Bargain Fantasy Book Reviews and Recommendations
Moon & Shadow is the first book in The Channeler Trilogy. A finalist in the 2021 Best Book Awards and a second place winner in the 2021 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, J. Steven Lamperti’s Moon & Shadow is an enchanting fantasy with sweet romance, quirky characters, and engaging humor.
You may think you know how the fairytale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now, her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes. On the run, the mermaid is joined by a mysterious plague doctor with a darkness of their own. Deep in the eerie, snow-crusted forest, the pair stumble upon a village of ageless children who thirst for blood, and the three “saints” who control them. The mermaid and her doctor must embrace the cruelest parts of their true nature if they hope to survive.
It’s 2084, and Aldus, an elderly robot repairman, is writing the history of the 21st century for his grandson, Luca. Born in 2010, Aldus lived through it all—the War on the Warming, the repair of the planet, the rise of true artificial intelligence, automation everywhere and much more. “I was but a foot soldier,” Aldus tells his grandson, “but there is value in that perspective.
Aldus also fears his time is short. Unlucky members of his generation sometimes experience long-delayed side effects from childhood infection with the early century virus COVID. Aldus could be among them, and so his writing may have a literal deadline.
The notorious Juniper Thimble is destined for execution. Caught stealing the king’s crown - in addition to her long list of crimes - she has only one way out. Juniper must survive the biggest, most deadly con of her life, commissioned by the king himself. Disguised as the crown prince’s lover, she is forced to protect him with her life...literally. Guarded by a surly squire, relentlessly attacked by demons, and surrounded by mysteriously disappearing servants, Juniper must dispatch the threat to the prince’s life before they find out who she really is.
Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light. The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
Catt Zago just moved into the city of Great Bakak, and had the astonishing experience of attending the Regicide festival. As the title suggests, she finds employment under Lemmy, a priest of many gods, and thus becomes an acolyte. She also befriends the new King and beds her, becoming the King's Consort. Throughout all of this, Catt is trying to figure out a way to save her love from the next year's Regicide... But time is running out, faster than she thought.
When a hike through the mountains goes wrong, Catherine and her SO's brother Nate find themselves in a world of trouble. Both are children of some of the richest and most influential families in their nation, but even that may not save them when they acquire a strange burning disease that may threaten the wellbeing of the rest of the citizens. Nate, a known rebel and ex-convict, believes that their only chance to survive is to flee their country and reach a place where their King has no control. But in order to reach that place, they must sneak through the entire country, not to mention survive the horrible creatures defined as mutants and rabids. Will they be able to find peace? Or will they die trying?
Bannen and Rena have lived with Mary, the Void Mage, for the last 2 years, training and learning more about each other. But now, they are ready to go out into the world on their own, taking on their own jobs and moving into their own house. They do this by taking on the individual shards of Toh'sellor, until the MISD decides to offer a temporary contract to work for them. Bannen and Rena team up with a pair of agents, basically their mirror images, and fight alongside them, ridding the world of pieces of Toh'sellor, one shard at a time. But it's not long before they realize that they'll have to go after the real deal if they have any chance of keeping the world safe from its chaos. Can Rena's magic defeat the biggest threat the world has ever faced? Can Bannen keep her safe while she tries?
Twin sisters Lyric and Runa are living on their own after their mother abandoned them years ago. Isolated, their village believes them to be witches, and are scared. To make matters even worse, Runa's body is missing. But, at just the right moment, their mother returns and they embark on a journey to find Runa's body and learn about their family's secrets. Including the magic they wield. And a war that they happen to be thrown into. Will they be able to survive, or will their family break apart under the strain?
Something has come into Earth's galaxy, and has already consumed 3 planets--assuming that Pluto is still considered a planet. But it's not done. It turns its course for Earth, allowing the scientists across the globe a chance to band together in the next 8 years before the green and blue planet is destroyed as well. But knowing humanity, will they be able to put aside their differences and political agendas for a long 8 years to ensure their survival? Or will the pettiness of human nature win out, the Earth's doom already written in the stars?
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