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Fantasy June 2007
"When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!" ~ Lewis Carroll (1832–1898), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
New and Recently Released!
White Night: A Novel of the Dresden Files - by Jim Butcher
Publisher: Roc
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/03/2007
 ISBN: 9780451461407
 ISBN-10:0451461401
Mystery Fantasy. Facing a near-certain death? Definitely. Embroiled in vampire court intrigue? Most assuredly. Accused by those he seeks to help? Naturally. Who could it be? Wizard detective Harry Dresden, of course, who's trying to solve the murders of other less-powerful practitioners of magic in the 9th installment of Jim Butcher's bestselling series. Clues point to Harry's secretive half-brother, so to help the only family member he has left, Harry searches for the real killer. Readers new to the series (even if they've seen the TV show) should start with the 1st book, Storm Front, to best appreciate these spellbinding novels.
The Serpent Bride - by Sara Douglass
Publisher: Eos
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/01/2007
 ISBN: 9780060882136
 ISBN-10:0060882131
Epic Fantasy. The Great Serpent appears to Ishbel Labarde and tells her she must marry the King of Escator. Ishbel, an archpriestess in the Order of the Coil (a cult that performs human sacrifices), does as her god commands, but she's unaware that her new husband possesses a secret that could alter the entire world. Meanwhile, under Darkglass Mountain, an old evil is clawing its way out of a weakening prison. This 1st in a new series that's set in the same world--and includes some of the same characters--as some of the Australian author's previous books, features "well-honed storytelling" (Library Journal).
Season of the Witch - by Natasha Mostert
Publisher: Dutton
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/19/2007
 ISBN: 9780525950035
 ISBN-10:0525950036
Psychic Thriller. Asked by a former lover to investigate the disappearance of her stepson, London-based information thief and skilled "remote viewer" Gabriel Blackstone reluctantly agrees. Tapping into his psychic powers he "sees" a pair of beautiful witch sisters, Minnaloushe and Morrighan Monk--and realizes that one of them probably killed the missing man. When Gabriel visits the sisters in person, he finds himself falling dangerously in love with one of them. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly says this is a "spellbinding tale of magic and seduction." Fantasy fans looking for something different should meet these modern witches.
If you like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden...
Many fans first met Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden via the printed page, others through the Sci Fi Channel's new series, but odds are, if you've met him, you like him. Though he is a powerful wizard, Harry is, at his core, a nice guy living in a questionably decorated apartment trying to earn a living and make the world a better place. He's not perfect, and that makes him all the more complex and intriguing--just like the other characters in this fast-paced series. And the well-done sleuthing aspects are a lure for those who enjoy a nice whodunit. If you've already finished reading Harry's latest adventure, White Night, check out one of the similar books below. If you haven't made Harry's acquaintance, grab his 1st book, Storm Front.
Ill Wind - by Rachel Caine
Publisher: New American Library
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/01/2003
 ISBN: 9780451459527
 ISBN-10:0451459520
Mystery Fantasy. Joanne Baldwin is a young, supernaturally gifted character battling both unbelievable odds and a ruling council that isn't always on her side--sounds a bit like a female Harry, huh? In Ill Wind, Joanne, a Weather Warden capable of taming the most violent weather, finds herself sporting a Demon Mark and on the run from the Council when murder accusations rain down on her. Her only hope? Lewis, a powerful Warden also on the run from the World Council--but first she's got to find him. Newcomers should begin with this 1st in the series in order to best appreciate the details of Joanne's later outings.
Sweet Silver Blues - by Glen Cook
Publisher: New American Library
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/1990
 ISBN: 9780451450708
 ISBN-10:0451450701
Mystery Fantasy. Unlike Harry, the hero in Glen Cook's Garrett Files series is a human private detective (no handy blasting rod for him), ex-marine, and something of a ladies man. Like Harry, the world he inhabits is peopled with gnomes, elves, vampires, wizards, and such, so there are plenty of paranormal shenanigans for the hardboiled PI to deal with in the course of his working day. In Sweet Silver Blues, his 1st appearance, Garrett tries to track down the lovely heir to a fortune in silver left by one of Garrett's military buddies, but the case is complicated by misinformation--and vampires.
