Fantasy
A big mooncake for little star
Grace Lin
jE Lin
Picture Books, Fantasy, Nature
Reimagines the cycles of the moon as a mother bakes a Big Moon Cookie and, despite Mama's request to wait, Little Star begins nibbling at it every night.
Storm front
Jim Butcher
eAUDIO
Fantasy
My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. I'm a wizard. I work out of an office in midtown Chicago. As far as I know, I'm the only openly practicing professional wizard in the country. You can find me in the yellow pages, under Wizards. Believe it or not, I'm the only one there. With rent past due and a decent meal becoming an issue of some importance, Harry needs work, and soon. A call from a distraught wife, and another from Lt. Murphy of the Chicago PD Special Investigation Unit makes Harry believe things are looking up, but they are about to get worse, much worse. Someone is harnessing immense supernatural forces to commit a series of grisly murders. Someone has violated the first law of magic: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Tracking that someone takes Harry into the dangerous underbelly of Chicago, from mobsters to vampires, while he himself is under suspicion of the crimes. One thing is certain, if he can't stop whoever is on this killing spree, Harry will be the next victim. Written by New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher. Narrated by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files audiobooks are contemporary classics when it comes to hugely influential works in the Urban Fantasy genre. Every D&D gamer I know who has read this series sings its praises. I love the audiobooks because James Marsters performs them (you may remember him as Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). He's so so so so good. I'm completely in love with his narration and dramatic interpretation of these books. A lot of people say to start with the 3rd book in this series (Grave Peril), but I enjoy them all. Ensemble cast of characters (my favorite setup) includes vampires, werewolves, gunslingers, fairies, and of course demons! You can count on the monster encounters in this series to be epic. -Melody
Bloodfever
Karen Marie Moning
SCIENCE FICTION Moning, Karen Marie
Fantasy
In Dublin the walls are coming down between Man and Faery. That means that the Buffy-like services of MacKayla Lane-the 22-year-old Georgia-born sidhe-seer (or one who can see the Fae) and slayer are required. Mac is determined to kick the nasties back to faeryland and to avenge her sister Alina's murder by the Fae's dark Lord Master. She's also seeking the sinister Sinsar Dubh, a book of black magic. Jericho Barrons, Mac's enigmatic protector, is a purveyor of books and antiquities (and of course, is a major hunk). As Mac takes direction from Jericho, she must resist the sexy dangers of V'lane, a death-by-sex Fae, and learn about her true family of Irish sidhe-seers.
I read the Karen Marie Moning's entire Fever series this summer despite having an ache in my heart about the foreshadowing that started happening by book 4. What thrilled me about this series was its fantastic twist on common fantasy themes. What would Buffy the Vampire Slayer look like if she were a fae hunter? What would that look like in a Lovecraftian Arkham Horror world with a supportive ensemble cast? I loved the bulk of the series despite the frequent and overt rape-like threats. -Melody
Pearl
Molly Schaar Idle
jE/Idle
Picture Books, Fantasy
When young Pearl, a mermaid, becomes caretaker of a single grain of sand, she discovers that performing even the smallest task well can transform the world.
Added by Casey
A big mooncake for little star
Grace Lin
jE Lin
Picture Books, Fantasy, Nature
Reimagines the cycles of the moon as a mother bakes a Big Moon Cookie and, despite Mama's request to wait, Little Star begins nibbling at it every night.
A beautiful original folk tale--be sure to look out for nods to real constellations! -Casey
Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies
Christian Trimmer
jE Trimmer
Picture Books, Fantasy, Humor, Classics, Animals
In this twist on the story of Snow White, pretty and sweet Snow Pony--beloved by children for her talent in braiding hair and dancing--follows a trail of delicious apples into the woods, where she meets seven miniature ponies.
An enchantingly hilarious retelling of Snow White that stars, you guessed it, ponies!! What's not to love? -Casey
Uprooted
Naomi Novik
SCIENCE FICTION Novik Naomi
Fantasy
"Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows--everyone knows--that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn't, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose"--
One of my favorite fantasy books! I love that it's a stand-alone story. -Brian
Burn for me
Ilona Andrews
eAUDIO
Fantasy
While searching for Adam Pierce, who can set anyone and anything on fire, private investigator Nevada Baylor is kidnapped by Connor "Mad" Rogan, a billionaire with dark powers who is also searching for Pierce and needs her help.
If you judged a book by its cover, this would would taste like a plastic but romantic cheese. Ilona Andrews is such a beloved writer (duo) in the urban fantasy world, they don't need attractive book design! Their books will sell despite the cheese. I listened to this audiobook series out of turn and regret it after finishing the explosiveness that was Book 1, Burn for Me. I had complained that Book 2 (White Hot) was a little too action packed. Book 1 would have set up that action nicely. This book reminded me of superhero movies--lots of high powered magic and muscle. And that muscle? Apparently the book designer took that to heart, giving the hero a 6-pack so tight it required extra shading in the tendinous intersection. LOL. Who was the art editor that cried "more shadow!" But back to Book 1. Burn for Me began and ended with well developed characters in addition to all that action. I couldn't wait to revisit Book 2 so I can move on to Book 3 (Wildfire). -Melody
Circe : a novel
Madeline Miller
FICTION Miller Madeline
Fiction, Fantasy
Follows Circe, the banished witch daughter of Helios, as she hones her powers and interacts with famous mythological beings before a conflict with one of the most vengeful Olympians forces her to choose between the worlds of the gods and mortals.
Another great read from Madeline Miller, author of "The Song of Achilles." To me this book goes beyond telling a new side to an old story--it really brings Circe, her back story and motivations--to life. If you enjoy Greek mythology or just looking for a great summer read, pick up "Circe." -Anne M
Bloodfire
Helen Harper
eBOOK
Fantasy
Mack might be, to all intents and purposes, a normal looking human, but she lives with a pack of shapeshifters in Cornwall in rural England after being dumped there by her mother when she was just a young child. She desperately wants to be accepted by her surrogate family, not least because a lot of them hate her for merely being human, but for some reason her blood just won't allow the transformation to occur. With a terrible temper to match her fiery red hair, Mack is extraordinarily useful in a fight, and when her pack alpha is brutally and abruptly murdered, she swears vengeance. Unfortunately, his murder also draws in the Brethren - the leaders of the shapeshifter world - who will slaughter everyone in Mack's small rural pack if they discover her true identity. Unfortunately Corrigan, the green-eyed muscle-bound Lord Alpha of the Brethren, doesn't let much slip by him.
I admit I was a bit turned off by the cover of this book and put off checking it out. When I took a chance on it, I found it to have inventive twists on traditional urban fantasy mythos. I like how Helen Harper experiments with a variety of characteristics in her heroines. Other heroines in her books might avoid conflict. Bloodfire's "Mack Attack" explores how her blood gets all firey when she gets angry. How refreshing it was to read a character whose anger can turn into action! -Melody
Grace Lin has created a truly distinguished, female-centric, and empowering original folktale. -Casey