Target: book ideaMy question concerned my need for a gift idea. I wanted a
book, "one that would appeal to an
adult. It should be fantasy and have lots of magic in it."
My sister and her boyfriend suggested The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd
(the 2nd in the Trilogy) to me and they are wonderful. Other friends of
mine enjoy the
Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix or Septimus Heap Series (can't remember the
author).
Introduce him to Garth Nix's series "Keys to the Kingdom".
Lots of magical creatures and magic controls much of the setting.
My husband has also been working on a piece of writing that involves
fantasy and magic. A book he purchased recently has really helped
him. The title is Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures by
Richard Huber.
oldie but goodie...Wrinkle in Time???
Some of the fantasy that I and my husband enjoy:
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (series begins with Storm Front)
The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher (series begins with Furies of Calderon)
The Rachel Morgan books by Kim Harrison (series begins with Dead Witch
Walking)
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane (series begins with So You Want To
Be A Wizard)
You might give Jim Butcher's "Harry Dresden" series a try. The first in
the series is Storm Front and they just get better as the series
progresses. Harry is a Chicago-based private detective who also happens
to be a magician. They're a nice mix of noir and magic.
How about this:
Susanna Clark's, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Here's a description from
Barnes & Noble site:
It's 1808 and that Corsican upstart Napoleon is battering the English army
and navy. Enter Mr. Norrell, a fusty but ambitious scholar from the
Yorkshire countryside and the first practical magician in hundreds of years.
What better way to demonstrate his revival of British magic than to change
the course of the Napoleonic wars? Susanna Clarke's ingenious first novel,
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, has the cleverness and lightness of touch of
the Harry Potter series, but is less a fairy tale of good versus evil than a
fantastic comedy of manners, complete with elaborate false footnotes,
occasional period spellings, and a dense, lively mythology teeming beneath
the narrative. Mr. Norrell moves to London to establish his influence in
government circles, devising such powerful illusions as an 11-day blockade
of French ports by English ships fabricated from rainwater. But however
skillful his magic, his vanity provides an Achilles heel, and the differing
ambitions of his more glamorous apprentice, Jonathan Strange, threaten to
topple all that Mr. Norrell has achieved. A sparkling debut from Susanna
Clarke--and it's not all fairy dust. --Regina Marler
I love the Inkheart series and the movie is in the works. Another compelling
read, really for adults, is World War Z. It will surely be made into a movie
since it is by Max Brooks, son of Mel Brooks. Wow...it is a very engrossing
story. Happy Holidays!--
The magical worlds of Harry Potter: a treasury of myths, legends, and
fascinating facts by David Colbert
If he liked Harry Potter, and hasn't tried it yet, you should recommend The
Lightning Thief by
Rick Riordan. Not exactly what you asked for, but a really good read. :)
Not sure if this would appeal to him, as it is written in an absolutely
authentic Regency era (Jane Austen) style of writing (and it is nearly
1000 pages), but I /loved/ "Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrell" by Susanna
Clarke. Set during the wars against Napoleon, it is an alternate
history, magical realism tale of two magicians who help the British
government defeat the French. It is written as a history book of the two
magicians, and includes all sorts of footnote references to other faux
scholarly works - very amusing.
It won every book award going in 2005! I think it is even /better/ when
you listen to the audiobook read by Simon Prebble. The reviewers called
this book 'Harry Potter for adults.'
Deborah Stafford
Gen. H.H. Arnold High School
Wiesbaden, Germany
deborah.stafford@t-online.de
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