There’s nothing better (and worse) than reaching the end of a book, realizing there’s no more words, and being suddenly and rudely ejected back into the real world.
You know, the place where there’s no dragons, no magic, and you’re required to … *shudders* adult. Ugh. I feel dirty even just saying it.
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is about books that gave you a bookish hangover. For me, those are books where I tend to fall in love with either the world or the characters … or, ideally, both.
I talk a lot about the characters I love, but it’s been a while since I’ve talked about the worlds. I did a post years ago about literary worlds I want to visit, and while all of those are still true, I’ve fallen in love with so many other worlds in the interim.
I’d love to take you all now on a tour of these worlds. Some are whimsical. Some are dark. Mostly, they’re all places my clumsy self would probably die in the first 30 seconds, but hey … still worth it. Keep your hands and feet in the blog at all times, please, and whatever you do, don’t feed the dragons.
The Nine Houses
Let’s not even pretend like I would be anything other than a necromancer in this world. I mean, there are cavaliers, but … I’m not allowed to use pointy objects. For some reason? Probably because mostly, they use me. But an added benefit is that there are different ways to raise the dead, not just reanimating a heap of bones (as handy as that is). There are OPTIONS!
Reasons to live here:
✿ As if Gideon and Harrow aren’t reason enough?!
✿ Nine houses to choose from. They surely can’t all be bad, right?!
✿ Raise an undead army! Take over the universe!
✿ Carry around a badass sword, like it’s totally normal.
✿ Still wouldn’t know how to use it, but hey, it’s 95% how you look.
✿ Unique forms of necromancy. Find the one that’s right for you!
Skargakar / The Cloudmere
This is a whole freaking world that revolves around dragons. Okay, so it sort of revolves around hunting them and using their corpses, buuuut … that’s a technicality. Don’t let the fact that people hunt them fool you. My dumb butt would be out there, in my dragon leather, attempting to study and raise them. Would I get eaten? Most assuredly. But it’s not a horrible way to go.
Reasons to live here:
✿ Become one with dragons by … wearing them?
✿ Study the anatomy of dragons up close and personal with autopsies.
✿ Flying ships!
✿ Super awesome glowing green stone that makes things float.
✿ Did I mention the dragons thing yet? That’s a definite plus.
✿ Some … interesting forms of magic that I haven’t read enough yet to understand?
Historical Zombie Apocalypse
I hear you saying, “But Sammie, isn’t a zombie apocalypse your worst nightmare?” And it is. But hear me out. Odds are really good that within 30 seconds of the zombie apocalypse starting, I’d be like, “Hey, you know, that kind of looks like a zo—” and then it’d eat my face and I’d be out there munching on all you lovely folks, and for that I apologize. Your brains are delicious. But on the off-chance that doesn’t happen? There’s a bunch of bad-ass Michonne types walking around, and I am so for this.
Reasons to live here:
✿ Think of all the scientific advancements yet to be made!
✿ A fresh new, dangerous horizon.
✿ Remake history to be what you want it to be. Plus … zombies.
✿ Lots of opportunities to learn to wield a weapon like a bad-ass.
✿ Frustrated? Slay some zombies. It’s legal and therapeutic.
MidPass
I’m obviously not talking about the part of this book that’s set in our world, because … been there, done that. I’m talking about the MidPass. You know, the place where all the black folk heroes live as Gods, that’s filled with magic and danger and all sorts of good stuff.
Reasons to live here:
✿ Anansi and I would obviously be BFF.
✿ I will find my own bone ship and rule the seas!
✿ Or maybe drown and be eaten by said ship, but eh, that’s the risk you take.
✿ Weekly visits to High John, because he’s cool, but clearly needs someone to keep him straight. Also … giant bird.
✿ Hover boards that I would obviously fall off of and die, but … HOVER BOARDS!
