Top Five Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm where bookworms get to chat about their top five books based on different topics.
I’m actually curious to see what I put for this list, because at the moment the only magical creatures I have in my head are fairies and unicorns. And you better bet I’m VERY EXCITED about fairies and unicorns.
I LIKE THEM A LOT, okay??
In this list, I don’t precisely highlight my top five favourite magical creatures because I can’t say I have particular favourites. For me, if an author can craft the lore, the background, and the history well — I’m down!! I love! An ogre can be amazing in one book, but in another, just be totally flat and boring. But you can find some of my fave books that INCLUDE mythical beasts!
Into the Land of the Unicorns, Bruce Coville
Click cover for Goodreads info.
I can’t mention unicorns without including the book that truly got me into them in the first place. After Cara and her grandmother are chased down by a mysterious man, Cara is swept away to a mysterious land where unicorns are hunted, and mythical beasts prepare for war against the Hunters. (i.e. griffons, centaurs, and creatures unique to Coville).
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan
Click cover for Goodreads info.
If you want a mythical creature, you can’t go wrong with Rick Riordan’s series following Percy and the other demi-gods. An untold number of Greek monsters make appearances, becoming friend and foe along the way.
My Soul to Take, Rachel Vincent
Click cover for Goodreads info.
Okay, Mandy is going to kick my butt in chats later for including this one. But she cannot deny that Vincent had a super cool take on banshees, aka “soul screamers,” in this series. Main character Kaylee isn’t the only mythical being in the book — otherworldly demons make appearances as well.
Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine
Click cover for Goodreads info.
Don’t tell me you forgot about the great works of Gail Carson Levine! (You know I never could, I go on about her enough.) Levine includes all the best mythical beings in her books: ogres, dragons, dwarves, fairies and more. There’s always unique lore included while keeping the book at a middle grade level. Huge faves of mine!
The Last Namsara, Kristen Ciccarelli
Click cover for Goodreads info.
While maybe not my favourite dragon book (I don’t know, I need to take stock!) this book is definitely way up there. I didn’t expect to love and then hate and then love and then be crying over dragons all in a single book, but there ya go!
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Which books feature some of your fave mythical creatures?
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Book Princess Reviews 
HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT FAIRIES AND UNICORNS. They’re some of the best magical creatures ever!! And yesss to Percy Jackson, so many good choices in there!
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Fairies and unicorns are crucial!!! I had to have them on this list. And obviously Percy as well. The creatures of Greek myth are some of the most fascinating.
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I chose to go with books too Sha! And I MUST read The last namsara before end of July as I’ll meet her at YALC London!
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Yes, you absolutely must read it!! I’ll cheer you on!
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Faeries and Unicorns yes! Here is https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2019/05/top-five-tuesday-magical-creatures.html.
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I completely forgot about Percy Jackson and The Last Namsara, but I love the creatures that were in them😊.
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They are less common to think of for sure, considering magical creatures are main characters in the books. But definitely still present! I love, love the dragons in TLN. I had such How to Train Your Dragon vibes.
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I liked the Soul Screamers series too. I read them all and the novellas.
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I haven’t seen Into the Land of the Unicorns for YEARS! I remember reading that series as a kid! I didn’t understand release dates at the time, so I was super confused why I could never find the last book! Also, I absolutely ADORE Ella Enchanted! I think it’s such a great book and movie as well!
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Hahaha, okay, I had the same issue! I was looking everywhere for the last book and didn’t understand why it was nowhere to be found. Not to mention the first book came out sometime in the 90s, and the last one come out in 2010-ish? The author took a long, long time to put the last book out. Ooh, Ella is a classic. Hands down.
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My soul to take is a good choice! 🦄
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Thanks!
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I’m kind of impressed with yaks now. You know? Even the Darkest stars really highlighted the grand qualities of the yak for me. Yup. Although I realize they aren’t mythical lol
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Shall I see if it’s possible to send a yak to Canada? Through the mail, perhaps?
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Canada Post will go on another strike.
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Well drats. You would think Canada Post would appreciate getting to spend some free time with a kindly yak friend.
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Send the light bulb dragons instead
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*lightbulb goes on over head, but actually, it’s a lightbulb dragon*
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Ahh, how could it be that Ella Enchanted remains one of my favorites to this day? It’s literally just a perfect book in terms of story, characters, and of course, magical creatures! ❤
Btw, another favorite creatures book might be The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews. Can't say whether it'll live up now that I'm older, but it was such a colorful, delightful read. 😉
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Yes it is! Agreed times 100. Ella is just so so perfect. I get emotional reading it. And how the characters grow up slowly through the book, learning about themselves and then falling in love. It is so cute.
I haven’t heard of that book. Is it THE Julie Andrews? Because I didn’t know she wrote!
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I consider it the best retelling ever, and it’s crazy because it’s middle grade! From characters, world-building, originality…ah, so amazing. ❤
And yes, it is! It was one of my favorite MG books as a kid, and it has very Mary Poppins slash Narnia vibes. Lots of magical creatures and adventure. THE Julie Andrews won my respect even more after reading this book. 😉
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Middle grade really does have some gems though. I feel like MG authors (not all the time, granted, but often) spend that extra time on character development because they don’t involve as much romantic subplot that YA authors do.
Ahhhhh okay I MUST read because I adore Julie Andrews.
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I agree with this 100%. I feel like as the genres get older (MG to YA to adult/epic fantasy), the character depth gets more and more distant, and not as emotional. Hence why I collect MG novels more than any other genre! It hits deeper for me than other genre. 😉
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I didn’t pick specific books, but if I did… I totally would have also put PJ on my list!
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Yes, PJ is a great selection, right?
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