Sister Snake

Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe is the story of attaining what you want through enlightenment, but then having to live with the consequences.

Sisterhood is difficult for Su and Emerald. Su leads a sheltered, moneyed life as the picture-perfect wife of a conservative politician in Singapore. Emerald is a nihilistic sugar baby in New York, living from whim to whim and using her charms to make ends meet. But they share a secret: once, they were snakes, basking under a full moon in Tang dynasty China.

A thousand years later, their mysterious history is the only thing still binding them together. When Emerald experiences a violent encounter in Central Park and Su boards the next flight to New York, the two reach a tenuous reconciliation for the first time in decades. Su convinces Emerald to move to Singapore so she can keep an eye on her—but she soon begins to worry that Emerald’s irrepressible behavior will out them both, in a sparkling, affluent city where everything runs like clockwork and any deviation from the norm is automatically suspect.

Sister Snake is a great read. Full of humor, emotion, family dynamics over centuries and so much more. Read this book!

Koe, Amanda Lee. (2024). Sister Snake. New York: Ecco.

You Dreamed of Empires

You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue, translated to English by Natasha Wimmer, is the story of Moctezuma and Cortes in 1915 Mayapan. 

In 1519, Conquistador Hernán Cortés and his troops ride into the floating city of Tenoxtitlan in this hallucinatory, revelatory, colonial revenge story.

Invited to a ceremonial meal with the steely princess Atotoxtli, sister and wife of the emperor Moctezuma, the Spanish nearly bungle their entrance into the city and its labyrinthine palace. Soon, one of Cortés’s captains, Jazmín Caldera, begins to question the ease with which they were welcomed, and wonders at the risks of getting out alive, much less conquering the empire.

Moctezuma himself is at a political, spiritual and physical crossroads, relying on hallucinogens in a quest for any kind of answer from the gods. When Cortés and Moctezuma meet, two worlds, empires, languages, and possible futures collide.

You Dreamed of Empires brings to life Tenoxtitlan at its height – and reimagines its destiny. It sets afire the moment of conquest and turns it into a moment of revolution, in a novel so electric and so unique that it feels like a dream. This book is amazing! Enrigue has written a fabulous book. You may want to follow up with the book Malinalli about one of Cortes's translators who is a fascinating woman.

Enrigue, Alvaro. (2024). You Dreamed of Empires. New York: Riverhead Books.

Briefly, A Delicious Life

Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens is an unforgettable glimpse into George Sand's life with Frederic Chopin, via the eyes of a ghost. 

In 1473, fourteen-year-old Blanca dies in a hilltop monastery in Mallorca. Nearly four hundred years later, when George Sand, her two children, and her lover Frederic Chopin arrive in the village, Blanca is still there: a spirited, funny, righteous ghost, she's been hanging around the monastery since her accidental death, spying on the monks and the townspeople and keeping track of her descendants. 

Blanca is enchanted the moment she sees George, and the magical novel unfolds as a story of deeply felt, unrequited longing - the impossible love of a teenage ghost for a woman who can't see her and doesn't know she exists. As George and Chopin, who wear their unconventionality on their sleeves, find themselves in deepening trouble with the provincial, 19th-century villagers, Blanca watches helplessly and reflects on the circumstances of her own death.

A creative and compelling story written beautifully.

Stevens, Nell. (2022). Briefly, A Delicious Live. New York: Scribner.

Daughter of the Merciful Deep

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope is the author's second book that deals with a hard subject in our history beautifully. 

Jane Edwards lives in Awenasa, a Black town in the South. Awenasa is along a river that is to be dammed, which will cause the town to be underwater by winter. 

Government officials come to town and interview home owners, offering a small amount of money to relocate. Many in the town rent from the town's founder who set up the town as a haven for formerly enslaved folks and their families. 

Jane, who has not spoken since she was about ten years old,  spots a stranger - a man who looks exactly like her sister's former boyfriend who was lynched in their old town. 

Can he be the key to saving Awenasa? Or is he a ghost from the past come to collect what she owes him?

Leslye Penelope is a brilliant storyteller. She weaves magical realism into historically accurate portrayals Black American's lives in our history. If you live in the States, read her books.

Penelope, Leslye. (2024). Daughter of the Merciful Deep. New York: Redhook.

The Monsters We Defy

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope is an historical fiction novel set in 1920s DC.

Clara Johnson can talk to spirits. It was likely to happen as she was born at a crossroads. Then she made a deal with an enigma - which always comes with a trick. 

