Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week is a rewind week, meaning all participating bloggers can pick a topic they missed from past weeks. I opted to go with my Top Ten Vivid Settings/Worlds, because I have read some insanely imaginative books that I think everyone should pick up at some point. Onwards!
#1- The Three Realms from The Black Jewels Books by Anne Bishop
This is one of my favorites. This world has three realms, one of which is home to the demon-dead, and another is home to fantastical creatures, good people, and talking animals. I always love escaping to the world Anne Bishop created for this epic series.
#2- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Ummm, yes. This world jumps off the page so easily that they were able to make a theme park (which is awesome, btw).
#3- Ravka from The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo
I only recently fell in love with this series (check out yesterday’s review), but the world Leigh Bardugo created is just so cool! A great setting and unique magic system bring this world alive.
#4- Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien
Another obvious one, but Tolkien’s Middle Earth is seen by many as the one that spawned the many.
#5- The Seven Kingdoms (Etc.) from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
This is the world on this list that I’d be least interested in moving to. Almost every place R.R. Martin creates is bleak, unpleasant and cold, but they’re also incredibly easy to imagine. It doesn’t hurt that there is now a tv show to help us imagine the finer details.
#6- The World of The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
I love this book so much. Norton Juster managed to create a fantasy world out of the building blocks of our own world. There’s a kingdom for numbers, one for letters, and a miriad of other places throughout the world that bring “real life” to a whole new level. One day, I will compose a sunrise!
#7- The Kingdoms of Kristin Cashore
Kristin Cashore managed to create two very cool, very distinct magic systems that brought their world to life for
readers. Obviously, I’d rather have a grace than be a monster, but I would love to see either of the kingdoms that Cashore created.
#8- The World of The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s a classic, and in black and white. After this particular twist was revealed, this book managed to burn it’s bleak version of the future into my memory.
#9- The Worlds of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor
While a lot of this book takes place in our world, there are also two other distinct realms with wonderfully vivid creatures and magic.
#10- The “real” world
A good writer can make the mundane world we already live in seem pretty fantastic, and every fantasy world takes its core from our society. So whether it’s Earth+Magic or just contemporary Earth, there are a lot of great stories to be told right here.
Yes yes yes to all of these!
My TTT
I thought Bardugo’s Grisha world was one of the most imaginative I’ve seen in a long time. It really helps if there’s a map in the beginning of the book, doesn’t it? I think it really helps set the scene.
Agree with 2, 3 and 4. Awesome worlds! The others I haven’t yet read. But the “real” world is a great point…really good authors CAN make the mundane seem fantastic. I love that!
Great Post! Totally agree with Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.