Epic Fantasy. Valen of Navronne, a rebellious 20-something descended from pureblood cartographers and diviners, is on the run from both his family and their morbid prophecy, that he will die "in water and blood and ice." When he finds himself robbed and left for dead in a cold rain that's turning to sleet, the circumstances make him pause. Luckily for him, monks find him and help him regain his health. But is it altruism that motivates the monks or do they want his magical book of maps that supposedly can lead one to the realm of angels? The sequel to this dark tale, Breath and Bone, comes out in January, 2008.

Fantasy. Prince Imriel, third in line for the throne of the Renaissance-like land of Terre d'Ange, is in love--and lust--with Sidonie, the daughter of the queen and heir to the throne. She returns his affections, but theirs is a secret, forbidden passion--Imriel is the blood son of his country's worst traitors, and though they abandoned him and he was later adopted by the land's most beloved heroes, neither the queen nor her people would ever bless their union. Accepting this truth, Imriel marries Dorelei, Princess of Alba; but someone knows his passionate secret and aims to use it against him. This is the 5th in the popular Kushiel's Legacy series.

Epic Fantasy. Acacia, the first fantasy book by talented historical novelist David Anthony Durham, is set in a land financed with drug money and built on the backs of slaves. A change in leadership comes when King Leodan, the benevolent current ruler who had hoped to institute reforms, is assassinated by the Mein, a group exiled to the ice-locked North generations before. Following the widowed king's deathbed wish, an advisor separates the four beloved royal children--Aliver, Mena, Corinn, and Dariel--and sends them away in order to protect them. As the siblings grow up in a much-troubled world, they individually plot to salvage their homeland and avenge their father's death.

Contemporary Fantasy. Doctor Impossible, an evil genius, is trying to take over the world...again. He has tried and failed, and tried and failed, and, well, you get the picture. But this time he's got a better plan--no more time traveling or armies of fish. But first things first--before he takes over the planet, Doctor Impossible needs to break out of prison. Meanwhile, the Champions, a group of crime-fighting superheroes, look for Corefire, a member who's missing, and welcome Fatale, a rookie who's part woman and part machine. Take Soon I Will Be Invincible to your secret lair if you like comic books or enjoyed the film The Incredibles.

Having trained to become a Swordsman for the archetypal Chosen, who protect their world by overseeing the Wizard Lord, young Breaker faces an unexpected challenge when the Wizard Lord's dereliction of duty makes it necessary to remove him from power. By the author of the Obsidian Chronicles. Reprint.

Fantasy. In The Ninth Talisman, the 2nd book in Lawrence Watt-Evans’ Annals of the Chosen trilogy, the Wizard Lord seeks to modernize the land he rules, Barokan. It's the job of the magical members of the Chosen (the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker) to monitor the Wizard Lord in order to safeguard the land from abuse and tyranny--and they worry that he seeks to do away with magic in order to consolidate his own power. Sword, a newer member of the Chosen, reluctantly tears himself away from his everyday life in order fulfill his duties and investigate these fears.

Epic Fantasy. Lois McMaster Bujold won the Mythopoeic Award in 2002 for The Curse of Chalion, a story about a spiritually and physically damaged hero. After being betrayed and enslaved, former soldier Cazaril escapes his captors, returns to his homeland, and obtains a post in the royal household as secretary and tutor to the royesse (princess) of Chalion. It’s a dangerous job, because Cazaril’s betrayers rule the land through Royesse Iselle’s uncle and seek to control her younger brother, the heir to the throne. All Cazaril’s talents are required to help the family he has come to love. Readers who enjoy interesting characters caught in ethical dilemmas should pick this one up.

Contemporary Fantasy. In Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys, the 2006 Mythopoeic Award winner which shares characters with the author's American Gods, Fat Charlie Nancy’s father dies in Florida, forcing a trip away from his job and fiancée in London. Sound far too mundane for fantasy? Never fear, the story--along with Charlie’s life--veers into the fantastic when he learns his estranged father was actually Anansi, the African trickster god. He then meets his powerful brother Spider (who gets him fired and steals his girl) and discovers that he may have some magical powers of his own. Fans of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett will find a similar type of humor here, though Gaiman's has a darker edge.

Fantasy. Patricia McKillip's Ombria in Shadow, which won both the 2003 Mythopoeic Award and a 2003 World Fantasy Award, is a fantasy with a gothic, fairy-tale feel. Ombria is a city on the cusp of dramatic changes--its ruling prince has died and his heir is too young to rule. The boy's great-aunt, the scheming Black Pearl, tosses the dead ruler's mistress onto the dangerous streets and works to seize and retain power. Yet other forces are at work too, including a sorcerer's apprentice who lives beneath the decaying city, and a bastard prince who thinks he's powerless. Library Journal says "graceful prose and remarkable depth of characterization bring to life a tale of love and loyalty."

Contemporary Fantasy. Terri Windling, an award-winning editor of fantasy anthologies, received the Mythopoeic Award in 1997 for her debut novel The Wood Wife, which was praised by Publishers Weekly as being “a captivating mix of traditional fantasy and magical realism.” In it, journalist and former poet Maggie Black inherits the Tucson, Arizona house of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Davis Cooper; leaves her troubled relationships behind; and moves into her isolated new home. Planning to write a biography of Davis, she digs into his puzzling life and death (he drowned but wasn't near water), and finds that while his demise is mysterious, so are the strange spirits that stir in the hills.