Foster Community Library

Tag: fantasy

  • “Bull” by David Elliott

    Audrey recommends: Bull by David Elliott

    Genre: Novel in verse

    Reading level: YA

    Summary: The Ancient Greek myth of Theseus, retold from the perspective of the Minotaur at the center of the labyrinth.

    Audrey says: David Elliott’s poetry sets a high bar for all other novels in verse. An ancient story finds a modern voice as he playfully mixes archaic vocabulary with modern colloquialisms. Elliott is inspired by established poetic forms, but plays with their execution. He further complicates the story by giving the “monster” a voice. This version of the story truly humanizes these abstract characters, which is ironic to say about a tale of gods and bull-men. Each is the hero in their own version of events.

    Greek myth retellings are everywhere now (think Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe, and Ariadne by Jennifer Saint) but none I’ve read have packed such an effective punch as this one.

  • “Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross

    Kylie recommends: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

    Genre: Historical romantasy

    Reading level: YA

    Summary: This enchanting historical war-time romantasy story starts with “anonymous” epistolary letters between the main characters, paralleled with their rival positions at the local newspaper, before focusing more on the grittiness and realities of war.

    Kylie says: I loved the characters and their romance but found the plot to be a bit slow. The way Ross writes is encapsulating and feels like a breath of fresh air. The ending leaves you on a major cliffhanger, so get ready to pick up book #2 in this duology.

  • “The Fake Mate” by Lana Ferguson

    Kylie recommends: The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson

    Genre: Paranormal contemporary romance

    Reading level: Adult

    Summary: I AM WARNING YOU, this is a very spicy paranormal werewolf/shifter romance about a nurse and a doctor who have to fake date, but unbeknownst to them, they are a perfect pairing: an Alpha and Omega.

    Kylie says: This is a fast read with the fake dating trope that you will fly right through so buckle up and have a glass of water handy.

  • “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros

    Kylie recommends: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

    Genre: Romantasy

    Reading level: Adult

    Summary: If you like easy-to-read, immersive stories that give you 2014 nostalgia with trials and tests as well as great worldbuilding, this one is for you.

    Kylie says: This is a fast-paced, dark and moody romantasy book with dragons and powerful characters.

  • “Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross

    Joanne recommends: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

    Genre: Fantasy/historical fiction

    Reading level: Young adult

    Summary: The gods are at war, yet love is in the air.

    Joanne says: This book has it all! Great characters, great plot, enemies to lovers troupe, and my high school book club LOVED it too!

  • “The Privilege of the Sword” by Ellen Kushner

    Audrey recommends: The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner

    Genre: Fantasy

    Reading Level: Adult

    Summary: The eccentric Mad Duke of Tremontaine decides to teach his niece, Katherine, how to become a swordmaster rather than marry her off to an eligible nobleman.

    Audrey says: Ellen Kushner describes her Riverside series as “a melodrama of manners”: Jane-Austen-style social commentary in a bloody, high-stakes action-adventure. The ladies in town gossip about the latest slaughter as if it were a fashionable dress. Literary opinions are settled by a duel to first blood. “Melodrama of manners” is now my new favorite genre of all time.

    Leaving aside the environment, this novel is, at its core, about breaking boundaries. Marriage or death seem to be the only option for a young lady, but the Mad Duke encourages her to take a third option: true independence.

    At first, Katherine resists: if she walks around in boy’s clothes, folks will think she’s clinically insane, or worse, an actress. Katherine herself has no issue wearing breeches; she limits herself purely on the perceptions of others. The pressure to marry young, to appear chaste, to rely on men, to avoid making a scene… The societal norms of class and gender completely unravel once she realizes that they’re all illusions.

    This brief summary can’t do justice to the detail of Kushner’s world nor the rich interiority of her characters. I’m surprised this cult classic isn’t more well-known; I recommend you read the book for yourself, not least so I have someone to talk to about it.

  • “Shiver” by Maggie Stiefvater

    Cathy recommends: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

    Genre: Paranormal romance

    Reading Level: YA

    Summary: If you’re like me and think Bella chose the wrong one in Twilight…

    Cathy says: Concise story about an independent student with overly preoccupied parents; all too often the case in recent times. She has to find her own way, with the help of a few good friends. Some say she has an obsession with wolves, but there’s a reason. Plenty of interesting action which quickly moves the plot along. Read it in a day.

    This title is available at Tyler Free Library.