My Top 10 Favorite Fantasy Book Series

Fiction literature has always fascinated me since I was a child. I remember coming home from school with the want and need to read fantastic stories, and if they involved fantasy, even better. Fantasy has forever been my favorite genre, so much that I would often imagine myself living in the wondrous worlds I read about. 

Matilda Wormwood. 

From "Alice in Wonderland" to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" I read very piece of fantasy literature that fell in my hands. I soared the skies and fought pirates with Peter Pan; I daydreamed with the Greek myths; and I when got older, I shivered with the vampire Lestat. 

A lot of people have laughed at me for reading so many fantasy books. They have even questioned the things I learn from them (if I learned anything at all that is), why I wasted my time on them, and why I didn't look for other pieces of literature considered to be better. 

Well, I just have one simple thing to say to all of them: screw you :) 

I have nothing against contemporary books or even the classic ones. I believe they offer great and brilliant stories as well. But when I read I prefer to escape from reality for a while. I already have to live in this reality, I don't want to read more about it. I know you might not think like this, but I do. Also, fantasy books feel as if they were my friends, in a way. I lose myself in their pages, befriend and fall in love with the characters, cry at the tragedies, and curse at the injustices. They are my main form of entertainment, especially when I have to take a much needed break from the world and my job. 

In today's post, I will be talking about my top ten favorite fantasy series, the ones that have moved me the deepest. This doesn't mean they are the only ones I love though, they're just the ones at the top of my list.

Without further due, let's begin! 

The first one is and always will be: 

My love for you knows no end. 

The "Throne of Glass" series by queen mother Sarah J. Maas. This series has everything I love: a strong female protagonist, political intrigue, a battle to save the world from impending doom, a well explained magic system, complex characters, terrifying villains, and the right amount of drama and sexy scenes (quite graphic some of them). I started reading these books when I was finishing college, and I couldn't be more grateful for the experience. They helped me in ways I cannot even begin to describe, and reading about Aelin Galathynius boosted my self-confidence in an incredible manner. Thank you Sarah for this everlasting gift. 

The second book series I want to mention is: 

Can you be anymore perfect? 

"His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman has been called by many as being atheism for kids, and well... they're not exactly wrong. The reasons for this are more complicated than just not believing in a divinity, but I won't go further into such reasons or I would be spoiling the plot. "His Dark Materials" has also been called the anti-Narnia, and they are quite right in that aspect too. The books expanded my knowledge on topics such as dark matter, metaphysics, church history, atheism and psychology. They are fare more complex than people give them credit for; they are more than just a fantasy story. There is currently an HBO adaptation of the books, and it's SO GOOD. Here's the link to the series trailer: His Dark Materials season 1 trailer. 

Now, let's go for the third series: 

I AM OBSESSED. 

"The School for Good and Evil" series by Soman Chainani is mainly intended for middle grade, but as a currently 25 year old myself, I enjoyed them immensely. I still have to finish the fifth book and then read the sixth, but still. This series is so rich in imagination, magic and wonder that it's impossible not to consider it one of my favorites. It makes you reconsider your previous perspectives on good and evil, and the way you look at fairy tales. Each book is highly addictive, and it captures the reader's attention from the very first start. The action is non-stopping and the magic system is beautiful, but the true heart of this series is the characters; all of them are so complex and even relatable at times, you can't help but love them. Here's a link to see the trailers for the books: School for Good and Evil trailers. These trailers were the ones that convinced me to read them, and I do not regret it. 

The fourth favorite book series is: 

The movie is a piece of trash. 

I used to like Greek mythology. But these books made me fall in love with it. Rick Riordan's first book series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" captured the imagination of the whole world in the most spectacular way possible. I read this series in my senior year of high school, and I still reread from time to time. They help you understand the Greek myths in a better and more exciting way, making you a part of the stories. The characters are AMAZING, and through them you can see a lot of diversity represented in respectful and beautiful ways. Percy Jackson is and always will be one of my sweetest memories of my teenage years. And please, don't waste your time on that crappy movie adaptation. Read the books instead!

Let's go for the fifth book series: 

A lot of people compare this to Harry Potter. 
They couldn't be more wrong. 

Lev Grossman really outdid himself with "The Magicians" trilogy. Imagine if magic was real in our world. What would you do if you could control it? Please don't bother saying you would only do selfless things, when we both know that's not the case. In this world, who can control magic? How do they control it? Where does magic come from? What are the costs for having this kind of power? The books are a very dark take on fantasy, dealing with serious themes such as alcoholism, rape, murder, nihilism, addiction, depression, and others. Believe me when I tell you it's a journey you will not regret. It also presents a sort-of-parody of Narnia at one point, and that is always highly appreciated. 

Let's move on now to the sixth series: 

BABIES! 