Clara has the chance to free herself of her trick if she steals a ring. She agrees, no questions asked. It is not until later that she wonders how someone in the spirit world can use a ring.

Either way, she will need a team to help with this heist. Especially after she realizes that the ring may be responsible for poor people going missing. 

Penelope has written story set during the Roaring Twenties and the Harlem Renaissance (which took place in more cities than just NYC). Read this wonderful book.

Penelope, Leslye. (2022). The Monsters We Defy. New York: Red Hook.

Clara "Carrie" Johnson was a real person. She is known for being shot in her apartment during the 1919 DC Race War, then accused of killing a police officer who broke in shooting. There were 18 bullets in her bedroom door. Her and her father both shot. Sound familiar? Like nothing much changed between Carrie Johnson in 1919 and Breonna Taylor in 2020?

When We Were Birds

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is the tale of people from two very different backgrounds meeting in Trinidad's largest cemetery. 

Yejide St Bernard grew up listening stories about when the corbeaux (crows) became those who use magic to sooth the dead and keep them still. In her family, one woman in each generation inherits this honor/role.

Darwin grew up Rasta. One of the tenants of his belief is to stay away from death. It is a central belief. But after years of there being no jobs, he takes a job in the city - at the main cemetery. He cuts his hair and becomes a grave digger to help his family survive. 

When Yejide and Darwin meet at the gates of Fidelis Cemetery it will change both of their lives. Banwo has written a beautiful book of love in the time of change. 

Banwo, Ayanna Lloyd. (2022). When We Were Birds. New York: Doubleday. 

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar is a beautiful tale of one family's difficult time during the Islamic revolution in Iran. Translated from Persian.

Narrated by Bahar, a thirteen year old ghost, we follow her family as they flee from Tehran for a small village in the forest. They build a house in the woods where they can continue to enjoy the now illegal music, books and intellectual freedom they had before the revolution.

In the chaos of the time they are only trying to go on living. While the violence of the time intrudes, the writing of this family tale is more folktale than horror story. Infused with magical realism, this based on real life tale, is poignant in our unstable times.

Azar and her translator have created a story that will quickly become a classic. Read this book for the beauty of an ancient culture trying to survive in the midst of political oppression.  

Azar, Shokoofeh. (2017). The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree. NY: Europa Editions. 

Pet

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi is a young adult novel of how to tell the monsters from other people. 

In the near future, after the revolution to get rid of the monsters, in the city of Lucille a young person named Jam lives with their parents. 

When their mother creates a painting, it seems to want to come alive. And Pet accidentally lets what looks like a monster out of the canvas. But the creature is actually a monster hunter. But what monsters? They were all gotten during the revolution.

Emezi's layered book looks at justice and identity. How do you save the world if no one will admit the monsters exist? (A very important question for our time!) A tender look at a society in denial by a brilliant poetical author.

Emezi, Akwaeke. (2020). Pet. New York: Make Me A World.

The City We Became (Great Cities #1)

 

The City We Became by NK Jemisin is the first in their Great Cities series. 

As a man arrives in Manhattan he forgets who he is but he can feel the city around him. He knows that something in the city does not belong and he feels sure it is up to him to fight it. 

This is happening to one person in each borough. As the city fights to become alive, it will need those who are true to it to help. 

In the Bronx, an artist whose family has been here since before Columbus sets up a photo exhibit of graffiti that captures the essence of the city. In Brooklyn, a rapper come city official fights gentrification of her home. In Queens, a mathematics student originally from from elsewhere fights to protect her borough. And in Staten Island, a young woman will have to decide between two options - both of which are scary.

Jemisin has created a series for people who love, not only NYC, but cities and their personalities. This novel has science fiction elements but reads as magical realism with an interdimensional twist. A fun read.

Jemisin, NK. (2020). The City We Became. New York: Orbit.

The Starless Sea

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is an amazing book! Go buy a copy today, it is that good. :-)

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a grad student in Vermont. He is studying stories, in the form of video games. Since the semester has not officially begun, he has been roaming the fiction section of the university library.

He stumbles across an old book, the spine warn to the point of being blank. Once he starts reading it, he is shocked to find himself, as a child, in one of the stories.

He starts a quest to find more information. Where did the book come from, are there others? He researches some of the symbols used in the other stories and finds a photo of a masquerade ball from the previous year. More searching reveals that this year's masquerade is next weekend.

I cannot say more without spoilers. Fans of The Night Circus, will not be disappointed. There are stories within stories in a magical way that will lead readers to long for a visit. While my favorite books at any given moment depends upon so much, I feel it is safe to say that whatever Erin Morgenstern writes will be at the top of the list!

