Tag: fantasy

The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy: Book 2) by Katherine Arden

The Girl in the Tower (The Bear and the Nightingale #2)

5 Stars 

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: December 5th, 2017

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 384

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Winternight Trilogy

The Bear and The Nightingale – Book 1 (review here)

The Girl in the Tower – Book 2

Where you can find The Girl in the Tower: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The magical adventure began in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to live in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

Trigger Warning: None

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The Emperor’s Trap (formerly Seekers) by R.A. Denny

The Emperor's Trap (Tales of Tzoladia Book 2) by [Denny, R.A.]

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: April 11th, 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Number of pages: 238

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Mud, Rocks, and Trees

Refugees – Book 1 (review here)

Seekers – Book 2

Captives – Book 3

Warriors – Book 4

Where you can find Seekers: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

I can see the future, but it’s muddy.  A dream led me to Baskrod when I was a small boy. A dream showed me the emperor’s mad ravings in his throne room. And a recurring dream reveals that I will ride a lion into the city of Tzoladia at the head of a victorious procession.

But what if I’m wrong?

Prophecies, dreams, and signs are easy to misinterpret. Why else would the wise men of the Society of the Word hide in caves, carry swords, and employ spies? I thought they would know where to find the other deliverers.

But nobody knows what has happened to Brina and Moshoi.  For all I know, the emperor may already have them in his trap.

Trigger Warning: None

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Whispers in the Woods (Firemountain Chronicles: Book 1) by Victoria Lynn Osborne

Whispers in the Woods (Firemountain Chronicles #1)

4 Stars

Publisher: Azure Spider Publications

Date of publication: February 16th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Fantasy

Number of pages: 184

POV: 3rd person

Series: Firemountain Chronicles

Whispers in the Woods – Book 1

Where you can find Whispers in the Woods: Amazon| Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Dinah Steele was starting her career as part of a presidential candidates press corps when her team made a campaign stop in Tacoma Washington. Ever since then she has been seeing strange creatures in the shadows.
Drawn by a growing obsession to find answers to her visions, her journey takes her to Firemountain. She is drawn into the strange city. With the help of a privileged heir, she investigates the death of her predecessor and uncovers a plot spearheaded by a demon lord that seeks to conquer the city and take over the gate that has opened in the nearby volcano.

Trigger Warning: None

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The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross (The Curious Affair of: Book 2) by Lisa Tuttle

The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross (The Curious Affair Of, #2)

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Hydra

Date of publication: November 28th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 314

POV: 1st person

Series: The Curious Affair of

The Somnambulist and the Psychic Theif – Book 1

The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross – Book 2

Where you can find The Curious Affair of The Witch at Wayside Cross: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Jesperson and Lane are turning the Victorian era upside down in this bewitching series from John W. Campbell Award winner Lisa Tuttle.

“Witch!” cries the young man after stumbling unexpectedly into the London address of the consulting-detective partnership of Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. He makes the startling accusation while pointing toward Miss Lane . . . then he drops dead. Thus begins the strangest case yet to land—quite literally—on the doorstep of Jesperson and Lane.

According to the coroner, Charles Manning died of a heart attack—despite being in perfect health. Could he have been struck down by a witch’s spell? The late Mr. Manning’s address book leads Jesperson and Lane to the shrieking pits of Aylmerton, an ancient archaeological site reputed to be haunted by a vengeful ghost. There they sift through the local characters, each more suspicious than the last: Manning’s associate, Felix Ott, an English folklore enthusiast; Reverend Ringer, a fierce opponent of superstition; and the Bulstrode sisters, a trio of beauties with a reputation for witchcraft.

But when an innocent child goes missing, suddenly Jesperson and Lane aren’t merely trying to solve one murder—they’re racing to prevent another.

Trigger Warning: Talk of rape

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4 Years Trapped in My Mind Place by Johan Twiss

4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by [Twiss, Johan]

4 Stars

Publisher: Twiss Publishing

Date of publication: December 9th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Number of pages: 284

POV: 1st person

Where you can find 4 Years Trapped In My Mind Palace: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Diagnosed with a rare form of meningitis, fourteen-year-old Aaron Greenburg is paralyzed from head to toe. Doctors believe he is essentially brain dead and unaware of his surroundings, but Aaron is very much aware—trapped in his own mind with no way to communicate. 

