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Fantasy and Science Fiction October 2022 |
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| Silver Under Nightfall by Rin ChupecoIntroducing: Remy Pendergast, a vampire hunter with a murky past and an uncertain future.
What happens: As mutant vampires stalk the inhabitants of Aluria, outcast Remy joins forces with noble vampires Xiaodan Song and Zidan Malekh to discover the source of the threat.
Who it's for: Castlevania fans will revel in this steamy Gothic fantasy adventure as they root for its lead throuple. |
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| The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova GilmoreWhat it is: a "feminist origin story" (Booklist) of Baba Yaga, which pits the legendary witch against Ivan the Terrible -- and the shadowy forces that control him.
Why you might like it: Set in 16th-century Russia, this atmospheric novel follows Yaga, the daughter of an earth goddess and a human, as she's drawn into an epic conflict between mortals and immortals.
For fans of: Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy or Mary McMyne's The Book of Gothel. |
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| The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon JimenezThe end of empire? A corrupt emperor and his triplet sons (known as the Terrors) do whatever they must to maintain their grip on power, WHILE the Moon Goddess, aided by one-armed mercenary Keema and guardsman Jun, start a revolution.
Why you might like it: Encompassing numerous viewpoints as it shifts between first, second, and third-person narration, this stylistically complex saga is as much about storytelling as it is the story being told.
Reviewers say: this fantasy novel by the author of The Vanished Birds is "an elusive, layered epic that thoroughly rewards its demands" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Ledge by Stacey McEwanIn a world... where the remnants of human civilization eke out a living on the Ledge, a rocky outcropping overlooking the great Chasm, 24-year-old Dawsyn Sabor becomes the latest sacrifice to the winged Glacians.
Fighting her fate: Given the choice between slavery and being hunted for sport, Dawsyn decides to escape, and finds an unlikely ally in winged half-Glacian Ryon.
Series alert: Ledge is the 1st book in a planned trilogy by writer and TikToker Stacey McEwan, although impatient readers should be aware that this debut ends on a cliffhanger. |
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| A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz MeadowsWhat it's about: When Velasin vin Aaro of Ralia refuses to marry the girl his family has chosen for him (or any girl at all, for that matter), his parents instead arrange his betrothal to the girl's brother, Caethari Aeduria of Tithena, despite Ralia's deep-rooted cultural opposition to such unions.
Is it for you? Although the leads' tender relationship drives the story, this character-driven novel contains a depiction of on-page sexual assault and proceeds to explore the aftermath of this traumatic event.
You might also like: Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron, Everina Maxwell's Winter's Orbit. |
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| Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa1920s Kansas City: Luna Rose Alvarado Lane, a white-passing Mexican American witch who runs a speakeasy with her half-brother Javier, must deal with the mafia, the Ku Klux Klan, and others who do not wish to see her succeed in a white man's world.
For fans of: atmospheric historical fantasies about magic-wielding women of color who must navigate hostile environments, such as Leslye Penelope's The Monsters We Defy, Nicole Glover's Murder and Magic series, or Justina Ireland's Rust in the Root. |
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| Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirWhat it is: The 3rd book in the acclaimed Locked Tomb series, after Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth.
The (mostly spoiler-free) situation: As Nona busily plans a birthday celebration on the beach, to which she will invite many good dogs, the apocalypse looms.
Series alert: Keep an eye out for Alecto the Ninth, which will close out the quartet. |
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| The Oleander Sword by Tasha SuriWhat happens: Rightful empress Malini of Parijatdvipa gathers an army to depose her treacherous brother, while thrice-born priestess Priya battles the rot that threatens the realm.
Read it for: lush world-building, a slowly intensifying story of political maneuvering and military strategy, and an angsty romance between two powerful women.
Series alert: The Oleander Sword is the 2nd installment of the Burning Kingdoms series, after The Jasmine Throne. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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