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Katie Bachelder

Fantasy should be more than just white-knighted heroes going on adventures.

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Tag: Christopher Paolini

Setting My 2021 Reading Goals

December 18, 2020

As we get closer and closer to the beginning of a new year, it’s time I take a consolidated look at all the bookish things I’m looking forward to in 2021. Over the past month, I’ve been adding books to my TBR list. Some of them aren’t released until next year, and others are ones … More Setting My 2021 Reading Goals

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Let’s Talk Tropes: The Lost Heir

October 5, 2020

In a genre that likes to play with monarchy, it’s no surprise that several fantasy stories have a big toolbox when it comes to throne-related tropes. For a genre, too, that frequently attempts to set its protagonist apart from everyone else, transforming them from something “common” to something “special,” it is perhaps also unsurprising that … More Let’s Talk Tropes: The Lost Heir

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The Name Game Book Tag

August 14, 2020

You know, with a name so common and short as “Katie,” I really did trick myself into thinking this was going to be an easy one, but nope! My bookshelf is still waiting to be filled out, at least with physical books. Most of the books I’ve read throughout my bookish career, I borrowed from … More The Name Game Book Tag

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Let’s Talk Tropes: The Chosen One

August 10, 2020

Welcome to what I hope will be the first of a series of posts focused on tropes common in the fantasy genre. So if you enjoy the post, be sure to leave a like, and while you’re there, feel free to recommend what other tropes you think I should discuss. First, a definition is in … More Let’s Talk Tropes: The Chosen One

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Five Types of Magic Systems

July 29, 2020

Although magic is not a requirement for fantasy settings, they are a staple of the genre. When it comes to how new and unique a novel’s magic system is, well, they can be just as varied as fantasy as a genre. Yet there are a few categories that most magic systems either fall into or … More Five Types of Magic Systems

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The Craft of Bookish First Lines

July 20, 2020

First lines are difficult no matter the genre, and although fantasy allows for a wider range of topics to start off the book, the variety of choices can make it harder to pick which one is best. I’ve taken some of the fantasy books off of my shelf, a mix of urban fantasy, YA fantasy, … More The Craft of Bookish First Lines

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A Matter of Language and Culture

February 28, 2020

There exists in fantasy a trope that doesn’t quite feel like a trope until it comes to your attention that it appears quite frequently. It is the adventurer’s best friend and most subtle deus ex machina. It is, in essence, the “ancient language” trope, in which there exists two languages in a fantasy setting: the … More A Matter of Language and Culture

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Recent Blog Posts

  • Five Branches of Magic Systems (Revisited) January 22, 2021
  • Patching Up Jane, Unlimited January 15, 2021
  • Rapid Book Reviews (Legendborn, Fool Moon, A Phoenix First Must Burn) January 8, 2021

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