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Fantasy

Dark Shores

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Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
Format: Book
Who’s It For: Teens

Jensen’s sea faring adventure is set in a Romanesque world inhabited by forgotten gods and greedy empires. We have two main characters the story follows; Teriana and Marcus.

Marcus is the young leader of a ruthless legion, the Thirty-Seventh, with a brutal reputation of conquering nations in the name of the empire. He is hiding a secret that could not only strip him of his title but cost him his life.

Teriana was born on the mysterious Dark Shores and is heir to the Maarin ship, Quincense. The Maarin are not only traders but have vowed to never allow anyone from the Empire to discover the Dark Shores existence. Then Teriana and Marcus are both faced with what seem to be impossible decisions and are forced together on a mission neither of them wants.

Find it on the catalog.

 

 

Every Heart a Doorway

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Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults, Teens

There are a lot of stories about children unexpectedly finding doorways to other worlds, like Alice in Wonderland, or the Chronicles of Narnia. There are also a lot of stories, sad stories in the news occasionally, about children who disappear without a trace, never to be seen again. What if there was a correlation between these stories? What if children really were stumbling through magical doorways all the time? What if some never return from those worlds, and those that do come back with such fantastic tales, they can only be accepted as fiction?

For those who return from their magical lands, our world, the “real” world, is difficult to re-acclimate to, and for them there is a special school, Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, where they can process what happened to them. This is where 17 year old Nancy Whitman finds herself upon returning from the Halls of the Dead. She longs to go back, where the Lord and Lady of the Dead rule over their underworld wisely and justly, while she serves them stilly and silently. She’s not alone in hoping to one day find another doorway leading back “home.” Though Nancy’s found kindred spirits at her new school, all is not well, and when a fellow student turns up dead, an incredible mystery begins to unfold.

I would recommend this to adult or teen readers interested in fantasy, horror, or mystery, but preferably all three, and if you like it, there are more books in the “Wayward Children” series. See Every Heart a Doorway in our catalog.

In Another Time by Jillian Cantor

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In Another Time by Jillian Cantor
Format: Book
Who’s it For: Adults

“Where am I?” Hannalie Ginsberg awoke in a deserted field one starry night.  She clutched her precious violin to her chest.  “Where’s Max?”  The last thing she remembered, Hanna was playing her violin for Max in his workshop.  Hanna stumbled along until she came upon a church.  “It’s unlocked!”  Hanna quietly entered.  “Hello?”  When no one replied, Hanna curled up on a pew and succumbed to the familiarity of slumber.

The gentle hand of a nun, Sister Louisa, roused her later.  “Where am I?” asked Hanna.  “What?  My Germany’s been at war?  Hitler’s dead?”  After Sister Louisa drove Hanna to Berlin, a doctor diagnosed  her with “dissociative memory loss.”  Her memory of the past ten years was gone!  Hannah phoned her sister Julia who’d moved with her family to London before the war.  “I’m not dead!”  She phoned Max’s friends, Johann and Elsa.  They only knew that Max had left to find Hanna.  Hanna joined Julia in London.  She had her violin.  She had her family.  Now where was Max?

I was very moved by this poignant tale of romance set in two different times. Max described how he met Hanna, the girl who played the violin with fire, before the war.  He wooed her with books from his bookshop.  Hanna described her life after the war, her quest to find Max.  Although Hanna was Jewish and Max was not, they were united in their love for each other.  Yet Max hid a secret in his bookshop.  Moreover, Max couldn’t stop himself from coming to the aid of his Jewish neighbors.  What would Max’s secret cost him and Hanna?

It’s available as a book or downloadable with Overdrive!

 

Sorcery of Thorns

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Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Format: Book
Who it’s for:  Teens, Adults

Elisabeth has grown up in one of the Great Libraries.  As a child she would play amongst the books and listen to them speak to her.  The Great Libraries are the home of many grimoires which are a sort of living book that will turn into monsters if they are provoked.  There is lots of magic in the Great Libraries and Elisabeth hopes to one day be a Warden, a protector of the libraries and magic contained within.

Elisabeth has been told that sorcery is evil and sorcerers are not to be trusted.  But, when she finally meets a sorcerer, Nathaniel Thorn, he doesn’t seem so bad.  Shortly after the sorcerer visits, a grimoire monster is unleashed and Elisabeth is wrongfully blamed for the death and destruction it caused.  So, she turns to her enemy, the sorcerer, for help.

Libraries, magic, books that are almost living things, a strong heroine and a little romance.  What more could you ask for??!!

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The Candle and the Flame

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The Candle and the Flame, by Nafiza Azad
May 14, 2019
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Fatima is a young woman living with her adopted family in the beautiful city of Noor.  In Noor, languages, cultures, religions, humans, and djinn blend together to create a unique and diverse city. Harmony is momentary, however, as humans clash with the evil djinn called Shayateen, and the city’s djinn protectors, the Ifrit. Timid Fatima finds her strength and independence in a new name as this story of magic and feminine strength unfolds.

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The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion

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The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

Danielle Cain’s best friend has suddenly, and without explanation, killed himself. She’s distraught, and she wants answers. She travels to her friend’s last known whereabouts: Freedom, Iowa, to discover a commune of individuals like herself: free spirits, artists, outcasts, punks… and spell casters?

It appears the residents of Freedom have summoned an otherworldly being, a red deer with three antlers, to protect their home, but now it’s turned upon them, with deadly consequences. Magic is real, people are in danger, and somewhere in all of this may lie the answers to Danielle’s questions about her friend’s suicide.

This book is filled with mystery, suspense, and interesting characters. I found it intriguing and difficult to put down, having never read anything like it before. I recommend it to adult or mature teen readers who are looking for something unique to read, and if you like it there is a sequel! Find this book in our catalog