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Guest 5D writer Laurie Bachman looks at the influence of TikTok & how it helps writer exposure
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Social media has, over the last 20 years, grown into a phenomenon. First Myspace became the place to be to showcase your music, movies and other media. Giving rise to the independents – free from the constraints of agents and labels alike. Record labels took to the sites to scout the next big craze, so social media paved the way for advertising and, most importantly, exposure.
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Then came Facebook, Bebo and a plethora of sites, many of which like Goodreads, Storygraph and Linkedin began to tailor their social media markets. This writer recently stumbled across TikTok. Once a site devoted to teenagers lip-syncing along to their favourite songs and choreographing their own moves; now TikTok plays host to a variety of creators who, through the use of hashtags and the ever-present ‘Algorithm’, is diverse splitting into #booktok, #blacktok, #LGBTQIA etc. There are vibrant communities making use of the latest “trends” to get their messages across.
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LegendBorn by Tracy Deonn.
Would be classed as Dark Academia, the main premise follows a retelling of the King Arthur Myth. Set in the University of North Carolina. It explores the complex social structures we currently find ourselves in, addressing key topics surrounding BIPOC communities, and how people of colour encounter covert and overt racism within all settings, including colleges with academics who sell themselves as being above this kind of behaviour. The social lessons are subtle but on point and do well to be blended into the fantasy and Urban Fantasy setting.
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The plot follows the character of Bree Mathews, currently grieving the loss of her mother she joins the pre-college programme at the University of North Carolina. The same college her mother had attended before having Bree.
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This is YA, however, it does reach an older audience as well. It didn’t have the reluctant hero tropes or the “will they won’t they” love angle. There is a little romance in the story but this is a back plot, ultimately the novel and series looks at how racism still dominates and underpins society, it is also an amazing take on the Arturian legends. The magic system is also vastly different to what has come before it, it gives you the Harry Potter fix you have been dying for.
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A Court of Throne and Starlight by Sarah J Maas
You cannot wander far through #booktok, without stumbling across this. Sarah J Maas has become the ultimate in reinvention.
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The recommended reading order begins with Throne of Glass or ToG, then on to ACOTAR (A Court of Throne and Roses) and then finish with Cresent City (CC).
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ToG was a little too YA for me. I have been assured that as I progress through the series it does mature – a similar thing was done by JKR when completing her Harry Potter Universe and that Throne of Glass gets a little “Spicier” as you work your way through as well. I began the journey with ACOTAR – I did enjoy it. Sarah J Maas has an amazing ability to weave the tropes that work. The first book in the series A Court of Throne and Roses was essentially Beauty and the Beast with a further expansion of the Fae world. Feyre is not an annoying protagonist and narrator, it is only her point of view conveyed throughout the series; however, there are some dips in the storytelling, overall it is a good laid-back fantasy Romance.
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The worlds are built in such a way that Sarah J Maas takes all the elements that work in storytelling and weaves them together in a very formulaic manner, there isn’t anything new, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t enjoyable. I found myself laughing, crying and screaming with rage throughout the series. Feyre is always relatable and didn’t find myself annoyed at her responses to situations.
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The City We Became by N.K Jemisin
I have, I must confess, become a little bit of an NK Jemisin fan girl since reading this book. It felt at the start very similar to an Avatar meets War of the Worlds scenario. New Yorks boroughs are “coming to life” within certain individuals within the city to combat a growing not of this dimension evil. There are distinct undertones throughout which aim to address unconscious Bias, how the Trump election legitimised marginalising communities based on race and how this affects the coming together of the Avatars to save New York City.
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I greatly enjoyed this book, as I said, since reading I have deep dived into NK Jemisins work. Each one different but with an underlying theme of “othering”, marginalisation and colonialism. A Brilliant fantasy author who blends romance into the plots well without it being a driving force or factor within their novels.
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Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Most commented on the size of this book, it only sits at around 640 pages, as someone who has read the extended Stand by Steven King, I did not cower like most who had reviewed the book on TikTok.
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The story follows 5 characters through a fantasy world inhabited by dragons and other mythical creatures. It was marketed as a Feminist Lord of the Rings. I don’t agree with this. While it pulls together strangers to battle a big bad in an unlikely fellowship, to compare it to the power house that is Tolkein sets it up for failure. The book was wonderful, there was a beautiful blend of magic, politics and mythology. The world building in this book was intense to say the least. Even though it was 640 pages long, there was no ebb in the story, It starts strong and maintains a good pace throughout. There wasn’t an area where I thought I could have done without this.
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The characters that have been created all work well together, with strong values evident throughout, but the coming together of these forces against the bigger threat.
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Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
TikTok was overtaken with a frenzy in the run up to this one. I had successfully managed to join the party late for every single book trend, bar this one. It follows several characters in a Caste ruled world system where some blood types appear to have better social standing than others. The Red Bloods or Embers are the highest class, they govern through Wardens who are elected through the Aktibar, a series of Challenges for each of the 4 disciplines: Strength, Justice, Truth and Duty.
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Then, there are Blue Bloods or Dusters. These are the “less-than”, those that work, build, toil and produce. This is the class of people our main protagonist Sylah belongs to.
Then you have the Ghostlings whose blood is translucent. This is a group of people who make up the servants. They are mutilated from birth with the removal of hands and tongue – they are a group of people who, throughout the story, appear to know a lot more than the rest of the population.
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Its is quite a complex world build. There are a lot of character nuances at play, and a lot regarding the complexities of the society and its structure to convey to the reader. It does very well in this task. Sylah, Anoor, Jand and Hassa – you find yourself growing deeply attached to each of them, their voices come across very well and the book is absolutely worth the months of hype surrounding it.
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So, is BookTok where it’s at to find the latest bookish trends and is the Hype reliable? It depends what you are after, some books are very successfully marketed through TikTok, with many authors regularly posting updates and engaging with their audiences. However, it tends to be more indie authors and new authors that are making use of the platform.
There is also a growing number of BookTokers who are now turning to creating and plugging their own works. It has become saturated with SJM and Colleen Hoover fans who tend to by die hard in their approach to supporting their authors. But since joining I have found a stack of books and authors that I am now in love with. Just be wary, don’t speak ill of TOG and you’ll survive long enough to find your next favourite read.
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Top 10 TikTok Read
- A Song of Wraith and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown
- Black Son by Rebecca Roanhorse
- Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
- Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
- Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro
- Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May
- Poppy War R.F. Kuang
- Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
- Strange the Dreamer by Laini Tayler
- If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
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