Top Ten Most Vivid Worlds/Settings in Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the bloggers of The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is the top ten most vivid worlds/settings in books.

Whenever I think of books with great world-building/settings, my mind inevitably drifts towards fantasy and science fiction books. That is not to say that there aren't some great general fiction or contemporary books with vivid settings, but for me world-building implies creating something new, something distinct from the world in which we all reside, while at the same time making it believable enough for me as a reader. That being said, all of my choices are from fantasies. (Since fantasy is my favorite genre, maybe that's to be expected anyway...)

Middle-earth from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy — Tolkien's literary career was almost entirely focused on stories told within his Middle-earth, so it doesn't surprise me that this remains one of the most detailed worlds I've ever read about in a book. I know from research that I did back when The Lord of the Rings movies premiered that Tolkien created languages, centuries upon centuries worth of history, detailed maps, races, and mythologies. He wrote books just on the Middle-earth's history (The Simarillion, anyone?). And the world-building was so great that it was able to be transferred to the big screen almost exactly as it was described in his books. I'll be the first to admit that Tolkien's books have their slower moments, but most of those are due to him going on tangents that ultimately end up further fleshing out this world he's created.

The world from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series — Who doesn't want to visit Harry Potter's world? I think the juxtaposition of our real world with one just like ours but with a hidden magical community feeds into the desires of so many people. I mean, Universal Studios did create Harry Potter World just for that sort of wish-fulfillment. Rowling clearly put a lot of planning into her explanation of how a magical world could exist within our own, and it's done so very well. I am still waiting for my letter of acceptance into Hogwarts. That's one place where I'd have no objections to spending seven years of my life abroad.

The continent of countries Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis from Megan Whalen Turner's The Queen's Thief series — In my mind Megan Whalen Turner can do no wrong with any aspect of her The Queen's Thief series. The characters are some of my favorites ever, the storylines continue to pique my interest, and the world-building is phenomenal. I love her Greece-influenced world. The descriptions are so lush and vibrant. But mere physical descriptions take a back seat to the cultures, mythologies, and political intrigues that really define this world.

Tortall from Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness quartet, The Immortals quartet, Protector of the Small quartet, Daughter of the Lioness series, Beka Cooper trilogy — I am so happy that Tamora Pierce continues to revisit the realm of Tortall and its surrounding countries in her novels. Now that I have read over 17 novels that take place in this specific world, Tortall has become a real place for me. I'd love to be able to visit the golden age of Tortall and explore the lands where knights protect the realm, some humans are gifted with different types of magic, and immortal creatures roam the lands.

Kyrria from Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted and Fairest — Kyrria and its surrounding countries is another land of wonder and enchantment that I wish was real. It's so fascinating how humans, fairies, giants, ogres, elves, gnomes, centaurs, and tons of other creatures are all able to exist in a relatively peaceful co-existence. Levine goes into such detail describing the world's inhabitants, from their appearances to their habits and even has some language-creation in there. Ella Enchanted is my favorite fairy tale retelling of all, so her land of Kyrria will always hold a special place in my heart.

Ravka from Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha Trilogy — Shadow and Bone is the only published novel in this upcoming trilogy, but the world-building in the introductory novel alone is absolutely amazing. As I mentioned in my review, I loved all the little details that Bardugo added to the Russian-influenced world of Ravka. Although I'm not sure that I'd like to live in Ravka, I would like to see the Little Palace, the Great Palace, and the Unsea (from a distance away). For a first book, I was really very satisfied with the storyline and world-building thus far and have high hopes that Bardugo will continue to flesh out her world in a very believable way in the next two novels.  

Lumatere and the world of Melina Marchetta’s The Lumatere Chronicles —Once again, unfortunately I’ve only had the pleasure of reading Marchetta’s first novel in this series, but I do have every intention of reading the rest, and soon. Lumatere and the surrounding kingdoms may be part of a fantasy world, but the issues of poverty, displacement, and fear are pretty much universal. Through Finnikin of the Rock, I feel like I got to understand the politics and build of many nations in this world, especially Lumatere, and I can’t wait to learn about other countries through Froi and Quintana.

Lyra's world from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy — Philip Pullman's epic retelling of Original Sin and the Fall takes place over many worlds and time periods. Although all of them are great, the world I most loved in the trilogy is protagonist Lyra's world. Her world is both fantastical and a part of the steampunk subgenre. It's a late nineteenth-century/early twentieth-century world where witches, sentient polar bears, and dirigibles exist. And my favorite part will always Pullman's creation of daemons, or animal companions that represent embodiments of one's soul.

Westeros and Essos from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series — I'll admit that I'm a little peeved at George R.R. Martin for continuing to freaking expand this world he's created. I understand that he wants to show how a political conflict really can escalate and affect places that weren't even initially involved. But it's too much. I don't care about all these extra additions - I just want more focus on those characters I've already come to love. Regardless, Martin's world is so human despite the traces of magic. It's all about human conflict in a more unique setting. And the maps are incredible.

The New World and Old World from Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series — Perhaps I'm cheating just a little bit here. I've only actually read the first three books in this massive series, but I absolutely adored the TV show "Legend of the Seeker" that was based off of the series. I think it's really interesting how the Old World where magic is prevalent has basically become isolated from the New World. But the New World itself is really the aspect of this series that makes it so great. The New World is not without its own conflicts related to magic, and I love the tensions Goodkind creates between humans and those humans touched with magic.

Do you agree with my choices? Have other suggestions? Let me know!