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"He had taken a new name for most of the usual reasons, and for a few unusual ones as well, not the least of which was the fact that names were important to him." ~ from Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind
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| All Fixed Up by Linda GrimesUrban Fantasy. Ciel Halligan is an "aura adaptor" who possesses the ability to impersonate anyone. For a reasonable fee, she'll serve as a highly specialized body double. Her latest client is astronaut Dr. Phillipa Carson, whose sudden medical emergency could interfere with her plans to be the first woman to conceive in microgravity. The first hint of trouble comes from a NASA photographer who sees right through Ciel's disguise. As if the threat of exposure weren't enough, a murder and a love triangle conspire to throw a wrench in her plans. Fans of the strong female lead and madcap plots of Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson novels may enjoy this steamy and suspenseful series, which begins with In a Fix. |
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| Roses and Rot by Kat HowardContemporary Fantasy. Having grown up with a parent who rivals any wicked stepmother, sisters Imogen and Marin are understandably obsessed with fairy tales, which inform their present-day careers as a writer and a dancer, respectively. Having lived apart since adolescence, the once-close siblings are reunited when both women are accepted to Melete, a prestigious artist's colony that seems too good to be true. And it is, of course, though neither woman could have ever imagined the darkness concealed beneath the colony's idyllic facade. For another fantasy novel that uses folklore to explore sisterly bonds, try Krassi Zourkova's Wildalone. |
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| Spells of Blood and Kin: A Dark Fantasy by Claire HumphreyContemporary Fantasy. When Baba, her beloved grandmother, dies, 22-year-old Toronto resident Lissa Nevsky takes the old woman's place as the neighborhood koldun’ia, creating charms and remedies for members of their predominantly Russian community. Soon after, Maksim Volkov arrives, seeking her assistance. Maksim is a monster whose bloodlust was kept in check by Baba's magic; with her passing, he can no longer control his violent urges. Can Lissa recreate her grandmother's spell before someone gets hurt? Or is already too late? |
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| League of Dragons: The Final Temeraire Novel by Naomi NovikHistorical Fantasy. Picking up where Blood of Tyrants left off, this concluding volume of Naomi Novik's acclaimed Temeraire series finds Captain William Laurence of the Royal Aerial Corps and his dragon comrade-in-arms Temeraire enjoying a Pyrrhic victory over Napoleon's army, which has failed to invade Russia. Nevertheless, Bonaparte may still win the war, particularly if he can convince Europe's dragons to fight for the French by offering them land and equal rights -- rights that the Crown has refused to consider, despite its military dependence on dragons. Fans of C.S. Forester or Patrick O'Brian who don't mind mythical creatures in their seafaring adventure stories should enjoy this nine-volume saga, which starts with His Majesty's Dragon. |
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| Stiletto: A Novel by Daniel O'MalleyUrban Fantasy. This long-awaited sequel to The Rook finds Myfanwy Thomas overseeing a controversial merger between the Checquy Group -- an organization that employs operatives with supernatural powers to protect Britain from paranormal threats -- and their longtime enemies, the Belgium-based Grafters, who use alchemy to modify their bodies. But their fragile truce is threatened by a series of bizarre attacks. Can they work together to salvage the situation? Or are they foolish even to trust each other in the first place? Fans of this offbeat, action-packed series, which blends urban fantasy and spy fiction, will enjoy learning more about the enigmatic Chequy. However, due to the intricacy of the plot, newcomers to the series should probably start at the beginning. |
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| The Mirror Empire by Kameron HurleyEpic Fantasy. When raiders overrun her village and slaughter her blood-witch mother, young Lilia escapes through a rift into another dimension, a mirror universe in which the stars directly control one's destiny. Now a "drudge," a temple scullery maid with neither kin nor prospects, Lilia soon finds herself (or, more accurately, her rare magical abilities) in demand when the dark star Oma, absent for 2,000 years, returns. Boasting a large cast of characters and extensive world-building, The Mirror Empire kicks off the Worldbreaker Saga, which continues with Empire Ascendant. |
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| The Falcon Throne by Karen MillerEpic Fantasy. Although the duchies of Clemen and Harcia have been embroiled in a power struggle for years, it's unclear that either realm will have anything left to offer by the time the conflict ends -- if, indeed, it ever ends. In Clemen, Duke Harold has been deposed by Roric, while Harcia's heir, Balfre, hopes to wrest control of Clemen by pitting the inhabitants of the borderlands against Roric. However, unbeknownst to both parties, Harold's son plots his own return to power. With bloody battles, political intrigue, and supernatural overtones, this opening volume of the Tarnished Throne series should interest fans of Joe Abercrombie's Half a King. |
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| The Name of the Wind by Patrick RothfussEpic Fantasy. As proprietor of the remote Waystone Inn, Kote leads a quiet life until the itinerant Chronicler recognizes him as the legendary hero Kvothe and urges him to recount his life story, beginning with his birth as one of the Edema Ruh, a nomadic troop of performers. After being orphaned by demons at a young age, Kvothe becomes in turn a wizard, a bard, a thief, an assassin, and a hero who seeks to avenge his family's murder. The Name of the Wind is the 1st installment of the Kingkiller Chronicles, which continues with The Wise Man's Fear; there's also a companion novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things, which focuses on popular supporting character Auri. |
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| Blood Song: A Raven's Shadow Novel by Anthony RyanEpic Fantasy. Following the death of his mother, ten-year-old Vaelin Al Sorna is delivered by his father, the king's Battle Lord, to the House of the Sixth Order to train as a warrior. Informed that he'll have "no family now save the Order," Vaelin bonds with his fellow novices as they endure years of training in preparation for their sacred task of defending the Unified Realm and its ruler, King Janus, against the Deniers, heretics purported to be servants of the Dark. But the more Vaelin learns about his sovereign, his Order, and his own family history, the more he begins to question everything he's been taught. This trilogy opener continues with Tower Lord and Queen of Fire. |
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| The Black Prism by Brent WeeksEpic Fantasy. In the Seven Satrapies, colored light (luxin) is magic and magic is power. Fifteen years ago, twin mages Gavin and Daven Guile fought against each other in the Great Prism Wars before Gavin triumphed over his brother to become the High Lord Prism and the leader of the Chromerium, which governs the realm's use of magic. Now Gavin learns that he has a son, or so he's told. Gavin is certain that teenage orphan Kip is not his child; Kip doesn't know what to believe, but it hardly matters: both of their lives (not to mention the fate of the Seven Satrapies) are about to change forever in this opening volume of the Lightbringer Saga. Fascinated by this novel's political intrigue and complex chromatic magic system? Try Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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West Babylon Public Library 211 Route 109 West Babylon, New York 11704 (631) 669-5445http://wbpl.us |
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