Fantasy
The bone witch
Chupeco, Rin, author.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Chupeco Rin
Young Adult, Fantasy
Tea's gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha--one who can wield elemental magic--Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.
The empress of salt and fortune
Nghi Vo
SCIENCE FICTION Vo Nghi
Fantasy
"A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully. Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for."--Provided by publisher.
This is a subtle, quiet, beautiful--and short--fantasy book. I highly recommend it. -Brian
Expedition backyard : exploring nature from country to city
Rosemary Mosco
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Mosco
Graphic Novels, Nature, Adventure, Fantasy
Mole and Vole always venture out into the world to see what nature they can find, but after an accidental move from the country to the city, the best friends have to learn to discover new plants and animals in their new environment.
Onward adventurers! This adorable graphic novel is perfect for the season, newly independent readers, and family sharing. Simply lovely! -Casey
The Redemption of Althalus
David Eddings
OverDrive eBook
Fantasy
David and Leigh Eddings were mythmakers and world builders of the first order. With The Redemption of Althalus, the authors of the Belgariad and Malloreon sagas created a thrilling stand-alone epic—boldly written and brilliantly imagined. It would be sheer folly to try to conceal the true nature of Althalus, for his flaws are the stuff of legend. He is, as all men know, a thief, a liar, an occasional murderer, an outrageous braggart, and a man devoid of even the slightest hint of honor. Yet of all the men in the world, it is Althalus, unrepentant rogue and scoundrel, who will become the champion of humanity in its desperate struggle against the forces of an ancient god determined to return the universe to nothingness. On his way to steal The Book from the House at the End of the World, Althalus is confronted by a cat—a cat with eyes like emeralds, the voice of a woman, and the powers of a goddess. She is Dweia, sister to The Gods and a greater thief even than Althalus. She must be: for in no time at all, she has stolen his heart. And more. She has stolen time itself. For when Althalus leaves the House at the End of the World, much wiser but not a day older than when he'd first entered it, thousands of years have gone by. But Dweia is not the only one able to manipulate time. Her evil brother shares the power, and while Dweia has been teaching Althalus the secrets of The Book, the ancient God has been using the dark magic of his own Book to rewrite history. Yet all is not lost. But only if Althalus, still a thief at heart, can bring together a ragtag group of men, women, and children with no reason to trust him or each other. Praise for The Redemption of Althalus “Highly recommended . . . Featuring a cast of engaging characters, some fanciful plot twists, and a light-hearted atmosphere that should appeal strongly to fans and first-time readers alike.”—Library Journal “The story takes off. The interactions between characters, straightforward plotting, and doses of wry humor keep the tale humming.”—Booklist “An engaging young reprobate hero . . . [A] magical realm of good-natured fun.”—Publishers Weekly “A compelling, involving story.”—Science Fiction Chronicle
This is one of my favorite fantasy novels. A very easy and fun read of thief turned hero. -Mykle
The book eaters
Sunyi Dean
SCIENCE FICTION Dean Sunyi
Science Fiction, Fantasy
"Sunyi Dean's The Book Eaters is a contemporary fantasy debut. It's a story of motherhood, sacrifice, and hope; of queer identity and learning to accept who you are; of gilded lies and the danger of believing the narratives others create for you. Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries. Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon--like all other book eater women--is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories. But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger-not for books, but for human minds"--
Ultimately, this is a tale exploring the limits and burdens of motherly love, delving into the joy, sacrifice, and unspeakable horror that such can entail. Set in modern day England we learn about all the major characters through current events balanced with past moments that come closer to the same point in time as this decently paced story progresses. -Paul
A spoonful of frogs
Casey Lyall
jE Lyall
Picture Books, Fantasy, Humor, Cookbooks
Young readers will have a hopping good time in this hilarious story about a witch who is having a hard time wrangling a bunch of frogs into her frog soup until she comes up with a surprising solution.
Deliciously funny, cute, and perfect for the upcoming Halloween season! A Spoonful of Frogs is excellent for sharing aloud and repeated reads. -Casey
The chosen and the beautiful
Nghi Vo
SCIENCE FICTION Vo Nghi
Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Immigrant. Socialite. Magician. Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society-she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She's also queer and Asian, a Vietnamese adoptee treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her. But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. Nghi Vo's debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess.
A fantastical reimagining of "The Great Gatsby"— told from the perspective of Jordan Baker, a queer Vietnamese American. Read while you wait for Nghi Vo’s new novel, “Siren Queen.” -Becky
The drowned woods
Emily Lloyd-Jones
ON ORDER BOOK
Fantasy, Young Adult
"Mer, the last living water diviner in the isles of Wales, seeks revenge against the prince who used her powers for his own evil ends"--
I'm halfway through listening to The Drowned Woods, and Moira Quirk's reading of this dark, ethereal fantasy is wonderful. Just right for Leigh Bardugo and Naomi Novik fans. -Casey
Star wars : lost stars
Claudia Gray
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Star Wars
Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
The arrival of the Galactic Empire to their planet allows Thane and Ciena to bond over a love of flying, but once Thane witnesses the horrors of the Empire and joins the Rebellion, Ciena is forced to choose between her love and her allegiance.
Lost Stars is fascinating in several ways. It's a wonderful look into the lives of two people, Luke Skywalker's age, as they grow up under the indoctrination of the Empire. It's also a whirlwind view of the original series from the Empire's view. -Mykle
Hot and badgered
Shelly Laurenston
FICTION Laurenst Shelly
Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Humor
When her father places her entire family in danger, honey badger shape shifter, Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan, tries to protect her sisters and grudgingly accepts the help of a grizzly bear shifter, Berg Dunn.
I first heard about Shelley Laurenston from an urban fantasy online book group I followed. This book drew me in because the main character was a HONEY BADGER shifter. (And, ya' know, honey badger don't care...) Wolves, vampires, necromancers--I'd thought I'd read through all the paranormal fantasy archetypes. Honey badger shifters were something new. Shelley Laurenston's book are wacky and off the wall, completely ridiculous and not always politically correct. But in my humble opinion, they are wildly entertaining and hilarious. Find her audiobook series on hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/artist/465327044?kindId=8&page=1 -Melody
In a high fantasy world where you can literally give your heart to someone, a young necromancer accidentally raises her dead brother. Taken to a faraway island, she must learn to control her power amidst the threat of mysterious villains. This book really introduces a series that gets better with each book. -Mykle