12 Fantasy Books that should be Movies

Earlier, I made a list of 10 science fiction books that shoul d be movies.  Here is my list of fantasy tales.

Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
What:  The daughter of a witch confronts a powerful dragon to save her kingdom.
What’s in it for me:  I want to see Arin fight the dragon with her long red hair swirling around her.
More information.

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
What:  Anita Blake investigates a serial killer of vampires.
What’s in it for me:  Anita Blake deserves a cinematic version – she’s as cool as Buffy but lives in a grownup world.
A review.

Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit
What:  Three children find a magical ring and a mystery.
What’s in it for me:  I want to see the enchanted castle.  Also, I love invisible stuff.
More information.

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
What:  Eddi, a rock musician,  is pulled into a battle between fairy folk.
What’s in it for me:  The Phouka, yummy.  Plus, I’d like to hear the glamour’d rock show.
A review.

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald
What:  Curdie is grown up and goes to rescue his princess again.
What’s in it for me:  I’d like to see the Grandmother/Eve summoning the birds for battle.
A review.

Half Magic by Edgar Eager
What:  Four children find a magic coin that only grants half a wish.
What’s in it for me:  The tournament would great fun to watch.
A summary.

Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
What:  A dog runs away and then tries to find his way home.
What’s in it for me:  Ribsy is a highly endearing character and I’d like to hear his ‘voice.’
A summary.

Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle
What:  A boy and a unicorn must uncover what historical events caused the present calamity.
What’s in it for me: I want to hear St. Patrick’s rune chanted as a spell for stopping evil.
L’Engle’s book.

Country Bunny and the Little Gold Slippers by Marjorie Flack & Dubose Heyward
What:  A mommy bunny vies for the best rabbit job in the land: Easter Bunny
What’s in it for me:  Seeing the mommy rabbit besting all the arrogant men rabbits in the competition.
more information.

Big Joke Game by Scott Corbett
What:  Boy and his guardian devil(!)  have to survive a living board game.
What’s in it for me:  Seeing the game board come to life.

Clairvoyant Countess by Dorothy Gilman
What:  A clairvoyant woman tracks down a missing woman.
What’s in it for me:  I would like to see an interesting story about esp for once.
A review.

Archangel by Sharon Shinn
What:  A ‘cinderella’ is chosen to be the consort of the Archangel who controls the planet’s climate.
What’s in it for me:  The angels flying.  The angels singing.
A review.

Archangel by Sharon Shinn

After I read Archangel, I read several other books written by Shinn and I’ve really liked them all. The only reason that I didn’t read the second book in the series, Jovah’s Angel is that it takes place years after the first book and I knew that I’d miss the protagonists way too much. This particular book reminded me of the McCaffrey’s Pern series, in plot and mood.

As far as I can figure out, colonists landed on a planet and somehow lost knowledge of how their technology worked, so the AI system became the voice of God. Some of the people on the planet have developed wings (a fairly rare trait). These people, called Angels, sing to activate the weather programs and other stuff.

Of course, the characters don’t think in these terms, at all. Additionally, people who get close to the truth are dismissed as heretics or insane.

A (nonAngelic) captive of war is sold as a slave and, as the story begins, she is busy plotting her escape. Her plans are for naught when God tags her as the next Angelica – the female leader of the Angels. The Angelica is required to marry the Archangel who does have wings and is the male leader of the Angels. She must also sing at important ceremonies with him.

The Archangel sees her as a useful tool to restore faith in God and renew the planet and its inhabitant. She doesn’t think much of the Angels’ part in the war that destroyed her life. She and he don’t, to put it mildly, hit it off.

She’s not a wimpy character by any means but she is a bit passive-aggressive and has a self-destructive streak. It’s hard to blame her since her family was murdered by his people and then she was abducted from her adoptive family to forced to do housework in chains. But by the end of the novel, she pretty much knows her own worth without being unkind and thoughtless about it.

He is forced to recognize her as worthy of his honor and love and this acknowledgement conflicts mightily with his image of what a good Archangel should be. He changes almost as much as she does which makes him a better leader and a better man.