This book is a love letter to anyone who grew up immersed in sci-fi & fantasy, who dreamed of Impressing their own dragon and finding their karass and going on their own quest, who felt completely out of sync with the “real” world, but ultimately wanted to find their own place in it. The framework for all of this is the story of a young woman, who may or may not have magical powers, escaping from a troubled childhood. She has trouble fitting in at a new boarding school, but finds acceptance with a local science fiction book club. The winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel, and a really excellent read! (Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Discussion Group selection, May 2015)
Tag: fantasy
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
A delightful concept, wonderfully executed. Kell is a magician, one of the last with the power to jump between different versions of London, one of which exists in each different world. The three Londons we see (and the one we don’t) are all beautifully brought to life, as are the characters who inhabit them. Plus, plenty of fast-paced action, magical duels, aspiring pirates, thievery, and mayhem! This is the first book in a series, but has its own satisfying ending. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook!
Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg
Really wonderful! Stick with this one – it starts slow, the main character seems arrogant and unlikable, and the setting familiar. As the book continues, though, it becomes apparent that this was all intentional, and the gradual revelations about the characters, their world, and the mystery at the heart of it are all masterfully done. The end result is something really special! Don’t miss the second half of the story in “Breath and Bone.”
Chilling adventures of Sabrina. Book one, The crucible
Sabrina is about to turn sixteen and in order to become a full-blown sorceress, she finds herself having to make a huge decision: Choose her magical destiny or her non-magical boyfriend Harvey? And on top of that, an enemy, that Sabrina doesn’t even know she has, arrives in town with a deadly agenda. This is Sabrina the Teenage Witch like you’ve never seen her before! Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack have created a comic that looks like it came out of Rosemary’s Baby or the Omen. Gory, intense, and fun.
Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner (2017)
Megan Whalen Turner creates intelligent, intricate plots that twist with reversals, are filled with terrific rich characters and brilliant, detailed world building. Her fifth book in the Queen’s Thief series lives up to the rest of the series, which has already won the Children’s Mythopoetic Fantasy Award as well as a Newbery Honor. This book, starting with a minor character from a previous book, plunges the reader into a slave’s desperate escape from the palace of the brother of the king of Mede, the mighty kingdom that wants to capture the smaller kingdoms around it. Wouldn’t you want to read a book by an author who says, “I want to give the reader a piece of information at the end that changes their interpretation of everything that’s happened before.”? If you haven’t read the The Thief before, go back and start one of the best fantasy series in Children’s Literature. If you have read them all, enjoy Thick as Thieves. Guaranteed, you will love Eugenides (The Thief) even more than you did before!
The Return of the Bastards
October 10, 2013
Scott Lynch’s long-awaited and long-delayed third volume in his Gentlemen Bastards series is finally out! The Republic of Thieves hit the shelves on October 8. Fans familiar with the series will need no encouragement to rush right out to discover what the Gentlemen Bastards have gotten themselves into this time. For those unacquainted with these particular “gentlemen,” I suggest starting with the first book in the series, The Lies of Locke Lamora, and continuing on to Red Seas Under Red Skies. These books are set in a fantasy world where the rich live in magnificent buildings made of some material no longer recognized, by builders no longer remembered, while the poor struggle along in a more prosaic underworld. Locke Lamora is – or was – one of the poor, but he is determined to change that situation, by hook or by crook. Mostly by crook (although hooks may come in handy), in the form of his gang of con men, the Gentlemen Bastards.
Although these are fantasy novels, the books they most remind me of are the classic adventure novels of the 19th century. There are shades of The Count of Monte Cristo, Oliver Twist, and Treasure Island (not to mention heists that would put anything the boys of Oceans Eleven could come up with to shame). In The Republic of Thieves, we are even promised a meeting with Locke Lamora’s long lost love/chief rival, Sabetha. Not since Sherlock Holmes met up with Irene Adler has a literary encounter been so fraught with possibilities…
– Lorena N.