V. E. Schwab is for me one of the most brilliant writers of modern times. Her story telling is masterful, her characters are superb, her worlds are outstanding and her magic system is so well explained! I adore magic systems that are not only done but explained well, and the one in this trilogy brings pure pleasure when you read about it. The "Shades of Magic" trilogy is so beautifully dark you can't help but love it. Magic has real consequences here, often terrible and without remedy, which I personally like a lot. The villains, especially a certain pair of twins, are especially vicious and the heroes are very flawed people. In summary: these books are the definition of perfection. 

The seventh spot for my favorite fantasy series goes to: 

These are only the first six books. 
They're actually more than thirteen and counting. 

"The Shadowhunters Chronicles" by Cassandra Clare. I know these books can be quite intimidating because they are so many. But they hold a very special place in my heart. The books are mainly urban fantasy, dealing with creatures such as the nephilim, werewolves, warlocks, vampires, angels, faeries and demons. They are extremely exciting, full of adventure, excellent romance, darkness, heartbreak, a good magic system, and a beautifully represented diversity. Someday, when the pandemic is over, I will get a tattoo of these books- just you wait. 

Continuing with the list is my number eight: 

I don't believe these books are
appreciated enough.

Danielle Paige is one brilliant author; in the "Dorothy Must Die" series, she took the idea of Oz and transformed it in ways I never thought possible. I've never felt more at home reading a book than with these. The descriptions are breathtaking, and they make you feel as if you were really there in Oz. Classic characters such as Dorothy Gale and Glinda the Good are twisted in ways that leave them unrecognizable. The new heroine named Amy Gumm really takes the story and the world by storm, and her journey finished changing Oz forever. These books got me through the hardest days in my first year of teaching, for which I will love them forever. I cannot wait to go visit them again. And by the way, yes... the magic system here is so well done!!! 

Almost finishing, let's take the ninth spot: 

These are only a few of them. 

Another unappreciated series, the "Disney Twisted Tales". The books are written by various authors, and you don't have to read them in any specific order, as their plots are individual. Every book presents a "what if..." concept, taking key moments or elements from the classic movies and twisting them, thus exploring the results of these changes. A lot of people have bashed them continuously for numerous reasons, from the writing style of some of them, to the characters. But I love them nonetheless. No, they're not perfect, and yet they still have a certain charm to them. The princesses and other female characters are given more independence and political power; the love stories are better developed; the plots tend to be darker than their Disney counterparts (which I love); and of course the covers are a delight. 

And now, last but not least: 

YES BABIES!

Rick Riordan continued Percy's journeys and his friends' in "The Heroes of Olympus", the five part sequel to the Olympians series. These books take the demigods into new, more dangerous adventures. More complex ideas of mythology are explored, including Roman mythology. Fantastic new characters are introduced, taking this world into darker and heartbreaking places. "The Heroes of Olympus" is not as good as its predecessor, in my opinion, but it's still an amazing series. Also, thank you Rick Riordan for creating such a strong female character in Reyna, a Puerto Rican demigod. My Puerto Rican culture was so beautifully represented through her, and that holds a lot of value for me. 

That would be the end for today's post. Thank you so much for reading, as usual, and I'll see you guys next week. Bye! 

P.S. The Percy Jackson movies are trash. 

His Dark Materials

Everyone who's met me knows I love to read. It is my number one passion in life, aside from eating of course. I have read around 350 books, give or take, and I'm not boasting; I'm just stating a fact. I've lived inside books more than I've lived anywhere else. Now, most of the books I've read have been fantasy. This genre allows me to not only escape my reality, but also find myself in these stories, worlds and characters. With time, most of these books and their characters have become friends, and part of me; I take a lot from what I read, and I've learned a lot of things from these books. Some characters, like Sansa Stark, have even shaped me in many amazing ways. But today, I come to write about the book that changed my life more than any other one; you could say it's my number one favorite of all. And that is "His Dark Materials", by Philip Pullman. 

Published as a trilogy, the story itself represents one single book written in three parts: "Northern Lights" or "The Golden Compass" in America, "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass". The trilogy follows 12 year old Lyra Belacqua, a girl from another world who goes through a journey (as most kids in fantasy books do). But this journey is like no other I've ever read. It is not extensive or unnecessarily long like "Lord of the Rings" or "A Song of Ice and Fire". The adventure is as much about the events as it is about the characters' psychology and development. Let's go now a little bit deeper into this gem of a book. 

To understand "His Dark Materials", we must understand its world; or rather worlds. The story takes place in the multiverse, with many of its characters traveling from world to world. Now, before you consider this another fantastical nonsense, let me assure you that the multiverse has been scientifically proven to be real, which makes you take this story from both a fantasy and scientific point of view at times. Nevertheless, most of the story and adventures take place in the world that Lyra Belacqua was born. 

