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The Sleeper and the Spindle

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The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Format: Book
Who its for: Teens

A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell – weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish.

The Sleeper and the Spindle is a up-to-date outlook on female heroism smooshed into the plot of a classic princess double-feature, though you won’t find a white knight or Prince Charming in this fairy tale.  Gaiman tells the story of warrior queen who travels to a faraway land armed with a sword and three dwarfs, on a mission to rid the people of a curse and save the princess locked in a tower.   This retelling is just as dark, magical, and twisted as this reader wanted it to be.  Riddell’s stunning black, white, and gold illustrations alone are worth a gander.

My only complaint – it’s too short.  Find it in the catalog. 

 

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??!!

Find it in the catalog

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.

Find it in the catalog

White Hot

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White Hot by Ilona Andrews
Format: CD Audio Book #2
Who It’s For: Adults

In this Hidden Legacy Series book, best-selling authors Ilona Andrews a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team, have put out another magical detective story.

Nevada Baylor is the lead in a family owned detective agency. She possesses a unique secret magic skill –she knows when people are lying.

She has used this skill and good old-fashioned hard work to solve cases, which has built her family business up and kept it afloat. Her magic skill is a secret, in a time when magic users are the norm.

Conner Rogan is a billionaire prime, one of the highest-ranking magic users. They are working together to solve a mystery that has them pitted against powerful magic possessors. The sparks between Nevada and Rogan are undeniable but Nevada refuses to see them. As Nevada hones her magic skills, she and Rogan will soon discover that ice can burn.

Find it in the catalog.

The Night Circus

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Format: eBook
Who it’s for: Adults

If you enjoy getting lost in a story filled with magic and mystery then The Night Circus will be a delight. Since she was a small child Celia has been bound into a competition with an unknown rival by her magician father, Prospero. The setting will be an enchanting circus that arrives without warning and only opens at night. Celia struggles through years of difficult training to harness her unique magical abilities. When Celia inadvertently falls in love with her secret competitor, Marco, the game threatens to unravel the circus and all who reside in it. Celia and Marco must find a way to end this dangerous game and save their beautiful circus home and the family of magical performers who live within it. Find it in the catalog

The Rules of Magic

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The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Format: Book, Audiobook, eBook, & Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

To protect Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens from their family’s curse, their lives have been lived in accordance to a list of strict rules: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic, and most importantly, no falling in love. However, this all changes when the Owens trio pays a visit to their Aunt Isabelle, who decidedly rejects all notions of curses determining one’s fate. Between reading magical texts, formulating hexes, brewing up potent teas, and hand-making batches of “cure-all black soap”, the siblings learn an entirely new set of rules to live (and to love) by. Firstly, do as you will, but harm no one. Secondly, what you give will be returned to you in threefold. And lastly, fall in love whenever you can.

Written in a series of distinguished parts, the story is driven forward by each of the sibling’s interpretation of these rules and their evolving understanding of their true identities. Hoffman’s prequel to her widely popular novel, Practical Magic, explores the importance of autonomy and the complexity of legacy.

Find it in our catalog.