Go Through

One display I was raring to put up was a portal fantasy one for the SFF section at Olympia.  I wasn’t able to do so before I left, so now you all can enjoy it here!  I am using the concept of portal loosely and have broken them down into my own sub-sections.  Here are some of the books I have enjoyed along these lines.

BOOK WORLDS!

I am a little obsessed with books being magical, because to me, they are.  Apparently, I am not the only one because people have written about it!

Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman

This British import is definitely a page turning light read.  The concept is that there is a group of Librarians in charge of stabilizing different worlds by holding it together with a massive library in a pocket dimension of sorts. There is a little romance, lots of adventure, and will appeal to those who like hijinks and a steampunk flair.

Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde

I discovered this book on a whim at Orca Books when I was a teenager and it set me on this path of books about books.  In an alternate version of England, there are basically book police and Thursday Next is one of their best agents. In a high stakes book heist she realizes that she has the power to access books in their own world.  It’s complicated and totally zany.  Think Monty Python meets Dirk Gently.  The books only get crazier as they go on, though the author has taken a long hiatus from the series.

Forbidden Library series by Django Wexler

Here’s a middle grade series for all the book lovers young and old.  One of my co-workers recommended it to me and made me realize that kids sometimes get the best stuff.  A young girl discovers she has the powers of a Reader to harness magical books and trap creatures from their homes into books.  She uses this power to try and find her father, who was supposedly killed at sea.  The audiobooks of the series are very enjoyable and the series has the added bonus of being finished!  I wasn’t so thrilled with the ending, but I guess you can’t push it too far for middle graders.

Alternate Universes

I am including this sub-section because I feel like it is very similar to portal fantasy.  Instead of a weird world, you are just seeing a world similar to our own or at least in some respects. Also I have a fondness for this sci-fi trope as it is used heavily in basically all the campy TV shows.

The Fold by Peter Clines

This book follows Clines’ love of horror as it slowly unfolds the danger of scientific experiments with portal travel.  Technically the alternate universe heading is a bit of a spoiler, but the author clearly foreshadows this reveal from the beginning.  I enjoyed the in-depth look at ethical considerations in scientific experiments.  Basically, if you liked the 90’s movie trend of sci-fi horror, you will probably like this book.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

I generally don’t like time traveling books, but this one was so engrossing as it focused on the main character, Tom Barren, and how his character flaws leads to a disastrous turn of events.  The premise of the book is that through time travel, the ideal 60’s image of the future is ruined to our general conception of progress.  Tom tries to fix his mistake while also trying to fit into a world he has no context for. This books is one of the few that had me guessing until the very end.

Shades of Magic Trilogy

A rare fantasy based alternate universe.  This trilogy is dark and steeped in politics.  Set in 18th century London, the story follows Kell, one of the few magicians who can step through between various versions of London with different levels of magic available.  His ambassadorial duties embroils him in a magical threat that will soon devour all worlds.  Featuring great characters and high stakes adventures, this trilogy bridges urban and epic fantasy in a nice way.  Also, there are pirates!

Classic Portals

These books draw on the notion that we can visit strange worlds just by stepping through some sort of device.  Think Narnia or Alice in Wonderland.

Wayward Children novellas by Seanan McGuire

I love this series of novellas as they are very meta. Many works have touched on what would happen to children who venture into portal worlds, only to be sucked back into “normal” life, but often focusing on established universes.  McGuire imagines the whole range of universes and the children that are drawn to them.  After they return to normal Earth, they inevitably struggle to fit back into their old lives but find refuge Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.  The world building is brief but very effective and taps into the desire we all have to find that one place where we belong.

The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman

This trilogy is marketed as Harry Potter for grown-ups as it follows a young man as he discovers his ability to perform magic.  It is also getting more notice recently because it has been adapted to a TV series on Syfy.  I’ve included it on this list because one of the major components to the plot is a magical land heavily inspired by Narnia, except even more deadly. The books are interesting and the TV show is a bit campy.

Fairyland series by Cathrynne M. Valente

This middle grade series is steeped in tropes from its predecessors, bringing whimsy and ideas from Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz.  Valente, however, brings a bit of a modern take with stronger characters and a tighter plot (in my opinion).  Come for the great art, stay for the ridiculously long titles.  Also, if you enjoy these books, Valente also wrote a similar yarn featuring the Bronte siblings with The Glass Town Game.