Finding Good Fantasy Novels

[nadines1]

I just want to let you know that I have a blog (you can find it in my profile contact information) that provides reviews on children, teen, and young adult fantasy novels. This helps parents discern good writing for their children, and it helps children decide what they want to read better. I've had several of my little sister's friends ask what I thought about this book and that book, and thought it would be beneficial to them and others to have good, Christian-based reviews.

Please take a look and tell me what you think, and if you like it, would you help me spread the word? Thank you so much!

 

[Pro-Life Atheist]

I have not read it, but Wings by Aprilynne Pike I heard is good for teen girls

Here are some authors

Diana Wynne Jones
Gail Carson Levine
Rick Riorda
Robin McKinley-Though some of her books can be rather mature like 'Deerskin' were the heroine is raped by her own father.

I'm apologize for the small list, but I do not read that many family friendly young abult books anymore.

Oh, and I forgot to mention Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

 

[nadines1]

Thank you! The list of authors is very helpful and I look forward to seeing what books they have to offer.

I've actually read Wings by Aprilynne Pike and plan to do a review on it soon on my blog. Personally, I was not a huge fan, but she is a very creative author--nice idea. It is definitely written for a younger, teen, female audience, though.

I love Gail Carson Levine's works. They are very imaginative and always clean and enjoyable. Haven't read any by the other authors you suggested, so thank you! Always looking for suggestions, ideas, or feedback.

 

[pameladelores]

Diana Wynne Jones

I dont like it

 

[laconicstudent]

Ew, don't try and censor your older child/teen's reading. That just makes us go behind Mom's back and check the books out from the library.

Seriously, don't try to say "You can't read this", I promise you, your child will smile, nod, hand the book over, and then promptly check it out from the local library and devour it enthusiastically without you knowing.

*did that himself, multiple times, for years*

And I still turned out okay.

 

[nadines1]

Haha, I'm certainly not trying to tell adults to censor their older teens' reading. Teens reach a certain age where they have to make those decisions and mistakes by themselves. I just know that my blog has helped parents understand what their younger children are receiving from their schools or library or friends, etc.

Mostly, my blog is for parents to help discern what's good to allow their younger children to read, and it's to help teens decide what they'd like to read on their own. It's not trying to give parents a secret site to keep books from their kids.

Parents have a role to play. They want to help their children be responsible in reading and, to an extent, it's a parent's duty to sift through the nasty writing for their 11 year-old....

We can't fault parents for doing their job, but I do agree with not censoring teen or young adult readers. And if a child is going to go behind their parent's back and check it out from the library anyway, that child has more issues than just reading books against their parent's wishes.

 

[christianmomof3]

I taught middle school reading for several years and I love teen fantasy novels.
Some of my favorites are:
The Keys to The Kingdom series by Garth Nix
The Last Olympian Series by Rick Riordan and his newest book The Red Pyramid is good too.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner is great - and my 11 year old son just read it too and loved it.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is excellent and the next book as well and I am awaiting the 3rd book which comes out in Aug. I think.
Also by Suzanne Collins is another series - The Underland Chronicles which is very good as well.

 

[nadines1]

Yes, I love Keys to the Kingdom. I'm actually getting close to writing a review for those novels on my blog. I also just finished the Last Olympian Series this last winter and greatly enjoyed them. I haven't gotten to Riordan's new book yet, but I'm glad to hear it's good. I'll be checking it out soon.

I've heard of Maze Runner but don't know anything about it, have never heard of Hunger Games or the Underland Chronicles. But, seeing as how you seem to have similar taste as me, I think I ought to look in to them. Thank you so much!

A good new series I just finished (the released ones, that is. It's a trilogy and book 3 comes out soon) is the "Blood of Kings" series by Jill Williamson. Christian fantasy for teens and young adults. I thought it was brilliant. Has a bit of a slow start--hard to figure out the character's goals--but once you get going, it really draws you in. I liked it a lot. The first book is "By Darkness Hid" and the second is "To Darkness Fled".

It's nice to see decently written Christian fantasy out there.

God bless!

 

[SionDS]

One thing I have learned NOT to do is trust Amazon reviews.

 

[AgapeBible]

I like the Dragonkeeper series by Donita K. Paul. It's awesome, if you like dragons, and it is Christian fantasy. Stephen R. Lawhead has some awesome Christian fantasy and historical Christian fantasy novels. He has a Pendragon series about the King Arthur legends. There is Madeliene L'Engle who writes for young adults, she is a Christian and has some good fantasy novels. I read an awesome book recently called the Fall of Lucifer by Wendy Alec, apparently there is a series of these books about the war in heaven and the angels war between good and evil, God and Satan.

Angela Hunt mainly writes historical and realistic novels, but she is a good writer.

 

[fat_boy]

For Fantasy, I highly recommend David Gemmell, by far the best fantasy writer ever to come out of Britain. His earlier stuff, such as Waylander and Legend are especially good.