What We’re Reading: Talia Makowsky
From Visitor Services Coordinator Talia Makowsky. To read more posts from Talia, click here.
I grew up escaping into fantasy novels. Reading about extraordinary people in fantastical lands was always a safe place to retreat when the real world was a little too real for me. And so, it’s no surprise that I’ve returned to some of my favorites during this time, while I’m staying home as much as possible. Having these fantasy novels to immerse myself in have been like opening a door out of quarantine, even just for a little bit. I encourage you to check out a fantasy novel, or at least a fiction novel set in a place you haven’t visited before, to get the feeling of escape for a moment. Here are some of my favorites:
This series is my absolute favorite fantasy series, and possibly my favorite fiction series. Victoria Schwab, or V.E. Schwab, is an amazing storyteller, her prose sharp and precise, and her world fascinating. This series is set in four different parallel Londons, all incredibly different, and follows the character Kell, who has the ability to travel between the different worlds. Upon traveling from one London to the next, he accidentally attracts a hitchhiker, Delilah Bard, who forces him to bring her from Grey London to Red London. Kell’s world of Red London is threatened by forces in White London, and the two of them must work together to save the city. This world only builds further in each novel, to a satisfying and heart wrenching ending by the third novel. But don’t worry, Schwab has revealed that she plans to write three more set in the same world!
(P.S. I recommend almost all of Schwab’s works, especially her Villians series.)
This fantasy novel (the first in a series) is set in a world that centers black identity, where the main characters directly challenge oppression. With magic eradicated from the world, Zélie grows up without her mother, who was killed when the king eliminated all magic users. However, when her village is threatened, Zélie rediscovers her magical abilities, to try to save her loved ones. Teaming up with a runaway princess, Zélie sets out to use her magic to save the world. Adeyemi’s world is rich and huge, and the story feels incredibly fresh for a YA fantasy novel. And this debut work of Adeyemi has attracted a lot of attention, with a movie already in development, based on the story. The second novel in the series is already out as well, so you’ll have plenty to read!
You can read more reviews from Talia here and here.