Fantasy
The bear and the nightingale : a novel
Arden, Katherine, author.
SCIENCE FICTION Arden, Katherine
Fantasy, Historical Fiction
In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay.
The River Has Roots
Amal El-Mohtar
OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+
"In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, the mysterious Hawthorn family tends the willow trees there. For as long as anyone can remember, the Hawthorns have paid tribute to the willow trees, honouring an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None, though, have taken up this calling more devotedly than the family's latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the trees. But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favour of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters' bond but also their lives will be at risk"--
El-Mohtar's writing is every bit as lyrical as it was in "This is How You Lose the Time War." I think my only criticism of this story is that I wish there was more of it! I want to continue to explore the grammar of this world. I want to specifically recommend the audio book because this novella is full of songs and music, and the audio book performances are wonderful. -Chelsea
Moon bear
Clare Helen Welsh
jE Welsh
Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Picture Books, Animals, Art / Art History
"In this enchantingly illustrated, almost wordless picture book, a story of courage and creativity unfolds when a girl who is afraid of the dark meets a magical moon bear who is afraid of the light."
This ursa is majorly gorgeous! Carolina T. Godina's picture book illustrator debut is a stunner. -Casey
The salt grows heavy
Cassandra Khaw
FICTION Khaw Cassandr
Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+
"You may think you know how the fairytale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now, her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes. On the run, the mermaid is joined by a mysterious plague doctor with a darkness of their own. Deep in the eerie, snow-crusted forest, the pair stumble upon a village of ageless children who thirst for blood, and the three "saints" who control them. The mermaid and her doctor must embrace the cruelest parts of their true nature if they hope to survive"--
A strange and monstrous queer love story, perfect for pride month! -Chelsea
Gilded
Marissa Meyer
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Meyer Marissa
Fantasy, Young Adult
When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain. Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.
Marissa Meyer's sweeping retelling takes the tale of Rumpelstiltskin and turns it on its head, creating a story full of lush worldbuilding, lovable characters, and well-researched elements of German folklore and language. -Charlotte
Hungerstone : a novel
Dunn, Kat, author.
FICTION Dunn Kat
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ+
It's the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore's marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry's ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger. As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk.
This atmospheric, sapphic gothic tale is rife with feminine rage, insatiable desire, and a quest for meaning beyond life's mundane. Kat Dunn's latest novel is perfect for those looking to take a bite out of a modern, "Carmilla" retelling. -Madison C
The Starving Saints
Starling, Caitlin.
ON ORDER BOOK
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ+
"Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, despite the barricaded gates, offering succor in return for adoration. Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors. And a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself."
If unsettling horror with a medieval gothic flair sounds like your kind of read, then Caitlin Starling's most recent novel is perfect for you. Blending faith, gluttony, and the power of manipulation, "The Starving Saints" explores what happens when devotion takes a deadly turn, leaving any reader hungry for more. -Madison C
Godkiller
Hannah Kaner
SCIENCE FICTION Kaner Hannah
Diverse Characters, Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+
"Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world--but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays "godkillers" to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child's soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can't kill it without ending the girl's life too. Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, the unlikely group must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favor. Pursued by assassins and demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning. Something is rotting at the heart of their world, and they are the only ones who can stop it." -- Back cover.
"Godkiller" has wonderful, immersive world building (I want to eat, like, all of the food described in this series), and memorable characters. The cast is incredibly diverse, featuring multiple characters with disabilities, casual queerness, and thoughtfully executed fantasy racial diversity. The first novel has strong DnD vibes, but the characters quickly evolve past those initial archetypes as the series continues. This is one of my new favorite fantasy series, and I would recommend the sequels, "Sunbringer" and "Faithbreaker" as well. -Chelsea
The Book Eaters
Sunyi Dean
SCIENCE FICTION Dean Sunyi
Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+
"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"--
An excellent fantasy novel about agency, legacy, and what mothers owe to their children. I'm looking forward to what this author writes next, and I would love to read more from this universe! -Chelsea
Waifs and Strays
Helen Harper
OverDrive Audiobook
Fantasy, Romance
Nobody is just a cat lady. Kit McCafferty's life is quiet, unremarkable, and filled with cat hair. In the magical city of Coldstream, located on the border between Scotland and England, Kit is viewed as little more than mildly eccentric and mostly harmless. She passes her days caring for her family of five cats, feeding the local feral moggies, and maintaining relatively good relations with her neighbors. All that changes, however, when a teenage werewolf shows up at her door in the desperate hope of renting out a nearby vacant flat. Kit knows that the smart move is to tell him to leave. The last thing she needs is to become embroiled in complicated shapeshifter politics. But something about the secretive young werewolf tugs at her heartstrings. It's not long before Kit ends up caught in a maelstrom of mysterious crime and magical wrong-doing. Fortunately, there's far more to Kit McCafferty than meets the eye and she has a few dark secrets of her own. Of course, anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that you underestimate a cat lady at your own peril.
I haven't picked up a Helen Harper novel for a few years, but I used to burn through her books like nobody's business. Her characters are cheeky and irreverent, getting into all sorts of hijinks and having a range of magical abilities. She is one of my favorite urban fantasy writers, and while the person reading her audiobooks has a rather thick alto brogue, it is well worth training your ear for a listen. -Melody
(Into the Woods I Go!) Step into an enchanted forest where Slavic folklore comes alive. Katherine Arden's fantasy novel is a spellbinding tale filled with mischievous spirits, ancient magic, and fairy-tale wonder. It's a great read for anyone looking to get lost in a story as wild, dark, and timeless as the forest itself. -Madison C