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Fantasy October 2013
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
~ Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States
New and Recently Released!
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic - by Emily Croy Barker
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/01/2013
Share The Thinking Woman ISBN-13: 9780670023660
ISBN-10: 0670023663
Contemporary Fantasy. Dumped by her boyfriend, dismissed by her dissertation director, and depressed by her entire existence, graduate student Nora Fischer concludes, "I wish my life were different. I don't care how." While walking in the woods, Nora wanders off the path and into another world, where she soon falls under the spell of the glamorous Ilissa and her son Raclin of the Faitloren. Rescued by brooding magician Aruendiel, Nora begs him to take her on as his student, aware that magic may be the key to returning home. Fans of Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches should warm to this debut novel's scholarly heroine, her near-immortal mentor, and their adventures in a richly detailed magical realm.
Mage's Blood - by David Hair
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/03/2013
Share Mage ISBN-13: 9781623650148
ISBN-10: 1623650143
Epic Fantasy. Every 12 years, the tides ebb to reveal the Leviathan Bridge, a 300-mile-span that connects the otherwise isolated continents of Yuros and Antiopia. Originally created to facilitate trade between the two regions, it is more often used by the powerful Magi of the West to wage crusades against their "infidel" neighbors to the East. But the Antiopians are not about to bow down to the invaders. With its epic scope, extensive world-building, and sprawling cast of morally ambiguous characters, this 1st book in the Moontide Quartet may appeal to fans of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.
Children of Fire - by Drew Karpyshyn
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/27/2013
Share Children of Fire ISBN-13: 9780345542236
ISBN-10: 0345542231
High Fantasy. When the gods chose Daemron as their champion, giving him their Talismans to assist him in his battle against the spawn of Chaos, they never expected him to use his newfound power to rebel. Now imprisoned behind a magical barrier known as the Legacy, Daemron hatches an escape plan. Embedding his seed inside an enchanted stone, he sends it across the boundary and into the mortal world, where it will create a child of Chaos destined to destroy the Legacy once and for all. But as the stone travels, it breaks into four pieces -- leading to the birth of four children, each capable of wreaking destruction. Best known for his media tie-ins, author Drew Karpyshyn makes his original fiction debut with this fast-paced, action-packed, and gritty fantasy novel.
Mist - by Susan Krinard
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/16/2013
Share Mist ISBN-13: 9780765332080
ISBN-10: 0765332086
Urban Fantasy. Although Mist is a Valkyrie, she has worked very hard to adapt to the world of humans. But her modern life takes a mythical turn when she's attacked by a frost giant in the park, rescues a wounded Alfar (one of the legendary light-elves of Alfheim), and discovers that her boyfriend is anything but the normal, mortal man he appears to be. If Mist wants to prevent the end of the world as she knows it, she'll need to get in touch with her roots. For another inventive contemporary riff on Norse mythology, check out Greg Van Eekhout's Norse Code, which also features a Valkyrie named Mist.
The Age of Ice: A Novel - by J.M. Sidorova
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/23/2013
Share The Age of Ice%3a A Novel ISBN-13: 9781451692716
ISBN-10: 1451692714
Fantasy. "I was born of cold copulation," says Prince Alexander Velitzyn, recounting his origins. In 1740, the Empress Anna Ioanovna forced Alexander's parents -- a disgraced nobleman and a hunchbacked court jester -- first to marry and then to consummate their union while sealed inside a frozen palace. Alexander and his twin brother, Andrei, are the result of the Ice Wedding, although their paths in life quickly diverge. Andrei grows into a dashing, if ordinary man -- while Alexander, small, pale, and immune to cold, displays unusual longevity over the next 250 years, witnessing pivotal events in both Russian and world history as he searches for an explanation for his condition. Don't miss this sweeping, atmospheric fantasy saga.
I've Got the Power
In a Fix - by Linda Grimes
Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/04/2012
Share In a Fix ISBN-13: 9780765331809
ISBN-10: 0765331802
Urban Fantasy. Ciel Halligan is an "aura adaptor" whose unusual genetic makeup gives her the ability to effortlessly assume the appearance and demeanor of others. Eschewing the family business of espionage, Ciel has opted instead for a lucrative career as a life coach. Well, sort of. Instead of helping clients solve their problems, Ciel merely impersonates them in order to get them out of complicated situations. But who can Ciel turn to when she finds herself in trouble? In a Fix is the 1st of the Ciel Halligan novels, followed by Quick Fix.
Ice Song - by Kirsten Imani Kasai
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/19/2009
Share Ice Song ISBN-13: 9780345508812
ISBN-10: 0345508815
Science Fantasy. Ice miner and single mother Sorykah Minuit is a Trader, who -- like many mutants -- strives to blend in with ordinary humans by concealing her ability to shift from female to male (and back again). However, when Sorykah's infant twins are abducted by the nefarious Collector, it's up to Sorykah and her male alter-ego, Soryk, to traverse a frozen wasteland in order to retrieve them. Sorykah/Soryk's adventures continue in Tattoo. Readers who enjoy Ice Song's inventive blend of fantasy and science fiction, androgynous post-human characters, and lush eroticism may also enjoy Storm Constantine's Wraethu Chronicles, beginning with The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit.
Od Magic - by Patricia A. McKillip
Publisher: Ace Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/06/2006
Share Od Magic ISBN-13: 9780441013340
ISBN-10: 0441013341
High Fantasy. Centuries ago, the wizard Od saved the kingdom of Numis from destruction. In return, she was permitted to found the Od School of Magic in the city of Kelior. However, since its establishment, the school has increasingly come under the authority of the royal family, which harbors a deep distrust of magic. That all changes with the arrival of Brenden Vetch, the school's newly hired gardener. Unbeknownst to everyone (including himself), Brenden possesses a powerful raw magic whose very existence has the potential to sow the seeds of rebellion. Od Magic should enchant fans of Robin McKinley's books, which also take traditional fantasy motifs and transform them into atmospheric, lyrical tales that feel both modern and timeless.
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