Banned Books: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
September 26, 2013
Given that science fiction and fantasy books exist to challenge our preconceived notions of reality, it’s no wonder that they are frequently the targets of book-banning efforts. Many books in these genres revolve around different views of politics, religion, sex, or sexuality (or all of the above!). While fans of science fiction and fantasy are often attracted by the mind-bending and challenging nature of books within this genre, others find them disturbing and controversial. If you are in the mood to celebrate Banned Books Week by disturbing your mind a little, check out this list of Banned Science Fiction & Fantasy Books from Worlds Without End.
– Lorena N.
Fantasy Author Spotlight: Martha Wells
September 21, 2013
Martha Wells reminds me of why I fell in love with the sci-fi/fantasy genre in the first place. Wells is a master at world-building. She has a rare talent for painting pictures in a reader’s mind that are so vivid, it is hard to remember that they are pictures of things the reader has never seen and that can never exist. You will never doubt for a moment that her characters and the worlds they inhabit are real. And yet, they are all stunningly original, in appearance, customs, and actions. There is nothing predictable about a Martha Wells book, unless you count how good they are.
The Death of The Necromancer kicks of Wells’ series set in Ile-Rien. The setting is quasi-Victorian, and the book centers around master thief Nicholas Valiarde and his quest for vengeance against the man who had his godfather murdered on false charges of necromancy. The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy (The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, and The Gate of Gods) updates the setting to a WWII-type atmosphere, and follows the adventures of Nicholas Valiarde’s daughter, Tremaine, as she struggles to help throw back the invasion that threatens their land.
The Cloud Roads is the first of the three (so far) Books of the Raksura, set in a fantasy world populated by a staggering number of wholly original creatures. And yet, Moon has never met another creature of his own kind…whatever that may be. He is enough like a feared band of shape-shifters known as the Fell to terrify all who meet him, though, and so he seems destined to remain alone. It is once he is discovered by his people and taken back into their society, however, that his real problems begin.
If you would rather not commit to a whole series, Wells also writes stand-alone novels. In Wheel of the Infinite, for example, a disgraced nun travels with her bodyguard in a race to discover the cause of the darkness that threatens to swallow her world.
If you are a fan of fantasy, rest assured that, while you may have no idea where Martha Wells will take you, she will never steer you wrong!
– Lorena N.
What to read while waiting for Game of Thrones to come back
September 12, 2013
Joe Abercrombie (author of The First Law series, which starts with The Blade Itself) writes books for the George R. R. Martin fan who is ready to see what happens when someone looks at Game of Thrones and says, “It’s good, but it could stand to be way darker and more violent. Also, it would be great if the characters could be achingly wonderful and human, and if really horrible things could happen to them.” If you are not a fan of the grimmer side of fantasy, then this book will not be your cup of tea. Unless you like your cup of tea to try to destroy you and everything you love on a regular basis. (And, if so, you have a really weird relationship with your tea.)These are not books of redemption or the inevitable triumph of good over evil. And yet, they are wonderfully worthwhile. There is exhilaration in watching the characters face down their demons, both internal and external, without the usual fantasy comfort that they will find a way to win somehow. These characters often lose their battles. Or worse, win them, and find that their heart’s desire is the worst fate of all. Did I mention that they are also laugh out loud funny, when they are not ripping your guts out (and sometimes when they are)?
Lorena N.
Meet Steven Erikson!
September 22, 2012
EPL is bringing fantasy to life. Fantasy fiction, that is. In case you haven’t heard, NY Times Bestselling novelist Steven Erikson is coming to the library, and we couldn’t be more excited. Author of the critically acclaimed “Malazan Book of the Fallen” fantasy series, Erikson will visit the Community Meeting Room of EPL’s Main Branch on Saturday, September 29th at 4 p.m. to read from Forge of Darkness – the first book in his new Kharkanas trilogy. As we eagerly await this very special event, we thought we’d share a pair of pleasant diversions to help pass the time until Mr. Erikson’s arrival. First off, check out this excellent intro to Forge of Darkness written for new fantasy readers by the author himself. Then, as a final literary appetizer, don’t miss this fascinating Tor interview in which Mr. Erikson discusses escapist lit, the merits of fantasy fiction, and his growth as a writer. Enjoy, and see you on the 29th!