Good morning afternoon evening, my friends. I wanted to start a little series where I convince you to read a book just by showing you the first line! These are written in no particular order, just a handful of books and a handful of sentences that I found to be captivating. There’s nothing better than a book with a great opening sentence.
1.) “It was as black in the closet as old blood.” Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows
2.) “One day after the emperor had died and been eaten, the call went out to select his successor.” Jessica Cluess, House of Dragons
3.) “The queen stopped screaming just after midnight.” Claire Legrand, Furyborn
4.) “The Stranger came out of the sea like a water ghost, barefoot and wearing the scars of his journey.” Samantha Shannon, The Priory of the Orange Tree
5.) “I hate having to dress like a man.” Tricia Levenseller, Daughter of the Pirate King
6.) “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
7.) “Asha lured the dragon with a story.” Kristen Ciccarelli, The Last Namsara
8.) “On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of the Weep, a girl fell from the sky.” Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
9.) “Kell wore a very peculiar coat.” V. E. Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic
10.) “Pa was taking too long to cut the boys’ throats.” Margaret Owen, The Merciful Crow
Bonus: “When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.” J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Everyone has different preferences of what draws them into a story. Whether it be short and simple or beautifully descriptive, I tried to include a variety of different first lines that could appeal to you! All these lines immediately caught my attention when I was reading them.
I think my favorite out of all of these is from The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien. I know it was the bonus sentence, but it will always hold a special place in my heart! I hope you enjoyed!