Lyra's world is very similar to ours in terms of geography, languages and technology. The differences lie in the names for certain countries, for example: Texas is a country, England is called Britain, Russia is called Moscow, and so on with other countries. Some countries and continents are a bit smaller than our own as well. The languages tend to be the same, except for some words. Electric light is called ambaric light, science is referred as theological experiments, chocolate is changed to chocolatl (which I believe is actually a real word), and so on. As for technology it's very similar to ours, but looking more antiquated. They have cars, trains, ships, phones (no cellphones), computers (but not televisions), and instead of airplanes they fly by zeppelin, which is their main form of transportation. 

Their cultures are similar to ours, but not the same. The most distinct example is the Gyptians. They are inspired by the Gypsies of our world, hence the name. The Gyptians live in ships, always in the water. They rule the seas, oceans and rivers. They come to land to do their business, but their life is at sea. Gyptians are often discriminated, and are seen by many as less citizens, much like the Gypsies in our reality. 

But perhaps the most important feature in this world are the daemons. Don't confuse them with the Christian demons, they are not the same. In Lyra's world, people's souls walk beside their bodies in the form of an animal that is born with them. If the person is straight, the daemon is likely to be from the person's opposite sex; if the person is homosexual, is very likely that their daemon will be of their same sex. These daemons have a name, and they can talk; they can also feel and experience what their human counterpart does. Daemons are not to be confused with pets: they are part of their person in heart and soul. When the person is still a child, their daemon can change forms from animal to animal, depending on how the human feels or needs. By the time they reach puberty, their daemons take a permanent animal form, which reflects the persons likes, personality, needs and psychology. It's important to explain that only the daemon's person may touch them; to touch another daemon is a terrible deed, a taboo, as bad and repulsive as rape. 

Aside from daemons, there are the ice bears who live in the far north. They are sentient creatures, who can speak and have their own monarchical government. They do not have daemons, but build incredibly powerful armor that covers their bodies, as they are warriors and smiths at heart. Next we have the witches, who rule the air. They are the only ones who can separate from their daemons. They can live for thousands of years, and since witches in this world are only women, they take human lovers to procreate; if the baby is born a girl it's a witch, but if it's boy it's human, and must live with his father. 

Surrounding this world and giving it life (and to the rest of the multiverse) is Dust, which you might possibly know as dark matter. Dust can be seen only with very special equipment, it is sentient, and it's responsible for the existence of daemons and other wondrous things. But the church fears Dust and wants to eradicate it, as they see it as the responsible for sin. The church in this world is called the Magisterium and god is known as The Authority. We could say that the Magisterium is the big villain of this story. Evil and corrupt, they stop at nothing to eliminate Dust, even if it means killing millions. They seek to control not only their world, but every single one in the multiverse, and The Authority shares these plans. 

Now that I've talked about the world, let's talk about Lyra Belacqua. As I mentioned, she is 12 years old at the beginning of this story, an orphan who lives in Jordan College at Oxford University. There she is taken care of by her maid, the scholars and her ever-traveling uncle Lord Asriel. Lyra's daemon is Pantalaimon, who is the cautious part to her impulsive side. Lyra is wild, curious, feisty, sassy, mischievous and most of all, a compulsive liar. Since she doesn't know her own story, she makes it up, and lies flow from her as easily as water flows down a river. Her own name is an algorithm for liar. Lyra is gifted the Alethiometer, or Golden Compass, which allows the reader to know the truth to any question. In a world controlled by the church, knowing the truth is perhaps the most powerful weapon. 

Lyra has a natural ability to read the Compass; it comes to her naturally whereas for others it takes hard work and study. Her role as a liar makes her the perfect truth reader, as she's the only one who really appreciates the truth for what it is. Not only that, but Lyra's role in the story is much bigger than just reading a Compass: she's the reincarnation of Eve and she is meant to save Dust (sin) for the multiverse, and ultimately kill god. 

In a way, this book made me the atheist I am today. I am not ashamed to say it. This is a book that warns against religion, all of them, and the dangers it represents in the hands of the cruel and corrupt. Many people have even called the book "atheism for kids", and I couldn't be happier or prouder for that. 

To conclude this post, why is this even important? Why is it relevant? Books are not only meant to entertain. The best ones teach us, and makes us look at things from different perspectives. They open our eyes to new ways of thinking, and that is what "His Dark Materials" did for me. It saved from religion and its lies, made me develop a more critical thinking, taught me to look at science with more respect and admiration, helped me look at my inner self more than before, and most important: it opened my eyes. 

Someday I will go back to this world. I will fall back into its pages, I'll run and lie with Lyra again, I'll fly with the witches, travel with the Gyptians, and visit the ice bears. I am forever grateful to Philip Pullman for creating this story and for saving me in a moment when I really needed it. I hope that you, dear reader, will someday dive into this world (or rather worlds) and fall in love with it as I did. 

Yours ever, 

Ema. 

P.S. Check out the HBO series of the same name. The books are way better (obviously) but the series did an amazing job.