All the world is a cage in a young girl's eyes.
My good friend Bradlee Brandt and I decided to have cutesy book swap for our summer reading. I gifted her the lovely Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui, a book that was later adapted into an animated film of the same name by Satoshi Kon, which went on to massively inspire the concept, and even some shot-for-shot visuals, of Christopher Nolan's Inception. There shouldn't be any shock that my literary recommendations not-so-subtly set themselves back in the cinemascape as well.
In return, Brad gave me Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree, a nearly 900-page fantasy novel I haven't felt such pride in completing as Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land last year. I love magical realism, a sprinkle of whimsy in an otherwise worldly setting, but have yet to dip my toes into explicit "fantasy." The dragons, the shapeshifting, the sorcery, the smut. We all know. None of these factors have been the precise pushback on the genre, but they're not the appeal either. I simply want to read everything there is, but certain genres that aren't imbedded in us from birth or peer pressured from friends slip into the cracks of my consistency. I watched The Witcher and will eventually delve into Game of Thrones, both influenced from my boyfriend, the extent of my fantasy media exploration. Inadvertently, Grant got me on this book in its own way as well, considering Brad happens to be Grant's best friend's sister.
What compelled me to get into this behemoth standing alone from the politeness of properly executing a book swap was its self-containment, unlike the Maas, Tolkien, and Yarros's that tie people down to series spanning decades. If I truly wanted to dip my toes in, I didn't need to already be intimidated by the guilt of not being fully committed. No allegiance required. Additionally, I was headed on a 10-day cruise that seemed to fit the perfect mold for this book to be my vacay read. Although I read the brunt of it post-voyage, it certainly kept me busy. Also...it was a little gay and it's June and I love that stuff.
I don't have much to say, positive or negative, on the book, so i apologize if you found this link expecting a true review. I simply have a few quotes I'll scatter throughout the entry and I mostly wanted to document me finishing a huge fantasy novel since this one filled the fantasy void for a bit. I can't say it fully hooked me in on the genre, but I do have an improved understanding of the vastness and incredible escapism fully imbued to the reader in these worlds. I love/hate the necessity of maps, glossaries, and blood lineages in the genre, but above all, I at least thoroughly enjoy the slang. My personal favorite: "you witless cabbage." Talk about a burn (I guess).
If the sun burned out tomorrow, your flame would light the world.
It's romantic, prophetic, and obviously magic. Give yourself a reading challenge if you're not being forced to already. Homer's The Odyssey before freshman year of high school did a number on my relationship with reading, and practically all of Greek Mythology. Take it easy, it's summer!
Do not deny yourself the privilege of living.
Cheers,
MO!!
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