I haven’t been keeping up with Wyrd & Wonder AT ALL, but I really wanted to write this post because I love fantasy but tend not to be a fan of romance – there’s too much instalove and love triangles for me! So I thought it would be fun to look for books where romance does not appear.

Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe

If you like RPG games, you will LOVE this RPG-inspired fantasy, where Wataru, the protagonist’s journey, basically resembles a traditional quest. The beginning is rather sad and pretty long, but I really think that the payoff is worth it.

It’s worth mentioning that this book, and quite a few books on the list, deal with dark topics. For Brave Story, it’s Wataru dealing with the fact that his father had an affair and how fantasy/another world can be used as a way to deal with those emotions. I’m making it sound preachy, but it’s totally not and a good example of how fantasy for/about younger kids can be so rich in meaning.

Full review here

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

I love fantasies that deal with darker topics such as loss. The Book of Lost Things is about David, who has lost his mother and is led into another land. If you love traditional fairytales, you will love all the references to them in this book (and appreciate the appendix where the Connolly talks about how he transformed the tales for his book).

Another thing I liked was that the character’s in David’s real life weren’t completely villains, this is a story for younger children but it’s nice that the characters have more nuance. The fantasy villains were less nuanced, but it’s easy to see how the book is differentiating between the shades of grey in real life and the perhaps more black-and-white world of fantasy.

Full review here

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I’m clearly on a roll with Fantasy novels and loss (also, fantasy stories where stories are important) because here’s another one that had me crying on a bus. Connor is having a hard time – his mum is dying and he’s being bullied. So when a monster wakes him up to tell him stories with a twist, he listens (reluctantly).

This is actually a good choice if you’re looking for something short but with a lot of emotional impact.

Full review her

The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell

Okay, now I’m shifting away from the sadder fantasies to one that’s pretty wholesome and actually focused on friendship! Alexander wakes up in the mysterious castle behind thorns and as he tries to stay alive and mend things, he accidentally wakes up Lady Perotte, a noble girl about his age. The two of them have to figure out how to get out, and that may be linked to the secret to Perotte’s death.

Obviously, I really liked that their friendship stayed a friendship! I also liked how this was inspired by Sleeping Beauty – the story hits quite a lot of tropes but was different enough to hold my interest.

Full review here

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

Yes, here’s another Japanese fantasy and another fantasy that’s centered around friendship. A group of students who are unable to go to school for one reason or another find that their mirrors serve as portals into another world where, if they succeed in a quest, their deepest wish can come true.

I heard so many good things about this book and it definitely lived up to the praise! Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a touching and absorbing book that not only talks about the transformative power of friendship but also looks at the thorny issue of bullying and how that affects victims.

Full review here

Bonus: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

This is the amazing TwentyCharm‘s recommendation and I vaguely remember reading and loving this (though there is no proof) so I really wanted to include it!

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a magical Middle-Grade fantasy novel where a misunderstood witch rescues the babies that people “sacrifice” to her. One year, she feeds the baby moonlight instead of starlight, and so she takes the girl in and our adventure begins.

This reminds me, I really need to (re)read and review this book ASAP!

What about you? Are you a fan of fantasy without romance? If you are, give me more recommendations and turn my TBR list into a true monster!

P.s. I am especially interested in translated fantasy – I realised two books here are translated from Japanese and I wonder if there are other such gems!