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Reviews from our Master of Fantasy!
As the post-summer routines get started again, there's nothing like escaping into a well-written fantasy or science-fiction world. We spoke to Larry, The Bookies' Master of Fantasy, about the latest books he's loved.
Here are his personal reviews:
Adult
I haven't read such a good end-of-the-earth story since On The Beach. An aging astronomer stranded in the Arctic, and a woman on a spaceship returning to earth, struggle understand their places in the world, after what may be the end of civilization.
By Blake Crouch
$26.99, Crown Publishing Group
Jason Dessen wakes up in a world that is not his own--his wife is another woman and his son was never born. He's crossed over into an alternative universe--one of the many that are created every time you make a decision. Which life is "real?" And how can he get back to the people he loves? I enjoyed the quantum physics and other fascinating science packed into this thriller.
By Joe Hill
$28.99, William Morrow & Company
A fast-spreading disease causes people to spontaneously combust and is threatening the end of civilization. When a pregnant nurse becomes infected, she is determined to survive until her baby is born, but as her husband loses his sanity and neighbors hunt down the infected, how is she to stay alive? There's a strong horror element in this story of the chaos at the end of community, as well as a warped perspective - how do you know who's good and who's bad?
By Alan Smale
$9.99, Del Rey Books
The second in the Clash of Eagles series. In this alternate history, the last legionnaire to survive the Roman invasion of the US is now settled with a Native American tribe, and is teaching them the Roman art of battle so they can overcome other tribes. Great historical fantasy. Just out in paperback.
by Mark Tompkins
$27, Viking
What happened to magic? This book looks back to a medieval Ireland where magical being battle against enemies sent by the Vatican and the King of England. An epic fantasy with an incredible combination of myth, fantasy and history, which includes fairies, Vikings, Kings, the Dead Sea Scrolls and much more. Tompkins is a local author who lives in Aspen - take a look at his website.
Young Adult
Libya Bray
$19, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The second in the Diviners series. The novel is set in 1920s New York, where a misuse of the occult leads to a rise of monsters and a sleeping sickness spreads through the city. The teenage Diviners must enter the Dreamworld to save the city. A good series in a different setting - I look forward to more.
Leopoldo Gout
$17.99, Feiwel & Friends
200 young geniuses from around the world compete in a game that could mean life or death for three of them. Fast-moving with great characters, plus fascinating graphics that enhance the text.
Brandon Sanderson
$18.99, Delacorte Press
Brandon Sanderson, need I say more? Sequel to Steelheart and Firefight, and just as exciting. Great suspense, action and drama.
By William Ritter
$17.99, Algonquin Young Readers
Next in the series about the mysterious young detective and his assistant who solves mysteries both in our world and the supernatural. Now they are trying solve the murder of one of their ghostly friends--but a present-day copy of the long-ago murder makes their case even more urgent. Eccentric and fun as well as spooky.
Peader O'Guilin
David Fickling Books, $18.99
Shona here, sneaking a review into the middle of Larry's section (sssh, maybe he won't notice)... If you like dark, supernatural horror, this is the book for you! It's set in an Ireland cut off from the rest of the world by the Sidhe, magical beings once thought banished. Now the Sidhe have discovered they can steal teenagers - The Call - and kill or torture them in one day of wild hunting (three minutes and four seconds in the 'real' world). How is Nessa, her legs twisted by polio, to survive this? How can Ireland survive this? Very dark, very scary - older YA and adults. There's a longer review on our blog.
Middle Grade
By Kelly Barnhill
$16.95, Algonquin Young Readers
When a witch accidentally gives a child magic, she keeps the girl, but the girl turns out to be more powerful and dangerous than the witch anticipated... One of my favorite fantasies of the year so far and one of the best dragon stories I have read - there is a longer review on our blog.
by Stan Lee, Stuart Moore and Andie Tong (illustrator)
$16.99, Disney Press
Another sequel that is just as good as the first in the series. When the line between good and evil is blurred, it's hard to tell which is which. And is there any such thing as pure good, or pure evil?
by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Hugely popular and the first in a series, this will be out in paperback at the end of this month. A young American girl studying in Rome discovers she is a descendant of a family that can wield the Sword of Destiny - a sword that can change the future. She is being hunted for her power and must find the sword before her enemies.
by Alexander Vance
$16.99, Feiwel & Friends
An artistic girl discovers a young boy who can travel between famous paintings - but he is trapped in the world of art. He'll never escape - unless she's prepared to go into paintings and help. I particularly liked the tongue-in-cheek footnotes.
All books are in stock at the time of writing, and we're also happy to order for you! Call us, or click on the book you want to order online.
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