Top Five Fantasy Holiday Reads
As many of us pack our bags for our holidays, we scrabble around to find the perfect read. We still like to take a physical book as well as an e-reader as it doesn’t suffer in the sun, can withstand a few splashes, and if it gets dropped in the pool, it isn’t a disaster. This year, we thought we’d create a top five list matching books to a location – rather like putting a wine with a meal. We’ve picked five locations and some books to pair with it.
1. Beach
We were tempted to suggest Dune by Frank Herbert because of all the sand, but it lacks a watery ocean so is not strictly a beach read. How about dipping into Circe by Madeleine Miller, or her earlier book The Shield of Achilles? These are wonderful retellings of the stories of Greek myths told from a different point of view. And as this is Ancient Greece, you get a lot of Islands and beaches.
2. Mountains
If you want to traverse mountains, you could try Alison Croggon’s The Pellinor Series, four books starting with The Gift. A little heads-up that the debt to Tolkien is very apparent (this might divide readers) but we enjoyed the series a lot, particularly the main character Maerad who is a complicated heroine, starting out as a slave – the beginning chapters are particularly memorable as she comes into her power. Croggon also manages to strike out in original directions, particularly with a northern icebound landscape and culture found in later books, so it is worth sticking with the series.
3. Wilderness
The Lord of the Rings – need we say more? But if we do, it is to remind you of all the wonderful descriptions of the landscapes that the fellowship pass through in their journey in the wilderness. Every location is specific. You’ve probably forgotten some of them and can rediscover them on this re-read. We’ve just spotted the rock chimneys near to the grey-hill country of the Emyn Muil, seen from the river. There is fabulous description just before the orc attack.
4. Sea voyage
Revisit your childhood and come onboard The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. If you are lucky enough to be sailing on a tropical sea, or even a sunny day in the Mediterranean, you can’t do better than read Lucy’s description of looking over the side of the ship at the mermaid colony as the voyage nears its end. And have you discovered yet The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius? A recent story with an enchanting heroine - and a sea voyage. Or if you want something more adult, have you tried The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb? You’ll never look at a boat the same way again!
5. City break
We of course have to mention Oxford. You all know about Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, but you might want to visit through two powerful reimaginings of Oxford by contemporary writers RF Kuang Babel and Samantha Shannon The Bone Season. Oxford is one of the fantasy hotspots for stories, possibly because living here is to have a foot in two worlds of town and gown. Behind the college walls, you can imagine all sorts of arcane behaviour and magical libraries—actually, you don’t have to dream them up: they are there! Real life is at least as strange as fiction in Oxford. Come and visit us soon.
We’d love to hear your pairings for the perfect summer read for a specific location. What about a train journey or a desert trek? Tell us where you’re going and what you intend to read.
