So today marks Day 8 of #blogjune, and the eighth book of thirty in this series of ’30 must read books’ which I’ve chosen as my theme. For the past 7 days, I picked ‘literary’ titles – from Dumas and Austen, to the 40+ Biblical authors and Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Edith Pargeter, and Jane Yolen.
Jane Yolen’s work also marks a shift, in content, into the fantasy / sci fi realm, and it in this realm which I’d like to spend the next 7 days.
Beginning, of course, with Raymond E. Feist, and the ‘Riftwar’ cycle which started with Magician.
Magician was my introduction to fantasy, as a 13 year old wide-eyed kid. A good friend of mine from a community orchestra we were in introduced us – and it was a match made in heaven. I devoured it, as well as the other two in the Riftwar saga, Silverthorn and A Darkness At Sethanon, faster than I had ever read anything ever before.
I then moved into the following three, set on the opposing world of Kelewan, and co-written by Jenny Wurts: Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire, and Mistress of the Empire, and loved them just as wholeheartedly.
What a fantastic introduction to fantasy it was. And it’s a love that exists through to today.
What about you? What was your first fantasy novel?
And have a lovely day!
— KRidwyn
2 replies on “30 must read books – #8”
The magician series was so well done! My first fantasy series was the Narnia series. I started them in primary school. In high school I came across The Belgariad series by David Eddings and for a while read EVERYTHING by him. It was a great story and witty. But I think my most formative reads were Robin McKinley, starting with Beauty, then going on with the Blue Sword and the Hero and the Crown. Oh, after the Narnia books I also read The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper. Great set of five books based on welsh mythology.
Hi Jo! Thanks for your comment – you made me remember that the Narnia series was probably my first fantasy series too… whoops! Although I was planning to include them in my ‘Christian’ genre of books, next week, so, um, slight oversight there! Oh well…
And thanks also for mentioning The Dark is Rising sequence; I have always meant to read these but have never gotten around to them – and I keep on forgetting the name / author (which makes it just that much harder) – so now that you’ve reminded me, I can add them to my TBR list right this minute! Thanks!!!