Tag: fantasy

The Name of the Wind

I don't know what's wrong with me, because so many commonly appraised fantasy books do not appeal to me. And The Name of the Wind is certainly one of them. It has become a classic and it has been praised for originality. The originality I wasn't able to see. The book bored me to the … Continue reading The Name of the Wind →

Little, Big by John Crowley

Warning: heavy spoilers Who is who: Daily Alice and Sophie Drinkwater—two sisters, live at Edgewood, their family houseSmoky—Alice's husbandAuberon—their sonSylvie—Auberon's True LoveAriel Hawksquill—a magicianViolet Bramble—a great-grandmother of Sophie and Daily Alice There are books with excellent style and rich but somewhat controversial content like One Hundred Years of Solitude. There are books with excellent style … Continue reading Little, Big by John Crowley →

The Most Ridiculous Misconceptions About Ursula K. LeGuin’s Books

1. Through writing positively about communism in “The Dispossessed” and “The Left Hand of Darkness” she offended the victims of Stalinism, Maoism and other regimes. Well, if you read these books carefully, you'll probably see that she's been never positive about dictatorship-like communism. In The Dispossessed the state of Thu (based on the Soviet Union, … Continue reading The Most Ridiculous Misconceptions About Ursula K. LeGuin’s Books →

Five Things Which are Wrong with Black Jewels by Anne Bishop

Five... But if I'd count them, there would be more, I'm sure. Kink Fantasy Instead of Dark Fantasy Oh, yes. It's damnably kinky. And it isn't even about numerous sex scenes. Or about magical rites and hierarchies connected to sexuality on a literal level. It was to be dark and lush, I'm sure. Male sexual … Continue reading Five Things Which are Wrong with Black Jewels by Anne Bishop →

The Social Side of the Strange Worlds of Patricia A. McKillip

Patricia A. McKillip is an evenement in fantasy. She writes neither fairytales-retellings nor epic fantasy. She never precises whether her books are for Young Adults or for adults, or for everybody. She doesn't step into writing big multi-volumed sagas and her books aren't centered on generic adventures or YA-ish finding of a True Lover. Her … Continue reading The Social Side of the Strange Worlds of Patricia A. McKillip →

Harry Potter and the Broader Context

Amidst the books which have accompanied me through summer, the most famous is the series about Harry Potter, undoubtedly. WARNING I can't say I've approached it with no prejudice, especially seeing all this awful transphobia of JK Rowling. Let me explain something: I'm sick with the misunderstanding around non-binary and trans people. I'm sick with … Continue reading Harry Potter and the Broader Context →

The Metaphors Behind “The Belles” by Dhonielle Clayton

Imagine there is an island kingdom where the people are born grey-skinned, red-eyed and overall ugly. And only the Belles, a group of girls gifted with magic, can make them beautiful and colourful. But it has a price. A price of pain and of even worse things of which the younger generation of Belles isn't … Continue reading The Metaphors Behind “The Belles” by Dhonielle Clayton →

Deverry Series Vs Deryni Series—a Preview

I love Celtic elements in fantasy. That's why I've been looking for some series which not only contain such elements but which are entirely Celtic. I've chosen two of them—Deryni and Deverry series. They are both quite looong—the first one contains more than fifteen books, and the second one consists of three tetralogies and one … Continue reading Deverry Series Vs Deryni Series—a Preview →