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"Adventurers didn't fight fair. They brought magic swords and rings, wizards and spells, and warriors who cut through goblin patrols..." ~ from Jim C. Hines' Goblin Quest
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New and Recently Released!
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| Spirit of the Wolves: Book Three of the Wolf Chronicles by Dorothy HearstAnimal Fantasy. By defying her pack and the ruling Greatwolves to rescue the human child TaLi, young wolf Kaala has become Drelshik -- the "cursed wolf" fated to destroy wolfkind. With her friends, wolf Azzuen and raven Tlitoo, Kaala must travel beyond the Wide Valley of her birth to fulfill the sacred Promise that will enable humans and wolves to coexist in harmony. Set in prehistoric Europe and narrated by Kaala, this concluding installment of the Wolf Chronicles (after Promise of the Wolves and Secrets of the Wolves) may appeal to fans of Steven Baxter's Mammoth series. |
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| The Future Falls by Tanya HuffContemporary Fantasy. The supernaturally talented Gale family returns in this 3rd installment of the Enchantment Emporium series, after The Wild Ways. As in the previous novel, the focus is on musician Charlotte "Charlie" Gale, whose Wild Power frequently puts her at odds with the rest of her magical kin. When her aunt and sometime nemesis, Catherine, discovers that an asteroid is hurtling towards Earth, Charlie must join forces with the Gale matriarchs to avert the impending apocalypse. Sympathetic characters and complicated family drama add emotional resonance to this engaging novel. |
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| The Turning Season: A Shifting Circle Novel by Sharon ShinnContemporary Fantasy. Being a shape-shifter, Karadel knows that safety is more important than happiness and has structured her life accordingly. She lives alone in a tiny rural town, where she runs a veterinary practice that serves a small, close-knit community of shifters. However, two unexpected events threaten her quiet existence: her best friend, fellow shifter Celeste, has a stalker, and Karadel has met a mortal man with whom she is falling in love. This contemplative, character-driven series, focusing on the daily lives of people who turn into animals, begins with Shape of Desire and Still Life with Shape-Shifter. |
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| The Mammoth Book of Warriors and Wizardry by Sean Wallace (editor)Short Stories. This anthology takes a pair of powerful fantasy archetypes -- warriors and wizards -- and explores them in 25 tales by popular authors, including (but not limited to) George R.R. Martin, Naomi Novik, K.J. Parker, Scott Lynch, N.K. Jemisen, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Saladin Ahmed. Examining and slyly subverting popular Sword and Sorcery tropes, these stories (many of which are spin-offs of their authors' multi-volume series) range in tone from tongue-in-cheek humor to moving heroics. |
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| Spellwright by Blake CharltonHigh Fantasy. Poor Nicodemus Weal. At Starhaven Academy, where the practice of magic depends on mastery of the written word, an aspiring spellwright who can't spell right is doomed. What's even worse is that, prior to the discovery of his "cacography" (magical dyslexia), Nicodemus was thought to be the prophesied Halcyon, destined to save the world. But following a series of bizarre incidents, some wonder if this unlikely hero is destined to destroy it instead. If Spellwright's unique magical system appeals to you, you might also appreciate the Allomancy depicted in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series or the wine-based magic of Laura Anne Gilman's Flesh and Fire. |
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| A Darkness Forged in Fire: Book One of the Iron Elves by Chris EvansMilitary Fantasy. Bearing the Mark of the Shadow Monarch, Konowa Swift Dragon has spent most of his career in the Iron Elves, a regiment comprised of elves who are immune to that metal's touch. But when a court martial kicks him out of the armed forces into bitter exile, danger in the form of the Shadow Monarch herself leads to Swift Dragon's hasty reinstatement. As he and his new regiment search for the Red Star (a legendary source of power which is the Calahrian Empire's only hope for victory), Swift Dragon must overcome his past in order to ensure his people's future. Fans of gritty yet witty military fantasy starring cynical, reluctant heroes in the vein of Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy should enjoy this rousing series opener, which continues with The Light of Burning Shadows. |
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| Goblin Quest by Jim C. HinesFantasy. As goblins go, Jig is a disappointment, even to himself. He's small, scrawny, nearsighted, and -- worst of all -- has never seen, let alone killed, a single human roaming through the tunnels of the goblin lair. That changes once Jig is assigned to patrol duty and is captured by a glory-seeking prince and his band of adventurers. Jig becomes their reluctant guide as they seek the legendary Rod of Creation, which means battling necromancers, dragons, and other perils. Unable to rely on anything but his wits and a cowardly but loyal fire-spider named Smudge, Jig is nevertheless determined to survive the adventure of a lifetime. Fans of humorous fantasy will be pleased to learn that Jig's adventures continue in Goblin Hero and Goblin War. |
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| Hard Magic by Laura Anne GilmanUrban Fantasy. Introduced as a supporting character in author Laura Anne Gilman's Retrievers novels, recent college graduate Bonita "Bonnie" Torres takes center stage in this series opener. When Bonnie joins the Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigators (PUPI) of the Cosa Nostradamus, she becomes part of a CSI-style team that investigates crimes involving Talents, or magic users. But the novice unit's first big assignment (the apparent double suicide of two Talents) may be their last when powerful special interests get involved. Introducing an inventive system of forensic magic and a likable cast of misfits, Hard Magic kicks off the Paranormal Scene Investigations. |
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| The Accidental Sorcerer by K.E. MillsFantasy. After losing his job as probationary compliance officer in the Minor Infringements Bureau of Ottosland's Department of Thaumaturgy, low-ranking wizard Gerald Dunwoody obtains a position at King Lional's court in neighboring New Ottosland. The job would be easy, were it not for the fact that nothing is what it seems in this tiny, impoverished kingdom. Now it's up to Gerald, minor wizard and failed bureaucrat, to set things to rights. The Accidental Sorcerer is the 1st book in the Rogue Agent series, followed by Witches Incorporated, Wizard Squared, and Wizard Undercover. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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