Morgenstern, Erin. (2019). The Starless Sea. New York: Doubleday.

The World That We Knew

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman is a beautiful tale of escape during World War II.

In Berlin in 1941, three women must act to survive.

Hanni Kohn know she must send her daughter Lea away. She herself cannot go because of her ailing mother. But Lea must be given a chance to survive what is obviously coming at the Jews of Germany.

When Hanni goes to the rabbi to beg him to make a golem to protect Lea, she is turned away. But not before his daughter - who knows the way as well as the rabbi - hears her. Ettie agrees to do it, for enough money for her and her younger sister to get out of Germany.

This is a beautiful story of hope and strong women. Hoffman is a masterful storyteller.

Hoffman, Alice. (2019). The World That We Knew. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Life After Life

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is an amazing book. Read it now!

Ursula was born on a snowy night in February 1910 to Hugh and Sylvie Todd. She is the third Todd child, to be followed by two more.

But there are complications. Ursula is born with the umbilical cord around her neck - blocking the flow of oxygen. She dies.

Again, February 1910 on a snowy night - Ursula Todd is born and the doctor arrives in time to save her.

And so her life goes. Either a divine intervention resets Ursula's life so that she lives, or we are seeing one of the possibilities - alternate timelines - of her life.

Ursula lives in a fascinating time in western history. Her father, Hugh, will fight in WWI. England, and the lives of everyone in it, will be greatly affected by World War II a few years later. Siblings Pamela and Teddy, aunt Izzie and Ursula's parents live through good times and bad - with the decisions Ursula makes bearing more weight that any of them would think.

I cannot say much else without major spoilers. This is one of the best books I have read. The writing is excellent, the storytelling superb and the twist - the thing that makes this book absolutely unique - combine to make it a must read. Fans of writers like Lauren Groff, AnneMarie MacDonald or Sarah Waters will especially love it.

Atkinson, Kate. (2013). Life After Life. New York: Back Bay Books.

The Night Counter

The Night Counter by Alia Yunis is the story of one family in America - lead by a strong-willed 85 year old mother of ten and grandmother of fourteen. Each night for 1001 nights, since she arrived in Los Angeles to stay with her grandson Amir, Fatima Abdullah has been visited by Scheherazade. And after 1001 nights there time together will end forever.

Fatima, knowing that after ten more nights she will die, must get her family in order. She has children and grandchildren who need to be married, treasures to sort and decide what she will leave to whom - including her house in Deir Zeitoon, Lebanon. And as she tells Scheherazade of her family members, Scheherazade flies around the country and world to visit them giving readers a glimpse of their lives.

Filled with stories of love, family, humor and destiny, The Night Counter is the tale of how different members of one family react to and change from the stories of their lives. It is an epic tale told over the last few nights in a woman's life.

Yunis, Alia. (2009). The Night Counter. New York: Three Rivers Press.

The Golem and the Jinni

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker is a look at 1899 New York City, with a twist. Though it reads like historical fiction, and all of the time period details are accurate, the book is about two supernatural creatures.

In Poland, a learned man of dubious character has agreed to create a golem. This will not be a typical clay thug who will react like a puppet, but the most realistic human-seeming golem ever created. She has been requested to be the wife of a man who is moving to New York to start over. When the man is done and she is handed over to her soon-to-be-husband, she is put in a box to spend the trip across the ocean with the luggage.

But the man does not wait until reaching New York before saying the incantation that will wake her. They are mid-Atlantic when he awakens her. And she is bound to him - can even read his emotions and desires so she can serve him. But the man is sick and will not live through the voyage. Once unbound, the golem will continue on to New York to try and figure out what to do next.

Centuries ago, a jinni roamed the Syrian desert. He stayed away from humans and lived for hundreds of years, even building a palace of glass that could only been seen when the light hit it just right. He was content to work with metal he extracted from the ground and formed into beautiful art. As a creature of fire, this was his skill. But eventually, he got curious about humans.

And now, in New York City, a Syrian woman has brought a beautiful flask to a tinsmith to be repaired. Her family has kept if for generations and it has held up remarkably well. And it does not really need to be repaired now. Mostly it was brought to make sure the tinsmith was included in the community and had work to do.

After copying the intricate pattern around the flask, Arbeely set his torch to the metal to begin his work. But as soon as the pattern was marred, man appeared on his floor. The iron cuff on his arm preventing him from changing from is current human form.

