"She has already become a legend. The beautiful, headstrong girl I knew is gone forever, her life transformed into myth." ~ from Elizabeth Blackwell's While Beauty Slept |
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| Marked in Flesh by Anne BishopDark Fantasy. In this 4th installment of the Courtyards of the Others series, shapeshifter Simon Wolfgard, leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, works with blood prophet Meg to protect the terra indigene (or Others) from Humans First and Last, the extremist group whose goal is the extermination of all non-human races. Can Simon and Meg shield their community from HFL's increasingly violent attacks? And will the conflict attract the notice of the Elders, ancient beings far more powerful -- and much more threatening -- than the Others? Given this series' complex backstory and detailed worldbuilding, newcomers are advised to start at the beginning with Written in Red. |
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| Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian HearnHistorical Fantasy. The author of the Tales of the Otori series returns to her fantastical version of feudal Japan for this new epic saga. After surviving his greedy uncle's plot to murder him and steal his inheritance, orphan teen Kazumaru is taken in by sorcerer Shisoku, who dubs the lad Shikanoko, or "the deer's child." Taking possession of a magical mask, Shikanoko subsequently becomes involved in the civil war that's tearing society apart as warring factions vie for control of the empire. If you enjoy the morally ambiguous characters and political intrigue of this exciting series starter, keep an eye out for its forthcoming sequels: Autumn Princess, Dragon Child; Lord of the Darkwood; and The Tengu's Game of Go. |
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A Murder in Time
by Julie Mcelwain
Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a young girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman..
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| Smoke: A Novel by Dan VyletaHistorical Fantasy. Set in an alternate Victorian England, this novel introduces a world in which "sinful" thoughts and actions physically manifest on the body as Soot, thereby creating a class system based on moral purity. Best friends Charlie Cooper and Thomas Argyle are both enrolled at a boarding school established to rid pupils of their Soot-producing tendencies. Neither has ever questioned the system that rules their lives -- until unexpected events force them to challenge the status quo. Publishers Weekly calls this thought-provoking, intricately plotted novel "Dickensian in its imaginative scope and atmosphere." |
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| While Beauty Slept: A Novel by Elizabeth BlackwellFairy Tale Fantasy. "The truth is hardly a story for children," explains the narrator of this Gothic retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Leaving her family's farm to become a lady-in-waiting at the castle of St. Elsip, young Elise witnesses Queen Lenore's struggles with infertility as well as her desperate plan to produce an heir to the throne. The queen's bargain with malevolent Millicent results in the birth of the lovely Princess Rose, but also sets in motion a curse that will come back to haunt everyone in the castle and nearly destroy the kingdom. Fans of Delia Sherman's The Porcelain Dove may appreciate this bittersweet and atmospheric tale of love, loyalty, and hard lessons learned over the passage of time. |
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| Letters to Zell: A Novel by Camille GriepFairy Tale Fantasy. Shocking news! Zell, better known as Rapunzel, has decided to leave Grimmland to pursue her passion: managing a unicorn preserve. Her friends and fellow princesses CeCi (Cinderella), Bianca (Snow White), and Rory (short for Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty) can't believe it: how could their friend abandon them? Yet Zell's decision prompts them to reflect on their own lives. Through the letters they write to her, discussing everything from their relationship woes to their own deferred dreams, the princesses begin to question if "happily-ever-after" is truly what they want out of life. |
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| Mirror Mirror: A Novel by Gregory MaguireHistorical Fantasy. Set in Renaissance Italy, this revisionist version of "Snow White" casts as its heroine young Bianca de Nevada. Her widowed father is a minor nobleman with loyalties to the Borgia family, particularly Cesare and his sister (and lover) Lucrezia. But when the lecherous Cesare begins to pay too much attention to Bianca, jealous Lucrezia orders a young hunter to lead the girl into the forest and kill her. The girl escapes and is taken in by seven dwarves, who are on a quest to retrieve their special mirror. If you enjoy this novel by Wicked author Gregory Maguire, you may also want to read his Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, a retelling of "Cinderella" set in 17th-century Holland. |
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| Raven Girl by Audrey NiffeneggerFairy Tale Fantasy. Hatched from an egg, the half-human, half-raven heroine of this illustrated novel looks like an ordinary young woman, yet speaks the language of birds. Though she has no wings, she yearns to fly, a dream that may be possible through experimental surgery. However, not everyone in her life is in favor of such a drastic transformation, which sets in motion a series of tragic events. Reminiscent of Swan Lake in both storyline and overall tone, The Raven Girl appropriately began life as collaboration with London’s Royal Ballet. |
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| The Fairest of Them All: A Novel by Carolyn TurgeonFairy Tale Fantasy. This "dark and twisted fairy tale" (Publishers Weekly) is, in fact, two intertwined stories: an inventive mash-up of "Rapunzel" and "Snow White," in which the former escapes her tower (and cruel adoptive mother) and becomes the wicked stepmother of the latter. Flawed yet sympathetic characters lend poignancy to this dark, melancholy tale that explores the sometimes complicated, emotionally fraught bonds between mothers and daughters. Fans of this novel will be pleased to know that author Carolyn Turgeon has also tackled "Cinderella" (in Godmother) and "The Little Mermaid" (in Mermaid). |
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| Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. ValenteWeird Western. In this witty retelling of the classic fairy tale, Snow White is the daughter of a Nevada silver baron and a Crow woman who died in childbirth. Mocked for her mixed-race heritage by her cruel stepmother, Snow White dons men's clothing and sets out for "Indian Territory" with a Pinkerton detective in hot pursuit. Fortunately, she finds allies in the form of seven female outlaws as well as a pony named Charming. With its Old West setting and gunslinger heroine, Six-Gun Snow White should enchant fans of fractured fairy tales. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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