Tag: Fantasy

Posted in Adult, Audience, Fantasy, Fiction, Genre

Fantasy-Mystery Fusions

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

Not too long ago, I dove into the world of genre fusions by sharing some of my favorite works of historical fantasy. If you’re curious, you can read that post here. Today, I’m going to take a look at another fantasy genre fusion, this time between fantasy and mystery. As far as I’m aware, this genre fusion doesn’t have an official name, but I’m fascinated by it, particularly because the genres it pulls from are so different. While a fantasy novel usually has to follow a certain set of rules in order to be believable, those rules can be just about anything the author wants, and many fantasy authors revel in breaking established conventions of the genre. Mysteries, on the other hand, are bound by a strict set of genre expectations. The very best fusions between fantasy and mystery, in my opinion, are capable of reinvigorating both of the genres they pull inspiration from. Let’s get started!

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

When poison expert Anja is summoned by the King to uncover the cause of his daughter Snow’s mysterious illness, she knows the stakes couldn’t be higher.  When she arrives at the royal palace, Anja finds both her young patient and the court surrounding her haunted by secrets and scarred by tragedy.  Soon, Anja discovers that the cause of Snow’s illness is not medical, but magical, devised by a ruthless adversary who lurks within the castle’s mirrors.  To save Snow and stop the magic of the mirrors from falling into the wrong hands, Anja’s courage and smarts will be put to the test.  My favorite element of this loose retelling of Snow White was the surreal,  creepy mirror-realm.  T. Kingfisher’s horror chops were certainly evident in some of the scenes featuring it, and while the mirror magic was a little confusing at first, this actually turned out to be to the story’s benefit.  The reader discovers how the mirrors work side-by-side with Anja, thereby getting a good sense of how this mystery’s detective thinks well before the main climax.  If you’re looking for a new twist on an old story, told with T. Kingfisher’s signature humor and heart, Hemlock & Silver will chill, intrigue, and enchant you.

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Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Genre, Historical, Uncategorized

Great Historical Fantasy

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

Genre fusions are having a bit of a moment right now, so today I want to talk about one of my favorites: historical fantasy.  Plenty of fantasy novels have, for lack of a better word, historical vibes: most people are familiar with the basics of the ‘generic medieval fantasy setting’, even if they don’t read much fantasy themselves. But today I want to go beyond that, and explore books that introduce fantastical elements into real-world history.  In a historical fantasy novel, an author has an opportunity to inject the unexpected into the familiar, and a historically inspired setting provides a window to explore what fantasy can be outside of the ‘medieval Europe but not quite’ formula.  Here’s a selection of works of historical fantasy, all available through the Monarch Library System, that will appeal readers who love both genres and what happens when the two combine.

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

In the middle of the 14th century, China is wracked by famine and scarred by war.  This is the time of the Yuan Dynasty, the period of the Mongol Empire’s rule.  After the death of her brother, a young girl assumes his identity to become Zhu Chongba, rising from obscurity to become a great military commander – but when faced with the brutal calculus of war, she must make an unspeakable choice.  She Who Became The Sun bears some similarities to the legend of Hua Mulan, but readers shouldn’t expect anything like Disney’s cheery musical rendition of the story.  Rather, Zhu Chongba resembles the thorny antiheroines of Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant and R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War.  The setting of this book is brilliantly realized: the bleak portrait of the famine-stricken village of Zhu Chongba’s childhood forms one of the most effective prologues I’ve read in a genre novel in some time.  Parker-Chan also presents a brilliant antivillain in Ouyang, a captive who has risen high in the army and royal court of Henan. I couldn’t put this book down, and the ending left me with a fierce book hangover.  Luckily, She Who Became The Sun is the first of a completed duology, and the conclusion, He Who Drowned The World, is also on the shelf at Mead, ready for avid readers to pick up right away.

