Top 3 Fantasy Books You Should Read Before Their Screen-Adaptations Come Out
- Naya Saraiva-Chardon
- Oct 4, 2021
- 4 min read
The School for Good and Evil
Movie release date: 2022
Where to watch? Netflix
Recommended age: 10 yrs+
In the forest of primeval
A school for Good and Evil
Twin towers like two heads
One for the pure
And one for the wicked
Try to escape you'll always fail,
The only way out is
Through a fairytale.
The school for good and evil is an enchanting tale consisting of 6 books, the last of which came out only last year! It's set around two best friends, Sophie and Agatha, who couldn’t be any less different. They live in a town where every four years, two children are kidnapped into the forest. There, they are introduced to the school for good and evil, where they will be trained to become storybook heroes and villains. Sophie of course, can't wait to be whisked away to the school for good, to learn princess etiquette and meet a fairy tale prince. Agatha, on the other hand, lives in a graveyard with her mum, wears mainly black and is called ugly by all the kids in the village. So naturally, when the latter is placed into the glittering school for good, and Sophie in the filthy school for evil, the two are very much confused. In this first book, the two friends soon find themselves wishing for home and questioning if they really were sorted into the wrong schools…[Text Wrapping Break]
This series will suit you just right if you enjoyed fairy tales as a kid (who didn’t?). It adds a twist on many old stories, has a well-written plot and will make you smile on multiple pages. It can be wholesome and funny but at the same time dark and suspenseful.
I’m looking forward to the film adaptation of these books and trust that the job will be well done because the author, Soman Chainani, is very involved in the production and he, along with everyone else involved in the filming have all the talent needed to bring this magical world to life!
Main cast:
Sofia Wylie
Sophia Anne Caruso
Laurence Fishburne
Michelle Yeoh
Shadow and Bone
Season 1 release date: April 2021
Where to Watch? Netflix
Recommended age: 12 yrs+
Alina Starkov is a soldier. When her regiment is attacked whilst crossing the shadow fold-a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters- Alina unleashes a dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now she will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the grisha - her country’s magical military elite - and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
But as Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Although the first season of this show has already come out on Netflix, it is still very much worth it to read the books first. The show is a combination of Shadow and Bone (synopsis above) and Six of Crows. Shadow and Bone is filled with magic and the “chosen one” trope however it can sometimes be a bit predictable. On the other hand, Six of Crows, set in the same world, just two years after the events of Shadow and Bone, has more danger, action and less magic and innocence. [Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]In my opinion, I find the characters in Six of Crows are more developed and complex, but this opinion depends on the reader. My mum for example, whom I convinced to read the books, favors the characters in Shadow and Bone.
I would recommend Shadow and Bone (the tv show and the books) to anyone over 11/12 years old and Six of Crows for 12/13 year olds. These are both books that will take you on a thrilling adventure and you will come to appreciate the Netflix series even more if you read them.
Main cast:
Jessie Mei Ling
Ben Barnes
Freddy Carter
Amita Suman
Kit Young
Keeper of the Lost Cities
Season 1 release date: Unconfirmed
Where to Watch? Disney+
Recommended age: 9/10 yrs+
Twelve-year old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath- someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never grown used to or learned to control.
However, everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place them all in grave danger. In the space of a breath, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a world so vastly different to the one she’s known. An elf world.
Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled about her return “home.”
They fear the secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for...
This is a fast read as it is aimed at slightly younger kids. Nevertheless, if you still enjoy fantasy and a range of unique characters this is perfect for you. The plot has many surprises along the way and is easy to follow, but keep in mind that the series has 9 books so it is still a sort of commitment.
Cast:
Unconfirmed
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