[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Fantasy March 2009
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:27:36 -0400
Fantasy March 2009
"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life
through the wrong end of a telescope, which is what I do, and that enables you
to laugh at life's realities."
~ Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) (1904-1991), American children's author and
illustrator
New and Recently Released!
Horizon: The Sharing Knife, Volume Four - by Lois McMaster Bujold
Publisher: Eos
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 2/1/2009
ISBN: 9780061375361
ISBN-10: 0061375365
Romantic Fantasy. In a landscape reminiscent of the American frontier, two
societies--the "ground sensing" Lakewalkers and the non-magical farmers--face
a common enemy. Yet Lakewalkers and farmers are forbidden to intermingle--which
is why former Lakewalker patroller Dag and his farmer wife Fawn are outcasts.
Dag, ostracized by the Lakewalkers for insisting that they join forces with the
farmers, seeks a teacher to help him develop his magical abilities. But
will he find anyone willing to take him on as an apprentice? Don't miss this
conclusion to Lois McMaster Bujold's Sharing Knife saga. If you're not familiar
with this series, start with Beguilement, followed by Legacy and Passage.
Mean Streets - by Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson, and Thomas E.
Sniegoski
Publisher: Roc
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/6/2009
ISBN: 9780451462497
ISBN-10: 0451462491
Short Stories. The game's afoot in these four mystery novellas, each featuring
a different supernatural sleuth. In "The Difference a Day Makes," John Taylor
(from Simon R. Green's Nightside series)investigates an alternate world inside
London while Harper Blaine of Kat Richardson's Greywalker novels fights
crime in "The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog." Thomas E. Sniegoski's
"Noah's Orphans" showcases Boston-based angel detective Remy Chandler's attempts
to solve the murder of the biblical ark's architect, while it's business as
usual for wizard PI Harry Dresden in Jim Butcher's "The Warrior." Fans of
paranormal
private eyes will want to check out these entertaining tales.
The Steel Remains: A Land Fit for Heroes Novel - by Richard K. Morgan
Publisher: Del Rey
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/20/2009
ISBN: 9780345493033
ISBN-10: 0345493036
Epic Fantasy. Once a war hero, retired swordsman Ringil is now a living tourist
attraction, drumming up business in a backcountry inn by telling stories
of his glory days. When his mother asks him to locate a cousin who's been sold
into slavery, Ringil reluctantly shoulders his trusty broadsword, Ravensfriend,
and sets off in search of the young man. On his journey, Ringil encounters both
former companions (fellow veterans Egar and Archeth) and enemies, such
as the corpsemites (monstrous creatures that inhabit cadavers). But that's not
all he has to contend with: the dwenda, a legendary race of sorcerers long
thought to be dead, turn out to be very much alive, while a prophecy foretells
the coming of a dark lord. The Steel Remains is the first volume in a planned
trilogy.
First Chapter
Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy - edited by Dana Stabenow
Publisher: Ace Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 12/2/2008
ISBN: 9780441016372
ISBN-10: 0441016375
Short Stories. Like a little mystery with your fantasy? (Or vice versa?) In
this follow-up to the popular paranormal mystery anthology Powers of Detection,
a dozen of the genre's top practitioners, including Charlaine Harris, Carole
Nelson Douglas, Laurie R. King, Sharon Shinn, and Simon R. Green, present
stories guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. Variety is the name of the
game in this diverse collection, which features a cast of eclectic characters
ranging from Sam Spade to Santa Claus to Sookie Stackhouse and tackles subject
matter such as ghostly roommates, elf homicide, and the legal rights of
video game characters. It would be a crime not to read this book.
Table of Contents
Focus On: Short Stories
The Ladies of Grace Adieu: And Other Stories - by Susanna Clarke; illustrated
by Charles Vess
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/17/2006
ISBN: 9781596912519
ISBN-10: 1596912510
Short Stories. If the nearly 800 pages of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell left
you wanting more, then you'll want to read Susannah Clarke's anthology of
stories set in the same world: an alternate version of 19th-century England in
which magic abounds. Featuring some of the same characters (such as Jonathan
Strange, the Duke of Wellington, and the legendary Raven King) as well as new
ones, the stories range in tone from lighthearted to mysterious and are
perfectly
complemented by Charles Vess' illustrations. Kirkus Reviews calls Ladies of
Grace Adieu "irresistible storytelling, from a splendidly gifted enchantress."
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders - by Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Morrow
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/1/2006
ISBN: 9780060515225
ISBN-10: 0060515228
Short Stories. In this collection of 31 stories, Neil Gaiman serves up a mix of
fantasy, horror, science fiction, poetry, and fairy taleS. H.P. Lovecraft
meets Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the fantasy-tinged Sherlock Holmes adventure "A
Study in Emerald," while fans of Gaiman's own American Gods will enjoy
the return of reincarnated Norse god Shadow in "Monarch of the Glen." There are
also shorter pieces both whimsical and chilling, including a "Vampire Tarot"
and a "Harlequin Valentine." No matter what you're looking for, you're sure to
find it in this imaginative book. Kirkus Reviews says "Expect the unexpected.
