Today I have another mash up of Top Ten Tuesday and Wyrd & Wonder. What makes me NOT want to read a fantasy book?
Animal Abuse
This is a hard no for me. If there is any hint that an animal is not going to be ok, I’m done with that book.
Rape
This is a big one in the fantasy world. There are so many books, especially if based on warfare, that have the abuse of women as just a Thing That Happens. I read for entertainment. I don’t want this to be part of my entertainment. I’m out.
This is one of the main reasons why I stopped watching Game of Thrones.
Complicated Names
I’ve complained about this before. If your fantasy characters have names that I can’t make a reasonable guess about how to pronounce them, I’m not messing with your book. Likewise if your characters all have similar looking names and I keep messing them up and not knowing who is who, I’m probably walking away.
YA High Fantasy
If the blurb is talking about teenagers in the kingdom of High Whatyoucallit who are:
- Finding out they are the lost heir
- Fighting an endless war against another kingdom
- Going on a quest or
- Trying to determine succession
I am out. High fantasy doesn’t hold my attention well. I don’t care about who gets to lead a kingdom in the vast majority of cases. If it is YA book that is going to throw in a forced romance, I know I’m not going to care what happens in the book when I’m about halfway through.
Prime example was Children of Blood and Bone.
I remember sitting in the nail salon waiting for my turn. I was halfway through this book. It was well written and imaginative. But I suddenly realized that I absolutely did not care at all about the outcome of the story. I never did finish it.
Male Fantasy Author
This one isn’t an absolute but it makes me take a bit closer look at the blurb before I pick it up. I find that male authors are more likely to have a lot of casual cruelty in their stories. I want to be assured that I’m not going to find that before I start their books.
I struggle with rape/sexual assault in books as well, I wouldn’t say I’d not read a book because it features that as I’ve loved some books despite that being part of the plot but I do really need prior warning before I read so that I’m not caught off guard by it being in the book!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/05/30/top-ten-tuesday-422/
I don’t read fantasy, but I still feel you on the complicated name thing. I like it when an author either flat out tells you in the story how to pronounce it or includes a pronunciation guide. If it’s a foreign name, I sometimes look for YouTube videos on how to pronounce it.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I think the names are part of the reason I prefer audiobooks when it comes to fantasy. But I am not one to read a lot of high fantasy, so it’s not something I come across all that often.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/how-i-select-books-to-read/
Complicated names is a good one! I have found myself Googling how to pronounce a name more than I want to admit.
I agree with all of these! Yeah, male fantasy writers tend to write a lot more cruelty into their stories. I don’t know why, but it makes me a little leery about them, too. (Although I’m sure there are lots of men who don’t do that who I haven’t discovered yet).
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
I agree about complicated names in fantasy. That’s why I prefer a written cast of characters in fantasy books.