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| Crossroads of Canopy by Thoraiya DyerFantasy. The realm of Canopy is divided into 13 kingdoms, each ruled by a different god or goddess. The privileged Upper Canopians enjoy sunlight and fresh fruit, while Understorey denizens subsist on grubs. When her destitute parents decide to sell her into slavery, 13-year-old Unar runs away and dedicates herself to the goddess Audblayin. With her affinity for magic, she hopes to serve as the personal bodyguard of Audblayin's next avatar, thus rising above her humble origins. Detailed world-building and a realistically flawed heroine distinguish this debut by an Australian writer, which is the 1st book in a projected series. |
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| Bookburners by Max Gladstone (creator), Margaret Dunlap, Mur Lafferty, and Brian Francis SlatteryUrban Fantasy. NYPD detective Sal Brooks is shocked to learn that her brother has been dabbling in demonology. Is this stuff even real? It is, confirm the Bookburners, a group of occult investigators for the Vatican Black Archives. Working with martial artist Grace, tech wizard Liam, archivist Asanti, and priest Father Menchú, Sal enters a world of cursed tomes and conspiracies. With its blend of supernatural chills and dark humor, this collaborative novel, which began life as an online serial, may appeal to fans of classic paranormal-themed television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files. |
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| Gilded Cage by Vic JamesFantasy. In an alternate England, "commoners" without magic must serve the Equals (magic-wielding aristocratic families) for a period of ten years. Considering the alternatives, the Hadleys are fortunate: the entire family has been assigned to Kyneston, the estate of the powerful Jardine family, where they'll complete their compulsory service requirement together. But that dream is shattered when brother Luke is sent to the workhouse in Millmoor, where he becomes involved with a group of radicals. Meanwhile, eldest daughter Abi is drawn into a web of intrigue involving the most powerful families in the country. Fans of Dan Vyleta's Smoke should appreciate this atmospheric and intricately plotted novel that describes a rigid class system reinforced by magic. |
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| Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuireContemporary Fantasy. In the wake of her sister Patty's suicide, Jenna experienced her own untimely death. That was 43 years ago. Since then, Jenna has been residing in New York City, working at a suicide hotline in order to earn the right to pass on. But Jenna's self-imposed sentence is suspended when the city's ghosts start vanishing. As she investigates, Jenna discovers that there is, indeed, such a thing as a fate worse than death. Readers who enjoyed the subtle supernatural atmosphere of Charles de Lint's The Mystery of Grace should appreciate this poignant meditation on love and loss. |
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| Heartstone by Elle Katharine WhiteHistorical Fantasy. To halt the onslaught of gryphon attacks that plague the town of Hart's Run, the Lord of nearby Merybourne Manor hires an elite band of dragon-mounted Riders. Aliza Bentaine, whose beloved younger sister was killed by gryphons, rejoices at the arrival of their saviors -- well, except for handsome but arrogant Rider Alastair Daired, whose disdain for Aliza and her family is palpable. Although she'd rather avoid the man, circumstances keep throwing them together until they're forced to work with each other to save the town. Think Pride and Prejudice with dragons and you'll know what to expect from this debut. |
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Lament : the faerie queen's deception
by Maggie Stiefvater
On the day of an important music competition, talented but painfully introverted and nervous Deirdre Monaghan is helped to perform by the compelling and enigmatic Luke Dillon and finds herself inexorably drawn into the mysteries and dangers of the faerieworld. Original.
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Greenwitch
by Susan Cooper
Simon, Jane, and Barney, enlisted by their mysterious great-uncle, arrive in a small coastal town to recover a priceless golden grail stolen by the forces of evil -- Dark. They are not at first aware of the strange powers of another boy brought to help, Will Stanton -- nor of the sinister significance of the Greenwitch, an image of leaves and branches that for centuries has been cast into the sea for good luck in fishing and harvest. Their search for the grail sets into motion a series of distubing, sometimes dangerous events that, at their climax, bring forth a gift that, for a time at least, will keep the Dark from rising.
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The Mists of Avalon
by Marion Zimmer Bradley
A hardcover edition of the best-selling classic follows the legend of King Arthur as told by the women central to the tale, from the zealous Morgaine, sworn to uphold her goddess at any cost, to the devout Gwynhefar, pledged to the king but drawn to another. Reissue. 35,000 first printing.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Manatee County Public Library System 1301 Barcarrota Boulevard West Bradenton, Florida 34205 (941) 748-5555www.mymanatee.org/library |
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