And so two magical creatures find themselves in the chaos of New York City in 1899. They will have to find a way to blend into the crowd so no one discovers what they really are. Eventually, they will meet up and share their stories.

Wecker has created a wonderful book. She captures the good and bad of 1899 New York. Her characters, both human and magical, are complex and real. This book will appeal to fans of history, Jews who grew up with stories of  the golem, and anyone who read any of the magical folktales of the jinni.

Wecker, Helene. (2013). The Golem and the Jinni. New York: HarperCollins.

The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a wonderful, magical book and has joined the ranks of my favorite books.

Le Cirque des Reves arrives without warning. One morning when you awake it may be in a field of the edge of town. It posts no flyers or advertisement of any kind; it simply appears and draws a crowd.

All within the circus is black or white (or a shade of grey) but lack of color only adds to the magical feel. There are tents that will delight all of your senses, from the maze of clouds to the garden of ice. There are performers who will astound you, from the beautiful illusionist to the tattooed contortionist.

The circus is a stage - not just a stage for the performers - but at its heart it is a contest between two people who were placed there to compete within some vague rules with no clear idea of how to win. But the contest is not adversarial. Each side creates pieces that delight and amaze not only the patrons of the circus, but each other as well.

Morgenstern has created beautiful characters that readers will love, a unique and magical setting that will delight all who visit, and an overall novel that is to be treasured. Buy a copy and start reading it today. Allow yourself to be amazed by this book that I am sure will soon be considered a classic of modern literature.

Morgenstern, Erin. (2011). The Night Circus. New York: Doubleday.

The Stone Raft

Welcome to the world of magical realism! In Jose Saramago's The Stone Raft, the Iberian peninsula breaks off of Europe and floats away.

Although this book is not the easiest read due to the general lack of punctuation, it is worth the effort. And it has one of the best opening sentences I have read:

When Joana Carda scratched the ground with the elm branch all of the dogs of Cerebe began to bark, throwing the inhabitants into panic and horror, because from time immemorial it was believed that, when these canine creatures that had always been silent started to bark, the universe was nearing its end.

Saramago, Jose. (1996). The Stone Raft. Fort Washington, PA: Harvest Books.

Fantasy, Paranormal, Magical Realism, Fairy Tales, Etc...

Fantasy, Magical Realism, Fairy Tales, Vampires and Ghosts, and Steampunk. [Books with both Fantasy and Science Fiction elements are listed on both indexes.]

Adult

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All the Weyrs of Pern. Anne McCaffrey.

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The Ambassador's Mission (Traitor Spy #1). Trudi Canavan.

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American Gods. Neil Gaiman.

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Batwoman: Elegy. Greg Rucka. JH Williams.

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A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (Salvagers #1). Alex White.

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Black Blade Blues (Sarah Beauhall #1). JA Pitts.
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Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1). Rebecca Roanhorse.

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Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3). Gail Carriger.

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Blue Dragon (Dark Heavens #3). Kylie Chan.

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The Brides of High Hill (Singing Hills Cycle #5). Nghi Vo.

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Boneshaker (Clockwork Century #1). Cherie Priest.

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The Book of Life (All Souls #3). Deborah Harkness.

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The Broken Kingdoms (Inheritance #2). N.K. Jemisin.

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Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2). Gail Carriger.

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Chronicles of Pern: First Fall. Anne McCaffrey.

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The City of Brass (Daevabad #1). S.A. Chakraborty.

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City of Dark Magic (City of Dark Magic #1). Magnus Flyte.

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City of Lost Dreams (City of Dark Magic # 2). Magnus Flyte.

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A Clash of Kings (A Song of Fire and Ice #2). George RR Martin.

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Clementine (Clockwork Century #2). Cherie Priest.

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Cold Fire (Spiritwalker trology #2). Kate Elliott.

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Cold Magic (Spiritwalker trilogy #1). Kate Elliott.

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Cold Steel (Spiritwalker trilogy #3). Kate Elliott.

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A Court of Frost and Starlight (Court of Thorns and Roses #4). Sarah J Maas.
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A Court of Mist and Roses (Court of Thorns and Roses #2). Sarah J Maas.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses (Court of Thorns and Roses #1). Sarah J Maas.
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A Court of Wings and Ruin (Court of Thorns and Roses #3). Sarah J Maas.
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A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Fire and Ice #5). George RR Martin.

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Daughter of the Merciful Deep. Leslye Penelope.

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The Daylight War (Demon Cycle #3). Peter V Brett.

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Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampires #1). Charlaine Harris.

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Deeper (Sequel to The Descent). Jeff Long.

