The “nonsense fantasy” category name comes from @darbyisescaping‘s video on nonsense fantasy book recommendations. Between you and me, @darbyisescaping has excellent content if you are a fan of science fiction and fantasy-focused booktokers. She describes nonsense fantasies as books with loose magic systems that are a mix of science fiction, fantasy, and other genres. Nonsense and fantasy have often gone hand in hand. Things that are nonsensical or fantastical prop up the genre. The Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear first published in 1846 is a collection of surrealist poems that have entertained many generations of children. The book is a prime example of Literary Nonsense that brings together folk tales and intellectual absurdity. What you get is a bunch of logical statements immediately contradicted by a contradiction. So, what does that mean when it applies to fantasy novels? The fantasy world has to have no identifiable logic to it, or as @darbyisescaping puts it, whatever happens, happens because magic says so. When compiling my list, I tried to follow the three criteria: a loose magic system, a mix of genres, and it happens because magic. I came up with a list of books broken up into adult nonsense fantasy, adult nonsense fantasy romance, and YA nonsense fantasy. Stories can make a city. The human manifestation of cities are born from the stories we tell about them, and the embodiments of New York City and the boroughs are beginning to take shape and find each other. But something wants to stop this from happening. Although they have someone to guide them through the process, it will be difficult for them to learn all they can do with their new abilities before something much older and more experienced kills them and their city. A blend of science fiction and fantasy elements makes for characters with borough-specific powers in a thrilling nonsense fantasy book for everyone who loves their metropole. It’s Cairo in 1912 and the power of the djinn has given Egypt the ability to resist European colonial rule. Fatma el-Sha’arawi works as an investigator of supernatural crime, and everyone knows she is good at her job, with that said, teaching her rookie partner would be hard enough without a new murder on her docket. Especially one that might just destabilize international politics. With the help of her colleagues and her girlfriend, hopefully, she can get the mystery solved before the world is destroyed. Again. An Asian trans girl joins a group of femme vigilantes who protect the Street of Miracles from transphobes, violent johns, and cops at all costs. She’s a pathological liar, a kung-fu expert, and an escape artist, and is ready to use all her skills to help her new home and the family she finds there. This fictionalized memoir proves fairy tales can belong to sex workers, trans communities, and queer families too. The mix of genres makes it an ideal nonsense fantasy book recommendation. If you are anything like Cinnamon, you will relate to the feeling of getting drunk at a festival and accidentally saving a hot demon on your walk home. Cinnamon is just an average spice farmer with a few practical skills and a good sense of morals. She avoided dying her hair pink or standing out too much as to dodge becoming one of the goddesses’ chosen adventurers. It worked until she ran into Fallon who decides she must come with him on his quest to kill an evil witch who enslaves demons like him. This nonsense fantasy book has every kind of magical something and an adorable romantic plot line, too. When a girl runs into the front door of your coffee shop and you give her a hand, you don’t expect to be rewarded with three wishes. Not thinking anything of the chaotic encounter, 17-year-old Sy asks for a million dollars, and it comes true. His boyfriend left him to travel the world, his best friend is more than annoyed at his self-centered attitude, and his father kicks him out when he is outed. Now, this Indian-Muslim teen will take his million dollars and follow his ex-boyfriend with the hopes of having a second chance at a happily ever after. A tavern wench journeys across the kingdom with the aim of petitioning the queen to regain control of her tavern. Tanya has worked as a wench at her pseudo-adoptive guardian’s tavern since she was a kid, and she is excellent at her job. So, she was unprepared when a group of the queen’s guards came into her tavern after her guardian died and took control of her only home and job. The only way to get it back is to go to the capital and petition the queen. She will travel with any group of guards, work for any faction of outlaws, and acquire any magic item necessary to get her there. Tanya is a bisexual protagonist who is so good at organizing it becomes magic.
