I first saw the Narnia book tag on Beth’s blog, Reading Every Night, and thought it sounded like a fun tag to do. So let’s go!

Narnia: A magical world you would like to revisit

I want Leigh Bardugo to write more Grishaverse books! I enjoyed the original Grisha trilogy, but I really fell in love with the world in the Six of Crows duology. I was really happy with the ending of the duology (well, mostly), but there are so many more stories that I’d love to explore. It didn’t end in a way where I felt like I was left with more questions than answers (cough A Court of Wings and Ruin cough), but there are just so many possibilities for more great stories. I know Bardugo has said she plans to come back to it eventually but is working on something different now, and while I’ll read anything she writes, I’m eagerly anticipating more Grishaverse books.

As for revisiting worlds through rereading, I’ve really been enjoying pick up the Harry Potter series again. There’s just something so magical about Hogwarts and the wizarding world, and combined with the nostalgia of growing up with the books, it’s a world I know I’ll keep coming back to throughout the years. It’s impossible to stay away!

The Magician’s Nephew: Book you think is underrated

Oooo, this is a tough one. There are a few books and series I really enjoy that I don’t think get talked about nearly enough, but I’m going to go with the Study trilogy, or really anything by Maria V. Snyder. I’ve seen Reagan at PeruseProject talk about this one some, but I think that’s about it. Snyder is just an expert at creating fascinating worlds and amazing characters, and I think any fans of fantasy with strong female leads will really like her books. I was so excited to see her return to the world of the Study trilogy with the follow up Soulfinders trilogy, which was also excellent, and I really enjoyed the Healer trilogy, too.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: A classic you love

I haven’t even been blogging that long and I already feel like a broken record when it comes to my love for Pride and Prejudice. It’s such a no-brainer for me, though. I really love Elizabeth and how strong and independent she is, and her family and neighbors make the perfect cast of characters. Her story is just so timeless, and if you haven’t picked it up yet, I highly encourage you to do so. And to those who have tried it and didn’t finish it, I would recommend giving it another shot. I didn’t finish this book the first time I read it, either, even though I loved the Keira Knightley movie. But I gave it another try a few years later, and now it’s one of my favorites that I reread regularly.

The Horse and His Boy: A book you picked up without knowing what it was about

I tend to know a lot about a book before I start reading it (I’m not one of those people who enjoys going in blind), but I’d say a book I picked up recently without knowing much about it was Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore. I’d heard a little bit about it and didn’t really understand what type of story it was, but I didn’t care that much because I love Cashore’s Graceling Realm books so much that I’m willing to read anything she writes. I was so excited to get an arc of this at BookCon and I started reading it almost immediately. I understand now why the blurb was so confusing. This book is confusing, and it’s really, really difficult to describe what happens in it. I mean, I’m not entirely sure myself! It’s definitely something new and different, and while I’ve since seen reviews from other people who really enjoyed it, it wasn’t for me.

Prince Caspian: A sequel you loved

Hands down, one of the best sequels I’ve ever read is A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I enjoyed the first book, but I wouldn’t say it was my absolute favorite, and I wasn’t thrilled with the hint at a love triangle towards the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses. So while I was excited to read ACOMAF, I took my time finally getting to it. Omg, I think I wound up racing through that book in maybe a day. I dropped everything else to read it once I finally started. It was just so, so good. I loved Rhysand so much as a character and I loved seeing Feyre deal with the aftermath of what she did in the first book and come out stronger for it. I also don’t think I’ve ever had a book so completely change my perspective of the book that precedes it in a series, which makes me hesitant to reread ACOTAR, but it’s something I’d really like to do soon. I recognize that these books aren’t as diverse as they could or should be and that they’re not perfect, but I still really enjoy them and am excited that Maas will continue to write in this world.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: A quest you’d like to be a part of

You know, I’m not all that sure I’d want to go on a quest with the characters in the books I read. They usually wind up being pretty dangerous, and I feel like they don’t usually have access to showers or beds or good food. I would much rather enjoy my modern conveniences and not have to camp outside, thank you very much.

A quest I’ve enjoyed reading about, however, would probably be the Kingmaker Chronicles by Amanda Bouchet. I’m so excited for this trilogy to conclude in January. I wouldn’t say there’s a particular quest (of the many from the series) that I enjoyed more than the others, but I’ve been loving watching Cat grow into her powers and learn to accept Griffin’s love, as well as all of the political maneuvering in this series. I’m sure the conclusion to the trilogy is going to be epic and I can’t wait for it.

The Silver Chair: A book you didn’t expect to love

Sadly, if you asked me to pick a book I expected to love but didn’t, I’d probably have a much longer list to choose from. I do actually have a really good pick for this question, though: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs.

