-A.M. Aguilar

Favorite Fictional Places I’d Love to Visit!

Vividly and Wonderfully Described Fictional Settings

If there is something that we remember the most from our favorite books, are the book settings. Time periods, eras are part of a book’s setting too, but it is mostly the places the characters visit that we end up remembering: strange decorated houses, huge schools, unique stores, magnificent palaces and kingdoms and many more interesting places.

Some authors have the incredible ability to describe places and fantasy worlds in a way that you are mesmerized and have the desire to visit those places too.

“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” -Anna Quindlen

I really admire authors, not only for having the creativity and imagination to write a book, which I bet is not an easy job; but aside from writing and coming up with such a great story with magic rules and characters, they have the ability to describe places with such accuracy that it doesn’t feel difficult to understand but more as if you’re visiting a familiar place again!

I’ve always said that when we read, we are escaping this reality, at least for a few hours, and immersing in a fictional world with some very adventurous and intriguing people 😀 . That’s one of the things I love the most about reading, being able to visualize all of these incredible worlds and places the characters go to.

If I could do anything to escape this Earth for a day and live in these beautiful and incredible fictional worlds, I’d do it, sign me in!

I have asked this question to some of my close friends too and they have always answered that they’d love to escape to their favorite fictional world: ASAP.

A few weeks ago, I posted a poll in my Instagram stories and I asked you guys which posts you would like to see on my blog next, and this was one of the top choices too.

You can check out the last one, “Books I Think Everyone Should Read and Why…” right here! You can follow me over there too, I’m very active lately on stories and posts so I’d love for you to join the fam; ( @thebookssmuggler 😉 ), we’re very close to 1.2K book lovers and I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of the bookstagram community 😀

Sadly, I can’t talk about all the fictional worlds I’d love to visit, that’s basically every fantasy book I end up loving and talking about 🙂 ; but I will mention some specific places that are with no doubt my top favorites; not the world overall but a specific city or place in that fantastic universe.

Today I’m bringing you my top 5 choices and I hope you will like them, and probably add some of these books to your TBR! You won’t regret it!

Of course you may think differently, and have various choices of places you’d love to visit. You can share your choices with me and I’ll share mine with you! 😀 Leave your comment down below and let’s chat.

PS: I will leave the link for the Goodreads description of each book if you’re interested to check it out! I’ll be talking about the places not the plots 😉

With nothing more to say let’s get started…

Top 5 Fictional Places I’d Love to Visit!

1. Camp Half-Blood from Percy Jackson and the Olympians

These books are part of the first saga I ever read, that’s why they have such a special place in my heart. And I was (kind of still am 😉 ) obsessed with Camp Half-Blood! The description of the camp and all the different places; it made me want to be a demigod just to have a chance to go there 😀

Camp Half-Blood is a Greek demigod training facility, and it’s located on Long Island, New York State. This is described as being the only safe place for half-bloods. The camp consists of 12 cabins (one for each of the twelve Olympians), a dining pavilion, the archery field, an amphitheater, an armory, the Big House and many more fun places in campus.

I always wanted to be there on CHB during the ceremonies where the gods claim their children on the amphitheater and it also sounded so fun and cozy to be with will all of your demigod friends roasting marshmellows in the pavilion during dinner; sounds cool, huh? 😉

The camp is directed by the god Dionysus and Chiron, a centaur who directs the activities. The camp has magical borders which are enforced ensuring that no mosnter could get into camp, so it’s an almost safe place to visit! 🙂

I really, really enjoyed these books and the characters’ unique personalities. Plus the plots of each book are so incredible and fun to read! I definitely recommend reading the Percy Jackson series, if you are a fan of Greek Mythology and Fiction Books!

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief Book 1 GOODREADS

2. Velaris from A Court of Mist and Fury

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the ACOTAR saga, for various reasons. But if there’s something I truly love about Sarah J. Mass books are the descriptions and fantasy worlds she creates! (And Azriel haha the only reason that I’m reading the next book!)

Velaris, also called the City of Starlight, is a hidden city on the west side of the Night Court. The walls of this city have not been breached for more than five thousand years and it has remained hidden thanks to Rhysand.

In this book, I fell in love with Velaris. I wanted to be there! It is such a beautiful city and a peaceful place too. It is described as “having a breeze that smells like salt and lemon verbena.” 😀

To the north different kind of mountains surround the city across the river, and a range of sharp peaks cleave the city’s hills from the sea beyond. The city’s buildings are crafted out of white marble, warm sandstone and red stone of the flat-topped mountains. Tell me if you don’t want to visit this place, please. We can’t be friends anymore.

As described in the book, many quarters of Velaris are full of town houses with green copper roofs and white chimneys. in Velaris you can found many shops with delicate tables and chairs scattered outside their cheery fronts, restaurants and nightclubs.

