Not sure what I'm asking for
Posted: 07 Jun 2025, 08:35
I like some fantasy books but not all, and I'm not sure if "fantasy" is even the right word for what I like! I really enjoyed Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, because of the interesting and elaborate setting. All of the different old roads they traveled down and descriptions of the cities they visited were so vivid and vibrant. I would compare the feeling of that to reading A Midsummer Night's Dream, set in old ancient forests with magical fairies afoot. So I like that, the idea of old traveling troupes in the woods. But whenever I have searched for this, I end up picking up books like War of the Oaks by Emma Bull, which I found the writing sort of immature and unsophisticated. I am intimidated by the vast amount of fantasy series out there, feeling that I'm not sure which will truly delight my mind. There needs to be a strong sophisticated literary element to it. I really enjoyed Temeraire by Naomi Novik, and my favorite fiction read in the past few years was Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko. I love how psychologically complex that book is and the writing is unbelievable with the sort of scattered and fragmented descent into her transformation. For classics, I loved The Sound and the Fury, with similar style of prose, and Crime and Punishment also with more complex themes about the nature of humanity. But I also love a good love story! So I guess I am looking for recommendations that aren't necessarily as difficult reads as the Sound and the Fury, which takes extreme mental focus to make sense of, maybe with more magical themes like Name of the Wind, Temeraire, or Vita Nostra, (or just love stories), but have the same precision of writing if you enjoy Shakespeare or Dostoevsky. Help me wade through!!!