Fantasy

Every heart a doorway book cover

Every heart a doorway

Seanan McGuire

SCIENCE FICTION Mcguire Seanan
Fantasy

Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations No Visitors No Quests Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things. No matter the cost.

Brian's picture

Join us for ICPL's Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club! We will meet via Zoom to discuss "Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan McGuire. Feel free to join us, whether or not you've finished the book! Register here to reserve your spot for the discussion. Our video chat will take place via Zoom, and you’ll receive an email with login details before the meeting: https://www.icpl.org/events/53543/sci-fifantasy-book-club-every-heart-doorway-seanan-mcguire -Brian

The lies of Locke Lamora book cover

The lies of Locke Lamora

Scott Lynch

SCIENCE FICTION Lynch, Scott
Fantasy

An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges relentless danger, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying.

Brian's picture

Here's another book that has been on my TBR pile for literal years, and there's a good reason for that: It's amazing, but it's also a part of painful trinity of fantasy authors who haven't (and may never) deliver the rest of their series (the other members of this group are Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin.) Scott Lynch's "The Lies of Locke Lamora" begins his Gentleman Bastard series. Think of it as Ocean's 11 set in a fantasy world. If that sounds interesting, then you'll love this. Just know what you're getting yourself into--a story that may never have an ending! -Brian

The tusks of extinction book cover

The tusks of extinction

Ray Nayler

SCIENCE FICTION Nayler Ray
Science Fiction, Fantasy

"When you bring back a long-extinct species, there's more to success than the DNA. Moscow has resurrected the mammoth. But someone must teach them how to be mammoths, or they are doomed to die out, again. The late Dr. Damira Khismatullina, the world's foremost expert in elephant behavior, is called in to help. While she was murdered a year ago, her digitized consciousness is uploaded into the brain of a mammoth. Can she help the magnificent creatures fend off poachers long enough for their species to take hold? And will she ever discover the real reason they were brought back?" -- Publisher website.

Paul's picture

Once again Nayler has created a very interesting and engaging near future world, with a specific animal in focus. A novella in length, there is certainly room and many directions to expand this particular reality he has crafted; I hope he does so. Naylor is officially on my watch list for future endeavors. -Paul

The narrow road between desires book cover

The narrow road between desires

Patrick Rothfuss

SCIENCE FICTION Rothfuss Patrick
Fantasy

"Patrick Rothfuss returns to the Kingkiller Chronicle universe with a stunning reimagining of "The Lightning Tree," expanded to twice its previous length and lavishly illustrated by Nate Taylor. Follow the Kingkiller Chronicle's most charming fae as he schemes his way through the small town of Newarre. While Bast cares nothing for the laws of man, he is beholden to older, deeper laws. And despite his cleverness and care, Bast finds himself forced to choose between betraying his master and helping a hated enemy. Playful, sweet, and sly as Bast himself, The Narrow Road Between Desires explores a previously unseen part of Temerant, and shows a side of Bast we've only glimpsed before. Learn more about Bast as he goes against his better judgement and follows his heart's desire. For after all, what good is wisdom if it keeps you from finding your way to danger and delight?"--

Paul's picture

A major rewrite of a work previously published in the anthology Rogues, under the title "The lightning tree", edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (sorry, currently no longer in our collection). A light but enjoyable and quick sidetrack inside the Kingkiller Chronicle universe. Worth the read. Just wish Rothfuss would attend to business and hurry up and FTDS! -Paul

The moth keeper book cover

The moth keeper

O'Neill, Kay (Cartoonist), author, illustrator.

jGRAPHIC NOVEL O'Neill
Graphic Novels, Fantasy

Kit is excited to prove her worth as a Moth-Keeper, a protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year, but she quickly finds that life as a Moth-Keeper is not what she imagined it would be.

Casey's picture

Fans of the Tea Dragon Society will love this new title from Kay O'Neill! -Casey

Carmilla : the first vampire book cover

Carmilla : the first vampire

Amy Chu

GRAPHIC NOVEL Chu
Diverse Characters, Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Mystery

"Before Dracula, before Nosferatu, there was...CARMILLA. At the height of the Lunar New Year in 1990s New York City, an idealistic social worker turns detective when she discovers young, homeless LGBTQ+ women are being murdered and no one, especially the police, seems to care. A series of clues points her to Carmilla's, a mysterious nightclub in the heart of her neighborhood, Chinatown. There she falls for the next likely target, landing her at the center of a real-life horror story-and face-to-face with illusions about herself, her life, and her hidden past. Inspired by the gothic novel that started a genre and layered with dark Chinese folklore, this queer, feminist murder mystery is a tale of identity, obsession and fateful family secrets"--

Annie's picture

A cool reimagining of the 1872 classic "Carmilla" that takes queer vampire murder mystery to a new level by incorporating Chinese folklore in the heart of 1990s New York. Perfect for the dark season! -Annie

Starter villain book cover

Starter villain

John Scalzi

SCIENCE FICTION Scalzi John
Fantasy, Adventure, Suspense, Humor

"Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good. In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat"--

Paul's picture

More red meat for Scalzi fans, with snappy dialog, constant forward moving action, interesting characters, even more interesting (incredible?) situations, and of course heavy doses of humor. Another one of his that's hard to set down. -Paul

My brother's keeper book cover

My brother's keeper

Tim Powers

SCIENCE FICTION Powers Tim
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Horror

"This is a ghost story. It is a story about werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. It is a story of an ill-fated land, the pathless moors of Northern England so well chronicled in Wuthering Heights. And it is the story of a real family whose destiny it is to deal with this darkly glamorous and dangerous world. When young Emily Brontë helps a wounded man she finds at the foot of an ancient pagan shrine in the remote Yorkshire moors, her life becomes contentiously entwined with his. He is Alcuin Curzon, embittered member of a sect working to eradicate the resurgent plague of lycanthropy in Europe and northern England. But Emily's father, curate of the Haworth village church, is responsible for having unwittingly brought a demonic werewolf god to Yorkshire forty years ago-and it is taking possession of Emily's beloved but foolish and dissolute brother. Curzon must regard Emily's family as a dire threat. In spite of being at deadly odds, Emily and Curzon find themselves thrown together in fighting werewolves, confronting pagan gods, even saving each other from the lures of moorland demons. And in a final battle that sweeps from the haunted village of Haworth to a monstrous shrine far out on the moors, the two of them must be reluctant allies against an ancient power that seems likely to take their souls as well as their lives" --

Paul's picture

Once again, Powers crafts an engaging, supernatural tale involving well known literary figures, in this case the Bronte sisters. Also thrown into the mix are their father and brother, and the consequences of missteps, misdirection and misdeeds with worldly and other worldly implications. -Paul

Yumi and the nightmare painter book cover

Yumi and the nightmare painter

Brandon Sanderson

SCIENCE FICTION Sanderso Brandon
Science Fiction, Fantasy

"Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other's communities from certain disaster? "--

Mykle's picture

Brandon Sanderson is an amazing high fantasy and sci-fi author and this looks like his most fun book, to date. Put this on your holds list! -Mykle

Bunny & Tree book cover

Bunny & Tree

Balint Zsako

jE Zsako
Picture Books, Early Chapter Books, Fantasy, Adventure

"Bunny, who's looking for his rabbit friends, convinces Tree that it's time to uproot and see the world."

Casey's picture

This is a beautiful long-form, wordless picture book debut! I'm hopeful we see more like it from Balint Zsako. -Casey