All Fantasy, All the Time with Aliette de Bodard

Jenn Northington Jun 15, 2017

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Jenn, Sharifah, and guest author Aliette de Bodard give fantasy reading recommendations in this week’s episode of Get Booked!

This episode is sponsored by The People We Hate At The Wedding by Grant Ginder and The Crime Book.

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Questions

1. Hi there! Love the podcast! I’m a huge fan of fantasy and science fiction, which I’ve been rabidly reading since a young tender age. Lately, though, I’ve found that they all feature white dudes as the main protagonists. I would really love some recommendations of fantasy or science fiction books where the main character is female and written well. Any recommendations you have would be most appreciated! Thanks!
–Christina Elizabeth

2. Hi! I’m looking for fantasy books that would be a good place for a person who has never read the genre before. My boyfriend is an avid reader, but it has come to my attention he has never read, nor does he even understand what a fantasy novel is (he asked me if the genre “is like magical realism”).
I on the other hand have been reading high fantasy since I was a child- which means I’m a bit to caught up in it to really figure out what a good beginner book could be. I understand that a high fantasy world can be sometimes overwhelming to non readers of the genre. Any ideas of good places to start that wouldn’t completely freak out my boyfriend, and scare him away from the genre completely?
–Paige

3. Hi! I love A Darker Shade of Magic and Sorcerer to the Crown type of fantasy, do you have any other recommendations of books like these? Preferably including queer characters? Thank You!
–Katrina

4. I’d like to read some fun high fantasy novels but don’t really know where to start. I’ve read and loved all of A Song of Ice and Fire, Name of the Wind (didn’t love the sequel), the Lord of the Rings trilogy (obviously), and The Sword of Truth series. I’m looking for something with a deep and interesting magic system, since my favorite thing about fantasy is magic. Other then that I’m open to anything and everything.
–Danny

5. A couple months ago I could not stand fantasy novels because I felt like all the ones I tried seemed to lean towards YA and the dynamics the genre includes (ie a cheesy love interest that takes up too much of the book, for instance).

I then asked a friend to recommend a fantasy series for adults and he told me I had to read Mistborn by Brian Sanderson.

I’m currently well into the second book and loving it. Anything else you can recommend along those lines?

I like fast-paced, story-focused novels. Many thanks!
–Alex

6. I really enjoy reading books that focus on relationships between siblings. Maybe because I’m an only child I find that dynamic incredibly fascinating. Anyway I’m on a fantasy kick right now, and I was wondering if you two knew of any fantasy novels that have strong sibling relationships?
I seem to always be reading novels about sisters, which is great, but I’d like to vary that up a bit if possible, so brother/sister, or brother/brother, would be a nice change of pace. Or a whole bunch of siblings!
Thanks in advanced.
–Jamie

Books Discussed

The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard

SFF Yeah! podcast

Black Wolves by Kate Elliott

Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho

Half World by Hiromi Goto

Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner