Sometimes it’s not the kid you expect who falls through to magicland, sometimes it’s . . . Elliott. He’s grumpy, nerdy, and appalled by both the dearth of technology and the levels of fitness involved in swinging swords around. He’s a little enchanted by the elves and mermaids. Despite his aversion to war, work, and most people (human or otherwise) he finds that two unlikely ideas, friendship and … friendship and world peace, may actually be possible.
“A subversive, sneaky, glorious tale of magic, longing, and growing into your wings.”
— Holly Black, author of The Darkest Part of the Forest
Praise for Sarah Rees Brennan’s books:
“Breathtaking–a compulsive, rocketing read.”
–Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author
“I suspect that word of this magical thriller will pass through the populace with the energy of wind, of fire.”
–Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Egg and Spoon
“From the pitch-perfect opening paragraph, to the heartbreaking final pages… delicious.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
“A sparkling fantasy that will make you laugh and break your heart.”
–Cassandra Clare, New York Times bestselling author
“A darkly funny, deliciously thrilling Gothic.”
–Kelley Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author
“A laugh-out-loud delight.”–Publishers Weekly
“Brennan takes the genres of young adult, fantasy, and romance, and through her own writerly, alchemical process converts them into something new and strange and lovely.”–Kelly Link, author of Pretty Monsters
Sarah Rees Brennan (sarahreesbrennan.com) was born and raised in Ireland and now travels the world writing, teaching and confusing locals. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Tell the Wind and Fire and the Lynburn Legacy and Demon’s Lexicon series, among other works.
more
Attention all Harry Potter fans! There’s a new fantasy in town that you MUST READ.
I’ve been a fan of Sarah Rees Brennan since reading her Draco/Harry fan fiction 15 years ago (wow I’m old). She does an amazing job with IN OTHER LANDS at creating her own original fantasy world that still feels familiar — while including a compelling plot and also making fun of all the fantasy tropes.
This book is clever and HILARIOUS and absolutely unputdownable.
I loved this book! It was the first book I’ve read in a long while that I stayed up all night to read. The main character, Elliot, is so awesome. He’s an angry little pacifist and he’s smart, he knows what he wants, and yeah, maybe he doesn’t know how to talk to people he cares about (he doesn’t know how to care about people?) but he’s trying, and as he grows through the book, I just feel for him. And Luke, of course, I feel bad for him, too, because I know what’s going on in his head in some parts and that’s…rough. The book is funny, and fun, and fantastical and the world is a freaking delight.
9.8/10
do not read the sypnosis, it sucks. its the whole reason i put it back after i first saw it (a mistake.) this book is pretty much perfect, even though its a little rushed at times. the elf culture was so interesting and i loved the enemies to lovers dynamic, and lukes big reveal. this book is worth your time, i promise. im not even a fan of fantasy, but i loved this book.
keywords: magical and, war school, battles, elves, fantasy, first loves, coming of age
“In Other Lands” was my favorite read from 2019. It’s written almost like fan fiction, but with a whole new world and characters. Full of political commentary and sexual orientation representation, this novel tells the story of a pacifist growing up in a world where people try to solve problems with violence.
I absolutely love this YA book by Sarah Reese Brennan. I’ve read it more than once and also have the audio version. I love the growth of all the characters over the course of the story, I loved the characters (even if they needed strangling at times).
I adored every second of this book, (some of my friends probably wish I had loved it less because I refused to shut up about it), and I fully recommend it to anyone who likes humorous slice of life fantasy, beautiful deconstructions of social topics, sassy protagonists, and a romance with fantastic pinning and realistic relationships. I was a little bit disappointed in how anti-climatic the end chapters were, though I still found it to be a very satisfying ending.
I couldn’t put this book down and I could not stop laughing! It was sarcastic and witty and took great pleasure in turning the sexism and prejudices in our world on their heads to show just how ridiculous they are. The characters were great and tropey in the best way possible.
There was also a scene with a pacifist protest…keep an eye out for it, I almost snorted my water out of my nose.