Fantasy Fiction Books Recommendations
Nearly every month the Library at Dulwich International High School Suzhou runs a book promotion. Since students often find choosing books to be a difficult process, the library staff make this easier for them by curating a wide selection of titles that are displayed in the front of the library with their covers facing forward. Last month it was Graphic Novels. This month it is the turn of Fantasy Fiction.
What is Fantasy Fiction?
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real-world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama. Fantasy is a very popular fictional genre. One of the most famous works of Fantasy Fiction over the last few years is George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series of books, which were adapted into the wildly popular television show, Game of Thrones. Our school Library has all GRR Martin’s books in stock in both English and Chinese Language editions. Other featured authors this month include works by Phillip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, JRR Tolkien and Ursula K. Le Guin.
Now we have met some of this months authors, let’s have a look some of our recommended book titles:
The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass is set in a parallel universe, it features the journey of Lyra Belacqua to the Arctic in search of her missing friend, Roger Parslow, and her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel, who has been conducting experiments with a mysterious substance known as "Dust". The Golden Compass is the first book of the trilogy, His Dark Materials The book has also been adapted as a TV series in 2019 under the His Dark Materials name.
The Subtle Knife
The Subtle Knife, the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. The novel continues the adventures of Lyra Belacqua (now known as Lyra Silvertongue) recounted in the first novel, The Golden Compass, as she investigates the mysterious phenomenon of Dust. Will Parry is introduced as a companion to Lyra, and together they explore new worlds in the search for Will's father.
The Amber Spyglass
The Amber Spyglass is the third novel in the His Dark Materials trilogy. The novel is set in a number of worlds dominated by the Magisterium, a theocracy which actively suppresses heresy. In some of these worlds, humans' souls naturally exist outside of their bodies in the form of sentient "dæmons" in animal form. Important plot devices are the alethiometer, a truth-telling symbol reader; the subtle knife, capable of cutting windows between worlds; and the amber spyglass, a device for viewing the form of consciousness known as Dust.
Stardust
Stardust is a fantasy novel by British writer Neil Gaiman, usually published with illustrations by Charles Vess. Stardust has a different tone and style from most of Gaiman's prose fiction, being consciously written in the tradition of pre-Tolkien English fantasy, following in the footsteps of authors such as Lord Dunsany and Hope Mirrlees. It is concerned with the adventures of a young man from the village of Wall, which borders the magical land of Faerie.
Coraline
Coraline is a dark fantasy children's novella by British author Neil Gaiman. It has been compared to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and has been adapted into a 2009 stop-motion film, directed by Henry Selick. While exploring her new home, a girl named Coraline (discovers a secret door, behind which lies an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but, in many ways, is better. She rejoices in her discovery, until Other Mother and the rest of her parallel family try to keep her there forever. Coraline must use all her resources and bravery to make it back to her own family and life.
The Graveyard Book
The Graveyard Book is a young adult fantasy novel by the English author Neil Gaiman. The Graveyard Book traces the story of the boy Nobody "Bod" Owens who is adopted and reared by the supernatural occupants of a graveyard after his family is brutally murdered. The novel is frequently featured in its list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of all Time.
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It is followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King. It takes place in the fictional universe of Middle-earth. It was originally published on 29 July 1954 in the United Kingdom. Tolkien envisioned The Lord of the Rings as a single volume work divided into six sections he called "books" along with extensive appendices.
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, which is soon to be attacked by the Dark Lord Sauron.
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children's literature. The Hobbit is set within Tolkien's fictional universe and follows the quest of home-loving Bilbo Baggins, the titular hobbit, to win a share of the treasure guarded by Smaug the dragon. Bilbo's journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into more sinister territory.
A Game of Thrones
A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by the American author George R. R. Martin. In the novel, recounting events from various points of view, Martin introduces the plotlines of the noble houses of Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens. The novel has inspired several spin-offs works, including several games. It is also the namesake and basis for the first season of Game of Thrones, an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011.
The Little Prince
The Little Prince is a novella by French aristocrat, writer, and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The story follows a young prince who visits various planets in space, including Earth, and addresses themes of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Despite its style as a children's book, The Little Prince makes observations about life and human nature. It one of the best-selling and most translated books ever published.
Gifts
Gifts is a young adult fantasy novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is the first book in the Annals of the Western Shore trilogy and is followed in the series by Voices. The story is set in a fictional world, in a barren and poverty-stricken region called the Uplands, some of whose inhabitants have hereditary magical gifts. The story follows the narrator Orrec, son of the leader of the domain of Caspromant, whose hereditary gift is the ability to "unmake", and Gry, the daughter of a neighboring domain, who can communicate with animals. Orrec's gift manifests late, and seems uncontrollable, and so he is blindfolded. Their families are caught up in the cycle of violent feuds and retribution that characterize Upland society in which the children are trying to find their place.
We hope you enjoy this month’s selection of books!
