As the daughter of Kazuo Ishiguro, Naomi Ishiguro could easily have spent her career in someone else’s shadow. Instead, she has established herself as a distinctive literary talent in her own right, earning praise for her imaginative, genre-blending fiction; first with her story collection Escape Routes, then with her debut novel Common Ground.
Now, with The Rainshadow Orphans, she has embarked on a beguiling new fantasy trilogy. But which are the books that inspired it? Here, Ishiguro shares the five fantasy novels that have shaped her life and writing…
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
“Not just my favourite fantasy novel, but maybe my favourite novel of all time in any genre, The Lies of Locke Lamora is a work of high-wire storytelling genius with a gorgeous, beating, bleeding heart. By turns a heartfelt novel about the power of found family, a revenge drama, and a study in whether it’s ever possible to outsmart the vagaries of fortune, it’s both profound and shockingly good fun.
“I think the modern fantasy genre takes so much of its DNA from the 19th Century novel: and I love narratives on this vast scale, filled with plot intricacies, loveable characters, genuinely deft twists and lavish attention to mood and atmosphere. I often describe this novel to people as being like Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, but even better.”
