I first read the Trylle series in high school, persuaded by my friends that it was more than a silly little book about trolls. Amanda Hocking, the author of the series, lit the fuse that led to my love of reading, and eventual writing, of fantasy fiction. For that, I am forever indebted to her.
The three Trylle novels, Switched, Torn and Ascend, also come in a three-in-one novel, which I happen to own. I have to admit, the covers alone would make me pick these up today, but that wasn’t the case when I was 13 years old and not into fantasy (insane, I know, considering where I am today).
Amanda Hocking proves the importance of my recent post ‘Know Your Genre’. While I had no idea what I was getting into, it’s clear many of Amanda’s readers did. Using tropes such as changelings, love-triangles, royalty and an unusually powerful herione, Amanda Hocking knew what she was doing and what her readers expected from her and her books.
If you’re not a fan of YA Paranormal or YA Fantasy, this book isn’t for you. The tropes and structures used by Hocking make it appeal to her market, but do tend to frustrate and alienate readers unfamiliar or bored with these genres (reflected in some of her, in my opinion, unfair negative reviews).
That being said, if you’re a fan of YA Paranormal or Fantasy fiction, I think you’ll really enjoy these books. They're the perfect examples of this genre. From the ‘chosen and powerful’ main character dropped into a fantasy world completely unfamiliar to her, two potential courtships, learning she’s a princess who’s unqualified but determined to prove herself, to a well-crafted world and hierarchy, rules and different tribes, Amanda Hocking represents her genre with knowledge and skill.
As I mentioned, she brought me into the genre as well, converting me from paranormal YA fiction reading to fantasy, and ultimately inspiring my writing career as a result. My young mind was skeptical of a novel about trolls (which seems so exceptionally rational to my now fantasy-pickled brain), but on the pleading of my friends I gave it a try. And I've never looked back.
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