"I was thinking, 'So, I'm Emperor, am I? What nonsense! But at least I'll be able to make people read my books now.'" ~ Robert Graves (1895-1985), English poet and novelist,
I, Claudius
|
|
Celebrate Matariki
Matariki - the Māori New Year - takes place on Pipiri 28 June. There will be Matariki storytimes and activities at our libraries throughout June.
|
|
|
New and Recently Released!
|
|
|
Night broken
by
Patricia Briggs
An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam's ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from her new boyfriend. Adam won't turn away a person in need, but with Christy holed up in Adam's house, Mercy can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Soon, Mercy learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and will do anything to get him, including turning Adam's pack against Mercy. On top of this, there's an even more dangerous threat circling. Christy's ex is more than a bad man in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies pile up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her world apart.
|
|
|
Steles of the Sky
by
Elizabeth Bear
This conclusion to the Iskryne World trilogy (after
Range of Ghosts
and
Shattered Pillars) follows warrior Re Tamur as he journeys to the Dragon Lake and stakes his claim as heir to the Khaganate, his grandfather's empire. However, he'll have to raise an army to challenge his usurping uncle, the
blood-sorcerer al-Sepehr, who heads the assassin cult of the Nameless. With the help of his allies - the wizard Samarkar, shapeshifting Cho-tse warrior Hrahima, and silent monk Brother Hsiung - Re Tamur takes a stand that will result either in victory or death.
Inspired by Mongolian history, this dramatic and richly detailed novel boasts compelling characters and extensive world-building.
|
|
|
Queen of the Dark Things
by
C. Robert Cargill
In this sequel to
Dreams and Shadows, Colby Stevens is now the most powerful wizard in the world. However, achieving his goal has exacted its toll on the young man and Colby now prefers his quiet, solitary life as the protector of his chosen city of Austin, Texas. Alas, the rise of a dangerous entity known as the Queen of the Dark Things will send Colby abroad to Australia, where he must confront unsavory aspects of his past in order to ensure humanity's future. For another coming-of-age story of ambitious young adults whose desire for magical power comes at a terrible price, check out Lev Grossman's Magician series.
|
|
|
Truth and fear
by
Peter Higgins
The city of Mirgorod is losing the war against the Archipelago when Investigator Lom returns, but his attention is focused on being chased by the police and the appearance of the otherworldly Pollandore.
|
|
|
The king : a novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
by
J. R. Ward
The war with the Lessening Society continues, with the added threat of the Band of Bastards, after Wrath and his mate take the throne in the latest installment of the best-selling series following Lover At Last.
|
|
|
The watchtower
by
Lee Carroll
What secrets are hidden in her past ...? Jewellery designer Garet James is still coming to terms with the astounding revelation that she is a Watchtower, the last in a long line of women sworn to protect the world from evil. Now she has received a sign from Will Hughes, the 400-year-old vampire who vanished having helped her defeat the evil threatening to destroy New York City. The clue he has left point his having fled to France where, Garet knows, he believes he will at last find the means to rid himself of the curse of vampirism and to become mortal once more. While looking for Will in Paris, Garet encounters a number of mysterious, mythic figures - an ancient botanist metamorphosed into the oldest tree in the city, a gnome who lives under the Labyrinth at the Jardin des Plantes, a librarian at the Institut Oceanographique, and a dryad in the Luxembourg Gardens... Each encounter leads Garet closer to finding Will but she realises that she's not the only one who's trying to find the way to the elusive, magical world of the Fey, called the Summer Country. As Garet struggles to understand her family legacy, each answer she finds only leads to more questions and to more danger....
|
|
|
Libriomancer
by
Jim C. Hines
Centuries ago, Johannes Gutenberg founded The Porters, a secret society of "libriomancers" who possess the magical power to extract objects from books. Now, however, Gutenberg has gone missing, vampires (ranging from Dracula to
Twilight-esque "sparklers") are attacking, and only former field agent Isaac Vainio, currently assigned to catalogue the Copper River Library's entire fantasy and science fiction collection, can save the day. Fortunately, he's got the assistance of his loyal pet fire-spider, Smudge, and voluptuous dryad Lena Greenwood. Unfortunately, his stalwart companions can be as distracting as they are helpful.
Libriomancer
is the action-packed, humourous, and highly metafictional 1st book in the Magic ex Libris series, followed by
Codex Born.
|
|
|
The light fantastic
by
Terry Pratchett
'What shall we do?' said Twoflower. 'Panic?' said Rincewind hopefully. He always held that panic was the best means of survival. As it moves towards a seemingly inevitable collision with a malevolent red star, the Discworld could do with a hero. What it doesn't need is a singularly inept and cowardly wizard, still recovering from the trauma of falling off the edge of the world, or a well-meaning tourist and his luggage which has a mind (and legs) of its own. Which is a shame, because that's all there is. In this early Disworld title the famous Unseen University Librarian is first transformed into an orang-utan.
|
|
|
Black halo
by
Sam Sykes
Lenk and his band of fellow mismatched and grumpy adventurers are shipwrecked on an island. An island that is a graveyard for demons and dragonmen alike. An island inhabited by lizard men. An island of secrets that is about to become a battleground. And back in civilisation Bralston, a very different Librarian, is being sent out to learn exactly what has happened to the Tome of the Undergates and to punish those that have misused magic. And Bralston will uphold the law. But the Tome will be read and it is calling to those who would read it and open the gates to hell. Sam Sykes' unique and energetic fantasy has carved out its own place in the fantasy landscape. Critics are arguing about the book but readers have fallen for its dark and twisted charms. This is a key fantasy for the new decade.
|
|
|
Harvest of Changelings
by
Warren Rochelle
Ten years ago, North Carolina librarian Ben Tyson married Valeria of the Daoine Sidhe, a fey woman who bore him a son, Malachi, before she was murdered by the evil Formorii. Now Malachi's powers are beginning to manifest, but he can't control them and Ben doesn't know enough about magic to protect his son from the Formorii. Ben's best bet is to take Malachi to the land of Faerie before the Formorii can get their hands on the boy, but the pair will need loyal allies and supernatural assistance if they want to survive the journey.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|