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The Harp of Kings
by Juliet Marillier
What it is about: Liobhan has dreamed of becoming one of the Swan Island warriors. She and brother Brocc have joined the trainees in hopes of attaining permanent membership in the group. But when the siblings are tapped to be a part of a mission, it's not because of her skills as a fighter, but as a singer and whistle player.
Should I start here? This is the first book in the Warrior Bards series, but if readers want more back story they should read the Blackthorn & Grim trilogy.
For fans of: Marion Zimmer Bradley, Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden.
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At Death's Door
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
What it is about: Trapped inside a voodoo doll after a spell gone wrong, a cursed woman is offered a chance at a new life by fighting against the beast that is consuming her world. By the best-selling author of the Chronicles of Nick.
Series alert: Book 3 of the Deadman's Crossing series.
Why read? It has pirates, voodoo dolls, and curses gone wrong...what more do you need!
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| The Dragon Republic by R.F. KuangWhat it's about: Haunted by her deeds during the Third Poppy War, warrior and shaman Rin is determined to redeem herself -- by allying herself with the Dragon Warlord to depose the treacherous Empress.
Is it for you? This dark and ultra-violent military fantasy, set in a world reminiscent of 19th-century China and starring an opium-addicted heroine struggling with PTSD, does not pull any punches.
Should you start here? Due to the complexity of the plot and world-building, newcomers should start with The Poppy War. |
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| Jade War by Fonda LeeWhat it is: the fast-paced, action-packed sequel to Jade City.
Starring: the Kaul siblings, Hilo, Shae, and Anden. As leaders of the No Peak Clan, they battle the rival Mountain Clan for control of the island of Kekon and its valuable natural resources.
Why you might like it: This 2nd installment of the Green Bone Saga revolves around magic-infused gang warfare in a setting reminiscent of contemporary Hong Kong. |
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| Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-GarciaWhat happens: After 18-year-old Casiopea Tun accidentally reanimates Hun-Kamé, Lord of Shadows, she must accompany the Mayan death god on a quest to regain his stolen body parts and defeat his brother.
Why you might like it: the evocative 1920s Mexico setting; a slow-building romance; and a quest storyline that unfolds like a dark fairy tale.
About the author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of Signal to Noise and Certain Dark Things. |
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Gideon the Ninth
by Tamsyn Muir
What it is about: Raised in a hostile undead world where she would escape servitude and a zombie afterlife, a lesbian necromancer becomes a bodyguard to an emperor to secure her freedom in a solar system of swordplay and cutthroat politics.
Why you might like it: This debut novel, the first of a projected trilogy, blends science fiction, fantasy, gothic chiller, and classic house-party mystery.
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Sky in the Deep
by Adrienne Young
What it is about: Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan, but when faced with her brother's betrayal, and driven by a growing love for her brother's friend Fiske, she attempts to unite the two clans.
Who it's for: This debut young adult Viking fantasy is for fans of John Flanagan and Sarah Maas.
Review: "With its gorgeous prose and epic battle scenes, fantasy lovers will be easily satisfied." ~ Amanda Shepard, Booklist
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Odinn's Child
by Timothy Severin
What it is about: Thorgils, son of Norse chieftain Leif the Lucky and fey Celtic noblewoman Thorgunna, is shipped to Greenland and brought up by a series of tutors who school him in the traditional customs and religion of the Vikings. Gifted with the second sight he inherited from his mother, Thorgils struggles to fulfill his destiny in a world torn asunder by feuding factions and the introduction of Christianity into a pagan culture. Stretching back and forth across the Old World and new frontiers, this fantastical historical adventure serves up a satisfying blend of action, intrigue, and suspense.
Review: "Stretching back and forth across the Old World and new frontiers, this fantastical historical adventure serves up a satisfying blend of action, intrigue, and suspense." ~ Margaret Flanagan, Booklist
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The Wolf in the Whale
by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Starring: Omat, a young angakkuq (shaman) of the Inuit who embarks on a journey to save the tribe from starvation -- and finds an unexpected ally in Norseman Brandr.
Why you might like it: With a nod to the Vinland sagas, this novel vividly depicts a world inspired by Inuit and Norse legend as it presents the compelling coming-of-age story of its gender nonbinary protagonist.
You might also like: Kim Stanley Robinson's Shaman or Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead.
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Swords of Good Men
by Snorri Kristjansson
What it is about: Pausing at the Viking town of Stenvik, where he falls for the beautiful and tragic Lilja, Ulfar Thormodsson is forced to confront a band of deadly and powerful men at the same time King Olav's march on Stenvik is met by a host of bloodthirsty raiders under the leadership of a mysterious woman from the north.
Why you might like it: "Kristjansson’s sprawling cast of colorful characters, [elements of fantasy], and an eye for historical detail lend this story gratifying verisimilitude." ~ Geraldine Cook, Publishers Weekly
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Wolfskin
by Juliet Marillier
What it is about: Longing to become a Wolfskin warrior in the service of the god Thor, young Eyving sets out with his older brother to a magical and fabled land, where he finds the seer and princess Nessa and is bound by a childhood oath to kill the only thing he has ever loved.
Why you might like it: "An engrossing, beautifully written work of historical fiction and a portrait of a man’s fierce struggle to find his own truth." ~ Paula Luedtke
Follow-up: Foxmask is the second novel in this duology.
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The Last Light of the Sun
by Guy Gavriel Kay
What it's about: In an alternate 9th-century Britain, 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 that eventually converge to devastating effect.
Is it for you? If you like multi-layered narratives, you'll enjoy this sweeping historical fantasy.
Related books: The Last Light of the Sun is set in the same world (but a different time period) as The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Sarantine Mosaic.
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Eyes Like Leaves : A Novel
by Charles De Lint
What it is about: Facing Saramand raiders sent by the Icelord, the people of the Green Lands find their fate resting in the hands of an an unlikely group of chosen individuals-- a one-eyed youth, a druid apprentice, and a girl with magical powers.
Is it for you? "Filled with Celtic lore and wonderfully drawn characters, this stand-alone epic should please the author's many fans and lovers of medieval fantasy." ~ Jackie Cassandra, Library Journal
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Norse Mythology
by Neil Gaiman
What it is about: The New York Times best-selling author of A View From the Cheap Seats presents a bravura rendering of the major Norse pantheon that traces the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and the exploits of its characters, illuminating the characters and natures of iconic figures Odin, Thor and Loki.
Is it for you? "Employing dialogue that is anachronistically current in nature, Gaiman has great fun in bringing these gods down to a human level. Like John Gardner in Grendel, a classic retelling of Beowulf, and Philip Pullman in his rewriting of Hans Christian Andersen stories, Gaiman takes a well-worn subject and makes it his own." ~ Publishers Weekly
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The Broken Sword
by Poul Anderson
What it is about: A Viking kills the family of a Saxon witch and sees his son stolen from him by the elves as punishment—and replaced by a nonhuman changeling. The son and the changeling are destined to meet on the field of the great battle that will determine the fate of the faerie, the gods, the world itself. The mighty sword Tyrfing, broken by Thor, is the key to everything.
Why you might like it: Anderson’s classic fantasy was published in the same year as The Fellowship of the Ring, and is, dare we say it, in the same class.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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Forsyth County Public Library 660 W 5th Street Winston Salem, North Carolina 27101 336-703-3030www.forsythlibrary.org |
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