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The Descent. Jeff Long.

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The Desert Spear (Demon Cycle #2). Peter V. Brett.

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Destiny (Rogue Angel #1). Alex Archer.

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A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1). Deborah Harkness.

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Dragondrums (Harper Hall #3). Anne McCaffrey.

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Dragonflight (Dragonriders #1). Anne McCaffrey.

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Dragonquest (Dragonriders #2). Anne McCaffrey.

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Dragonsblood (Dragonriders of Pern). Todd McCaffrey.

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Dragonsinger (Harper Hall #2). Anne McCaffrey.

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Dragonsong (Harper Hall #1). Anne McCaffrey.

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Dragon's Kin (A Pern Novel). Anne McCaffrey with Todd McCaffrey.

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Dreadnought (Clockwork Century #3). Cherie Priest.

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An Easy Death (Gunnie Rose #1). Charlaine Harris.
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Elantris. Brandon Sanderson.

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Emissary (Legends of the Realm #1). Thomas Locke.
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The Empire of Gold (Daevabad #3). SA Chakraborty.

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Empress of Salt and Fortune (Singing Hills Cycle #1). Nghi Vo.

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Endsinger (Lotus War #3). Jay Kristoff.

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The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree. Shokoofeh Azar.

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The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next #1). Jasper Fforde.

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A Feast for Crows (A Song of Fire and Ice #4). George RR Martin.

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Fan Fiction. Kate Stayman-London.

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Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky #2). Rebecca Roanhorse. 

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The Fifth Season (Broken Earth #1). N.K. Jemisin.

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First Among Sequels (Thursday Next #5). Jasper Fforde.

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Forged in Fire (Sarah Beauhall #3). JA Pitts.
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Fourth Wing (Empyrean #1). Rebecca Yarros.

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A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1). George R.R. Martin.

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Ganymede (Clockwork Century #4). Cherie Priest.

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Gods of Jade and Shadow. Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

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The Golem and the Jinni (Golem and Jinni #1). Helene Wecker.

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Half a King (Shattered Sea #1). Joe Abercrombie.

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Half a War (Shattered Sea #3). Joe Abercrombie.

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Half the World (Shattered Sea #2). Joe Abercrombie.

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Hawkes Harbor. S.E. Hinton.

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The Hidden Place (Golem and Jinni #2). Helene Wecker. 

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The High Lord (Black Magician #3). Trudi Canavan.

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Honeyed Words (Sarah Beauhall #2). JA Pitts.
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House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1). Sarah J Maas.
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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1). N.K. Jemisin

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The Inexplicables (Clockwork Century #5). Cherie Priest.

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Into the Riverlands (Singing Hills Cycle #3). Nghi Vo.

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Iron Flame (Empyrean #2). Rebecca Yarros.

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The Jasmine Throne (Burning Kingdoms #1). Tasha Suri.

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The Kingdom of Copper (Daevabad #2). SA Chakraborty.

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The Kingdom of the Gods (Inheritance #3). N.K. Jemisin.

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Kinslayer (Lotus War #2). Jay Kristoff.

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The Last Wizard's Ball (Gunnie Rose #6). Charlaine Harris.

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The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. Garth Nix.

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Lexicon. Max Barry.

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The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards #1). Scott Lynch.

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Life After Life. Kate Atkinson.
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A Longer Fall (Gunnie Rose #2). Charlaine Harris.

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Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next #2). Jasper Fforde.

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The Lovely Bones. Alice Sebold.

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Magic for Liars. Sarah Gailey. 

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The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician #1). Trudi Canavan.

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Masterhaper of Pern. Anne McCaffrey

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Merchant of Alyss (Legends of the Realm #2). Thomas Locke.
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Mammoths at the Gate (Singing Hills Cycle #4). Nghi Vo.

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The Monsters We Defy. Leslye Penelope.

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Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. Anne McCaffrey.

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The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller #1). Patrick Rothfuss.

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Nerilka’s Story (A Pern Novel). Anne McCaffrey.

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The Night Circus. Erin Morgenstern.

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The Night Counter. Alia Yunis.

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The Novice (Black Magician #2). Trudi Canavan.

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The Obelisk Gate (Broken Earth Trilogy #2). NK Jemisin.

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The Oleander Sword (Burning Kingdoms #2). Tasha Suri.

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Piranesi. Susanna Clarke.

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The Power. Naomi Alderman.
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The Privilege of the Sword (Swords of Riverside). Ellen Kushner.

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Prudence (Custard Protocol #1). Gail Carriger.

