I feel like some people will find this topic easy but I am definitely going to find it really difficult! I don't really think about Author pairings a whole lot. So I'm going to divide it into some of my favourite genres and choose a pairing for each that I think could write the ULTIMATE book of that genre. Exciting!
1) For the ultimate URBAN FANTASY: Laini Taylor & Holly Black.
Urban Fantasy has always been a favourite genre of mine: fantastical beings/situations in a contemporary setting? Yes please! I feel that, having read a great deal of her books, Holly Black is definitely one of my go-to authors for this genre. I especially love her 'Modern Faerie Tales' series. Holly Black does have a tendency to pick up the pace so much that one badly timed blink could mean you miss an important plot point. That's where Taylor comes in. If you combine her well-paced, detailed plot and world-building with Holly Black's skill in writing a satisfying ending (I was a little let down by the end of Taylor's 'Daughter Of Smoke & Bone' series) you would be onto a winner!
2) For the ultimate FAIRY TALE RETELLING: Shari Arnold & Marissa Meyer.
Now this was a really tough pick for me, as I read a lot of this genre and enjoy most of those reads. I was originally going to put Eowyn Ivey here because of her haunting retelling, 'The Snow Child'. In the end though, I fond that Shari Arnold's 'Neverland' haunted me in much the same way in a contemporary setting (my favourite kind of era for retellings) and if her emotionally raw writing was mixed with the colourful characters and illustrious world-building found in Meyer's 'The Lunar Chronicles' series, I would be so happy!
3) For the ultimate GOTHIC HORROR: Jack Wolf & Susan Hill.
Ooh now this was tricky. I'm a huge fan of a good-old fashioned Ghost Story, especially mixed with the Victorian era. Wolf gave me a story I had never read before: a dark Gothic Fantasy that chilled me to the bone with a very creative, original plot-line. What I wanted to gain from a co-author was atmosphere and I very nearly picked Bram Stoker. But I thought upon it and found that Susan Hill provided that same thing in heaps, despite a much shorter novel, and I enjoyed her ability to get to the point a whole lot more.
4) For the ultimate HISTORICAL FICTION: Markus Zusak & Jessie Burton.
I read 'The Book Thief' a very long time ago now and I really enjoyed the style in which the story was told. The POV of Death was very inventive and the added pictures and constant reference to colour made this one of my favourite reads of all time. Jessie Burton also wrote beautifully, and I found her characterisation to be distinctly impressive. The mysterious tone imbued within her story mixed with the unexplainable events throughout the book sold it to me. These two would create a masterpiece, I'm sure!
5) For the ultimate EPIC FANTASY: George R.R. Martin & Patrick Rothfuss.
George R.R. Martin is one of the great Epic Fantasy masters, there is no denying that. His ability to create complex situations and even more complex characters who go beyond normal Fantasy archetypes astounds me every time. But I feel like Patrick Rothfuss' writing would bring a bit more colour and wonder to a long book. 'The Name Of The Wind' is about the same length, on average, as a book from Martin's 'A Song Of Ice & Fire' series, and yet I found it a whole lot more gripping and much easier to read. Martin would bring the detail, Rothfuss wouldn't let it bore me.
6) For the ultimate YA CONTEMPORARY: John Green & Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
This was quite a difficult choice for me as I wanted John Green on there but did not know who to pair him with. I chose John Green because the few books I've read of his have contained a whole lot of personality. I adored 'The Fault In Our Stars', mostly because it covered such a sad topic in a humorous and relatable way. But I have also read John Green books and thought 'this doesn't feel like it would actually happen' or 'teenagers don't talk to each other like that'. This is where Sáenz comes in. 'Aristotle & Dante Discover The Secrets Of the Universe' is a little more serious and a whole lot more believable. Also: three cheers for diversity!
7) For the ultimate DYSTOPIAN: Emily St. John Mandel & Susan Ee.
While Susan Ee has written a thrilling YA Dystopian, Emily St. John Mandel's Adult offering felt far more refined. I want to combine the two. I would love to read a Dystopian book that managed to really capture the human response and emotion directly after a catastrophic, apocalyptic event which I know Mandel would manage beautifully. Yet it would need the character connection and plot thrills found in Ee's work too. They are both very different writers in the same sort of genre, yet I marvel at what they could come up with.
8) For the ultimate THRILLER/SUSPENSE NOVEL: Ryan Graudin & Tom Rob Smith.
These two are the absolute masters of suspense in my reading journey so far. 'Child 44' had me on tenterhooks for the entire story, and I loved Graudin's 'The Walled City' for the same reason. In terms of world-building, I think that Smith excels at building a detailed, rich setting and both authors clearly did a whole lot of research. Graudin would also contribute some very likeable characters to root for. Perfect!
9) For the ultimate LITERARY FICTION: Gabrielle Zevin & Kate Atkinson.
This was actually pretty tricky to come up with. Zevin has written my favourite book of this genre, 'The Storied Life Of A.J. Fikry'. Gorgeous characters and an emotional story (with some great humour) really made me enjoy this read. Atkinson's 'Life After Life' was a recent read of mine that I also loved! In particular, the plot idea was exceptional and wholly original. I'd never read anything like it! Combined, it should be the perfect merger, particularly as both authors write beautifully too.
10) For the ultimate YA FANTASY: Tamora Pierce & Maria V. Snyder.
Of course I had to include Tamora Pierce somewhere on this list! This seemed like the perfect place to do it! I have read most of her books and adored them all. She has a penchant for strong female characters too, which I love! I loved Yelena in 'Poison Study' and I think that Snyder would contribute a very strong, sizzling romance sub-plot while keeping the main story-line constantly within sight. Both ladies are pretty amazing world builders too! They would write a great book together!
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