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Fantasy

Gideon the Ninth

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Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

Gideon the Ninth, book one of The Locked Tomb Trilogy, is a wild ride. The book is dark, imaginative, and fresh. Part fantasy and part science fiction, the book follows the heirs of the Nine Houses who have been selected by their god, the King Undying, to take part in a trial to join his group of immortal Saints and their personal knights, or Cavaliers.

The main character of the novel is Gideon, an indentured servant of the Ninth House, who is more comfortable with a sword than necromantic magic. Gideon has spent her entire life trying to escape the frozen planet of death where she was raised, and her future of eternal servitude as a reanimated skeleton.

Her chance arrives when her childhood rival, enemy, and ruler, Harrow, the Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and greatest bone witch to be born of the Ninth House, forces her to serve as her Cavalier. Gideon must protect and serve Harrow during the trial. If Harrow succeeds, she becomes an immortal disciple of the King Undying, and Gideon earns her freedom. However, Harrow and Gideon must first keep from murdering one another.

The book is both dark and hilarious. Who knew violence, tragedy, and a whole lot of bones could be so funny? It is also one of the best examples of enemies to…well, something approaching love at least.

Necromancers in space, what more can I say?

The second book in the trilogy, Harrow the Ninth, came out in August 2020.

Find it in the catalog.

The Shadows Between Us

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The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Format: Book
Who it’s for:  Young Adults, Adults

Alessandra is the second daughter and must wait until her older sister is engaged before she can attend any royal social gatherings.  While she waits for her turn, she plots.  She wants to marry the Shadow King and then kill him so that she can take over the kingdom.  She plans how she is going to catch the eye of the King – what she will wear and how she will act.  When she does, she soon learns that she is not the only one trying to kill him.  She gets to know him and even begins to like him.  Liking the King was not part of her plan.

Alessandra is not your ordinary noblewoman.  She likes to design her own outfits and she doesn’t follow society’s rules.  She does as she pleases which includes having some relationships before she is married.  She is determined to do her own thing and her goal is to change the way women are made to follow the rules made by men.  And, if someone displeases her, she just might kill them.

Someone on Good Reads described this as a “Slytherin Romance” and I think that is a good description.  You want to hate Alessandra because she is so unapologetically evil, but you like her anyway.  She knows what she wants and she is going to get it!

Find it in the catalog.

Anna Dressed in Blood

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Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Format: Book and Eaudiobook
Who it’s for: Teens

Tis the spooky season, which I believe calls for something about the things that go bump in the night. I found that in Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. It is the first of its ghostly series, and put eloquently: “It’s the old boy-meets-girls story. if the boy is a wry, self-destructive ghost hunter bent on avenging his father and the girl is a homicidal ghost trapped in a house full of everyone she’s ever murdered.” – Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of Red Glove.

It’s perfect for people who want a light and easy paranormal read that happens to be a teen urban fantasy, rather than a teen urban fantasy that has paranormal elements. I like ghost stories, and while this one isn’t particularly scary (in my opinion. You may find otherwise.), it does manage to be fun, full of magic, a bit of mystery, and interesting characters. Find it in the catalog!

The Blacksmith Queen

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The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults 

Keeley Smith loves her life. She has the best family. She gets to work at her beloved blacksmith forge every day. She is strong (very strong) and she gets to spend her days doing what she loves with the people she loves. So when a prophecy suggests that Keeley’s extremely smart, though odd sister, Beatrix, is destined to be the next queen, Keeley knows she will do whatever she needs to do to protect her sister. But as it often happens in games of political intrigue and the making of kings and queens, nothing is what it seems. Keeley will have to fight for her life and that of her family while also fighting to save the kingdom she calls home. 

G.A. Aiken creates a world filled with magic, battles, betrayal, true love, and a heroine you will want to cheer on at every turn. Keeley Smith is not entirely sure she is destined for greatness, but as you read the story, you will have no doubt that she is. The Blacksmith Queen is the first book in a new series by G.A. Aiken. Find it in the catalog. 

#OwnVoices

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I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “own voices.” I’m going to talk about what it means, why it’s important, and offer a few title suggestions.

Corrine Duyvis created the #OwnVoices hashtag in 2015 to promote children’s and young adult books written by someone from a marginalized or under-represented group who writes characters based on their own experiences, and from their own perspective. The number of #OwnVoices authors and their stories is growing, but their stories are still often told by authors with an outside perspective.

#OwnVoices is about bringing awareness to under-represented authors and what they bring to the world of writing through their lived experiences. It’s about bringing awareness to readers that there are so many more experiences in the world than our own; and that we become better people, citizens, and friends when we read beyond their own experiences. It’s about reaching the children and teens that pick up book after book, never seeing themselves or their experiences represented by the main characters in a book.

Use #OwnVoices on social media or in your search engine to find a selection of titles. Take a look at #WeNeedDiverseBooks on Overdrive or Libby to find a selection of #OwnVoices ebooks and audiobooks. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Published May 5, 2020
ebook and audiobook
Who It’s For: Teens

Alternating between the Dominican Republic and New York, the reader experiences what loss does to two teens, and how forgiveness brings them together and helps them to heal. I have started reading this and the poetic verse of Elizabeth Acevedo does not disappoint.

Find the ebook or audiobook.

 

 

Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden
Published January 14, 2020
Book
Who It’s For: Teens

Set in the early 1900s in Washington, D.C., Savannah is a member of the upper class. She soon gets a view into how the other half lives, and is inspired to fight for changes. Step back in time to 100 years ago when people were fighting for change, just as they are today.

Find it in the catalog.

 

 

I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
Published June 16, 2020
ebook
Who It’s For: Teen

Skye wants to be a K-pop star, and she’s going to audition no matter what people say about her weight. She has something to prove, and she’s going to do it in front of the world. Confident Skye brings on the fun and body positivity in this light-hearted rom-com.

Find the ebook.

 

 

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
Published April 23, 2019
Book
Who It’s For: Teens

The stories of Esha and Kunal are based on ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology. Secretly, Esha is the Viper, an assassin bent on taking down General Hotha. Inevitably, Kunal, a soldier and the nephew of General Hotha, crosses paths with the Viper.

This first book in the series is full of romance, action, and magic.

Find it in the catalog.

Six of Crows

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Format: Book, eBook, Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

In Ketterdam, a center of international trade, Kaz Brekker and his crew fight to survive in the underworld of the city. At its core, Six of Crows is a heist story. A wealthy merchant offers an obscene amount of money if Kaz and the others can travel to a nearby nation, break into the Ice Court, and free a scientist being held prisoner. Complicating matters is disagreement among the crew about what should be done with the prisoner when (if) they get him out.

The crew is Jesper, Matthias, Wylan, Nina, Inej, and Kaz: “a gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.” The story is told in alternating viewpoints and you really get to know these characters and their backgrounds. Six of Crows takes place in the Grishaverse, the same fantasy world featured in Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy, and some of the characters will be familiar to those who’ve read her other works.

Six of Crows is the first book in a duology. It ends in a cliffhanger – be ready to immediately dig in to Crooked Kingdom! Netflix is creating a series based on Bardugo’s Grishaverse, so these characters will soon be making their way to our television screens as well.

Find Six of Crows in the catalog.