THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS FOR POPULAR FANTASY SERIES BY SARAH J. MAAS AND REBECCA YARROS!
It has become apparent to me how depressing the world around us has become. From wars to climate change, escalating the time until our demise, it is hard to find any ounce of good left in this world. Despite all the bad, there are ways to cope and escape into one’s own little world. Personally, I do this through reading fantasy novels.
When I first wanted to get into the genre of fantasy books, more specifically romantic fantasy (romantasy), a friend of mine recommended I read a book series called “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas.
The five-book series tells the story of Feyre Archeron navigating through the seven unique courts, ruled by their own High Lords, in the world of Prythian. While in this new world, she finds unexpected love and a new family that makes her feel like she finally belongs somewhere.
After finishing that series, which took about two or three months to complete, I picked up another Maas series, titled “Throne of Glass.” This series explores similar themes of romance and finding one’s way in the world with a twist of assassins and ancient, concealed magic that will soon come bursting to life.
Celaena Sardothien, the infamous assassin of Adarlan, battles her way up to the top during ruthless trials to become the king’s personal bodyguard and save herself from a death sentence, fighting against enemies and her own internal identity struggle as she tries to find out where she is really from. The series has a total of eight books, including the prequels.
As of late, I have started immersing myself in the “Fourth Wing” series written by Rebecca Yarros. Violet Sorrengail, the daughter of a cut-throat commander of Basgiath War College, was forced to become a dragon rider by her mother.
Although she detested becoming a rider and would have much rather been a scribe in the Archives, she found her inner strength and got into the Riders Quadrant after many tough competitions with her prospective classmates.
Now she must find her way in the violent world of the kingdom of Navarre, whose leadership hides secrets that will make Violet question everything about her loyalties and even her own mother. Despite only having read the first book in this three-book series, I am already enjoying the setup of the world and how much the characters change over the course of just the one book.
Even though the plots of these novel series vary, they still all allow the reader to delve into a new, whimsical world of magic, dragons and more.
That is why I adore them so much. I am able to immerse myself in a new world far away from this one, truly being able to temporarily transport myself into a dream realm. It feels like I actually personally know all the characters within each page I read.
If you find delight in getting lost in a place filled with astonishing world-building, new and mysterious characters and mystical creatures, fantasy novels are a great way to do so. I hope that this article inspires you to take a step back from reality and let your imagination soar.
Katie Germinder is a junior majoring in environmental studies and sustainability and minoring in anthropology and media and communications