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Posted in Adult, Staff Picks

Adventures in Reading (March 2026)

Posted on by abbiebourelle

Books are amazing. Just think-in reality a book is a rectangle of bound paper covered in printed words. Yet this simple object and the words within allow the reader to be transported to different times, fantastical places, and situations you would never interact with in the real world. Dear reader, did you know that the brain actually thinks you are experiencing what you are reading? If you are experiencing something in real life or just reading about it, the same areas of the brain are active. Article link: (https://www.oedb.org/ilibrarian/your-brain-on-books-10-things-that-happen-to-our-minds-when-we-read/) How cool is that! Books really are portals that allow us to escape our everyday lives and engage in a world that is completely different.

In the past month my reading journey has taken me to the cold extremes of the polar north, a planet inhabited by dragons and dragon riders, a decaying cemetery ship in the void of space, and the darkness of our own human mind. Join me, dear reader, as I share these journeys with you in my reading recommendations list for this month.

The Terror by Dan Simmons

I have a small spot reserved on my bedroom bookshelf for my ultimate favorite books. (The other books are ordered by genre and series). It is very unusual for me to add a book to this shelf of ultimate favorites. The book had to have some meaningful impact on me. It had to make me think or capture my imagination in a way that completely obsessed my thoughts. Dear readers, this book: The Terror, has joined the ranks of The Princess Bride, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lord or the Rings, and The Symphony of Ages series on my special shelf of beloved books.

“The men think it is no animal,” says Fitzjames. “They believe its cunning is something else, is preternatural, supernatural, that there is a demon out there on the ice in the dark.”

The Terror is a fictional retelling of The Franklin Expedition. Dan Simmons uses historical fact and Inuit mythology to weave a tale of survival, courage, betrayal, and (of course) terror. As if starvation, bitter cold, and disease were not enough for the stranded crews of the ships Erebus and Terror to contend with; they are also stalked by a mysterious creature that lurks out on the ice. Despite the dire circumstances, the crews of both ships show remarkable strength in their battle for survival. They face trials within and without dealing with mutinous and murderous crew members, scurvy, negative degree cold, starvation, and disease. Through all of this turmoil they are constantly hunted by “the thing on the ice”, a cunning creature that they suspect to be supernatural in origin. The characters were very real and well written. I felt attached to all of them-even the villainous ones. The setting was breathtaking and the author does well making you feel that you are in the far north in all of it’s icy beauty. The horror scenes were rewarding. Honestly, I loved the creature as much as the crew. The mayhem it caused was so much gory fun.

Why this book ended up on my favorites shelf is because it has unlocked an obsession in me about The Franklin Expedition. As soon as I finished The Terror I went and compiled a list of all kinds of non fiction books about the real people and the real expedition. I have a lot to read through and am looking forward to it. The Terror delves deep into matters of the spiritual, especially towards the end. It was truly a book that captures the mind. It will live within me forever.

If you find you enjoy the book, it was also made into a TV miniseries that we also have on DVD. It was really well done!

Click HERE to request The Terror

Click HERE to request The Terror DVD miniseries

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Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Love Across Time

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

Romance, particularly where it overlaps with fantasy and science fiction, needs a challenge for the main characters to overcome in order to be together.  Could anything be more challenging to overcome than time itself?  Today, I’m spotlighting a trendy subgenre that doesn’t seem to have an official name, but that I like to call “timestream romance”.  These books feature characters who fall in love amidst the tangles of time travel, time loops, and multiple reincarnations across the centuries.  Let’s get started!

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

The story of This Is How You Lose The Time War unfolds as a series of letters between Red and Blue, agents of two enemy organizations whose battlefield is time itself.  As Red and Blue leave messages for one another across time, their enmity first thaws into respect, and then blossoms into love.  But what will it cost for the two of them to be together?  This book is both exquisitely written and emotionally honest in spite of the out-of-this-world situation it portrays, with character voices that expertly thread the delicate needle of being witty and charming while still feeling real.  I found it pretty refreshing to read an enemies-to-lovers romance that focused on a meeting of the minds rather than flashy duels.  This book is an intense emotional journey in a small package, certain to stay with you even after the final page is turned.

