Tag Archives: Fantasy

2022 Adult Reading Challenge! May

DISCOVER DIFFERENT GENRES!    FIND NEW AUTHORS!    WIN PRIZES!

Join us for a fun book challenge throughout 2022! Sign up and keep track via Beanstack. If you’ve participated in any of our recent summer or winter reading challenges, you’re all set to go and don’t need to create a new account.

Visit Beanstack here..

Our theme for May is MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU. Choose from science-fiction or fantasy. Do it or do not, there is no try. Here are a few titles to get you started:

KLARA AND THE SUN
by Kazuo Ishiguro

“Nobel laureate Ishiguro takes readers to a vaguely futuristic, technologically advanced setting reminiscent of his Never Let Me Go for a surprising parable about love, humanity, and science…This dazzling genre-bending work is a delight.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE ECHO WIFE
by Sarah Gailey

“Gailey’s expertise with suspense and their success in presenting the reader with impossible choices about the ethics of cloning, biological programming and editing, and of Evelyn’s specific, difficult situation, will leave the reader thinking about the novel long after the final page.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

NOOR
by Nnedi Okorafor

“Okorafor packs swift action and harsh emotions into this slim novella, showing her strengths once again as a speculative fiction writer.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DARK MATTER
by Blake Crouch

“With a finale that satisfies while leaving the reader with much to reflect on, Dark Matter is a brilliant beacon in the landscape of speculative thrillers.” ~Book Page

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

GOLIATH
by Tochi Onyebuchi

“Onyebuchi’s novel is a full sensory experience of language and imagery, set in a near-future world where race, class, and gentrification still drive conflict, both on Earth and in the stars.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Escape Into a Fantasy With a Digital Book

Escape into a Fantasy novel while you’re staying home and staying safe. Here are some of the most popular digital titles, both e-books and audio books, which you can download from Overdrive with your Fairfield Public Library card.

Title details for The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty - Available

THE CITY OF BRASS
By S. A. Chakraborty

“This lyrical historical fantasy debut brings to vivid life the ancient mythological traditions of an Islamic world unfamiliar to most American readers. Chakraborty’s grasp of Middle Eastern history, folklore, and culture inspires a swiftly moving plot, richly drawn characters, and a beautifully constructed world that will entrance fantasy aficionados.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Girl in Red by Christina Henry - Available

THE GIRL IN RED
By Christina Henry

“Henry’s sharp, unsettling rendition of “Little Red Riding Hood” explores whether a healthy sense of paranoia and extensive knowledge of horror fiction rules will increase Red’s chances of post-pandemic survival, especially given her increased vulnerability due to her gender and prosthetic leg…Henry (Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook) satisfyingly upends the familiar tale of a clever girl, a dangerous wolf, and a brave savior, and folklore fans will enjoy this bloody near-future variation on a familiar theme.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Kill the Farm Boy by Kevin Hearne - Available

KILL THE FARM BOY
By Kevin Hearne & Delilah S. Dawson

Dawson and Hearne topple the tropes of the young man’s adventure quest and the fairy tale in this joyous, hilarious tale. While preparing to deal with his daily barnyard drudgery shoveling the dung of assorted animals, a farm boy named Worstley is anointed the Chosen One by a filthy, foul-mouthed, drunken pixie. Soon Worstley is off to find his destiny, accompanied by a smart-aleck talking goat named Gustave…This one is for readers who enjoy farcical fairy tales, rollicking good times, and plenty of groan-worthy puns and literary references.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - Available

SPINNING SILVER
By Naomi Novik

“This gorgeous, complex, and magical novel, grounded in Germanic, Russian, and Jewish folklore but richly overlaid with a cohesive, creative story of its own, rises well above a mere modern re- imagining of classic tales… This is the kind of book that one might wish to inhabit forever.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for A Hard Day's Knight by Simon R. Green - Available

A HARD DAY’S KNIGHT
By Simon R. Green

“This is Green’s most recent novel of the Nightside, a hidden part of London populated by creatures who never see the light of day. John Taylor is a Nightside PI who specializes in finding things. But something has just found him: Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur himself… With plenty of action packed in from London to Glastonbury, fun characters, and outrageous villains, A Hard Day’s Knight should definitely please fantasy action fans.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - Available

THE GHOST BRIDE
By Yangsze Choo

Choo’s remarkably strong and arresting first novel explores the concept of Chinese spirit marriages in late-nineteenth-­century Malaya through the eyes of the highly relatable Li Lan, a poor but spunky young woman, who is approached by the wealthy family of a dead man to become his bride… With its gripping tangles of plot and engaging characters, this truly compelling read is sure to garner much well-deserved attention.” ~Booklist                                        Will appeal to historical fiction lovers, too! ~Sue, Circulation

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Available

THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA
By Scott Lynch

On a distant world, orphan Locke Lamora is sold into a crew of thieves and con artists. Soon his natural gifts make him an underworld celebrity, leader of the flamboyantly larcenous Gentleman Bandits. But there is someone who covets Locke’s talents, his success, his very life, forcing him to put everything on the line to protect himself… Fans of lavishly appointed fantasy will be in seventh heaven here, but it will be nearly as popular with readers of literary crime fiction. This is a true genre bender, at home on almost any kind of fiction shelf.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - Available

OUTLANDER
By Diana Gabaldon

“Time-travel stories that combine swashbuckling adventure, romance, and vivid historical details don’t get any better than Gabaldon’s now classic debut…With vividly drawn, relatable characters and a respectful, loving eye for the history of the Scottish Highlands, Gabaldon’s Outlander series launch is a lush, romantic epic.” ~ Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith - Available