The Will and the Wilds
I’m 94.65% sure I’d stick my nose where it doesn’t belong and end up torn apart by rabid mystings or something like that. It seems like a highly likely outcome. Especially since I would obviously live right on the edge of the wood, because why wouldn’t you, and my whole goal would be to study them.
Reasons to live here:
✿ Sexy demons just chilling around the place, apparently?
✿ Gotta get me one of those, obviously.
✿ Could become a mysting sociologist.
✿ Either learn cool things or get brutally devoured. Life is full of surprises!
✿ Also might accidentally open a portal and let out all the powerful mystings, consequently dooming the planet, but … in the name of science? Oops?
The Moors
This place is dark and brutal and unforgiving, just like my soul. Obviously it’s meant to be. This place terrifies me … and yet, I’m curious? Think of all the possibilities! And the books only scratch the surface. There’s obviously more to the Moors than the little area the girls live in, and I’m sure, given time, I could find my own monsters, the place in it where I truly belong.
Reasons to live here:
✿ Death doesn’t have to be final.
✿ Skeleton horses.
✿ Necromancy, but with science.
✿ Perfectly acceptable to experiment on other people.
✿ World full of different factions of monsters.
✿ So … a little something for everyone?
Witch Hat Atelier
We’re going to ignore the fact that I could never be a witch because, one, I can’t draw under the best of circumstances, and two, I for sure wouldn’t be able to draw without looking. I’d still want to try to be a witch anyway, because why wouldn’t you?!
Reasons to live here:
✿ Endless spell potential and ability to experiment.
✿ Very alchemy-ish magic system that I can get behind.
✿ Very sexy wizards (but, like, aren’t they all?).
✿ Also has dragons and magical creatures to love.
✿ Even though most of them seem to want to eat you.
Nevermoor
There’s just so much to this world that where do you even start? It’s clearly whimsical, but if you take a wrong turn, you might die. This has so much appeal to me, it’s not even funny. Even if it turns out I have absolutely no magical prowess of my own (spoiler alert: I don’t), I can still excel at something I can train myself like … dragon riding! And why the heck wouldn’t you? Who’s messing with someone sitting on the back of a dragon? Lunch, that’s who.
Reasons to live here:
✿ Jupiter North would be my BFF.
✿ Or maybe I’d just become a crazy stalker? Also possible.
✿ Giant sarcastic talking animals. I want to meet all of them.
✿ So many different whimsical, magical things to explore.
✿ Lots of studying possible and science to fall in love with.
✿ So many magical possibilities.
Steel Crow Saga
This is a little of a mixed bag, because you could go different ways in this world. While metalpacting sounds fiiiine, I’d obviously go out and get myself a shade animal. Of course, with my luck, the only animal that would have me would be something super lame like … I dunno, a fish. It’d be sitting there in the middle of battle role-playing a Magikarp while I am torn apart by our enemies. Maybe I should reconsider the whole metalpacting thing after all …
Reasons to live here:
✿ Metalpacting or shadepacting … OPTIONS!
✿ Oh, the many possibilities for animals to pact with.
✿ Vastly different societies to choose from or explore.
✿ Asian-inspired world, so you know the food’s good.
✿ And now I’m hungry just thinking about it …
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
This is my cheat pick, because you know I always have to get at least one in there. Today’s TTT is technically about the worlds and not the characters, but who says you can’t have your cake and eat someone else’s too? If I were to live in this world, I could have a world very similar to ours except one in which characters from books can be read into being. So the benefits of a familiar setting, plus a dragon or hellhound you know won’t eat you. The best of all worlds.
Reasons to live here:
✿ Fictional characters have the power to become real.
✿ Endless possibilities for meeting your literary heroes.
✿ Like the real world, but more exciting.
✿ Literally anything can happen! And, you know, probably will.
Chat With Me
What are some bookish worlds you’d love to live in? And, you know, hopefully not die?
