Blogger Chatterbox: Why We Love Fantasy Reads

October 15, 2015 by Jeann @ Happy Indulgence | Blogger Chatterbox, Books, Features

bloggerchatterbox

Welcome to Blogger Chatterbox, featuring special guests from around the blogosphere! I thought it would be great way to bring in other fresh thoughts and opinions and to share some of my favourite blogs.

I’m a big lover of the fantasy genre and I’m not alone when it comes to this wonderful imaginative genre, filled with dragons, rich worlds and escapism. Aentee from Read at Midnight and Bec from Readers in Wonderland share their thoughts on why they love fantasy books below!

Aentee @ Read at Midnight says: 

granderconflicts

While I enjoy contemporary fiction for being able to examine a plethora of current issues, I feel that fantasy is an excellent vehicle for looking at social issues and conflicts through a wider, more holistic lens.  The conflict at the core of many fantasy spreads across kingdoms, even dimensions.  In a well written fantasy world, many individuals or even group of people are pulled into the mix.  Instead of seeing a single individual deal with an issue, fantasy can examine how a group of people can tackle it. For example, Snow Like Ashes allowed the author to examine racism, genocide, and lack of national identity/pride on a very grand scale.  I also enjoy seeing protagonists care about things outside of themselves – as the stakes are usually higher in fantasy land, they are able to reach out of their boxes and interact with external forces in more ways in fantasy. I love grand schemes and grand plots, and fantasy provides me these larger than life narrative I don’t get in general fiction.

differentworlds

Personally, I love books for the escapism factor.  I don’t want to see the concrete jungle I live in, with people traveling in cars, going to school and work – I do that every day and I am bored of it!  I want to see a multitude of universes, ones where there’s Hippogriffs, Lembas bread, gods and kingdoms and more cultures than you can shake a stick at. Yes, I want to see myself and humanity reflected in all of these fantasy settings, but I also require them to have a magic that fundamentally sets them apart from our current world.  I love all sorts of settings, whether it’s seeing Hogwarts, where the wizarding world is just hidden out of sight; where Throne of Glass, where we are thrown into a completely different land.  What I love the most is being able to see is how humans interact and exist with these worlds.  Will magic make us perfect people? Or will its presence turn wielders greedy megalomaniac? Will the presence of faes change the way that humans view themselves and one another – knowing that there are physically and mentally superior races around? I think fantasy allows us to examine questions about people and humanity that we would not be able to ask in a Muggle setting.

Bec @ Readers in Wonderland says:

epiccharacters

Epic characters aren’t necessarily limited to fantasy… and yet they kind of are. To me epic characters are your typical heroes who are badass, can fight with great skill, and face crazy challenges and yet somehow manage to overcome them 90% of the time. Not only are they admirable, but they’re just plain fun to read about. I’d take a story with an assassin, pirate, or sorcerer as the main character over a boring high school student any day. One of those lives I have lived, the others I have not (unfortunately).

magic&beasts

One of my favourite elements of the fantasy genre has always been magic and the things that come with it. There are so many magic systems out there in the fictional world, each working in different ways. It’s so fascinating and adds some really interesting elements to the characters, the story, and the world. Plus, magic is not something anyone in the real world has ever experienced. It’s shiny and new and not going to lie, I kind of want elemental powers.

And then there’s all the mythical beasts. Some are sweet and cuddly; others are the most terrifying things I’ve ever heard of. And again, they’re so very interesting! Mythical creatures and their associated lore are something I tend to nerd out about. There have been a number of times where I look off into the distance, imagining what life would be like if unicorns were real. But not dragons. Dragons are awesome and wreak such glorious destruction but DO NOT WANT IN THIS WORLD.


About the Bloggers

Read at Midnight is a fantastic up and coming blog with some really beautiful graphics and fantastic in-depth reviews. Aentee has a real talent in creating beautiful content and connecting with her readers! She’s also a co-blogger at The Social Potato.

Follow AenteeRead at Midnight Twitter | Instagram 

 

Readers in Wonderland is one of my favourite blogs filled with great discussion posts, reviews full of personality and really lovely bloggers! Both Alise and Bec are wonderful.