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Red Phoenix (Dark Heavens #2). Kylie Chan.

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Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentlemen Bastards #2). Scott Lynch.

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The Red Wolf Conspiracy (Chathrand Voyage #1). Robert Redick.

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The Republic of Thieves (Gentlemen Bastards #3). Scott Lynch.

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The River Has Roots. Amal El-Mohtar.

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The River of Silver (Daevabad #4). SA Chakraborty.

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The Rogue (Traitor Spy #2). Trudi Canavan.

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Romancing the Inventor (Supernatural Society Novella #1). Gail Carriger.
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The Rook. Daniel O'Malley.

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Rosewater. Tade Thompson.

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The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3). Charlaine Harris.

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The Serpent in Heaven (Gunnie Rose #4). Charlaine Harris.

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Shades of Grey, The Road to High Saffron (Shades of Grey #1). Jasper Fforde.

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To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Nampeshiweisit #1). Moniquill Blackgoose. 

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Shadow of Night (All Souls #2). Deborah Harkness.

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Sister Snake. Amanda Lee Koe.

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The Skies of Pern. Anne McCaffrey

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The Skull Throne (Demon Cycle #4). Peter V. Brett.

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The Smoke Thief (Drakon #1). Shana Abe.

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Something Rotten (Thursday Next #4). Jasper Fforde.

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Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1). Gail Carriger.

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Spinning Silver. Naomi Novik.
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The Starless Sea. Erin Morgenstern. [Magical Realism]
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The Stone Raft. Jose Saramago. [Magical Realism]

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The Stone Sky (Broken Earth Trilogy #3). N.K. Jemisin.

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A Storm of Swords (A Song of Fire and Ice #3). George RR Martin.

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Stormdancer (Lotus War #1). Jay Kristoff.

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Sword of the Guardian (Ithyris #1) .Merry Shannon.
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Sword Masters. Selina Rosen.

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Swordspoint (Swords of Riverside). Ellen Kushner.

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Thief's Magic (Millennium's Rule #1). Trudi Canavan.

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Thorn. Anna Burke.

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The Time Traveler’s Wife. Audrey Niffenegger.

.

Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5). Gail Carriger.

.

The Traitor Queen (Traitor Spy #3). Trudi Canavan.

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Tremontaine. (Swords of Riverside) Ellen Kushner.

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The Trickster and the Troll. Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve.

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The Twelfth Enchantment. David Liss.

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Under the Whispering Door. TJ Klune.

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Uprooted. Naomi Novik.
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Warbreaker. Brandon Sanderson.

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The Warded Man (Demon Cycle #1). Peter V. Brett.

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The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next #3). Jasper Fforde

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When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (Singing Hills Cycle #2). Nghi Vo.

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The White Dragon (Dragonriders #3). Anne McCaffrey.

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White Tiger (Dark Heavens #1). Kylie Chan.

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The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles #2). Patrick Rothfuss.

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The World That We Knew. Alice Hoffman.
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Young Adult

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Abhorsen (Abhorsen #3). Garth Nix.

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Across the Great Barrier (Frontier Magic #2). Patricia Wrede.

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Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori #1). Lain Hearn.

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Afterworlds. Scott Westerfeld.

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Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1). Tamora Pierce.

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All Our Pretty Songs (Metamorphoses #1). Sarah McCarry.

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Arch Enemy (Looking Glass Wars #3). Frank Beddor.

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Ash. Malinda Lo.

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The Assassin's Curse (Assassin's Curse #1). Cassandra Rose Clarke.

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The Bird King. G. Willow Wilson.

.

Bitterblue (Seven Kingdoms #3). Kristin Cashore.

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Black Heart (Vampirates #4). Justin Somper.

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Boneshaker. Cherie Priest.

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Blood and Chocolate. Annette Curtis. Klause.

.

Blood Captain (Vampirates #3). Justin Somper.

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Bloodhound (Beka Cooper #2). Tamora Pierce.

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A Book of Spirits and Thieves (Spirits and Theives #1). Morgan Rhodes.

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The Book Thief. Markus Zusak.

.

Briar’s Book (Circle of Magic #4). Tamora Pierce.

.

Brilliance of the Moon (Tales of the Otori #3). Lian Hearn.

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The Burning Sky (Elemental #1). Sherry Thomas.

.

The Calling (Darkness Rising #2). Kelley Armstrong.

.

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest #3). Patricia C. Wrede.

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Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha #1). Tomi Adeyemi.
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City of the Beasts. Isabel Allende.