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER
By Seth Grahame-Smith

“From the man who brought you Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: a tale of Lincoln, who discovered that his mother was chewed to death by the local vampire. Hence his secret agenda to rid the world of bloodsuckers. Undoubtedly, there will be protests, and, undoubtedly, this will be huge.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - Available

THE BONE SEASON
By Samantha Shannon

“We are the minority the world does not accept,” Paige Mahoney tells us, referring to the struggles of clairvoyants, from soothsayers and mediums to her own high standing as a dreamwalker…An energetic, multifaceted print and online campaign, including viral teaser trailers, will launch this exciting debut, the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer.” ~Kirkus

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks - Available

WARDS OF FAERIE
By Terry Brooks

“Researching magic in the books and scrolls housed below the palace, young Elven Druid Aphenglow Elessedil discovers a diary that recounts a forbidden romance between an Elven girl and a Darkling boy and hints at the fate of the long-vanished Elfstones. As troubled times return to the Four Lands and a tyrannical human-centered Federation seeks to dominate the other Races, Aphenglow sets herself a dangerous task—to follow the clues left in the diary and uncover magic that might save her people and her world.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley - Available

THE FIREBIRD
By Susanna Kearsley

“Nicola Marter’s Russian grandfather was tortured for his gift of psychometry, so she’s hidden her own talent for years, but she may have to risk sharing it to help another… Kearsley blends history, romance and a bit of the supernatural into a glittering, bewitching tale.” ~Kirkus

For more information, please click here.

“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.” ~ E.B. White

Queen of the Tearling

[Cover]

Title: The Queen of the Tearling

Author: Erika Johansen

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2014

Summary / Review:    On Kelsea’s 19th birthday, nine of the Queen’s Guard  arrive at the remote cottage that has been her home to escort her to New London and her new life as Queen of the Tearling.  Kelsea’s life with her adoptive parents Barty and Carlin has been secluded.  She is a great reader and has been tutored by Carlin in the history of her kingdom and by Barty in basic forest survival skills but she is woefully unprepared in the skills necessary to survive in the political snake-pit she is about to enter. It’s uncertain whether she will even survive the journey. Her uncle has been living large as Regent of the kingdom and is loathe to give up the comfortable life style he’s been enjoying. Fueled by the support of the Red Queen of Mortmesne, his determination to make sure Kelsea is not crowned makes for a difficult journey.  The travelers are stalked by the Caden, crimson cloaked assassins that are feared through-out the kingdom and they are attacked by Mort hawks “black as midnight and big as dogs.”  Assistance comes in the unlikely form of a masked rogue known as the Fetch who will appear more than once in Kelsea’s life.
The group is splintered and against all odds Kelsea does make it to New London accompanied by the formidable Lazarus (a.k.a. Mace, for the deadly weapon he wields so effectively).  Her introduction to the capital is grim.  They ride in on the day the tributes are being loaded onto carts to be delivered to the evil Red Queen of Mortmesne.  Queen Elyssa, Kelsea’s vain and weak mother, signed the Treaty of Mort obligating the Tearling to provide 3,000 slaves per year, including children, divided into 12 shipments and delivered to Mortmesne . In return, the Red Queen would not invade and destroy the Tearling. Kelsea is enraged and orders the prisoners released and the carts burned.  When those that enforce the treaty hesitate to obey the Queen’s commands, we get a glimpse of the power she will learn to use. She has worn the Heir’s Jewel, a sapphire, for as long as she can remember and now she begins to understand what it can do.

Magic jewels will go a long way in helping to make up for political naivete but Kelsea has broken the Treaty and there will be a price to pay.

Queen of the Tearling is the first in a proposed trilogy.  The second, Invasion of the Tearling, was released in June.  It would be wise to read the book soon before the hold list starts to build. Warner Bros. has acquired film rights to the entire series. Emma Watson has signed on as executive producer and star. The search is on for a cast to bring Johansen’s wonderful characters to life.

Who Will Like This Book:  Anyone who enjoys an action packed fantasy with a strong female protagonist.

If You Like This Try This: The Tearling series has been described as a “lighter” version of Game of Thrones. There have also been comparisons to Hunger Games and Divergent because of the strong female characters.

Recommended by: Sue D’Num

If this looks like a book you’d like to read, visit the Fairfield Public Library catalog to see if it’s available and/or to place a hold

The Hedge Knight

[Cover]

Title: The Hedge Knight

Author/Illustrators: George R.R. Martin, Ben Avery and Mike S. Miller

Summary: While you are waiting (and waiting…and waiting) for the next installment of George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire, The Winds of Winter, enjoy this graphic novel of the first Dunk and Egg story. Set in Westeros about 100 years before the action in A Game of Thrones, these stories focus on Duncan the Tall, an unknown hedge knight looking for tournament glory but more importantly, a roof over his head, and his squire Egg, who has a surprising background. These stories, which have been published in fantasy compilations over the years, are now here as slim, well-designed graphic novels. These stories are essential for fans, particularly those interested about life under Targaryen rule. Eagle-eyed readers will also discover some revealing details that may change the way they view the characters from the main novel series.

Who will like this book: Rabid ASOIAF fans looking for more insight into the history of Westeros. Readers who like stories about knights and combat.

If you like this, read this: The next installment of the Dunk and Egg series, The Sworn SwordThe Princess and the Queen, or The Blacks and the Greens, a short story featuring more Targaryens (and dragon battles!), found in the collection Dangerous Women.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

If you would like to read this book, visit the Fairfield Public Library catalog to see if it’s available and/or place a hold!