#codex alera

Oh fuck no! I didn’t even finish the Fourth Wing series because if I had to listen to the main characters fight again over something stupid I was gonna kms. Also once you bring back the ex (my least fav trope of all time) not once but TWICE im done with you. Throne of glass doesn’t get as good until book 3/4 but the ride is long and has its ups and downs!!

I think you should start with one of these that are are lighter on the fantasy but still not of this world and are some of the funniest books I’ve ever read.

Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch (oceans 11 of pure fuckery)

Dresden Files (if Sherlock was a wizard in modern times) by Jim Butcher

Technically a Lit RPG but also the funniest most unhinged shit I ever read

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinnaman

If you want more of a super cool magic system try Codex Alera (nature magic) or the Powdermage Trilogy (guns and magic) or Mistborn (metal magic and era 2 is better than era 1 tho most people would argue with me)

There was one of those meme/surveys that @tochira low-key tagged me in (what are you up to, what fandoms are you into lately, what are you reading) and-- I figured all y'all know I basically live in FF6 fandom on the internet as a coping mechanism whilst raising small children in the World of Ruin-- I realized I've been reading rather prolifically since my kid has taken an interest in reading together at bedtime. I know, he's not even 5 and really into audiobooks on yoto (abridged (2-ish hours): Peter Pan, Anne of Green Gables, Treasure Island, Christmas Carol, Frankenstein, Wizard of Oz, Robin Hood) and picks out, on his own, chapter books.

(I think I have managed to write these out without truly spoiling anything.)

Of course, I insisted on starting him on things from my own childhood, like Charlotte's Web by EB White (fantastic, aged well, A+) and Stuart Little (not remarkable, 6/10), and he chose Curse of the Werewolf Boy by Chris Priestley (which the kid enjoyed it, but I did not (2/10)). Matilda by Roald Dahl was another one of those disappointing revelations; I loved the book as a kid but not so much as an adult (4/10, being generous here). But I have found some real gems that you may not have heard of. Also, I will specify "comfort reading" for books I found that are just good vibes/soft. First up: the 3-book series (so far, hopefully there will be more) Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake is my absolute favorite. The attention to detail (i.e. there is never a 'hand', everything is a 'paw'), puns galore (New Yak Times Book Review, because Yaks are apparently very good at reviewing books, who knew?), and lots and lots of chickens. I am completely in love with both Skunk and Badger. We started on Book Three before finding and reading books One and Two. I am saying with complete and utter sincerity that I will read this series over and over again with both my kids as they get older and find new things to love. 100/10 This book is probably for kids in upper elementary school. Comfort reading.

Next is the Princess Hamster series by Ursula Vernon. A friend recommended this author (aka T Kingfisher) and I have not been disappointed by any of her work. Princess Harriet Hamsterbone books are absolutely 100% delightful, hilarious, and clever retellings of fairy tales in a rodent-centric world. The author illustrates them and the pictures correspond and interact with the text so perfectly, which is just *chef's kiss*. Kiddo always wants to read these books before any of the other books we bring home, so I think he enjoys them a lot. Tons of word play, feminist AF, characters are extremely lovable. We have been reading out of order, and we've finished 2 of the 7 titles and can't wait to read more. 100/10 I think mid-elementary school would be a suitable age for kids, but even older readers can get a lot out of it. Comfort Reading with lots of humor.

I have really been enjoying the Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker. Clementine is never outright diagnosed with ADHD but this child reminds me so much of how I was at that age (3rd grade?) but with adults who love her and really work hard to listen and understand so that they may guide her well and provide accommodations. She is set up for success in each of the 3 books I've read so far, and she shows up in the Waylon trilogy (which we read first, but happens in 4th grade). The story is told from Clementine's perspective, and I just-- I love these books as a parent, kind of like how I love Bluey, for guidance on how to be a good human to tiny humans. Kiddo seems to enjoy them as well. 10/10 Mid-elementary aged could read this book.

Clementine shows up in the Waylon series also by Sara Pennypacker. This book had me from the very beginning with a Sagan quote and references to living scientists-- and there's a dog. I'm not gonna say more, but I cried reading each of these books. I love how characters are developed in Pennypacker's work; I love how there is room for growth, for people to be wrong, to forge friendships. And I especially grew to love Clementine, and the kiddo wanted to read Clementine after she showed up once very briefly in the first book. I think that's a solid recommendation. 10/10 mid-to-late elementary readers

Princess Pulverizer series by Nancy Krulik-- my kid loves these stories and I think he enjoys the illustrations. It reads like a cartoon, is illustrated very stylistically like something you'd see mainstream or indie. While I enjoy the illustrations, and I like the feminist message that girls can go to Knight school (lol), I think there's a lot of humor that appeals to kiddos (farts, burps etc) that I don't enjoy. The characters are somewhat one-dimensional. 6/10 for younger readers, mid-elementary

Other notable books:

Kiddo also enjoys the Super Pets DC comic books by John Sazaklis for 1st-2nd graders (if I had to guess). I'm not a fan, but he gravitates to them whenever I take him to the library. They have vocabulary in the back with definitions.

