top of page
  • Writer's pictureTabitha Tomala

Top 5 World-Building Settings | Plaid Reader Reviews | Guest Post

A huge thank you to all the book bloggers who came together for the top 5 project! There are so many books out there, and the top 5 project is a fun way to showcase some great finds and explore more book blogs! Today features a guest post from Plaid Reader Reviews that includes their top 5 world-building settings.

 

About the Blogger


Plaid Reader Reviews started at the end of 2018 as an extension of my Instagram, which I'm no longer diligent in maintaining. At first, the blog was just posted book reviews of books I'd already read and posted on Instagram but longer and more in-depth. But at the start of 2019, I started doing book challenges, I got a Twitter account for the blog and updated my website to the first paid plan. I got art done for the blog finally. I think I only read 38 books that year but everything has grown exponentially since then. I read 81 last year I did bunches of book challenges and lists and interacted with other bloggers more. I just got another premium plan and am in the middle of a readathon, the way I see it the blog can only go up from here in 2021.

Twitter: @plaid_reader | Instagram: Plaid_Reader | Website: Plaid Reader Reviews

 

World-building takes hard work on an author's part but it can really take you away here are some of my favorite settings to take you out of this world. Here are some of my favorite world-building settings.


1.) Flower of the Witch

The Flower of the Witch by Enrico Orlandi | Top 5
The Flower of the Witch by Enrico Orlandi

Tami has to go on a journey away from his people to become a man, he's fought monsters rescued princesses. But none of this is enough, he has to get the flowers from a witch. But after fighting a monster and passing out in the snow, he's rescued by a villager.


I picked this world for the world-building setting because of its own monsters, gods, traditions, and mythology. Tami is also an interesting hero who is on a journey which is specific to the world.

You can find my review here.

 

2.) The Tea Dragon Festival

The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O'Neill | Top 5
The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O'Neill

Rinn is used to life around tea dragons, their village is full of them, but when they stumble across a real dragon, that seems to be a different matter! Aedhan is a young dragon who was supposed to protect Rinn's village but somehow fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago.


I chose this book at first because of the art because I could literally fall into the beauty that is Katie O'Neil's art. But the fantasy setting is so much more than their art in all their books, the relationships between people, the traditions they set up, the accessibility they include in their fantasy world. That's the real reason I picked this favorite.

My review is here.

 

3.) The Nightmare Thief

The Nightmare Thief by Nicole Lesperance | Top 5
The Nightmare Thief by Nicole Lesperance

Life was perfect for Maren Partridge before her sister's accident. Now her sister is in a coma and her parent are talking about the hospital bills, and putting her sister Hallie in a long-term care facility. Maren knows what this is code for, Hallie never getting better. While Maren isn't worried about Hallie she works in her family's dream shop, with her Gran Gran Lishta where she can handcraft any dream imaginable.


I picked this book both for its light magic which showed up early in the book and was wonderful and whimsical and the darker magic which is wonderfully scary. I wonder if Lesperance had a fun time coming up with all the dreams and nightmares.

 

4.) Skyhunter

Skyhunter by Marie Lu | Top 5
Skyhunter by Marie Lu

Skyhunter is set in a world after advanced technology has failed, there are remnants of the technology. Which are very interesting and make you want to know more about the world.


The reason I chose this book is the world is immersive, do I want to live there, oh lord no. But you are lost in the different fantasy elements Lu makes up for the world. The bits of the old world with the new, the monsters, and the different cultures all makes for something that's completely enthralling.

You can find my review here.

 

5.) The Dark and Deep Blue

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith | Top 5
The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

This book has one of my favorite fantasy settings because it includes a great trans-inclusive order of priestesses who weave and do magic. They are called the Order of the Blue and you should read the book just for them.


If that’s not enough for you there is also sword fighting, a coup, and a great story about finding oneself there is also an inclusive magic system. Oh and wonderful beautiful art.

You can find my review here.

9 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page