So for context/background: I’ve been playing Skyrim a lot lately. Never been a big fan of fantasy (mostly because the crazy names and world building in general can lose me quickly), BUT I have always thought wizards and witches and magic in general (including “alchemy”) was cool. Me and my sister used to pretend we had magic powers, could see through our magic stones (the marbles at the bottom of necklaces from a Renaissance Fair we went to as toddlers), and used to make “potions” to attract animals to “hunt” (pouring ginger ale in a tree hole with dirt and sticks, then waiting in a nearby tree for a pretend animal to shoot with our “bow and arrow” AKA throwing a stick). Our parents were into new agey stuff and horror way back before I was even born, so I grew up believing the paranormal was not that fantastical (and still believe that). Anyway, Skyrim keeps me interested more than I expected, and I actually really enjoy the whole Dragonborn idea. I’m also big on mythology, so I guess it’s kinda like an alternate version of Norse mythology, which I think is interesting. I wasn’t interested in dragon-related books as a kid (I think Eragon was the name of the hugely popular book/series, but I was too busy reading my ghost stories to care whatsoever), but I’m more open to it now as long as it’s not an entire book of goofy dragons talking. I like Skyrim dragons because even though they talk, it’s a language I don’t know. I guess something from a human perspective is fine, I just don’t really want to read from a dragon’s perspective (though not totally opposed if it sounds interesting).
Here’s some experience I’ve had with the genre: I’m currently reading The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, and I like it so far. My only complaint is it’s a bit too Stephen King-ified in some parts, like just being gross or explicit for no reason. I know he recently released another fairy tale book, but the idea of being transported to somewhere else doesn’t excite me. I like being immersed in the time, like in eyes of the dragon. I also really like the narrator storytelling style, at least for this genre.
I read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in middle school and really liked it. I also read Beowulf and enjoyed it, though not as much. I enjoy knights and stuff, but I’m not a huge nerd over it.
I’ve read about 2 ⅓ of the lord of the ring series, and it’s just too much for me. I know my boyfriend loves it because of all the details, and I’m not saying it doesn’t deserve the respect it gets, but I find myself having to reread pages because I zoned out. The biggest problem is the names are so strange, I struggle to visualize it or remember the names. If I can’t mentally see it, I just don’t comprehend. Same with the movies, though I still haven’t read/watched The Hobbit (it was going to be next after Return of the King, like 10 years ago…).
Not a book, but I love Dio (musician). I like how philosophical his songs could be, while invoking images of ancient times and epic adventures. Probably because he doesn’t make up specific places and names, I can handle this type of fantasy.
I know this is really long (sorry), but I basically want to relive that feeling of magic i remember from childhood. I love witches, which is why I included horror as a possibility. I would love a cozy Halloween witch book, but I hate romance and I feel like that’s most of the cozy witch books. I also love magic that centers around nature, like herbs and rituals. While horror is my go-to genre, I do read a little bit of everything and I feel like now would be a good time to expand into fantasy (or introductory fantasy) with my current Skyrim addiction. Also, I’m a big history nerd and enjoy reading classic works, so it doesn’t have to be a modern setting. In fact, I tend to prefer time periods from the past. I also don’t care if the progonist is good or evil or in-between. I’m being broad here, but I just haven’t had luck finding any good for me books with witches or wizards or dragons and need somewhere to start. Thanks for reading/helping 🙂
by LilDebbiesPimp