{Bookish} Travel Buddies: A Court of Thorns and Roses (+ Flights of Fantasy April Linky)

I wanted to come up with a way to combine my love for books with my love for travel, and thus {Bookish} Travel Buddies was born. It's quite simple, really, as I'm pairing up characters from books I've loved + the places that I'd love to go visit with them. I've hung out with the Queen of Shadows gang, went on adventures with the Winter crew, and traveled to new places with the Anna and the French Kiss group.

For April, I couldn't resist featuring the characters from another one of my absolutely favorite reads: A Court of Thorns and Roses. (It was on my mind because the sequel A Court of Mist and Fury is out next week!) I fell in love with this fairytale-inspired fantasy from Sarah J. Maas last year, and I'm so, so eager to be back in this world and with these characters soon. For now, I'll settle for sharing where I'd go with these guys if I had the chance! (It's also kind of funny and fitting to me how all of these places are in Europe, as that's where I am right now while you guys read this post.)

"Austria - Opera House at night, Vienna" by Lukes_photos is licensed under C.C. BY-SA 2.0

Feyre | Vienna

I was trying to think of a vacation spot that would suit Feyre's artistic sensibilities, as well as her sense of adventure. For some reason, Vienna was the first place that came to mind! I've never been, but from what I've heard about this city, it seems like a place that she and I could enjoy exploring together. We'd be able to soak up our fill of their culture, eat our share of their cuisine and just really feel in awe of the rich history of this European city.

"Cliffs of Moher, Liscannor, Ireland" by Giuseppe Milo is licensed under C.C. BY-NC 2.0

Tamlin | Ireland

Honestly, I was just trying to come up with a place steeped in culture, folklore and lots of natural sites to visit, and Ireland popped into mind. (That's my impression of the country, in case that wasn't clear.) I just feel like Tamlin would make the best company if we were to go exploring the Cliffs of Moher, for instance, or if we were visiting a cultural hotspot that had plenty of Irish folktales surrounding it. As the High Lord of the Spring Court, I feel like this is a location he'd approve of.

"Slowing it down" by Dave Johnson licensed under C.C. BY-NC 2.0

Lucien / Scotland

I'm fairly certain it will not surprise you to hear that I came up with this pairing first when I started thinking about this post. After all, Lucien is my favorite character in the novel! I think he'd be fun to travel to Scotland with. He'd make for a fun companion while we traipsed through castles and tasted all the Scottish fare, and I think his sassy commentary and bluntness would keep me entertained as we wandered all over.

"Prague" by Nuno Dantas is licensed under C.C. BY-NC-SA 2.0

Rhysand / Prague

When I was thinking about where I would go with Rhys, it occurred to me that he'd make an interesting companion to go to Prague with. There's just something about this particular location - maybe the culture or perhaps the overall vibe I'm getting from what I've seen online - that immediately makes me connect him with it! I think he'd be up for an adventure, and I'm sure we'd be discovering all sorts of interesting parts of the city together.

Can you believe we're wrapping up another month of 2016 already? I sure can't! At the time of reading this, the long-awaited family vacation to Europe is happening (which is why I probably haven't been online as much). As of April 22, these are the fantasy novels I've read this month: The Archived, The Unbound, The Star-Touched Queen, The Crown's Game, The Forbidden Wish and a reread of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I've also read Preludes and Nocturnes, two volumes of the Death Note manga, the first six volumes of Amulet and two volumes of Saga. Whew. Who knew I'd still manage to read so many? Now it's your turn - link up to your recaps and reviews so we can see them! (And if you're only hearing about Flights of Fantasy now, feel free to sign up!)