasy is pointless because it is all made up, in the end, and has no bearing in the real world. (Thanks, dad, but no. Use a little imagination.)

10. If someone had never read a fantasy before and asked you to recommend the first 3 books that came to mind as places to start, what would those recommendations be?

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: this book was pure whimsical fantasy and just a delight to read.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: if you’ve hung around my blog long enough you know I have mixed feelings about this book, but it is a pretty good introduction for someone who is new to YA fantasy.

The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang: the characters are what stands out the most in this book, but this had such a cool elemental magic system, and really good world building.

Of course you can always read Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales (I’m not even sure whether fairy tales is the right word for it, those stories are dark, man)

11. Who is the most recent fantasy reading content creator you came across that you’d like to shoutout?

Ash @ Ink Words and Ash! I came across her blog quite recently and I love reading her thoughts. Plus, she has such a unique and enthusiastic blogging voice!

i’m tagging

Anoushka @ Dipped in Ink // Abby @ Beyond the Read // Becky @ Olive Pages // Kaya @ A Fictional Bookworm

What fantasy book got you into reading? Are there any upcoming fantasy releases you are excited for? Chat with me in the comments!