To cope with his imprisonment, he retreats to an imaginary world called his Mind Palace, but the lines between reality, and time itself, start to blur when he receives a new patient as a roommate—an old, outspoken, Jewish jazz musician, named Solomon.

Filled with witty humor and heart-warming experiences, 4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace is a coming-of-age story, entwined with an end-of-age story, that will capture your imagination with a hint of nostalgia, a hint of the whimsical unknown, and a wild adventure through modern history.

Trigger Warning: None

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The New Dark by Lorraine Thomson

The New Dark

3 Stars

Publisher: be-ebooks

Date of publication: November 1st, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia, Young Adult

Number of pages: 221

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find The New Dark: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

“She thought she knew who she was and where she came from. Then her home was destroyed. Her brother lost amongst the ashes. And the boy she loves vanished. She owed her own survival to a mutant — the very forces behind the destruction. Now Sorrel will never be the same again.”

There is no “Before”, there is only “Now”. Because now there’s no internet, no TV, no power grid. Food is scarce, and the world’s a hostile place. But Sorrel lives a quiet life in the tiny settlement of Amat. It’s all she’s ever known …

Until a gang of marauding mutants destroys the village, snatching her brother Eli, and David, her boyfriend. Sorrel sets out after them, embarking on a journey fraught with danger. Can she survive? The only thing that keeps her going is Eli and David. They are out there somewhere. They must be alive. And if she has her way, she will find them.

THE NEW DARK is the first book in a new YA-trilogy and will be published in November 2017. The second and third books in the series (THE NEW DAWN & THE NEW DAY) will be released in 2018.

Lorraine Thomson was born in Glasgow. She won a UK writing competition and was short-listed for the Dundee Book Prize. She now lives in Ullapool on the rugged north-west coast of Scotland.

Follow the author on Twitter: @LGThomson1

Trigger Warning: remembrance of infanticide

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Dreams Manifest (The Depths of Memory: Book 2) by Candice Bundy

Dreams Manifest (The Depths of Memory Book 2) by [Bundy, Candice]

4 Stars

Publisher: Lusios Publishing

Date of publication: November 1st, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction

Number of pages: 412

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Depths of Memory

The Dream Sifter – Book 1 (review here)

Dreams Manifest – Book 2

Where you can find Dreams Manifest: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Reeling from the revelations of who she is or was, before her memories were ripped from her, Rai Durmah is faced with a new and more frightening threat. While scouting Az’Unda for potential Juggernaut settlement, Selector Brague of the Hegemony, who can end the human colony on a whim, encounters Rai Durmah and is shocked by her unusual abilities. Rai and her new family flee the scene, but Brague will not rest until he understands how Rai, a human colonist, developed her unique gifts. As she flees, Rai stumbles upon an ancient power that could change the face of Az’Unda and perhaps save the humans that live there. 

Caught between her adoptive family who doubts her loyalties, the alien Juggernaut, and a Guardian protector she fears, Rai desperately attempts to escape her pain and unwittingly unearths the answers to solve or destroy Az’Unda’s future.

*****

A distant human colony races to prove themselves before the powerful Hegemonic races declare their attempt a failure. Although they’ve been on Az’Unda for a little over 600 years and have used aggressive breeding practices, a horrible plague has reduced their life spans, left many women sterile, and created heartbreaking husks of the people they once knew and loved, known as Terrors. Little do they know they are about to face their greatest threat from one of their own–causing attention to focus on the ordinary and unremarkable Durmah Sept.

The Depths of Memory Trilogy in a set in a future where humans have fled Earth and struggle to colonize new worlds and prove their worth to the alien consortium known as the Hegemony. Beyond the colonist’s day-to-day struggles, they face a devastating plague which requires extreme and constant vigilance. Faced with internal and external threats, how far will the colonists be willing to go to save not just their colony, but humanity itself?

Trigger Warning: None

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The Dream Sifter (The Depths of Memory: Book 1) by Candice Bundy

The Dream Sifter (The Depths of Memory Book 1) by [Bundy, Candice]

4 Stars

Publisher: Lusios Publishing

Date of publication: August 15th, 2013

Genre: fantasy, science fiction

Number of pages: 578

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Depths of Memory

The Dream Sifter – Book 1

Dreams Manifest – Book 2

Where you can find The Dream Sifter: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Barren and shamed for her lack, Rai has no memory when she’s placed with an adoptive family, the large and prosperous Durmah Sept. Recurring nightmares pull her into another world–giving glimpses of a past she never recalls while awake. Rai fears for her new family’s safety in light of her mysterious past and newfound, bizarre abilities. Driven by a curiosity Rai can’t deny, she continues to search for the key to her fleeting bits of memory of people and places she has never seen. 

