[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Fantasy July 2009
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:20:29 -0400
Fantasy July 2009
"Not only Robin himself but all the band were outlaws and dwelled apart from
other men, yet they were beloved by the country people round about, for no
one ever came to jolly Robin for help in time of need and went away again with
an empty fist."
~ Howard Pyle (1853-1911), American writer and illustrator, The Merry
Adventures of Robin Hood
New and Recently Released!
The Red Wolf Conspiracy - by V.S. Redick
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/28/2009
ISBN-13: 9780345508836
ISBN-10: 0345508831
Epic Fantasy. When the Arquali invade his homeland of Ormael, 15-year-old Pazel
Pathkendle becomes a "tarboy" on the I.M.S. Chathrand, an enormous sailing
vessel. Among the ship's other passengers are Arquali ambassador Isiq and his
16-year-old daughter Thasha, destined for marriage to a Mzithrin prince.
The wedding is supposed to bring peace to the two rival empires; however, a
group of conspirators intend to use it to start an international war. This
complex debut contains nautical adventure reminiscent of C.S. Forester's
Hornblower books and political intrigue similar to that in George R.R. Martin's
military fantasy saga A Song of Fire and Ice.
First Chapter
Bad to the Bone - by Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Pocket Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/16/2009
ISBN-13: 9781416551782
ISBN-10: 1416551786
Urban Fantasy. Formerly a con artist, Ciara Griffin is now a DJ at 94.3 WMVP
("The Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll")--a Maryland radio station both staffed by
and catering to vampires. When a Halloween broadcast is interrupted by the
Family Action Network (FAN), an anti-vampire religious group dedicated to
fighting
what they perceive to be a sinful lifestyle, Ciara prepares to fight back. But
the FAN isn't the only group interested in WMVP and its crew; there's also
a shady government agency snooping around. Don't miss this "charming,
fang-in-cheek urban fantasy" (Publishers Weekly), which is the sequel to Wicked
Game.
First Chapter
Naamah's Kiss - by Jacqueline Carey
Publisher: Grand Central
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/24/2009
ISBN-13: 9780446198035
ISBN-10: 044619803X
Historical Fantasy. Set in the same Renaissance-flavored world as her Kushiel's
Legacy series, Jacqueline Carey's latest novel is a complex story with a
strong-willed protagonist. However, instead of Terre D'Ange, the setting is
Alba, where young Moirin--a daughter of one of the island's oldest tribes and
the descendant of magicians--discovers her powers and learns to shape her
destiny. Readers who enjoy political intrigue and strong eroticism will enjoy
this book. While Naamah's Kiss is a standalone novel, readers may want to start
with one of the interrelated Kushiel trilogies: the Phèdre trilogy, which
begins with Kushiel's Dart, or the Imriel or Treason's Heir trilogy, which
begins with Kushiel's Scion.
The City & the City - by China Miéville
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/26/2009
ISBN-13: 9780345497512
ISBN-10: 0345497511
Urban/Noir Fantasy. Twin European cities Beszel and Ul Qoma are, in fact,
conjoined twin cities--they occupy the exact same physical location, but the
inhabitants
of each metropolis deliberately ignore, or "unsee," the other. All that changes
when Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad takes on a murder
case. As Borlú wanders the two cities in search of answers, his investigation
yields a troubling question: could there be a third city? If you like a hint
of noir in your dystopian fantasy worlds, don't miss this "spectacularly,
intricately paranoid yarn" (Kirkus Reviews).
First Chapter
Focus on: Outlaws
The House of the Stag - by Kage Baker
Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/16/2008
ISBN-13: 9780765317452
ISBN-10: 0765317451
Fantasy. Half-demon foundling Gard, raised by the peaceful Yendri tribe, fights
back against the Riders who terrorize his adopted clan--and ends up a slave.
But Gard's journey back to freedom follows a long and winding road and includes
stints as a gladiator, a sex slave, a mage, a professional actor, and a
feared outlaw and warlord. Running parallel to Gard's story is the tale of the
Child, a young girl born into the Yendri and revered as a saint. However,
when Gard and the Child cross paths, their lives will change forever. Set in
the same universe as the author's The Anvil of the World, The House of the
Stag is stylistically different but still contains Baker's intricate plotting
and detailed secondary worlds.
First Chapter
Hood - by Stephen R. Lawhead
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/02/2007
ISBN-13: 9781595540881
ISBN-10: 1595540881
Medieval Fantasy. In Stephen Lawhead's reimagining of the Robin Hood legend,
Bran ap Brychan, son of a Welsh king, flees the kingdom of Elfael after his
father's death at the hands of the invading Normans. During his exile, he
recruits a band of followers to win back his homeland and liberate his people.