Something from the Nightside - Simon R. Green
Publisher: Berkley
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2003
 ISBN: 9780441010653
 ISBN-10:0441010652
Mystery Fantasy. John Taylor, a detective and supernaturally gifted "expert on finding lost things," is--like our pal Harry--honorable, vulnerable, and haunted. In Taylor's 1st adventure, he reluctantly returns to the place whence he came, the Nightside (a dark realm of London rife with myths, monsters, and legends, where it's always 3 AM), to find the missing human daughter of a wealthy client. Jim Butcher fans who enjoy Harry's periodic forays into the fey world will find the Nightside an equally compelling, if a bit darker, place, and they'll enjoy the multi-book storyline that provides details of Taylor's origins--especially concerning the identity of his mother.
Focus on: Fairy Tales
Enchantment - by Orson Scott Card
Publisher: Del Rey
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/31/2005
 ISBN: 9780345482402
 ISBN-10:0345482409
Fairy Tale Fantasy. In a Russian forest, 10-year-old Ivan thinks he sees something peculiar in a clearing: a beautiful woman on a pedestal. Ivan feels an evil presence, panics, and runs away. Over a decade later, Ivan, now an American grad student, returns to his home country, finds the spot in the woods, and there, indeed, lies the lovely Princess Katerina. Ivan manages to rescue her from a menacing guardian, but the pair end up in 9th-century Russia--Katerina's world. Orson Scott Card, who's better known for his science fiction books, displays his prodigious talents in this well-researched fantasy based on a Russian version of Sleeping Beauty.
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The Gates of Sleep - by Mercedes Lackey
Publisher: DAW
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2002
 ISBN: 9780756400606
 ISBN-10:0756400600
Fairy Tale Fantasy. In Edwardian England, a cursed babe who was saved by a last-minute blessing grows up to fight the satanic aunt who tried to damn her. In this fresh take on the Sleeping Beauty legend, Marina Roeswood, who possesses elemental magic but is unaware of her troubled past, goes to live with her evil aunt after her parents die when she is 17 years old. Marina senses something is wrong even though she can prove nothing, so, listening to her intuition, she investigates and discovers her aunt has hellish secrets. The Gates of Sleep has "colorful characters" and is "great fun to read" (Booklist).
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - by Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Regan Books
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/01/1999
 ISBN: 9780060392826
 ISBN-10:0060392827
Fantasy. Gregory Maguire gives Cinderella the same treatment he gave The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Wicked--he examines the life of the villains. In this retelling, Iris Fisher, along with her mother, and her mentally simple sister Ruth, moves from England after her father's death to her mother's native Holland. Life is difficult, but Iris' mother finds them work as servants in the home of an artist--and then ingratiates herself with the painter's patron. She later marries him, making plain-looking Iris and Ruth stepsisters of the man's lovely daughter, Clara. This thought-provoking book fantastically explores the nature of beauty.
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Briar Rose - by Jane Yolen
Publisher: Tor
 Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/01/2002
 ISBN: 9780765342300
 ISBN-10:0765342308
Fairy Tale Fantasy. What if your grandmother had told you a version of Sleeping Beauty with herself as Briar Rose? It's likely you'd think it just a fanciful tale spun by an old lady, and that's what Rebecca Berlin thinks, too. Yet, after her grandmother's death, Rebecca finds evidence that her grandmother's story may be true, and she eventually travels to the woman's home country of Poland searching for answers...and finds ties to the Holocaust. Booklist calls this novel, which won the 1993 Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature, "both heartbreaking and heartwarming."
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Contact your librarian for more great books!