Thanks, Meradeth, for hosting me and ELIXIR BOUND today. Since fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read and write, I thought I’d share my favorite books in five different fantasy series for teens and kids, count down style! (These series are all really well-known, but in fairness to the three people in the world who may not have read them, I will say my comments might be slightly spoilerish. You’ve been warned!)
5. PROVOST’S DOG series by Tamora Pierce—it’s hard to pick one series of Ms. Pierce’s that would be my favorite, but she is like the mother of teen fantasy writing and had to be here. I went with the most recent series I’ve read, and I’d have to say the first book, TERRIER, is my favorite. There are so many books in the fictional Tortall world that it was a nice change to have this series jump back in time a couple hundred of years. Also loved how it was told in journal entries…Beka’s voice really jumped out at me.
4. PERCY JACKSON series by Rick Riordan—definitely THE LIGHTNING THIEF tops my list. This was such a refreshing foray into fantasy. Percy’s a great character with a spot-on kid voice. Awesome adventures. Crazy creatures. A little education in mythology thrown in there in a total non-school way. Even a really craptastic movie rendition couldn’t ruin this book for me!
3. TWIILGHT series by Stephanie Meyer—the unreleased (and I think still unfinished) MIDNIGHT SUN, basically TWILIGHT from Edward’s point of view. An early version of this was leaked and Ms. Meyer ended up sharing a bunch of it on her website, which is where I read it. Hilarious! Loved seeing the story from Edward’s head…kind of nice to be out of Bella’s head and see if from a different perspective. Amazing how much more humor there was from Edward’s voice vs. Bella’s.
2. NARNIA series by C.S. Lewis—of all the NARNIA books, VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER captured my imagination the most. It also features one of my favorite characters in the oversized rapier-wielding mouse Reepicheep. The end of the journey on the Dawn Treader is so magical. Water turning from salty to sweet. A sea of lilies reaching to the end of the world. Makes me feel all calm inside just thinking about it.
1. HARRY POTTER series by J.K. Rowling—book four, GOBLET OF FIRE. This whole story, but particularly the scene after Harry and Cedric get transported to the graveyard blew me away. So gothic and dark. It really felt like the turning point of the series: before Voldemort got his body back vs. after. (For the record, my favorite movie was part one of book seven, DEATHLY HALLOWS…loved how THE TALE OF THE THREE BROTHERS was done!)
Thanks for letting me share! What are your favorite fantasy series and books?
Elixir Bound blurb:
Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker as companions, she feels alone.
It is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.
Buy Links:
Author Bio:
Katie L. Carroll began writing at a very sad time in her life after her 16-year-old sister, Kylene, unexpectedly passed away. Since then writing has taken her to many wonderful places, real and imagined. She wrote Elixir Bound and the forthcoming Elixir Saved so Kylene could live on in the pages of a book. Katie is also the author of the picture app The Bedtime Knight and an editor for MuseItUp Publishing. She lives not too far from the beach in a small Connecticut city with her husband and son. For more about Katie, visit her website at www.katielcarroll.com, friend her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter (@KatieLCarroll).
(I’m also running a Rafflecopter giveaway and have included the code if you would like to post it at the bottom of your post—it must be pasted into the HTML section of the blog)
Thanks for hosting the blog tour, Meradeth! I had fun thinking about all my favorite fantasy books. Makes me itchy to reread these series. :)
ReplyDeleteIt definitely made me want to go grab a bunch of books and go on a reading binge! Thanks so much for letting me host you!!
DeleteVery nice review of your favorites. But it certainly proves that tastes differ. My Harry Potter paperbacks are getting weary from rereading, may have to repurchase them as e-books. But I tried to read the first Twilight book, abandoned it halfway through, and have never gone back ... don't mind vampires (in fact, I've written a few vampire stories), don't mind werewolves, but couldn't take the teenaged angst. Definitely NOT a series for adult readers.
ReplyDeleteTwilight definitely wasn't for everyone, but I enjoyed it :)
DeleteThanks, Jim! The Twilight books definitely have plenty of teenaged angst. Though I have to disagree that they don't have appeal to adults. Certainly they're not for all adults and don't have the same universal appeal as the Harry Potter books, but I know many who have enjoyed Twilight (mostly women but I'm sure there's a man or two out there who liked them too!).