Follow Me
I just grabbed Steel Crow Saga from the library last week. So excited to see it make your list. I don’t know that I’d do well in a zombie outbreak either. My husband is convinced that some form of it will happen one day and loves to talk about what we’d do. My answer…die? I need to red Gideon but at least own a copy. I also have my eyes on Black Leviathan since seeing it here so much. Your site has quickly become dangerous for my TBR.
I hope you love it! I had so much fun reading that one.
Hubby loves the idea, too. He’s got a huge zombie plan. Unfortunately for me, this plan includes me dying the first day. Heck, probably the first 30 minutes lol. He’s convinced that I would, like, trip over air or something and just get mauled. xD
Yeeees, you really need to read Gideon! I’m only a quarter of the way through Black Leviathan, but I am LOVING it right now. I’m glad i could be a bad influence on your TBR muahaha!
LOL. Same. I wouldn’t last long in any kind of harsh world! I’m too much of a wimp. I love me a good, immersive FICTIONAL world, though 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Yay for the wimps, though! We should unite and … I dunno … become patient zero? I feel like we’d be uniquely qualified for that, and it counts as winning if we take everyone down with us, right? xD
Well, I definitely need to read the Dread Nation series now. I’ve kind of been putting it off because I was a little weary of zombie stories, but you’re making it sound really good. 🙂
My TTT .
Lydia recently posted…Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Reread in the Winter
There’s lots of zombie action, but I think I liked Dread Nation because the focus was more on the struggle of the people and less on the zombies. I will forever recommend them, though. 😉
You’re brave to want to live in a historical zombie apocalypse. That’s one I would want to avoid!
Brave … or foolish? I guess the two are pretty similar, huh? xD
These sound like awesome places to visit!!
Thanks! I could definitely have fun with them!
Not familiar with them, but glad you found them captivating. https://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2020/02/ttt-021820.html
I 100% agree with you on The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep! 🙂
Lauren @ Always Me
It was such a fun world!
I really need to read Steel Crow Saga! I actually met the author last year at Denver Pop Culture Con. He is super nice!
Caffeinated Fae recently posted…Review | Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
Did you?! I’m a little jealous. He seems like he’d be a fun guy to hang out with, and every bit as geeky as I am. xD
Yes, please, I would like to go live in the Moors, at least for a little while😁 Fun post, Sammie!
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy recently posted…THE UNSPOKEN NAME by A.K. Larkwood – Review
I’m pretty sure that “a little while” is all the time I could manage to actually LIVE in the Moors. xD Still be worth it, though.
Can’t believe I haven’t read any of these books. Will definitely check them out!
Hope you enjoy them!
Historical Zombie Apocalypse… well any really would completely depend on who I’m in it with… lol
A bunch of badass black women with pointy objects that they’re really good at using? XD
Your comment about a bunch of Michonne’s walking around made me Lol 😀
I couldn’t help it, that’s what I kept picturing. xD Except Jane use scythes, which is even more badass? Swords are used from time to time, though.
I don’t think I’d last long in a fantasy world, but if I had some kind of cool powers I’d want to live in one of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter worlds. 🙂 I love your twist this week!
Dedra @ A Book Wanderer recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: The Last Ten Books That Gave Me a Book Hangover
Oooh, the Shadowhunter worlds is a good one, too! And of course you’d have powers. What would be the point of jumping into one of these worlds otherwise? 😉
I need to read the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire! I’ve heard nothing by great things about it. Awesome take on this weeks list!
You should! The books are a little hit or miss in terms of how high I rate them, but I’ve enjoyed them all, at least, and the worlds are always super fun to visit!
I’ve never read any of these but they all seem really interesting. Happy reading!