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Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror

Great Speculative Fiction from 2025

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

It’s that time of year again!  Last year, I surveyed a sampling of the years’ greatest sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.  You can read that post here – all of those books still come highly recommended.  Now the time has come to do the same for the new releases of 2025.  The same caveat from last year applies: I’m only one person, I can only read so many books in a year.  Therefore I couldn’t possibly include every amazing new speculative fiction release from the past year, no matter how much I might like to.  I’d also be remiss if I didn’t point out that 2025 has been an absolute banner year for horror, and this list leans a lot more towards that genre than last years’.  With the preamble out of the way, let’s get started!

The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes

In the city of Tilliard, opera is bloodsport, perfume is politics, and one person can have many names over the course of a life.  We view this city through the eyes of Guy Moulène, one of the rank and file of Tilliard’s pest control companies.  On a routine job, Guy discovers an insect the size of a dragon – one that may be even more dangerous after it’s slain.  Guy’s story entwines with that of Asteritha Vost, perfumer to Tilliard’s elite.  When Aster becomes entangled with Mallory vont Passant, a newcomer to Tilliard with a past shrouded in mystery, she unearths secrets that may shake the city to its core – that touch upon the past of her ruthless employer, Grand Marshal Maximian Sorav.  As a work of horror fantasy, The Works of Vermin is no less than the total package.  Tilliard’s atmosphere of rotten beauty is pitch-perfect, calling to mind Jeff Vandermeer’s Ambergris and China Miéville’s New Crobuzon.  Innes also delivers on pacing and plot – there’s a sequence of plot twists about three quarters of the way through that literally made my jaw drop.  Prospective readers should definitely exercise discretion about content, as this story goes to some extremely dark places.  That said, it’s also suffused with some welcome macabre humor: when things get that bad, sometimes there’s nothing to do but laugh.  The Works of Vermin was a privilege to read, a book over four-hundred pages that I wish was longer.  If Ennes ever wants to return to the Tilliard setting, I’ll happily come along, bugs and all.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Abbie’s Recent Reads (November 2025)

Posted on by abbiebourelle

Last month I found myself in a bit of a reading slump. Life was busy and many of my library holds were taking their time coming in (yes, they came in all at once so I had some catching up to do!). I had a great time reading through a wide variety of genres in the past month, and I am super excited to share my favorites with you! Below you will find suggestions for genres in fantasy, non fiction, historical fiction, and thriller/horror. I am an eclectic reader! Dear reader, I hope you find something on this list that brings you as much delight as these reads brought to me.

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Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Horror

Let’s Get Gothic

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

October may be over, but I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to recommend something gloriously grim.  When you’re craving the decaying splendor and unspeakable secrets of a gothic novel, nothing else will do.  Each of these selections puts a unique contemporary spin on the gothic genre, and all will be an excellent accompaniment to the cold days and long nights coming right around the corner.

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Jane Shoringfield is aware that her hasty marriage to Dr. Augustine Lawrence is highly irregular. Dr. Lawrence insists upon certain unusual rules – particularly that Jane never set foot in Lindridge Hall, the Lawrence family’s ancestral home.  But when Jane finds herself with no choice but to break her husband’s prohibitions, she realizes her marriage comes with more than she bargained for: magical secrets and the very literal ghosts of Augustine’s past.  In The Death of Jane Lawrence, Caitlin Starling has deftly crafted a gothic novel that feels like the classics while speaking directly to what modern readers want.  At first, this book appears to be a fantasy-influenced homage to gothic mainstays, such as Rebecca and Jane Eyre.  But gradually, alongside the heroine, the reader comes to realize that this is in no way the story that they were expecting.  The ending was one of the best twists I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.  Naturally, I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it.

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Posted in Fantasy, Genre, Uncategorized

One Of A Kind Fantasy

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

Part of the reason we love genre fiction is familiarity, but even the biggest fantasy die-hards will admit that sometimes familiarity starts to get same-y.  Never fear: I’ve compiled a list of fantasy novels that do something truly unique with the genre’s toolbox.  These recommendations, all available at Mead, may get you out of a reading slump if you need it, and remind you why you fell in love with fantasy.  And if you happen to be new to the genre, any of these books would be a great place to start.

