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Firebrand
by Kristen Britain
Dispatched to renew alliances with a legendary species to reinforce both sides against dark-magic-wielding adversaries, traumatized Green Rider Karigan G'ladheon, assisted by an immortal Eletian guide, outmaneuvers perilous obstacles before a latest plot by the Grandmother risks the king's life.
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A Conjuring of Light: A Novel
by V.E. Schwab
Fantasy. In this conclusion to the trilogy that began with A Darker Shade of Magic, the conclusion of the Essen Tasch -- or "Element Games," a multidimensional tournament of magic -- only serves to exacerbate long-standing conflicts that embroil the four versions of London: Red, White, Grey, and Black. To say much more risks revealing spoilers, but fans of the series can look forward to the return of Antari magician Kell as well as street thief and erstwhile pirate Delilah Bard.
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The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death
by Kim Harrison
Urban Fantasy. This prequel to Kim Harrison's bestselling Hollows series reveals the origins of the Turn, a plague that wiped out most of humanity and gave rise to a society dominated by supernatural races. The story begins in the 1960s as a rivalry between geneticists Trisk Cambri and Trenton "Kal" Kalamack escalates into an apocalyptic scenario. Having inadvertently placed humans on the path to extinction, Trisk and Kal must work together to save the survivors from the pandemic, as well as from paranormal leaders who believe that the new world order has no place for "weak" humans.
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| Sins of Empire by Brian McClellanEpic Fantasy. Set in the world of author Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy, this intricately plotted novel kicks off the Gods of Blood and Powder series. Amid rising unrest in the colony of Fatrasta, Lady Chancellor Lindet summons powder mage Lady Vlora Flint and her Riflejack mercenaries to Landfall, the capital, to keep the peace. As Vlora and her crew defend the city against indigenous Palo resistance fighters, her local contact, a member of the "Blackhats" secret police, attempts to track down the authors of a spate of seditious pamphlets. But the recovery of powerful artifacts from beneath Fatrasta, which sits atop the ruins of the ancient Dynize empire, poses a far greater threat than insurgency. |
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Magical Coming-of-Age Stories
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| The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery; translated by Alison AndersonContemporary Fantasy. Although they don't yet know it, two orphaned girls must join forces to save the world. Maria grows up in a village in Burgundy, France, where she demonstrates a strong affinity for the natural world -- including an ability to see beyond the veil that separates this realm from the next. Carla, raised by a priest and his housekeeper in Abruzzo, Italy, is a musical prodigy whose talent is accompanied by powerful visions. Saying more might spoil the many surprises of this enchanting novel, but if you enjoy atmospheric and leisurely paced coming-of-age tales that unfold in lyrical language, this is a book you'll savor. |
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| Roses and Rot by Kat HowardContemporary Fantasy. Having grown up with a parent who rivals any wicked stepmother, sisters Imogen and Marin are understandably obsessed with fairy tales, which inform their present-day careers as a writer and a dancer, respectively. Having lived apart since adolescence, the once-close siblings are reunited when both women are accepted to Melete, a prestigious artist's colony that seems too good to be true. And it is, of course, though neither woman could have ever imagined the darkness concealed beneath the colony's idyllic facade. For another fantasy novel that uses folklore to explore sisterly bonds, try Krassi Zourkova's Wildalone. |
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| Among Others by Jo WaltonFantasy. After the death of her twin sister, 14-year-old Morwenna, or "Mori," flees her unstable mother and her Welsh hometown to live with the father she barely knows -- and never will, since he immediately packs her off to a boarding school in the English countryside. Grief-stricken and friendless, Mori takes refuge in books, eventually meeting others who share her interests in fantasy and science fiction. But Mori can't avoid her past forever. Unfolding in the form of a diary, Among Others is both a coming-of-age story full of magic and a love letter to literature that fans of Diana Wynne Jones' Fire and Hemlock may enjoy. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Keene Public Library
60 Winter St.
Keene, New Hampshire 03431
603-352-0157
http://www.keenepubliclibrary.org/
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