Omg Sammie. I haven’t read ANY of these books 🙈 Pretty much all of them are on my TBR I just haven’t got around to reading them… Haha all of these worlds sound really interesting. I know I definitely wouldn’t want to live in a world full of zombies? Because that would just be instant death for me. Pretty sure I’d take one step in that world and I’d be bye-bye. Haha but oddly I’m very curious about the world in the Will and the Wilds (sexy demons everywhere?!) and Uriah Heep! Can’t wait 😀
Dini @ dinipandareads recently posted…#TopTenTuesday: The Dreaded Book Hangovers!
That was pretty much my mood yesterday as I blog hopped all the posts. Where have I been? Why haven’t I read more books? xD It’s not instant death if you know the right people, silly. 😉 That’s the point.
Okay, I may have exaggerated. Maybe not everywheeeere. But if you know where to look. I’d obviously hook you up. 😉
Yes! The worlds of Gideon the Ninth and Steel Crow Saga are musts! I would add Red London from the Shades of Magic series and Hogwarts because I’m a cliche lol.
I feel like Hogwarts should be a given. Who the heck *wouldn’t* want to visit Hogwarts? I might not necessarily judge them, but I’d for sure side-eye someone pretty hard if they passed that up.
I haven’t read Shades of Magic yet, but from what I’ve heard of it, that seems like a good pick! The magic system looks really interesting in it.
Great list and topic! And yes, yes, yes to the Moors! I love the Wayward Children books, but the ones set in the Moors are hands-down my favorites. I mean, I’m not sure that I’d actually survive the Moors, but I’d sure like to visit at least!
The Moors is by far my favorite too, though I REALLY want to see Christopher’s world, because I have a hunch that it will quickly become my new favorite. It just sounds absolutely perfect.
Although The Moors is a very interesting place I definitely wouldn’t want to live there! A lot of these bookish worlds sound so intriguing and I’ve heard really great things about Nevermoor.
Kyla @ Kyla’s Library recently posted…Favourite Series Endings
I can’t recommend Nevermoor enough! I keep trying to tell people that if you like Harry Potter, give this one a try. It feels very much like a Harry Potter of this next generation. Young me would’ve probably loved Nevermoor more than Harry Potter, if that’s even possible?
You’ve made me very interested in Dread Nation… *checks her library app*
Oooh, I hope they have it! It was so worth a read.
Thank you so much for making this list!! I friggin love worldbuilding and must check these books out! Dread Nation was so good, I need to read the sequel soon.
Oh my gosh, you really do! Deathless Divide was even better than Dread Nation, I think? I wasn’t even sure that was possible, but it felt like both a faster pace and a more emotional read, and I connected with all the characters on a deeper level.
OOh now I’m really hyped!
Oh I love looking at the worlds in different books, and I love this post. Unfortunately I haven’t read any of these so I can’t say much about them, but you’ve got me interested in a few…basically all of the ones involving dragons and witches/wizards…
Hmm, if I had to choose a world to live in, I’m not sure what it would be. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a world-immersive fantasy, so…I think off the top of my head I’d have to go with Alagaësia from the Inheritance Cycle since that’s still one of my favorite fantasy worlds.
It’s really hard to resist dragons, isn’t it? xD I hope you’re able to check them out. 😉
I haven’t read The Inheritance Cycle, but I really need to! Feel like I sort of missed the boat on that one lol.
I REALLY need to read Gideon the Ninth! I have the book on my shelf and just haven’t gotten to it yet. You’ve convinced me!
You definitely doooo! And Harrow the Ninth is coming this year, and I’m both ready and not ready for it, and I just can’t handle these sorts of conflicting emotions. xD I hope you enjoy it!
I think I would like to live in the world of The Will and the Wilds. Who doesn’t want to be a mysting sociologist?
Happy readings!
Tânia @MyLovelySecret
Tânia @MyLovelySecret recently posted…Can’t Wait Books of 2020
Nobody, I hope? I mean … danger, new creatures, the chance for death, and science … what’s not to love?! Okay, on second thought, I can see why *some* might opt out, but hey, that’s their loss. It sounds absolutely perfect to me!