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Clariel (Abhorsen #4). Garth Nix.

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Cold Fire (Circle Opens #3). Tamora Pierce.

.
Competence (Custard Protocol #3). Gail Carriger.
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Crier's War (Automae #1). Nina Varela.
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The Crow (Pellinor #3). Alison Croggon.

.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2). Sarah Maas.

.

Curtsies and Conspiracies (Finishing School #2). Gail Carriger.

.

Daja’s Book (Circle of Magic #3). Tamora Pierce.

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The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1). Alison Goodman.
.
The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2). Alison Goodman.
.

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2). Robin LaFevers.

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A Deadly Education (Scholomance #1). Naomi Novik.

.

Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest #1). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

Death Sworn (Deathsworn #1). Leah Cypess.

.

Demons of the Ocean (Vampirates #1). Justin Somper.

.

Diverse Energies (Short Stories). Tobias Buckell, ed.

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Dreadnought (Nemesis #1). April Daniels.
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Eclipse (Twilight #3). Stephenie Meyer.

.
Emissary (Legends of the Realm #1). Thomas Locke.
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Emperor Mage (Immortals #3). Tamora Pierce.

.

Empire of Night (Vampirates #5). Justin Somper.

.
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5). Sarah Maas.
.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon #1). Alison Goodman.

.

Eona: the Last Dragoneye (Eon #2). Alison Goodman.

.

Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School #1). Gail Carriger.

.

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1). Morgan Rhodes.

.

The Far Sweet Thing (Gemma Doyle #3). Libba Bray.

.

The Far West (Frontier Magic #3). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

Fables: Legends in Exile. Bill Willingham.

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Fire (Graceling #2). Kristin Cashore.

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Of Fire and Stars. Audrey Coulthurst.
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The Fire Wish (Jinni Wars #1). Amber Lough.

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First Test (Protector of the Small #1). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Friday Society (Friday Society #1). Adrienne Kress.

. 
Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4). Morgan Rhodes.
.

The Gathering (Darkness Rising #1). Kelley Armstrong.

.

Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3). Morgan Rhodes.

.

Gifts (Annals of the Western Shore #1). Ursula Le Guin.

.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Rae Carson.

.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2). Kady Cross.

.

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1). Kady Cross.

.

Glimmer. Phoebe Kitanidis.

.

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future. AS King.

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Goldenhand (Abhorsen / Old Kingdom #5). Garth Nix.
.

Graceling. Kristin Cashore.

.

Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori #2). Lian Hearn.

.

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1). Robin LaFevers.

.

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1). Libba Bray.

.

The Harsh Cry of the Heron (Tales of the Otori #4). Lian Hearn.

.

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3). Sarah Maas.

.

To Hold the Bridge (Old Kingdom). Garth Nix.

.

Huntress. Malinda Lo.

.

Immortal War (Vampirates #6). Justin Somper.

. 
Imprudence (Custard Protocol #2). Gail Carriger.
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In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness #2). Tamora Pierce.

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Jane, Unlimited. Kristin Cashore.
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Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7). Sarah Maas.
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Lady Knight (Protector of the Small #4). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Last Graduate (Scholomance #2). Naomi Novik.

.
Like a River Glorious (Goldscryer #2). Rae Carson.
.

Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness #4). Tamora Pierce.

.

Lirael (Abhorsen #2). Garth Nix.

.

The Looking Glass Wars (Looking Glass Wars #1). Frank Beddor.

.

The Lovely Bones. Alice Sebold.

.

Magic Lessons (Magic or Madness #2). Justine Larablestier.

.

Magic or Madness (Magic or Madness #1). Justine Larablestier.

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Magic Steps (Circle Opens #1). Tamora Pierce.

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The Magician's Apprentice. Trudi Canavan.

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The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician #1). Trudi Canavan.

.

Magic’s Child (Magic or Madness #3). Justine Larbalestier.

.

Manners and Mutiny (Finishing School #4). Gail Carriger.

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Mastiff (Beka Cooper #3). Tamora Pierce.

.
Merchant of Alyss (Legends of the Realm #2). Thomas Locke.
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The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea. Maggie Tokuda-Hall.

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Midnighters: The Secret Hour (Midnighters #1). Scott Westerfeld.

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Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3). Robin LaFevers.

.

Page (Protector of the Small #2). Tamora Pierce.

.

Pantomime (Pantomime #1). Laura Lam.

.

The Perilous Sea (Elemental #2). Sherry Thomas.

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Pet. Akwaeke Emezi.

.

Pirate Curse (Wave Walkers #1). Kai Meyer.