The Newest Gnome by Lauren Soloy - this book is delightfully illustrated! You get to see what the world looks like as a gnome, and see what other gnomes look like and what kinds of things they do. LGBTQ+ affirming. 10/10 Comfort reading.

The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson - this was very sweet. Read like a Beatrix Potter book (Pika memorized all of them), with cute illustrations. Chibi enjoyed it so much we read it thrice. 10/10

The Tea Dragon Series by K. O'Neill - The art is so soft, the writing is soft, the story is soft, I love everything about it. Perfection. LGBTQ+ friendly and affirming. Comfort reading. 100000/10

The Stuff of Stars by Marion Bauer - beautifully written and illustrated. Chibi gravitated toward this book every night before bed that we had it. This is the perfect atheist bedtime story, imho. 10/10

Astrid and Stella series by Sabrina and Eunice Moyle - my kid enjoys them, and the illustrations and wordplay is great. I am not a fan of the fart humor though. (Chibi loves their book "Go get 'em tiger!" which she got for Christmas last year and we have memorized)

The Night Chef by Mika Song - I loved the art, loved the story, loved the universe that it takes place in. 10/10

Punycorn by Andi Watson - similar to Astrid and Stella, Super Pets- my kid enjoyed it, but I was not really much of a fan of the style.

The Nightlights and Hicotea by Lorena Alvarez - I love this artist so much-- I found her via several books we own from an advent calendar of little books. The story was ok, but the illustrations were vibrant and beautiful. Recommend for older readers.

Acquicorn Cove by K. O'Neill - a book about being kind to the environment for kids. Soft style, soft writing, beautifully done. 10/10

Mercy Watson to the Rescue by K DiCamillo - recommended for young readers by a librarian, but I did not like the art nor the story. Pika was actually kind of afraid of the characters and the illustrations.

Things I have been ingesting aurally for my own pleasure:

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher - the first book by her and I enjoyed it a lot. There was one thing I didn't care for, and it pertained to something very minor and nuanced that isn't age-appropriate, so it's a me-thing. I enjoy the world building that Kingfisher does, and I found myself really enjoying the characters. 9.5/10 good for a high schooler, maybe a precocious middle-schooler.

The Cult of Trump by Steven Hassan - I caught an interview with Dr. Hassan and Trevor Noah from this year (2026) and wanted to learn more. This guy wrote this before the pandemic, before the 2024 election, before generative AI became mainstream. There are some eerie things that he predicted. Mostly I read this book because I wanted to understand cults. Hassan is extremely empathetic and intelligent and was ensnared in a cult as a college student; he managed to escape and has dedicated his entire career to helping others free themselves from cults. 10/10

Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson - it is no secret that I am an enormous fan of HCR and my kid knows her full name. XD;;; This is a fantastic overview of history that is easily digestible, not condescending, and really points out (as she does in her daily letters and politics chats) how we have been through the BS we are currently going through and how we must continue to fight the good fight because it has worked in the past and can work in the future. 10/10

Apostles of Mercy by Lindsay Ellis - after being completely and totally gutted by the previous book in the Noumena series, I was never going to read any more of this series. I was done. But the books I was waiting for on hold were not available and this one was, so.... What a ride. There are new characters and old characters that get fleshed out. I fell in love very easily with several characters, understood different perspectives, and I am so ready for the next installments. Unfortunately, Ms. Ellis gave birth to her second baby roughly around when Chibi was born, and she also has a kid Pika's age, so we can expect the next novel to happen when she gets a minute to herself. Which is probably not for another thousand years. 10/10

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher - MY CATNIP. There is world building. There are amazing characters. I loved every character that was introduced. I loved the writing. I NEED MORE OF THIS SERIES. I don't think my library has any more. I NEED MORE. 1000000/10 (This is the book where there is a Sabin character, btw, @paintscroll)

Furies of Calderon (series) by Jim Butcher - While I like the story and the characters, the writing is... by a mediocre white dude. (Sorry, white dudes) After reading the first Legendborn book and after finishing Paladin's Grace, it was slow to get into at first and it was hard to feel empathy for any of the characters. That being said, once I got into it, I really enjoyed the story and characters, and I want to know what happens and see more of the world. I've read Academ's Fury and am waiting on the next installment to be available from the library. 7/10

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn - read by Joniece Abbot-Pratt -- and I need to specify that the reader here is *fantastic.* This book takes place at UNC in Chapel Hill, and one of the first locations in the story is the quarry in Hillsborough. That is one of the first places I took my dog Lady, an iconic swimming hole where the youth go. Anyway-- the story is read by someone with a southern accent that feels and sounds like home. The story is about a 16 year old girl dealing with grief and finding out about secret societies that she gets into. Race definitely plays a part, and it gives the reader an inside perspective about how to be an ally, what it's like to be Black in the South. (A me thing: there have been a few parts in the story where I am angry at the adults in her life because her brain is still developing....) But the characters in this book are very well fleshed out. LGBTQ+ affirming, modern, fast-paced. 10/10

Akiyoshi Hongo asked themselves "what if Tamagotchi for boys?"