This place is seriously beautiful, I can only visualize it in my mind, but I’d pay anything to see it in real life. I bet it’s gorgeous, and has a Northern Europe feel to it 😉 . If you’ve read this books then you probably have this as one of your choices too! It seems like a wonderful place to visit.

A Court of Thorns and Roses Book 1 Goodreads

3. The London Institute from Chain of Gold

At this point, you must already know that my favorite fictional world has to belong to the Shadowhunters Chronicles. I love Cassandra Clare’s descriptions, she’s amazing at them! And one of my most favorite places from her books, that I’d choose to visit, is the London Institute.

Especifically, the Edwardian London era, for Chain of Gold. Not only is the aesthetic of that time period gorgeous and one I truly love; but the descriptions of the Institute, the Library, the halls. I want it 😀

The London Institute is located on Fleet Street in London, England. Through its glamour, the Institute appears to be a regular, abandoned church on the outside. But in the inside, the Institute is as glamorous as a castle.

The ceilings rise up and disappear into the gloom above. There are tapestries hanging from the walls depicting stars, swords, and designs of Shadowhunter’s runes. The Institute is big enough to be maze-like for newcomers.

And according to the descriptions, it’s this Institute that holds the Great Library of Europe which is filled with thousands of books, many of which are either religious or classics. There is also a grand ballroom where the welcome ball was held during the first chapters of the book.

The rooms are large and dimly lit, enduing a warm and homey feel. The dining room is huge and bright, lit by a large gasolier that illuminates the room with a yellowish light. This place couldn’t be described more beautifully and give you that sense of home.

If I could visit any of the Shadowhunter’s Institutes, I’d definitely choose this one! Anyone signs up to go with me? 🙂 And if you haven’t yet, please give these books a try. You will definitely enjoy them! They’re incredible!

Chain of Gold Book 1 Goodreads

4. Crow Club from Six of Crows

Please, don’t think wrong of me. I’m not saying I want to hang out at a gang place… or am I? 🙂

Well, the Crow Club is a gambling house run by my favorite gang of all time, Kaz Brekker and the Dregs in Ketterdam’s pleasure district, the Barrel. So yeah, maybe I’d like to visit 😉

According to the books, it was Kaz’s idea to invite ordinary shopkeepers and legitimate businessmen the chance to buy shares in the Crow Club, that’s why he was able to purchase the building, spruce it up, and get it running.

The Club has a black and crimson facade, a portico with black columns, and an oxidized silver crow with its wings spread above the entrance. The interior of the Club consists of a main hall with card tables and the like and several private gambling parlors, garbed in black and red.

The card tables are circular and draped in crimson cloth decorated with a repeating pattern of black Crows. The walls are coated in black lacquer. The Club, like most gambling halls in the Barrel, is windowless to prevent customers from observing the passage of time, leading them to spend more time there.

I would love to visit this place to 1) meet Inej Ghafa obviously and 2) to be part of the Crow Club’s gang; who wouldn’t want to be part of Kaz Brekker’s plans? Well, ignoring the fact that it is dangerous and crazy to go there, it would be fun and that’s enough haha! 😉

Leigh Bardugo definitely created an amazing world on the dark sides of Ketterdam with distinctive individuals and descriptions of these places. I hope you add Six of Crows to your TBR! Best decision ever!

Six of Crows Book 1 Goodreads

5. Nino’s Pizzeria from The Raven Cycle

Blue Sargent is one of the main characters in this saga and at the beginning of book one she is working at Nino’s Pizzeria. A pizza place in Henrietta, Virginia.

Here’s where she first met the raven boys, and where they sometimes go to talk about Glendower. According to Blue it has flexible hours and pays well enough.

I chose this place as one of my favorite places to visit, because I can perfectly imagine myself dining with Blue and the rest of the raven boys (Adam, Gansey, Ronan and Noah) while we plot a way to save the world in one of those cozy red booths 🙂 It is such a nice feeling I get from this place, I had to include it.

PS: who doesn’t love a very good pizza place? 😉

I declare The Raven Cycle as my favorite series of all time, I loved every single second of it and I can’t recommend it enough! Please give them a try if you haven’t yet. What are you waiting for?

The Raven Boys Book 1 Goodreads

I really, really hope you guys liked this post! I really enjoyed writing it and I missed blogging for a while. I’m finally on winter break so I wanted to dedicate a few days to blogging too 😀 .

Maybe you’ve read some of the books I’ve mentioned, loved and remember these places too; maybe now you are interested and plan on adding some to your TBR. I hope that’s the case, and if it is, please let me know. It would mean a lot!

Let me know in the comments below which are places you want to visit if it were possible, I’d love to see your choices and read those books too.

Thank you for staying here and following me through this blogging journey, dear book lovers. I couldn’t be more grateful to have people read what I have to say about the books I love. Blogging and Bookstagram have made my 2020 x10 better! 🙂

I hope you are all safe, well and healthy. Have an incredible week and remember to take a break when needed. Spent time doing the thigns you love! & spread love always.

-A.M Aguilar