.

The Pirate's Wish (Assassin's Curse #2). Cassandra Rose Clarke.

.

Piratica. Tanith Lee.

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Piratica II. Tanith Lee.

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Poison. Chris Wooding.

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The Privilege of the Sword (Swords of Riverside). Ellen Kushner.

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Prophecy (Prophecy #1). Ellen Oh.

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Prudence (Custard Protocol #1). Gail Carriger.

.

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4). Sarah Maas.

.

The Realm of the Gods (Immortals #4). Tamora Pierce.

.

Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle #2). Libba Bray.

.

Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2). Morgan Rhodes.

.

The Riddle (Pellinor #2). Alison Croggon.

.

The Rising (Darkness Rising #3). Kelley Armstrong.

.

Sabriel (Abhorsen #1). Garth Nix.

.

Sandry’s Book (Circle of Magic #1). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Sea Wolves (Jack London #2). Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon.

.

Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest #2). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

Seeing Redd (Looking Glass Wars #2). Frank Beddor.

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Seraphina. Rachel Hartman.

.

Shadow and Bone (Grisha #1). Leigh Bardugo.

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To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Nampeshiweisit #1). Moniquill Blackgoose.

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Shatter the Sky (Shatter the Sky #1). Rebecca Kim Wells.

.

Shatterglass (Circle Opens #4). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Singer of All Songs (Singer of All Songs #1). Kate Constable.

.

The Singing (Pellinor #4). Alison Croggon.

.

Sister Light, Sister Dark (Great Alta Saga #1). Jane Yolen.

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Spinning Silver. Naomi Novik.
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Squire (Protector of the Small #3). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Stardust Thief (Sandsea #1). Chelsea Abdullah.

.

Steel. Carrie Vaughn.

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Street Magic (Circle Opens #2). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Sweet Far Thing (Gemma Doyle #3). Libba Bray.

.

Talker 25. Joshua McCune.

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Talking to Dragons (Enchanted Forest #4). Patricia C. Wrede.

.
Tempest and Slaughter (Numair Chronicles #1). Tamora Pierce.
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The Ten Thousand Doors of January. Alix E Harrow.
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The Tenth Power (Singer of All Songs #3). Kate Constable.

.

Terciel & Elinor (Old Kingdom / Abhorsen #6). Garth Nix.

.

Terrier (Tortall Legend #1). Tamora Pierce.

.

Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic #1). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1). Sarah Maas.

.

Tide of Terror (Vampirates #2). Justin Somper.

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Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6). Sarah J Maas.
.

Trickster’s Choice (Daughter of the Lioness #1). Tamora Pierce.

.

Trickster’s Queen (Daughter of the Lioness #2). Tamora Pierce.

.

Tris’s Book (Circle of Magic #2). Tamora Pierce.

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Truthwitch (Witchlands #1). Susan Dennard.
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Twilight (Twilight #1). Stephenie Meyer.

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A Tyranny of Petticoats. Jessica Spotswood (editor).
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The Unspoken Name (Serpent Gates #1). AK Larkwood.

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Uprooted. Naomi Novik.
.

Voices (Annals of the Western Shore #2). Ursula Le Guin.

.

Voices of Dragons. Carrie Vaughn.

.

Waistcoats and Weaponry (Finishing School #3). Gail Carriger.

.

Walk on Earth a Stranger (Goldscryer #1). Rae Carson.

.

The Waterless Sea (Singer of All Songs #2). Kate Constable.

.

White Jenna (Great Alta Saga #2). Jane Yolen.

.

The Wild (Secret Journeys of Jack London #1). Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon.

.

Wild Magic (Immortals #1). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Will of the Empress (Circle Reforged #1). Tamora Pierce.

.
Windwitch (Witchlands #2). Susan Dennard.
.

Wolf-Speaker (Immortals #2). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness #3). Tamora Pierce.

.

The Young Elites (Young Elites #1). Marie Lu.

.

Children

.

The Call (Magnificent 12 #1). Michael Grant.

.

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest #3). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

Coraline. Neil Gaiman.

.

Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest #1). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. Barry Deutsch.

.

Igraine the Brave. Cornelia Funke.

.

The Key (Magnifient 12 #3). Michael Grant.

.

The Moorchild. Eloise Jarvis McGraw.

.

The Power (Magnificent 12 #4). Michael Grant.

.

Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest #2). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo.

.

Talking to Dragons (Enchanted Forest #4). Patricia C. Wrede.

.

The Trap (Magnificent 12 #2). Michael Grant.

.