DeleteI definitely have to get it together and read PROVOST'S and PERCY. What a great list! :-)
ReplyDeleteMe too! Those are on my list...someday I'll get to em!
DeleteThanks, Faith! I hope you do get a chance to pick up Provost and Percy...definitely worthy reads.
DeleteGreat post, Katie. I'm one of three people in this world who doesn't like the Percy Jackson series. I actually enjoyed the first movie more than the book and didn't like the second movie because it sounded too 'Rick Riordan' for me.
ReplyDeleteGoF was my favorite Harry book as well, because of the turning point, the growth in the characters, the dragons, Cedric. Loved it all. Don't know which movie is my fave.
Thanks, Kai! I took my nephew (a die-hard fan) to see the first Percy Jackson movie and he was soooo disappointed. Haven't seen the second one yet. I'm one of three people who haven't read A Wrinkle In Time. I've started this book so many times and just can't get into it.
DeleteSo many people say Prisoner of Azkaban is their favorite, but I've always loved GoF!
I so loved GoF too, but I'll admit, my fav was book 3. Of course, I'd pretty much happily read all of them anytime!
DeleteI'm not familiar with Provost's Dog, but since the rest of your list is so spectacular, I'll definitely have to check it out!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you do get to check it out! Really any of Tamora Pierce's fantasy series are worth reading.
DeleteI love Twilight. It was my favorite. Thanks for the awesome giveaway. Tore923@aol.com
ReplyDeleteIt's a definitely fun read!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Victoria! I think of the four actual books in the series, Twilight is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI've read a few books from the top 3.
ReplyDeleteI really liked The Vampire Academy series and the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson books.
Congrats on the release.
Oooh, Vampire Academy--loved those!!
DeleteThanks, Medeia! I haven't yet read The Vampire Academy series, but it's on my TBR list. I'll have to check out Confession...thanks for the recommendations!
DeleteYay! All great reads. I haven't read anything Tamora Pierce in a while, but she can only have gotten better.
ReplyDeleteOne of those Duty VS Love conflicts, eh? I love those.
You'd love Elixir Bound then! :)
DeleteThanks, Crystal! Tamora Pierce definitely gets better and better.
DeleteThanks for profiling Katie, Meradeth.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds intriguing, and I do like those top two picks you have listed!
It's a great read if you get a chance :)
DeleteHi, William! You really can't go wrong with the Chronicles of Naria and Harry Potter.
DeleteCongrats on the Paperback release, Katie! I read MIDNIGHT SUN and loved it! Edward's POV was fantasic and Kinda wish one of the books had been written in his POV. :)
ReplyDeleteMe too! I would have loved a whole book from his perspective :)
DeleteThanks, Cecilia! Oh, another Midnight Sun fan. Yay! It's like the hidden gem of the Twilight series. :)
DeleteI wish there was more to Midnight Sun! At least when I read it there was only like 50 pages (or something like that). It was awesome reading from Edward's point of view. I wish the whole thing would come out as a book!
ReplyDeleteI love all the series you spotlighted- but I haven't read #5. I will have to look for it.
Katie's book looks so fabulous and it sounds great too. Wishing her the best of luck!
Hi, Stephanie! I, too, wish Midnight Sun had been completed and was being released as a book. From what i read, Stephanie Meyer kind of soured on the whole project once it got leaked. Thanks for checking out my post.
DeleteI REALLY wish she would have finished Midnight Sun. It was soooooooooo good!! You know in the original series he can read minds, but it's even better to "hear" it too. ;)
DeleteTotally, Erin! It was so fun to be in Edward's head.
DeleteI am so totally in love with Percy Jackson. When he comes of age and crawls out of the pages of the books, I'm going to marry him. Just sayin...
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!! I'm just going to say that I'm stealing Deamon from Katie in The Lux books. Hello hot alien goodness :)
DeleteOh, I love Percy! I wish all the Heroes of Olympus books were from his POV. Every time I read a Riordan book not in Percy's POV, I'm a little disappointed.
DeleteI definitely miss being in good ole Percy's head! LOL!
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