Then savor the luscious chills."
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Magic for Beginners - by Kelly Link; illustrated by Shelley Jackson
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 6/29/2005
ISBN: 9781931520157
ISBN-10: 1931520151
Short Stories. Kelly Link, author of Stranger Things Happen and Pretty
Monsters, presents a collection of short stories in which the everyday and the
fantastic
seamlessly intermingle. "The Faery Handbag" is the story of a large purse that
contains an entire Eastern European village (and the woman who's misplaced
it), while "The Hortlak" is set in a 24-hour convenience store patronized by
zombies. In "Stone Animals," a family moves to a house in the country guarded
(or haunted?) by rabbits. Booklist calls Link "the purest, most distinctive
surrealist in America."
First Chapter
Dreamsongs, Volume One - by George R.R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/30/2007
ISBN: 9780553805451
ISBN-10: 0553805452
Short Stories. Best known for his fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice,
acclaimed author George R.R. Martin has had a long and prolific career in print.
The first volume of this collection of original and previously published
shorter works includes stories, novellas, fanzine pieces, and even television
scripts. But that's not all. The book also includes illustrations as well as
detailed commentary by Martin himself, explaining the origins of the stories
and recounting episodes from his life and career as a fantasy writer.
Publishers Weekly calls Dreamsongs a "shelf-bending retrospective as impressive
as
it is intriguing."
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Focus On: Historical Fantasy
The Dragon Queen - by Alice Borchardt
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 5/1/2003
ISBN: 9780345444004
ISBN-10: 0345444000
Historical Fantasy. Set in 5th-century Britain, Alice Borchardt's take on
Arthurian legend shows a different side of Guinevere. The daughter of a pagan
queen, she was raised by wolves and is now protected by a druid, a "Gray
Watcher," and a shapeshifter. She's also skilled in the use of magic and can
talk
to animals--including dragons. She falls in love with Arthur but faces
opposition from the corrupt archdruid Merlin, who seeks to control the young
king
in order to pursue his own political agenda. To save Arthur and her country
from Merlin's designs, Guinevere will have to use all of her powers in this
exciting novel, which is the first book of a trilogy.
First Chapter
Territory - by Emma Bull
Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 7/30/2007
ISBN: 9780312857356
ISBN-10: 0312857357
Historical Fantasy. Emma Bull reimagines the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral as a
magical battle between sorcerers (who include real-life historical figures
Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday). It's 1881 and the city of Tombstone, Arizona is a
hotbed of magic--which is being harnessed by a power-hungry sorcerer to
manipulate others. Journalist and recent widow Mildred Benjamin realizes what's
going on but is powerless to stop it, so she enlists Jesse Fox, a college
student-turned-horse-trainer with a strong talent for magic. Accompanied by
Chinese physician Chow Lung, they attempt to resolve the situation before it
turns deadly. Territory is the first book in a planned duology, so keep an eye
out for the upcoming sequel.
The Alchemist's Apprentice - by Dave Duncan
Publisher: Ace Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/6/2007
ISBN: 9780441014798
ISBN-10: 0441014798
Historical Fantasy. In an alternate Renaissance Venice where magic runs rampant
and demons are an everyday affair, swordsman Alfeo Zeno is both bodyguard
and apprentice to famous astrologer and clairvoyant Nostradamus. When his
master is wrongfully accused of fatally poisoning a nobleman in order to ensure
the accuracy of one of his prophecies, Alfeo goes in search of the real killer.
Assisting him in his investigation are clever courtesan Violetta and Maestro
Nostradamus himself, but even with their aid, Alfeo soon realizes that he's in
over his head. This historical fantasy whodunit should "appeal to fantasy,
adventure, and mystery fans alike" (Booklist).
The Last Light of the Sun - by Guy Gavriel Kay
Publisher: ROC
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/30/2005
ISBN: 9780451459855
ISBN-10: 0451459857
Historical Fantasy. An alternate 9th-century Britain is the setting of this
sweeping historical fantasy by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, in which a clash
of civilizations drives the multi-layered narrative. Conflicts between the
Viking-esque Erlings of Vinmark, the Saxon-like Anglcyn, and the Celtic-inspired
Cyngael escalate through a series of seemingly unconnected events--such as the
theft of a horse and a moonlight meeting with an Elf Queen--that eventually
converge to devastating effect. Set in the same world as (but in different time
period than) Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Sarantine Mosaic, The
Last Light of the Sun is the product of meticulous research and imagination.
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