Aided by her new family and opposed by the formidable Temple Matriarchs and their Guardians, Rai pushes toward remembering and as she strives to know, realizes the horror of who she was and what she is. 

*****

A distant human colony races to prove themselves before the powerful Hegemonic races declare their attempt a failure. Although they’ve been on Az’Unda for a little over 600 years and have used aggressive breeding practices, a horrible plague has reduced their life spans, left many women sterile, and created heartbreaking husks of the people they once knew and loved, known as Terrors. Little do they know they are about to face their greatest threat from one of their own–causing attention to focus on the ordinary and unremarkable Durmah Sept.

The Depths of Memory Trilogy in a set in a future where humans have fled Earth and struggle to colonize new worlds and prove their worth to the alien consortium known as the Hegemony. Beyond the colonist’s day-to-day struggles, they face a devastating plague which requires extreme and constant vigilance. Faced with internal and external threats, how far will the colonists be willing to go to save not just their colony, but humanity itself?

The Depths of Memory Trilogy is a sci-fi/fantasy trilogy.

Trigger Warning: None

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Sun Warrior (Tales of a New World: Book 2) by P. C. Cast

Sun Warrior (Tales of a New World #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: October 17th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Number of pages: 551

POV: 3rd person

Series: Tales of a New World

Moon Chosen – Book 1 (review here)

Sun Warrior – Book 2

Where you can find Sun Warrior: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The battle lines have been drawn and Mari, an Earth Walker, and Nik, a Companion, who were once from rival clans now find themselves fighting to save each other and their people from destruction.

Thaddeus betrayed his own people, killing Nik’s father and destroying their entire clan. But he wants more. He wants the power he believes Mari has stolen from him and his people and he will do anything he must to get them back, even if it means destroying everything in his path. There is only way to stop Thaddeus, but it means a harrowing journey for Mari and Nik into the heart of darkness. But if they hope to survive the coming fight, they have no choice but to believe in each other.

Trigger Warning: Talk of past rape, abuse of animals

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Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch (Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Book 1) by Vic Connor

Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch by [Connor, Vic]

5 Stars

Publisher: Helvetic House

Date of publication: December 7, 2014

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal

Number of pages: 284

POV: 1st person

Series: Diary of Anna the Girl Witch

Foundling Witch – Book 1

Wandering Witch – Book 2

Fighting Witch – Book 3

Where you can find Foundling Witch: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

What do you do when you discover you’re a witch… And that using your new powers destroys your soul a little each time? 

Set in the Swiss countryside, this story blends ancient folklore with a coming of age tale about a young witch on the brink of womanhood. 

Anna Sophia has always known she was different. She didn’t know just how different until now. 

On the eve of her 13th birthday — in the orphanage where she’s spent most of her childhood — Anna wonders about her past. She never knew her parents, doesn’t even know where she came from. All she has to go by is an unbelievable fairy tale her uncle used to tell: that she was found as a baby, tucked among a pack of bear cubs in the wilds of Russia. 

To make matters even more complex, Anna has discovered that she can see and do things that no one else can. So far, she’s kept her powers a secret, and they remain strange and frightening even to her. 

It’s only when Anna receives a letter from her mother — a mother she will never meet — that she discovers some of the truths about her past, and begins to uncover the possibilities in her future. As Anna continues to learn more about her secret abilities, she finds out that her neighbors are hiding something of their own: a plot to harm Anna and her friends. 

Can Anna Sophia use her newfound supernatural powers to stop them? Can she fight back, without endangering her own soul? And maybe, just maybe, is her own secret tied up with theirs? 

Through a story of otherworldly magic, Anna Sophia finds a sense of real-world belonging. With its cast of strong characters, an inventive setting, and engaging storyline, this fantasy adventure is a relevant novel for middle-grade children or young adults. 

Genre: middle grade / young adult adventure.

Trigger Warning: none

Continue reading “Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch (Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Book 1) by Vic Connor” →