Category: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Magical Characters

Posted October 29, 2019 by Fictional Fox in Top Ten Tuesday / 0 Comments

This is posted as part of Top Ten Tuesday, a blog feature where That Artsy Reader Girl provides weekly prompts for top ten lists.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

–That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s topic is a Halloween Freebie. I have chosen to list my top ten magical characters.

1) Elsa from Frozen (2013)

Let it go! This movie came out while I was at uni. I love it so much. Elsa grows so much over the course of the movie, from someone who suppresses her nature to a Queen who embraces her powers. She gets to reconnect with her sister as her true self. It’s a great film.

2) Sophie Hatter from Howl’s Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones

Sophie does not believe that she is in anyway special at the beginning of the story but as the novel goes on her powers are shown to us subtly. I love how slowly and naturally her powers flourish as her self confidence blossoms.

3) Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I had to have a Harry Potter character on this list. I went for Ginny because she’s a strong person who stands by Harry and her family through thick and thin. She’s a clever and loyal witch.

4) Sabrina from Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV series)

I have done a few posts discussing how Sabrina was a big part of my childhood. She is one of the first magical characters that really grabbed my imagination.

5) Kell Maresh from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Kell is such a cool character. He’s a powerful magician who can travel between worlds. I think one of the reasons I love him so much is because he gives me Ariel from The Little Mermaid vibes. Hear me out, in the first book of the series he loves to collect trinkets from different London’s- just like how Ariel likes to collect things from the human world! Kind of. Anyway, I’m super fond of Kell and how he’s sometimes the serious friend but at other times he’s just a lost young person who enjoys simple, innocent pleasures (like his trinket collection).

6) Magnus Bane from the Shadowhunters novels by Cassandra Clare

Magnus Bane is a tremendously fun character. He’s an old soul with a trunk full of history. I like how he’s a character who we are introduced to as an experienced warlock, rather than as someone who is new to their powers and only just learning how to use them.

7) Dorian Havilliard from the Throne of Glass series by S.J. Maas

Dorian gives me strong Frozen vibes. In the second novel in the series he is shown to have hidden powers that, if found out, could ruin his relationship with his family. But over the course of the series he takes greater ownership of his powers and makes them part of his identity.

8) Merlin from BBC’s Merlin TV series

Merlin was a massive part of my life for a while. I once went to Comic Con and met a few of the actors who played the knights. I was so happy!

Merlin himself is such a lovable character. He’s always getting into trouble and using his magic to find a way out.

9) Cardan Greenbriar from The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black

I am obsessed with this series and part of the reason for that is Cardan’s character development. I could write a whole essay about him, I swear. He is a complex and really interesting Faerie King.

10) Cala Athmaza from The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Cala is one of Maia’s original dedicated guards. We don’t see him use his magic very much but when he does it’s certainly dramatic. He literally puts his life on the line for Maia and he cares about Maia on a personal level, not just because he’s the Emperor.

Who are your favourite magical characters?

Lauren x

TOP TEN BOOKS I’D GIVE DIFFERENT TITLES TO

Posted October 22, 2019 by Fictional Fox in Top Ten Tuesday / 4 Comments

This is posted as part of Top Ten Tuesday, a blog feature where That Artsy Reader Girl provides weekly prompts for top ten lists.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

–That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s topic is about discussing books I would give different titles to. I do like the original titles of the books below, but I thought I’d have a bit of fun and imagine alternatives.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, AKA The Tragic End of Basil Hallward

Basil deserved better. I will die on this hill.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, AKA Don’t Take Sweets From Strangers

You know, what I’m talking about, Edmund.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, AKA We’re All Mad Here

I love the book but this is true. It comes straight from the cat’s mouth *shrug*

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, AKA Harry Potter and the Year of Sass

Harry’s always strong when it comes to comebacks but I personally felt he was on top form in book five.

Persuasion by Jane Austen, AKA Regrets

Bang. One word title exchanged for another. It’s all you need, sometimes. Why mess with the formula of the original? I feel like the characters are swayed as much by regret as they are by persuasion in this novel, so it works for me.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, AKA The Green Light

I’m going to be honest and admit that I feel a bit cheap with my alternative title. It’s a bit on the nose, perhaps?

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, AKA Sydney Carton

Considering what Sydney goes through I think he deserves to have the book named after him (there are a few examples out there of Dicken’s naming books after characters so it wouldn’t be an off-brand move).

Lord of the Flies by William Golding, AKA The Kids Aren’t Alright 

Perhaps an understatement?

Emma by Jane Austen, AKA Meddling and Misunderstanding

Emma, Emma, Emma. She’s not the easiest character to get along with sometimes.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, AKA The Dragon

I think Smaug deserved more recognition.

If you could rename any of the books above, what titles would you pick?

Lauren x

Top Ten Tuesday: Ranking The Bane Chronicles by Title

Posted October 15, 2019 by Fictional Fox in Top Ten Tuesday / 2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

–That Artsy Reader Girl

This is posted as part of Top Ten Tuesday, a blog feature where That Artsy Reader Girl provides prompts for top ten lists.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is ‘Extraordinary Titles’. I’m going to use this prompt to rank the titles of the short stories featured in The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson.

If you have not heard of The Bane Chronicles before, it’s basically an anthology of short stories that centre around a character called Magnus Bane, a warlock from Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters universe of books. I love these stories. I read them digitally as they were released. I remember getting so excited as I waited for each new story to come out.

I will be ranking the stories by title alone, nothing to do with the stories themselves, from my least favourite to favourite. I think they are all good titles but I do have a bias for the funnier ones.

