#fantasy reading

But also can’t help thinking “this is the book I wanted [another book that is perfectly fine] to be”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Caraval. The only time I have ever saved enough money to afford a full hardcover set of a series. And that is a decision based only on the first book, which never happens either. Have I read the rest of the series? No, not yet, I am waiting to receive my box set, but I am so so excited to get it.

This was one of those books that made me second-guess every prediction I made, every time I thought something was obviously a trick, it wasn’t. The plot was incredible, and the ending was absolutely beautiful. I loved every character, and admired how strong the writing was that I could hate a character with every fibre of my being.

Terry Pratchett's Equal Rites is a fun blend of fantasy and social commentary. It is told through the story of Eskarina Smith (known as Esk), a girl who accidentally inherits wizard magic in a world that insists women can only be witches.

The characters are the book’s greatest strength. Esk is wonderfully ambitious, relentlessly driving the story forward with her determination to become a wizard. Granny Weatherwax is magnificently assertive and dominant—a true force of nature. Even Simon, the awkward young wizard, is delightfully written with genuine charm. All three develop beautifully throughout the story, their growth feeling organic rather than forced.

Pratchett's magic system lavishes the world with superb chaotic energy. The way magic literally seeks to escape from books, how the very walls of the Unseen University absorb magical energy and gain sentience—these details create a world where magic feels truly wild and dangerous... and real! The characters must navigate not just social obstacles but a fundamentally unstable magical environment that adds genuine tension to their journey.

Perhaps most fascinating is Pratchett's exploration of competing magical philosophies. Witch magic—practical, intuitive, and grounded in real-world problems—stands in sharp contrast to wizard magic, which is academic, hierarchical, and theoretical. This isn’t just for flavour; the genuine debates about different ways of knowing and learning that arise form a core part of the plot.

Building on this, the satire of Unseen University spears traditional academic establishments everywhere (as someone who has worked in that environment, you can recognise some of the characters!). Pratchett sets focus on the politics, traditions, and resistance to change that plague many institutions. Indeed, there is an inherent contradiction between the University’s self-importance and its actual dysfunction that encapsulates the book’s themes.

Spoiler-free thoughts:

Took me longer than usual to read it due to poor time management on my part but I loved every page of it

I would rate it as PG-13 for violence, sexual innuendos, and heavy themes of grief

The banter between the author and her characters is 👌

Overall the entire book was a delight to read, very silly at some parts and serious at others, and the characters are amazing. 5/5 stars will definitely be rereading.

Spoiler thoughts below the cut

Happy Early Valentine's Day, everyone! Five-Hundred Fantasy Friday Reading Challenge 5/500.

Title: Howl's Moving Castle

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Genre: Children's Fabtasy, But I could make a case for this also simply falling into Cozy Fantasy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So many things I love about this book and such a fun read!

Favorite Character/s: Calcifer, Sophie, & Howl. They make such a core trio

Favorite Tropes: Belligerent Sexual Tension, Moving Buildings, One Degree of Separation, Rewatch Bonus, Secret Secret-Keeper, & Wrong Genre-Savvy

Movie Adaptation? Yes! Studio Ghibli 2004, One of the few movies I love, separate from the book doing its own thing with the story!

Plot Summary: Sophie Hatter is cursed by the Witch of the Waste to become an old woman. Sophie seeks a cure in the magical, moving castle of the wizard Howl. ( I know a very basic summary, but I don't want to spoil anything 😉 )

Particular Ponderings: Aspiring authors can learn a great deal about inventive and subversive trope use, particularly in how Jones plays with familiar fairy-tale and fantasy conventions without discarding them. Subverting, Averting, Lampshading, and Defying them certainly, but not discarding them. And even leaning into them just to keep you on your toes.

Favorite and/or Meaningful Quote: "Howl said, "I think we ought to live happily ever after," and she thought he meant it. Sophie knew that living happily ever after with Howl would be a good deal more eventful than any other story made it sound, though she was determined to try. "It should be hair-raising," added Howl. "And you'll exploit me," Sophie said. "And then you'll cut up all my suits to teach me," said Howl.

When Apollo Kagwa was just a child, his father disappeared, leaving him with recurring nightmares and a box labelled 'Improbabilia'. Now a successful book dealer, Kagwa has a family of his own after meeting and falling in love with Emma, a librarian. The two marry and have a baby: so far so happy-ever-after. However, as the pair settle into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Emma's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, until one day she commits an unthinkable act, setting Apollo on a wild and fantastical quest through a suddenly otherworldly New York, in search of a wife and child he no longer recognises. An epic novel for our anxiety-ridden times, The Changeling is a tale of parenthood, love - in its most raw and brutal form - and, ultimately, humanity.

I enjoyed this story! It was a little slow-paced, but all in all, I had a good (emotionally distraught) time reading it.

The story follows Apollo, who was abandoned by his father when he was still young. Throughout the story, I wondered whether he was affected by such a young age by some powerful magic. Similarly, his wife, Emma, had a traumatic incident that left me wondering whether she had.

In a way, this is a story about childhood trauma being dragged into becoming parents - the happiest moment of anyone's life, usually. But the way we're bought up - the things that have harmed us - turn into anxiety when we have children of our own.

When Emma kills their child and goes on the run, Apollo loses his mind, and the story from there is a push and pull on whether she was struggling unheard with severe postpartum depression, or whether there was something more supernatural at play.

I won't spoil the ending, but I enjoyed taking the rollercoaster with Apollo, who is flawed in many ways and a protagonist you just can't leave behind. You want to know what happens in this book.

My only gripe is that I really wanted the fantasy to kick in quicker. The pace wasn't too slow, but I did want it to pick up faster. Other than that, it's a solid book.

4.75/5 would recommend!