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Fantasy and Science Fiction August 2025 |
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| Once Was Willem by M.R. CareyIn 12th century England, recently deceased 12-year-old Willem returns from the grave in the village of Cosham, only to be ostracized and outcast to the forest. As Once-Was-Willem befriends other supernatural creatures, the sorcerer who brought him back claws for more magic and more power...even if it means the lives of all the children of Cosham. M.R. Carey's latest is "a dark and hopeful fable with obvious contemporary resonance" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| On Order, place a hold today!
In this post-apocalyptic science-fantasy mashup, two women on opposite sides of the world set out towards Nivela, a once-powerful city teeming with ancient magic waiting to be reawakened. When Aleya and Kirby's paths converge, their alliance may be the key to saving the world. For fans of: LGBTQIA+ fiction with in-depth worldbuilding and bittersweet romance such as Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. |
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| On Order, place a hold today!
When star navigator Faven Sythe's beloved mentor goes missing, she has no one to turn to but famed space pirate Bitter Amandine. The starpath of Faven's mentor leads to a space graveyard known as the Clutch, a place of which only Amandine knows the true secrets. "Nuanced characterization and a clever mystery keep the pages flying" (Publishers Weekly) in this space opera that fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and James S.A. Corey will enjoy. |
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| Greenteeth by Molly O'NeillWhen Temperance, falsely accused of witchcraft, is thrown into a lake, she is unexpectedly rescued by a sharp-toothed monster lurking within its depths. This monster, Jenny Greenteeth, forms an unlikely alliance with Temperance to save the town and Britain from an encroaching evil. For fans of: richly detailed fantasy laden with monsters who are more than their fangs, such as Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher. |
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| The Incandescent by Emily TeshDoctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood School, and one of the most powerful magicians in all of England. Demonic forces converge on the school, and Doctor Walden must balance her considerable power, uphold her responsibility to keep the students safe, and even confront a potential evil from within. Fans of sapphic fantasy and dark academia "won’t want to miss this thoughtful exploration of privilege, power, and private school education" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Our August Pick: Please join us and special guest club-leader Andrew to discuss this graphic novel: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 @ Portsmouth Library 7-8 PM
"A brilliant and imaginative debut graphic novel that brings to life a fantastical Cairo where wishes are real. Author, illustrator, and translator Deena Mohamed presents a literary, feminist, Arab-centric graphic novel that marries magic and the socio-political realities of contemporary Egypt. Shubeik Lubeik-a fairytale rhyme meaning "Your Wish is My Command" in Arabic-is the story of three characters navigating a world where wishes are literally for sale; mired in bureaucracy and the familiar prejudices of our world, the more expensive the wish, the more powerful and therefore the more likely to work as intended. |
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Our September Pick: Please join us to discuss this book: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 @ Portsmouth Library 7-8 PM
From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire. Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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