2 Authors from my Youth that I loved, but probably should never have read and 1 that is still awesome

Tamora Pierce

Song of the Lioness Quartet, Protector of the Small Series, Wild Magic Series, Trickster's Choice Duology & Beka Cooper Trilogy,

I have loved Tamora Pierce since the 4th grade when I stumbled upon Alanna in my school's library. I rediscovered her when I was in middle school and finally finished the Song of the Lioness quartet for the first time. I have reread every single book in these series so many times that my copy of "The Realms of the Gods" from the Wild Magic series is held together by duct tape. Tortall was the alternate book world I would have lived in if given the chance.

But since my conversion to Catholicism, I have seen how problematic these books actually are for young women. Tamora Pierce tried to empower young girls through her writing, but instead she stripped away all of the aspects of femininity that make being a woman so amazing.

It is very subtle, but these books embody the sexual revolution of the 1960s. All of Tamora Pierce's characters wear birth control charms to "protect themselves" from unwanted children. Alanna from the Song of the Lioness quartet has multiple sexual partners throughout the series starting at the age of 16. Daine from the Wild Magic series ends up sleeping with her teacher and mentor Numair and they never end up getting married preferring to live as partners. There is a same-sex couple in the Beka Cooper series, with one of the men being transgender.

Looking back at my literary hero from my youth, I am disappointed. What you take into your mind is just as important as the food that you put into your body. This subtle perversion of the next generation through literature has gone from subtle to overt throughout the years, and the bias in the publishing industry is ensuring that the next generation of youth will not have the chance to think for themselves.

Even though these books have been carried through multiple moves, and lovingly read multiple times over, I am cleansing them from my house for good. The books that I want my daughters to read should showcase the kind of woman that I want them to be, and none of the characters in Tamora Pierce's books embody that.

Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass Series & A Court of Thorns and Roses Series

The Throne of Glass series revolves around an assassin named Calaena Sardothien who has been trapped for a year in a slave mine, and must barter for her freedom by competing in a competition to become the King's Champion, the man she hates most in the world.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a beauty and the beast retelling revolving around Feyre who finds herself entwined with faeries after unknowingly killing one.

Sarah J. Maas utilizes a lot of sex, brutality, and torture in her novels. While I originally loved these series, the graphic sex scenes and depictions of torture are not appropriate for any audience. Calaena is an anti-hero with no real redemptive qualities and Feyre ends up being the poster child for someone with Stockholm Syndrome (in true Beauty and the Beast fashion to be fair). Once again, characters I would not want to emulate.

We are called to be a part of this world, but with our eyes trained on the next. Fantasy series allow the mind to broaden its horizons and enrich the imagination, but there are perils in allowing yourself to escape to alternate worlds. The imagination is only one part of our intellect, the other being the will. It is our will that matters. Our habits eventually become our nature. If we allow, our mind to be clogged with the lies of this one, you can be sure that we will not attain the next.

But we are not a people without hope!

Allow me to introduce you to a fantasy author from my youth which I would RECOMMEND you read.

Patricia C. Wrede

Enchanted Forest Chronicles, The Frontier Chronicles & A Matter of Magic

Witty Princesses, Evil Wizards and Soapy Water with just a little bit of lemon in it? Sign me up! The Enchanted Forest Chronicles was another one of those series that I discovered when I was young that changed the trajectory of my reading habits forever. I read the 4th one first accidentally on the way to summer camp, and by the time I was able to read the other 3, I was on a family vacation in New Hampshire. I finished the first one so quickly that I begged my parents to take me back to the bookstore so that I could find out what happened next. Thankfully, they obliged. And guess what? I'm really glad they did. Patricia C. Wrede's series is about a smart, independent princess that's just a little bit too tall and dreams of adventure. Princess Cimorene manages to overcome nefarious wizarding plots, fall in love and have a family all while being polite (very important part for a dragon princess). There is no profanity, pre-marital sex or contrived LGBT side story to remain "current" (even though it adds absolutely nothing to the plot) and that's what makes this story timeless.

The Frontier Chronicles is also a story of magic, but more importantly it is about family. How many YA novels do you see nowadays that consist of one family with 13 kids? Not only that, but the mother and father are also INTELLIGENT. Smart people can want to have a lot of children? Novel. Eff is the 13th child and she is born to be unlucky. Her twin brother Lan on the other hand is the seventh son of a seventh son, destined to be blessed with large magical gifts. The Thirteenth Child is a coming of age story revolving around the thirteenth child, Eff as her parents move to the great frontier to escape toxic family relationships and establish a new life in the great unknown.

A Matter of Magic is a duology that I stumbled upon a couple of years ago. A street thief becomes the assistant to Mairelon the Magician and together they unfurl great magical conspiracies during the time of Victorian Era London. I don't want to give too much away, so I will leave it at that.

Three great series. One great author. Plenty of things to read. Remember, you are what you read so make sure it's a good book!