10. The Last Stand of the New York Institute

This is a rather serious title-like something out of a history book.

9.  & 8. The Rise of the Hotel Dumort and The Fall of the Hotel Dumort

The construction of these two titles is pretty standard. They’re fine, I guess. I don’t have a lot to say about them which is why they are near the bottom of my ranking 🤷‍♀️.

7. & 6. The Runaway Queen and The Midnight Heir

Okay, we’re getting more exciting now. I’ve put these two together for being similarly phrased as The’ _____’ ‘_____’. Heirs and Queens are exciting subjects so you can’t go wrong there.

5. The Course of True Love (And First Dates)

Chuck in some parentheses and I’m a happy reader (because I, too, love to use them). And I love how this starts with the serious notion of ‘true love’ and then splashes in the ‘first dates’ bit casually. It gives this title a lighter, romantic comedy feel.

4.  Saving Raphael Santiago

We love a play on pop culture.

3. What Really Happened in Peru

This title holds a lot of promise. Imagine someone coming up to you and promising to finally explain a secret reference they’ve been leaving you in the dark about for ages. Obvs you’re going to be excited and intrigued. This is the equivalent of that situation in story form. Love it.

2. What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway)

Again, parentheses for the win. I also love how this is phrased like a self-help book to begin with but then undercuts that with the side comment. Another implied romantic comedy.

1. Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale

I feel like this title represents it’s awesomeness without the need for explanation. This is a golden trio. A perfect recipe for a tasty story.

Bonus Entry: The Voicemail of Magnus Bane

Interesting and not your normal story subject, so I liked this one.

Have you read The Bane Chronicles? Which title do you love best?

Lauren x

Ten Qualities I Love About Maia Drazhar from The Goblin Emperor

Posted October 8, 2019 by Fictional Fox in Top Ten Tuesday / 2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

–That Artsy Reader Girl

This is posted as part of Top Ten Tuesday, a blog feature where That Artsy Reader Girl provides prompts for top ten lists.

Today’s topic is about top ten qualities/traits we love in a character. I will be focusing on things I love about Maia Drazhar, the main character in Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor.

Ten Qualities I Love About Maia Drazhar from The Goblin EmperorThe Goblin Emperor (The Goblin Emperor, #1) by Katherine Addison
Published by Tor Books on April 1, 2014
Pages: 446
Goodreads

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne–or his life.

Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor is an exciting fantasy novel, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.

Kind, Strong and Brave

These traits to me really define Maia as a person.

He has a great capacity for kindness in the face of adversity. And, gosh, does he face a lot of that when he enters the Imperial Court.

Maia has a lot of things stacked against him when he begins his reign. There are people who want to puppet him, destroy him or just plain ignore him. He shows incredible strength to fight on in the name of what he thinks is right and not to let other people’s ambition derail his task of being a good Emperor.

He’s never been brought up to rule and he himself has been shown little kindness by anyone until he comes to court. It would have been so easy for him to take the path of least resistance and let others win. Or, on the other hand, to be vengeful and misuse his power. But he doesn’t and that shows both strength and bravery.

Imperfect and Self-Aware

Maia is not strictly speaking ‘human’ as, after all, this is a book about goblins and elves, but he shows a lot of humanity.

He has moments of selfishness, for example there is a particular episode in the book where he leaves the room with a singer who he likes a lot. The situation escalates into one that goes against all kinds of political protocol. In that moment he’s a young man who is innocent and somewhat out of his depth in the face of someone he likes. He steps out of the shadow of his title briefly to be ‘normal’, although that is soon shattered when he realises that he had the singer’s attention because of his title and nothing more, really.

I like that he shows his vulnerabilities and his truth. He gets frustrated, angry, disappointed. He makes misjudgements at times. All of this makes him more real.

Maia often acknowledges of his weaknesses. The narrative gives a lot of space to Maia’s introspective thoughts. Sometimes he can be quite tough on himself. He often spends time acknowledging and imagining how others see him. He can’t afford to be oblivious to how he presents himself because his whole existence is under a microscope. Nothing is private for an Emperor and this in itself is a big issue Maia has to deal with.

One of Maia’s struggles is reconciling his private and public image. He has to learn how much of his true self he can show and to who and kill people’s preconceptions. His father had painted and promoted a poor image of him that Maia has to tear down.

Listener, Empathetic and Wise

One of Maia’s greatest skills is listening which allow him to be both empathetic and wise. When his father and brothers dies in an airship crash his thoughts go to the family of the airship crew who also lost their lives. When he hears of proposals for a bridge that could help encourage trade and boost the economy, he wants to hear how it can benefit his people.

He’s a hands-on ruler once he’s given the chance to learn more about the system he’s working with and the scope of his powers within that system.

He shows the skills you want from a ruler. He wants to know about problems and is open to hearing ideas about solutions. Maia has a big heart and an eye for the bigger picture. He shows a lot maturity for someone so young.

Loyal and Loving

Maia finds a group of allies in the cold halls of Court. They become like family. I particularly enjoyed the chapters relating to Maia’s birthday and his simple joy at receiving presents.

For an orphan who lost his mother at a young age and was pushed away by his father, it’s so touching to see him find a group of people who love him. It’s key to Maia surviving the dark forces that surround him.

But he does suffer one truly deep betrayal. Yet, he stays loyal to that person. He listens to him explain why and even feels guilt. He watches the consequences of their actions and sees it through to the end. He shows the exact kind of unnerving loyalty that was denied him by this person.

Maia is an amazing character and The Goblin Emperor is a magical character study. If you haven’t read it already I definitely recommend it.

Lauren x