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A place to discuss books with the theme "Magical helper, mentor, or guardian" for our 2021 reading challenge.

I just finished Ten Thousand Stitches, which I guess will fit into this category :) It's a quick and fun retelling of Cindarella with its own twist. A fast and fun reading, and a fluffy romance which I appreciate

Question for other members:

What would you count as a favorite (or favorites) of yours in this theme?

I just read The House in the Cerulean Sea. It will be my entry in this category. Loved it!

Leah wrote: "Question for other members:

What would you count as a favorite (or favorites) of yours in this theme?"

I was just thinking about this theme and it occurred to me I couldn't think off hand of anything! Fairy tales, yes, of course but not novels!

Leah wrote: "Question for other members:

What would you count as a favorite (or favorites) of yours in this theme?"

Like Jalilah, I don't have an answer.

I can think of myths and 'standards' like LOTR, but nothing more recent. Which is odd, b/c helper/mentor/guardians crop up all over the place...don't they?

Well at least I'm not alone. 😂

Maybe other members will have a few favorites to share. 🤞

I still haven't read much mythic fiction, so I'm curious about the answers.
I just want to say that the helper in the last book I read was quite likeable, I found myself grinning when he was on page :D he was so pure though, I wouldn't mind someone more twisted.
Also, I think Mary Poppins would qualify in this category, too

Leah wrote: "Well at least I'm not alone. 😂

Maybe other members will have a few favorites to share. 🤞"

I would say we think of all the fairy tales that have helpers and then see if we can find retellings of them

Another book I have on my list for this category is Second Hand Curses.

If anyone wants to go the magical mentor route, in a school setting, and you want some mystery with your magic, I recommend Magic for Liars.

After looking around, I'm leaning toward either a Rumpelstiltskin retelling or a magical guardian, like a nature spirit or nature itself (trees, lakes, etc.). The latter will probably be much harder to find.

ETA: Here's a few magical mentor type books I found (unlike Magic for Liars I have not read any of the following):

The Wee Free Men - apparently, Miss Tick is the (brief?) mentor to Tiffany Aching? And it looks like there's other mentors in other Discworld books

The Eye of the World - the mentor here is Moiraine

Red Sister - Abbess Glass

Sandry's Book - Lark and Rosethorn

The Mists of Avalon - Viviane

Alphabet of Thorn - Vevay

Perhaps look at some Coming of Age YA fantasy books?

Maybe The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste?

Penric's Demon - The helper is Desdemona the demon. This is the beginning of a series by Lois McMaster Bujold.

A Night in the Lonesome October - Has a variety of magical helpers. Author Roger Zelazny.

Another novel with a magical mentor is Memory and Dream. I didn't think of it right away because I read it already

Here are some of the books I've read with a magical helper, mentor, or guardian being of significant importance to the book:

The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin: This is WEIRD. It's mostly from Cinderella's pov, but it switches to her mice's pov and to a witch's and to her fairy godmother's, and their stories form a significant part of the narrative. This is very postmodern and won't be everyone's cup of tea.

The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck: There's a guardian and a group of magical helpers in this. I really enjoyed this one. It releases Feb 16.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix: A bookseller Merlin in contemporary London helping a girl on her quest. This is a fun romp.

Once & Future by A.R. Capetta: Another romp with Merlin, in space. Very fun.

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar: I quite enjoyed this one.

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark: There are several magical mentors in this novella, though it would also count for the talking animal/object slot.

I second The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd would be an interesting choice for this one. The main character is a female detective in Victorian London trying to find and protect a magical creature. She also has a guardian of her own. I don't want to give too much away.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad: Magical guardian.

The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley: Wouldn't Beowulf's mother be a guardian?

Let me know if you want more! I was going down the list of books I've tagged fairytale/myth inspired.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Courageous Princess trilogy by Rod Espinosa starting with Beyond the Hundred Kingdoms

Then, there's The Princess Seeks Her Fortune 0:)

Katy wrote: "Perhaps look at some Coming of Age YA fantasy books?"


I would agree with this one.

Carole

Fairy tales are rife with magical helpers but the funny thing is that fairy tale fantasies are rather less so.

Mary wrote: "Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Courageous Princess trilogy by Rod Espinosa starting with Beyond the Hundred Kingdoms

Then, ..."

Howl's Moving Castle is a great suggestion.

Margaret wrote: "Here are some of the books I've read with a magical helper, mentor, or guardian being of significant importance to the book:

The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin: This i..."

Thanks for the recs Margaret! You always find out about the best books! The Candle and the Flame will be my read for this category. It looked interesting and when I saw the author lives in Canada I knew there would be a good chance my library would have it! Turns out they did and there is no cue!

Jalilah wrote: " The Candle and the Flame will be my read for this category. It looked interesting and when I saw the author lives in Canada I knew there would be a good chance my library would have it! Turns out they did and there is no cue!"

I think you'll really enjoy that one!

I've picked Mexican Gothic for this category. It has been a long time since I became invested in a book :)

Asaria wrote: "I've picked Mexican Gothic for this category. It has been a long time since I became invested in a book :)"

It got me out of a reading slump last year. It's so ecxellent. It didn't occur to me that it could be used here, but you're right!

Margaret wrote: "Asaria wrote: "I've picked Mexican Gothic for this category. It has been a long time since I became invested in a book :)"

It got me out of a reading slump last year. It's so ecxel..."

I almost dropped it but after I had passed 50 pages, I was hooked! I bet it will be my best book of January :)

Asaria wrote: "I've picked Mexican Gothic for this category. It has been a long time since I became invested in a book :)"

Ooo, I'm def going to read it for this category then. I didn't know it would qualify. Yay!!

One of the problems of this category is that pointing out that a book qualifies can be spoiler-ish.

Margaret wrote: "Mary wrote: "Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
I have read this book, seen the film and still have it in my library. I would read it again.


The Courageous Princess trilogy by Rod Espinosa starting with [book:Beyond the Hundred Kingdoms|2330..."

Asaria wrote: "I've picked Mexican Gothic for this category. It has been a long time since I became invested in a book :)"

That book was one of my favourite reads for 2020. I used it for the ghosts category

Jalilah wrote: "That book was one of my favourite reads for 2020. I used it for the ghosts category "

I understand why.

Mary wrote: "One of the problems of this category is that pointing out that a book qualifies can be spoiler-ish."

Oh shoot, I didn't think of that. Do you think I should hide the references to mentor's name in my post above? Since I haven't read those books I don't know if it's spoiler territory or not, and I do not want to spoil anything for anyone.

Leah wrote: "Ooo, I'm def going to read it for this category then. I didn't know it would qualify. Yay!!"

You're going to love Mexican Gothic.

I kind of feel like everyone's discussions have been pretty vague, although my Star Daughter description could be spoiler territory so I'm going to amend my description on that one.