fantasy

REFLECTIONS / The lack of fantasy at Boi Mela

With Ekushey Boi Mela now in full swing, the excitement surrounding the discovery of new releases should be hanging palpably in the air.

THE SHELF / What's trending among writers in 2024?

Readers follow trending genres and the latest writing practices, which change within seconds. Keeping up with these trends is difficult for writers

BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / A pleasant pool of magic I would happily drown in

What I loved most as a reader about her is that her strength was not displayed in the conventional ways that most fantasy books tend to use to depict a powerful woman.

Book Review: Fiction / ‘The Dark Elf Trilogy’: The synergy between the novels and graphic novels

By visually capturing the characters, landscapes, and action scenes, the graphic novels enhance the reading experience and offer a fresh perspective on the beloved story.

Views / Why grown-ups should reimmerse themselves in children's literature

Children's literature is purposefully crafted for a segment of society without political or economic clout—individuals devoid of wealth, suffrage, or command over the levers of finance and governance.

Exploring the transformative power of fanfiction

While the term "fanfiction" may not have existed, the practice certainly did. Fanfiction has been argued to have influenced significant literary works such as the Homeric epics, Shakespeare's plays, and even Miguel Cervantes' Don Quixote.

The comfort of rereading old books

I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of new books that I still want to read—so many stories, so little time—and understand that this is an ambition that rereading can only delay.

Everybody hates fantasy. Let’s talk about it.

Based on anecdotal evidence, complaints about the genre being “pure escapism”, “childish” and “uninteresting” are common. There are also reviews which accuse fantasy literature of being “formulaic”, “out of touch” and even “outdated”.

World Book Day / 7 books that contain spellbinding fictional books

These books explore the idea that books can be much more than just inanimate objects.

April 6, 2023
April 6, 2023

Homegrown heroine

This story, which originally began as a short story, features a headstrong heroine putting her desires above what society expects of her, in order to realise her destiny.

April 3, 2023
April 3, 2023

Should book adaptations always be faithful?

When it comes to casting, direction, design, and other varying aspects of production, the author being at the heart of it all can be a huge asset, assisting in the transformation of their ideas and offering tidbits of inspiration or knowledge that may otherwise be missing.

March 25, 2023
March 25, 2023

‘Shadow and Bone’: new member of the "poor book adaptation club"

This season tries to cover too much ground and misplaces its focus in the process.

March 20, 2023
March 20, 2023

Fantasy book series you might be missing out on

The best fantasy book series seem to have figured the formulae out in their own unique ways.

March 15, 2023
March 15, 2023

How Netflix’s ‘Shadow and Bone’ adaptation can be improved

Season 2 of 'Shadow and Bone' will be out on Netflix on March 16—how can it do better justice to the texts than Season 1?

February 23, 2023
February 23, 2023

Rushdie, and the victory of words

The story begins with an unnamed battle where all men of the tiny principality of Kampili die. Their wives commit mass suicide by lighting a massive bonfire on the coast of the river Pampa and immolating themselves in the pyre.

February 11, 2023
February 11, 2023

Everything is illuminated, but something is lost

All of it–the material right for my level, the books a bit too adult for me at the time, the texts where I could only guess at the brilliance but would have to shelve until I could revisit them a couple of decades later for better comprehension–all of it has led me to become myself: For better or for worse. 

October 29, 2022
October 29, 2022

Percy Jackson fans, mount your horses

The new book’s title, revealed to be Percy Jackson and The Chalice Of The Gods, will be out on September 26, 2023, the author confirmed via Twitter.

October 27, 2022
October 27, 2022

Books to read if you enjoyed ‘House of the Dragon’

Like A Song of Ice and Fire, The Priory of the Orange Tree is told from the perspective of many different characters in various parts of the world, with different loyalties, religions, ranks, and abilities.

October 15, 2022
October 15, 2022

Love, fate, and age-old curses: 'The Book of Magic' by Alice Hoffman

The familial bond portrayed in the novel makes it easy to sympathise with the characters and they rarely seem woven in a piece of fiction; rather, their attributes are more lifelike and one may just find someone like Franny or Gillian Owens among their kith and kin.