Best Book Series to Escape Reality

My husband, Zack, makes fun of me because recently I can’t pay attention to movies to save my life.  I’m too easily distracted and a movie has to be realllllly good to hold my attention.  But.  I love reading.  I’m especially into fantasy/sci-fi series right now . . . in our political climate we can all use a little escapism, right??  I, for one, look forward to crawling into bed at the end of the day (or sometimes during the day . . . #pregnancyproblems) and reading the latest installment of whatever series I’m currently obsessed with.

Here are some of my recent favorites, in no particular order:

1. Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

   • After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
   • I actually started these books after I read Maas’ Court of Thorns & Roses Series (see below), but this series quickly became my favorite.  I can’t wait for the 7th book to come out in October of this year.

2. A Court of Thorns & Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

   • When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin–one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
   • I devoured these three books (fourth one is due out in May of this year) and even had Zack listen to them on our long road trip this past summer (he liked them).  There’s obvious allusion to Beauty & the Beast, but the story goes beyond that theme and these books are incredibly sexy.

3. The Kingfountain Series by Jeff Wheeler

   • King Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life.
   • I read these books right after I watched The White Princess on Starz and found myself recognizing the parts of the storyline.  Wheeler often borrows ideas, characters, or storylines from history and explains how at the end of each of these books.  I loved all six books (and so did Shana!)

4. Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

   • Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone… 
     Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
   • Six of Crows is a heist story . . . think Ocean’s Eleven but set in a fantasy world with teenagers instead of George and Brad.  So far there’s only two planned books for this series (both out) but Bardugo said she may write more many years down the road.

5. Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix

   • Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Abhorson, is missing, and Sabriel must cross into that world to find him. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life and comes face-to-face with her own hidden destiny. . . .
   • I read the first three books of this trilogy years ago after finishing Harry Potter and was looking for another series with magic and fantasy.  I just noticed that two more have been published since, so I’ll be reading these soon.

6. Bartimeaus Series by Jonathan Stroud

   • Nathaniel is a magician’s apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who’s boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace’s greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.
   • I was looking for a series to fill the void after finishing Harry Potter and found this one.  LOVE these books . . . they’re funny, creative and engrossing from chapter one.  If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, you’ll love this series.

7. Red Rising Series by Pierce Brown

   • Begin with Red Rising, Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut that introduces readers to Darrow, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Darrow must sacrifice everything to infiltrate the dominant Gold caste and compete for the very future of their civilization.
   • If you loved Hunger Games & Divergent, this series is for you.  I’m currently on the second book and can’t wait to read it every night.  Four out of five books have been published, with the 5th due Sept 11 of this year.

Ok, now your turn!  What other recommendations do you have for people who like fantasy and sci-fi like me?

XOXO,

Scotti