I picked this up for my romance book club and figured it’d be nothing special and that I’d never read the rest of the series. I just don’t care for paranormal romance or urban fantasy as much, plus I don’t like extended series centered around the same couple. I prefer the more traditional romances where each book is about a different couple. But dang, I wound up getting sucked into this world. I think I read the first four books in three days? I’d literally finish a book and immediately check the next book out from the library before getting smart and checking them all out. And I shirked everything else I should have been doing in order to read these books.

I just think Mercy is such a badass character, and she’s surrounded by a lot of great side characters whom I love just as much as Mercy. Plus I was really impressed with how Briggs would weave a seemingly minor storyline or plot point from a previous series into the conflict for a later book. I’m not sure I would really categorize these as romances even though I first picked them up for a romance book club, but I still really enjoyed them and I’m disappointed that I’m pretty much caught up with the series. I’m holding off on reading the last one because I’m just not ready for it to be over.

The Last Battle: A perfect ending to a series you love

This is another question where I’d have a much easier time coming up with imperfect endings. Though after looking through my Goodreads, I actually have quite a few books I could pick from for this. Oooooo, this is so hard. Ok, I think I’m going to pick Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han. I know this wasn’t planned as the conclusion to the original duology, but I’m so glad that Han wrote this book. It was so much fun to sink back into Lara Jean’s world and see her figure out what she wanted to do after high school. And I liked seeing how her relationship with Peter evolved over the years since the end of P.S. I Still Love You. The conclusion was perfect, but it left me wanting more! I want to hear about Lara Jean’s experiences at college and who she winds up marrying when she’s older! I feel weird being so invested in the life of an 18-year-old, but I just enjoyed her story so much and am not ready for it to be over.

The Pevensies: A siblinghood or friendship you’d love to be a part of

So I really tried to avoid repeating book choices, but the answer to this question is so clearly the Night Court from A Court of Mist and Fury that I really can’t choose anything else. I love how the Night Court found each other and created their own happiness together, but the reason I’d want to be a part of their group is because of how they know they can rely on each other for anything. Plus they’re so sarcastic and funny! And they’re working towards the greater purpose of protected Valeris, which is pretty badass. I just love everything about the Night Court and watching Feyre earn a place among them, and I’m very excited that we’ll get to see more of them in future ACOTAR books.

Eustace Scrubb: A character who grew on you

At first I couldn’t think of anyone for this, but then I remembered that I didn’t like Rhysand before picking up A Court of Mist and Fury (how many times do you think I can squeeze in mentions of this book?). And I realized that you actually see this a lot in romance novels where a character you didn’t care for in one book later became the hero of the next book. One of the most famous examples of this is Lord St. Vincent from Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas, who had been the villain in It Happened One Autumn.

But I’m going to go with Froi from the Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta. I was actually writing this up as one of my two picks for the book or series I think is underrated, and then I remembered that, as much as I loved Finnikin of the Rock, I was reluctant to continue the series because I saw that Froi was the protagonist of the next book, and I didn’t care for Froi very much. But Marchetta did such an amazing job showing his background and character growth that I wound up loving Froi of the Exiles. And when I wasn’t excited about Quintana being the protagonist of the final book, Marchetta did it again! Seriously, this trilogy was so brutal but so amazing and I can’t recommend it enough to fans of high fantasy!

Mr. Tumnus: Your favorite magical creature

Wow, there are so many options. I always thought it’d be cool to have my own dæmon like the ones in His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, but you really can’t go wrong with dragons. They’re so fierce and awesome! I really enjoyed The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey when I was younger, but I think it’d be awesome to have a relationship with a dragon like the one between Eragon and Saphira in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini.

Caspian: A character with regal qualities

I think a character with excellent regal qualities is Kelsea from The Queen of the Tearling. I really enjoyed the first book and was disappointed in the direction that the series ultimately went in, but that doesn’t take away from what a regal character Kelsea is. She was very much trained to become queen of the Tearling, and it showed. She was knowledgeable about history and strategy, but was open to advice, especially when she knew she was out of her depth. And she did everything she could to protect her people and refused to take the easy way out. She displayed these characteristics time and again throughout the series, and while I ultimately didn’t care for the series much, I still really like Kelsea and thought she made a great queen.

The Wardrobe: Your favorite hideout/place to read

I would absolutely love to have a nice reading chair, but it’s hard to find the exact thing that I want, plus I don’t really have room for it in my current apartment. So I usually just wind up reading in bed or on the couch. But one day I will track down the perfect reading chair!

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That’s it for this tag! If you’re interested in doing this on your own blog or channel, consider yourself tagged and send me a link when it’s up! Or leave your answers down in the comments!