Follow Bec: Readers in Wonderland | Twitter | Instagram Tumblr 

 

If you’d like to contribute to this feature, let me know below. I hope you enjoyed this new feature!

Why do you love fantasy reads? 

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Jeann is an Aussie YA blogger and mum who loves to read and recommend books! You can usually find me fangirling about books on my various social media channels including Twitter @happyindulgence, Instagram and Youtube.

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31 responses to “Blogger Chatterbox: Why We Love Fantasy Reads

  1. danielleisbusyreading

    Great post! I'm definitely more of a contemporary girl than a fantasy girl, but I have to agree with Bec – I love reading about epic characters and characters whose situations are so different from my own, but who I can still relate to and root for.

  2. I am totally the same Josephine, there are just so many different classes and races and so much to find out about it! I love those adventures too, I mean dragons are awesome!

  3. This is FABULOUS! And such a good question! I think I probably lean toward Aentee's reasons more personally. I love the escape, and the thought of a whole new world. BUT I do agree with Bec about the characters having a LOT of potential for epicness. I mean, you aren't going to see a contemporary character slaying her enemies. At least, I hope not?
    My recent post The Fine Line: From Marketing to Memorabilia?

  4. I totally agree with all of these! To me, the fantasy genre is what answers to our "what-if" questions… what if we do have magic in a world full of corruption and strife? What would the world be like? How would people cope? This is why I love it so much – different worlds, different cultures, interacting with each other to create an epic story. Fantasy is the best huhuhu
    My recent post ARC Review: Never Never by Brianna Shrum

  5. sourbamboo

    I totally agree with Anetee about the escapism factor! I love reading adventures and experiencing them vicariously through the characters, and fantasy worlds have the best kinds of adventures. 🙂

  6. Shannelle C.

    The rich, new world definitely does it for me. I love getting lost in this complex society so unlike ours, and if it's done so well, I'm going to love it forever. I especially love it when the fantasy world has traditions and customs and everything.

    And hey, I'd love to contribute to this feature of yours, if you'd want me!

  7. I looove fantasy for SO MANY OF THESE REASONS. :') Mostly I love it, like Anetee said: for the escapism. Like, I can SEE a "contemporary" world every day of my life. I want dragons, folks. I want dragons and magic and all the epic things.

  8. Rachel Lightwood

    Gah, I love this post so much! I am not a massive fantasy fans but when I do stray away from my little corners, I love to pick a fantasy for all these reasons. I agree with Bec that the magic and the new creatures are what draws me in, but I'm not sure that I would say that the character were better because they were more 'epic'. I never find those characters as realistic as say contemporary protagonists, but *shrugs* to each their own. Fantastic discussion, girls.
    My recent post {Rachel Reviews} The Memory Key by Liana Liu

    • Hehe thanks Rachel, I'm glad you do pick it up every now and then and find something you enjoy about them! I guess we're biased because we enjoy what we enjoy XD

  9. I'm FINALLY trying fantasy and so far the thing that keeps me coming back to it is being able to escape from the real world and be surrounded by magic contemporary reads doesn't have. The thought of something impossible coming to life in form of a book is appealing and I can understand now why so many loves fantasy books. 🙂
    My recent post TTT #7: I’m Just Not That Into You

  10. I have been in love with fantasy genre since the moment I read Lord of the Rings as a teenager. As Aentee and Bec mentioned, I love fantasy novels because they provide escapism and epic unforgettable characters.
    Btw, I would love to contribute to this feature one day (if I have something valuable to say to given topic) 🙂
    My recent post DISCUSSION: Outlander influence on YA genre

  11. Fantasy is by far my favourite genre and I agree on all the points mentioned. I read fantasy for all of those reasons. One of the main reasons is definitely that I am already in this world, so I want to know about others. I want to read about heroes and villans, magic and mythical creatures… the genre just does it for me like none of the other genres can. Loved reading this. 🙂

  12. aentee @ read at midnight

    Yes to magical beasts! I am still mourning the fact I don't own a wyvern like Abraxos, a dragon like Temeraire, or even a fluffy postal owl like Hedwig!!

    Eep thank you so much for this feature Jeann! I'm feeling the love!!

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