It is often said that magic is all around us if we look, and I think that it is most able to be seen in nature. Flowers that seem to die in winter only to resurrect a few months later in the spring, the changing of the leaves or the metamorphosis of a butterfly all seem like incredible magic tricks. This "magic" has inspired writers for decades when writing fantasy in ways that are both whimsical and terrifying such as with the books listed here.
A contemporary fantasy that derives inspiration from Hindu and Buddhist folklore, Divining the Leaves takes place in Atlanta, where Rhidi is a believer in all things magic, and her former friend Nilesh, is not. Rhidi performs a ritual trying to draw herself into the world of the yakshini, mythical keepers of nature. She's thrilled when it works, but her excitement is dampened when Rhidi makes his way there too, similarly trying to escape his reality.
Nature isn't always peaceful, sometimes it's power can be dangerous. In They Bloom at Night, the town of Mercy, Louisiana has been devastated by a hurricane, and its aftermath has left a mysterious red algae bloom and mutated wildlife. Even worse, people are starting to disappear at night, and Noon is tasked with finding the creature responsible and stopping it.
One way fantasy writers have used nature to inspire their writing is through fae and fairies. Often times, they are connected to particular natural elements like air, water, fire, or the seasons. Holly Black's The Stolen Heir is a prime example of this. While set in the same world as Black's first trilogy, The Folk of the Air, you don't have to read the first series to dive into this book and its sequel. This book has dramatic betrayals, a queen seeking vengeance, and monsters magically created through sticks and snow that do her bidding.
Novel in verse, I Am The Swarm looks at the creepy crawly side of nature. The women in the Strand family develop magic at 15 due to a curse, and Nell Strand has watched as it always ruins their lives. When Nell turns 15, her magic manifests in insects responding to her emotions. It starts off harmless, with ladybugs who seem to be on her piano when she feels creative, but before long it escalates to wasps appearing as a manifestation of her rage that she can't seem to control.
What's your favorite nature-based fantasy book?
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