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The Dead and the Dark

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The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

The Dead and the Dark alternates perspectives between Logan, the daughter of popular T.V. ghost hunters, the ParaSpectors, and Ashley, a small-town girl whose boyfriend just went missing, as they try to figure out what is plaguing the town of Snakebite, Oregon. Missing teenagers, ghosts, family secrets, and more keep this book entertaining from beginning to end.

I really enjoyed this book, it was completely captivating! The way that Gould writes makes the characters feel realistic, and the book overall just hard to put down. The twists and turns of the mystery keep readers guessing and curious until the end. I highly recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a small-town paranormal mystery!

Find The Dead and the Dark in the catalog

Cosmoknights

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Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer
Format: Book, ebook, Graphic Novel
Who’s it for: Teens

Prepare for the greatest games in the galaxy! Known as cosmoknights, these cyberpunk gladiators travel the stars to compete for the hand of a planet’s princess. However, there are those who find no pleasure in the games, such as Pan—a young girl from the planet Viridian. When she meets two charismatic cosmoknights with ulterior motives for participating in these deadly games, Pan stows away on their ship in hopes of taking a stand against these planetary kingdoms. But space is vast and dangerous place – she’ll have to pick up a few new tricks if she wants to survive.

Cosmoknights is vibrant, fun, and inspiring. Perfect for anyone trying to find their place in the universe.

Find Cosmoknights in the catalog, or read it on hoopla!

Dungeon Critters

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Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess & Sara Goetter
Format: Graphic Novel
Who is it for: Kids, Teens

Dungeon Critters follows a group of four young animal adventures on their quest to prove themselves and save their kingdom. This book is absolutely charming.

After exposing a sinister plot involving a foul, necromantic plant, Chirp, Goro, June, and Rose must face the perils of dungeons, the rigors of high-society balls, and the literal trials of Bear Court! But adventuring is not all danger—there is ample room for young love.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the art style. The artists put a lot of effort into making each and every character unique and expressive. What starts off as a cute little fantasy romp, really ramps up into a dramatic and beautiful tale, with genuinely compelling characters.

The children and teens collection have always been filled to the brim with fantasy titles, so it is traditionally difficult for new works to stand out. However, Dungeon Critters has not problem captivating its audience; with diverse characters and vibrate art, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Find it in our catalog!

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 Moon Within

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The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Celi Rivera has many questions. What should she do about these new feelings she has for her classmate Iván? How should she best support her closest friend as they experiment with their gender expression? And will her mother really insist on throwing her a traditional moon ceremony when Celi’s first period arrives? This lyrical novel in verse does a fantastic job of portraying that lifechanging and magical, yet incredibly awkward, prepubescent time in one’s life when it feels like there are more questions than answers. Like its forebear, Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, this book would be an indisputably beneficial and relatable read for any person who has ever had questions about growing up.
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Dark and Deepest Red

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Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
Publication Date: January 14, 2020
Book
Who It’s For: Teens, Adults

This is a beautiful and haunting story told in a dual timeline, linking people across five centuries. The story will hearken the tale of The Red Shoes, by Hans Christian Andersen, but it is so much more.

In 1518 France, Lavinia is swept into the chaos of a dancing plague, but her role is not that of victim, but as suspect. Her strange family and strange ways must mean only one thing: she is a witch. Five centuries later, Emil is linked to the past by blood, and Rosella by a beautiful pair of red shoes. Separated by 500 years, what must Lavinia and Emil do to save the people they love?

In this dark fairy tale, the author blends history, family, love, betrayal, women’s and girls’ roles in society, and the treatment of marginalized peoples in the past and present into a magical story.

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