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

Fetter lost his shadow in childhood, as part of his mother’s ambition for him to fulfill a prophecy that he would one day assassinate his father.  As a young man in the city of Luriat, Fetter tries to process his past by attending a therapy group for former Chosen Ones.  He discovers his affinity for the mysterious Bright Doors that mark the cityscape, as well as the role he might have to play in a rebellion against his father.  The Saint of Bright Doors is a much needed re-imagining of some of fantasy’s most enduring tropes, and Fetter’s emotional journey over the course of the book is something truly unforgettable.  As you read it, you’ll find yourself asking questions not only about the stories we tell one another, but also about the aspects of our real world that they reflect.

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Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Genre, Historical, Horror, Science Fiction, Uncategorized

A Mostly Magical Miscellany

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

Ordinarily, when I’m putting together a post for this blog, I tailor my recommendations to follow a certain theme.  This can be a good way to get creative energies flowing, but unfortunately, it also means that if I haven’t been able to talk about some of my absolute favorites, just because I haven’t been able to fit them into a theme.  Today, I aim to fix that.  July just so happens to be my birthday month, so as a birthday gift to myself and all of you wonderful readers, I’ve compiled a selection of books for no reason other than because I love them.  Just because of my personal tastes, most of these will fall into the fantasy genre, but there are a couple wildcards!  Let’s get started!

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin

Genly Ai is a human emissary to the planet Winter, home of the Gethenians, an alien species who have no concept of gender and change their sex in order to reproduce.  Mounting political strife throws Genly into the path of the Gethenian Estraven.  Soon, the two realize they will have to overcome their differences and depend on one another in order to survive, and possibly bring Winter into a new era in the process.  All of this is told with the compassionate characterization and beautiful prose that made Ursula K. LeGuin a master of the science fiction genre.  As much as I adore this book, it is worth noting that it was originally published in 1969, and therefore readers should be mindful of encountering some language and content that is considered outdated today.  LeGuin herself later expressed regret that the book’s narration uses “he” to refer to the Gethenian characters rather than singular “they”.  The novel’s themes, however, are timeless.  I think everyone has one or two novels they encountered in college that expanded their ideas of what fiction could do, and this is one of mine.  The story and characters of The Left Hand of Darkness will remain with you long after the final page is turned.  If you haven’t read it yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough, and if you have, it’s a book worth revisiting again and again.

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Posted in Adult, Audience, Fantasy, Fiction, Genre

Fairy Tale Novellas

Posted on by Sydney Anderson

Every so often, I like to spend some time with a book that reminds me of how I fell in love with reading.  For me, that means memories of being curled up under the covers with a fairy tale.  These four little books prove that magical things often come in small packages.  They may offer new interpretations of old stories that many of us might have come to love when we were young, but each also speaks to the wisdom and perspective of adulthood.  I have such a deep love for this little subgenre, and I hope you’ll join me as I share a few of my favorites.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

Sisters Esther and Isobel live at the river’s edge, guardians of a pair of enchanted willow trees.  The two are inseparable, but tragedy strikes when the actions of a jealous suitor threaten to separate them forever.  With the help of her faerie sweetheart Rin, Esther will have to struggle her way back across the boundary between real and unreal to save her sister before it’s too late.  This novella was El-Mohtar’s highly anticipated solo debut after the smash success of her collaboration with Max Gladstone, This Is How You Lose The Time War.  It’s everything her fans were looking for.  El-Mohtar’s lyrical prose is excellently matched to a story interwoven with the themes of traditional folk ballads, particularly Twa Sisters, although this book flips the script on hero and villain from the original tale.  The book also features evocative illustrations by Kathleen Neeley, as well as a sneak preview of El-Mohtar’s upcoming short story collection.

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