Shuntarō Ashida asked "what if they were food?"

Hiroyuki Takei asked "what if they were ghosts of historical figures?"

Kunihiro Nasu asked "yes, but can they be female and/or furries?"

Disney asked "what if they were alien experiments?"

Akihiro Hino asked "what if they were folklore demons?"

Atlus asked "what if you did that but also decided the fate of the world and punched God in the face?"

They soon also added "but you also had to go to school and be told to go to bed by a cat."

Jeremy Stieglitz asked "what if they were dinosaurs?"

Takuro Mizobe asked "what if they had guns?"

Shuntaro Furukawa asked Takuro "what if you went out of business?"

Ghibli simply asked to apply a filter over it.

Koji Hayashi simply asked they be attached to blades.

Warner Brothers simply asked that they wish to kill you.

Kazuki Takahashi was asked "what if that card game you made had more rules?"

Aldric Saucier then asked "what if those cards were metallic and you rolled magnetic balls on them?"

The ghost of Shotaro Ishinomori came and asked "what if there were 100 of them that they had to collect?"

CLAMP then asked "and then we had to convert them into new cards?"

Wizards of the Coast asked if it can be based off their hit sensation.

Takara Tomy said "no". They also asked "but what if those little creatures were instead robot upgrades for bigger robots?"

Rin Horuma asked "but what if they TRAINED the robots?"

Cinepix asked "what if the robots are for everyone?"

Masahiro Yasuma asked "that, but instead they're AI assistants."

Kazayuki Takahashi got his comeback to ask "can I borrow that for that card game idea?"

Tetsuro Amino asked "wait, can we make those robots dinosaurs?"

Katsuyoshi Yatabe asked "how about just dinosaurs?"

Takara Tomy thought back to the magnetic balls and asked "but what if they were spinning tops instead?"

Jim Butcher asked "but what if it was a lost Roman legion training them?"

Tetsuya Nomura asked the two "ok, but what if you're training those kids... But they're dead and reincarnated into those Pokemon?"

DragonLance: Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (1984-1995)

Once merely creatures of legend, the dragons have returned to Krynn. But with their arrival comes the departure of the old gods--and all healing magic. As war threatens to engulf the land, lifelong friends reunite for an adventure that will change their lives and shape their world forever . . .When Tanis, Sturm, Caramon, Raistlin, Flint, and Tasslehoff see a woman use a blue crystal staff to heal a villager, they wonder if it's a sign the gods have not abandoned them after all. Fueled by this glimmer of hope, the Companions band together to uncover the truth behind the gods' absence--though they aren't the only ones with an interest in the staff. The Seekers, a new religious order, wants the artifact for their own ends, believing it will help them replace the gods and overtake the continent of Ansalon. Now, the Companions must assume the unlikely roles of heroes if they hope to prevent the staff from falling into the hands of darkness.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (2005-2015)

While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (2023)

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger (2009-2012)

Alexia Tarabotti is labouring under a great many social tribulations.

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire (2016-present)

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children  No Solicitations  No Visitors  No Quests 

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

Codex Alera by Jim Butcher (2004-2009)

For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies--elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans' most savage enemy--the Marat horde--return to the Valley, Tavi's courage and resourcefulness will be a power greater than any fury, one that could turn the tides of war...

The Belgariad by David Eddings (1982-1984)

Long ago, so the Storyteller claimed, the evil God Torak sought dominion and drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.

But that was only a story, and Garion did not believe in magic dooms, even though the dark man without a shadow had haunted him for years. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved - but did not know? For a while his dreams of innocence were safe, untroubled by knowledge of his strange heritage. For a little while...

Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers (2021-2022)

It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.

One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered.

But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.

They're going to need to ask it a lot.

The Once and Future King by T. H. White (1958)

Once upon a time, a young boy called "Wart" was tutored by a magician named Merlyn in preparation for a future he couldn't possibly imagine. A future in which he would ally himself with the greatest knights, love a legendary queen and unite a country dedicated to chivalrous values. A future that would see him crowned and known for all time as Arthur, King of the Britons.During Arthur's reign, the kingdom of Camelot was founded to cast enlightenment on the Dark Ages, while the knights of the Round Table embarked on many a noble quest. But Merlyn foresaw the treachery that awaited his liege: the forbidden love between Queen Guenever and Lancelot, the wicked plots of Arthur's half-sister Morgause and the hatred she fostered in Mordred that would bring an end to the king's dreams for Britain--and to the king himself.

Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong (2001-2012)

Elena Michaels is the world’s only female werewolf. And she’s tired of it. Tired of a life spent hiding and protecting, a life where her most important job is hunting down rogue werewolves. Tired of a world that not only accepts the worst in her–her temper, her violence–but requires it. Worst of all, she realizes she’s growing content with that life, with being that person.