Fans of Canadian fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay will enjoy the detailed
historical settings and use of Anglo-Celtic mythology in Hood, the first volume
in Lawhead's Raven King series. Readers who enjoy this series (which continues
with Scarlet) and who are also interested in Arthurian legend may also want
to read the author's Pendragon Cycle, which begins with Taliesin.
First Chapter
The Lies of Locke Lamora - by Scott Lynch
Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/27/2006
ISBN-13: 9780553804676
ISBN-10: 0553804677
Historical Fantasy. As a young boy alone in the city of Camorr, the orphan
Locke Lamora is sold to a fake priest and grows up to become a famous thief.
As an adult, he becomes the "garrista" (leader) of the Gentlemen Bastards, a
gang of crooks and con artists. Operating as the Thorn of Camorr, Locke
effortlessly
robs the city's corrupt nobles blind--until a mysterious man called the Gray
King becomes the new head of Camorr's criminal underworld and sets out to
put an end to Locke through magic. Be sure to check out this picaresque fantasy
romp set in a city inspired by Renaissance Venice.
First Chapter
The Highwayman: Saga of the First King - by R.A. Salvatore
Publisher: Tor Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/02/2007
ISBN-13: 9780765358707
ISBN-10: 0765358700
High Fantasy. In the land of Corona, during a period of religious conflict, an
Abellican missionary and his wife, a Jhesta Tu adept, are condemned as heretics
and meet a tragic end. Their disabled newborn son, Bransen Garibond, is raised
by a group of monks who barely tolerate him, while his peers call him a
cripple and taunt him for being different. That changes once Garibond teaches
himself how to temporarily overcome his physical limitations using the magic
of his mother's people and becomes a superhero outlaw bent on revenge. The
Highwayman is the opening volume in the Saga of the First King series, which
continues with The Ancient and The Dame.
Focus on: Apprentices
Mainspring - by Jay Lake
Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/30/2007
ISBN-13: 9780765317087
ISBN-10: 0765317087
Steampunk Fantasy. In a clockwork universe created by God, a Mainspring located
at the center of the Earth keeps all of existence running. Yet the mechanism
is winding down. Charged by the Archangel Gabriel to seek the Key Perilous,
which is the only means of winding up the Mainspring, gifted young clockmaker's
apprentice Hethor Jacques embarks on a dangerous quest to find the fabled
object. If you enjoy the adventure plots of Gene Wolfe's novels, the fantastic
alternate worlds in China Miéville's books, or the theological subtext of
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, then you may want to check out
Mainspring.
First Chapter
A Wizard of Earthsea - by Ursula K. Le Guin
Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/28/2004
ISBN-13: 9780553383041
ISBN-10: 0553383043
Classic Fantasy. Born to a family of poor farmers on the island of Gont, a
precocious young boy called Sparrowhawk demonstrates magical powers at an early
age and becomes the apprentice of the great Mage Ogion, who eventually sends
him to the isle of Roke to complete his training. As arrogant as he is
brilliant,
Sparrowhawk inadvertently unleashes a great evil upon the world. With the fate
of Earthsea hanging in the balance, Sparrowhawk must use his tremendous
power to undo the damage he has wrought...but will it be enough? A Wizard of
Earthsea is the first volume of Ursula K. LeGuin's beloved and critically
acclaimed Earthsea Cycle.
First Chapter
Natural Ordermage - by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/18/2007
ISBN-13: 9780765318138
ISBN-10: 076531813X
Epic Fantasy. On the island of Recluce, apprentice scrivener Rahl has a short
fuse and a natural talent for magic. This, along with his tendency to use
his powers for his personal gain (such as impressing girls and winning fights),
means that it's only a matter of time before Rahl comes to the attention
of the Council magisters. Banished to the nearby island of Hamor, where he is
ordered to either learn to control his powers or die trying, Rahl finds that
as his magical abilities increase, so does his knack for getting into trouble.
While it's set in the same world as L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s Saga of Recluce
series, Natural Ordermage is a separate story that focuses on the land of Hamor
and is followed by Mage-Guard of Hamor.
The Destruction of the Books - by Mel Odom
Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/01/2005
ISBN-13: 9780765346490
ISBN-10: 0765346494
Fantasy. Feeling his age after more than 100 years of service, Edgewick "Wick"
Lamplighter, the three-foot-tall master librarian in the Vault of All Known
Knowledge, sends his much younger but equally diminutive apprentice Juhg to
find an enchanted book. Because Wick rescued him from goblin slavers and made
him a first-level librarian, Juhg is eager to repay his master's kindness and
retrieve the legendary tome. But this particular tome may be powerful enough
to destroy the world. This sequel to the Alex Award-winning novel The Rover
features some of the same characters in supporting roles, but is slightly darker
in tone than its predecessor.
First Chapter
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