Tag fantasy

The covers of all six books of the Queen's Thief series.

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner

Kristen B. Leave a comment
The covers of all six books of the Queen's Thief series.

by Kristen B.

A long time ago, when I first started working for the library, I was trading “have you reads” with another staff member. She asked if I – and my then elementary-aged children – had yet read The Thief. We had not but quickly rectified the situation, and I have spent the past two decades recommending that book and its sequels in turn. I re-read them this summer, one after the next as a complete series, and was blown away all over again. There are six books, and each one is excellent in its own way. They may have call numbers that place them in Children’s and YA fiction, but these books are for everyone. Honestly, I do not understand this marketing at all – these books tackle freedom, politics, religion, disability, war, espionage, being true to yourself, falling in love, friendship, loyalty, and so much more.

Part of the delight of these books comes from the fact that the author excels at turning the tables; things are often not quite what they appear. We learn in the first book not to trust the main character Eugenides, the Queen’s Thief of Eddis, any farther than you can throw him – but also, you can trust him with your life. The next five books continue to play with expectations and appearances. I don’t want to ruin the pleasure of discovery – so here’s a quick peek at each book in the series:

The Thief
We are introduced to a small peninsula of three countries, Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis, trying to survive in a world where large empires are greedily subsuming smaller states. Hamiathes’ Gift, a divine object, conveys the right to rule the mountain kingdom of Eddis, except it’s been lost for generations. A wise man, his apprentices, a guard captain, and a notorious thief removed from prison go on a quest to recover it.

The Queen of Attolia
What happens when the Thief gets caught? Eugenides suffers horrible personal consequences and must overcome them to advance his own interests and to keep the allied countries free from the Mede Empire. This book is not for the faint of heart, as it portrays dismemberment and consequent depression. However, it offers an amazing look at how people can suffer major setbacks and continue to achieve their dreams.

The King of Attolia
What happens when the Thief gets what he wants? This is my absolute favorite book of the series, mostly because it’s funny to read about Eugenides coming to terms with the life he has literally begged, bartered, and stolen for. This installment also expands the cast from the point of view of a new character, the soldier Costis, and it is better for it.

A Conspiracy of Kings
Once again, the narrative shifts to a new character – Sophos, the heir of Sounis. His coming-of-age story has larger ramifications for the little peninsula. The Medes continue to encroach, the local barons continue to scheme, and Sounis has to decide if he’s up to the task of being king. Eugenides still figures greatly, if not obviously.

Thick as Thieves
So … about those Medes. The fifth book seems like a side story, until you realize exactly how far Eugenides will go for some revenge. After all, why have only one reason to do something when you can have many? The story follows Kamet, who had a minor role previously, as he escapes his enslavement with the help of our favorite Attolian guard. Only, Kamet has no plans to leave his powerful position until he thinks he has no choice.

The Return of the Thief
Not many series get an ending as excellent as this one – and it’s just about perfect! All of the threads and themes from the previous five books come together in this stunning conclusion. War comes at a price, and that price is paid in many ways by many people.

Eugenides and the rulers are the common elements across the series, but mostly it’s about the titular Thief. It’s a fascinating look at how someone raised and trained to work outside of the conventional hierarchy behaves once he becomes synonymous with said power structures. On the other hand, these books contain some of the best stories written in the past decades, filled with humor, adventure, and a rip-roaring good time. You should read them!

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

The book cover depicts a door handle surrounded by colorful flowers in pastel shades of blue, yellow, pink, and white. There are also six old-fashioned turnkeys mixes in with the flowers, surrounding the doorknob and its plate.

Escapism in Science Fiction & Fantasy

elianahcls Leave a comment
The book cover shows a group of nine blue birds with yellow beaks flying in formation outside of a golden bell-shaped cage.
The book cover depicts a door handle surrounded by colorful flowers in pastel shades of blue, yellow, pink, and white. There are also six old-fashioned turnkeys mixes in with the flowers, surrounding the doorknob and its plate.
The cover image shows a koi fish moving through deep space, almost as if it were a rocket. There are stars and mist in the background.
The book cover depicts a fanciful skull surrounded by flowers.

by Eliana H.

In the summer of 2022, I had the privilege of attending the American Library Association Annual Conference, which took place in Washington, DC. It was an exciting experience and gave me the chance to meet colleagues from across the country, discover new titles, and expand my professional skills. One of the sessions I attended at that conference has been coming to mind recently. It was called “Finding Joy: Escapism in Science Fiction and Fantasy and Its Impact on How We Approach Our Reality,” and it consisted of a moderated discussion with a group of four women authors of science fiction and fantasy books. The description read: 

You can’t advocate for a world you can’t imagine. Genre fiction has long been a go-to for escapist reading. What makes science fiction and fantasy stories natural places for our hopes and dreams? Can we imagine a world where wishes come true, prejudices are not baked in, and the sky is the starting point and not the limit? We will discuss the worlds of pure imagination and those fueled by a dream for a better tomorrow. 

The authors speaking at this panel were Sarah Addison Allen, Alix E. Harrow, Ryka Aoki, and Susan Dennard, and attendees had the opportunity to meet the authors and ask them to sign books after the conversation. How exciting! I will admit that I have not yet made it through all of the books that I picked up at that session – my TBR list takes on a life of its own, and priorities and moods shift over time – but I have read at least one title by each of the authors who participated. 

Even without having read the specific titles they were highlighting, hearing from these authors was impactful. I am a fan of the science fiction and fantasy genres overall, and the focus of this dialogue particularly spoke to me. Being able to imagine a different future for ourselves and our loved ones is powerful. We cannot move toward a reality that we cannot envision. One of our Adult Reading Challenge prompts this summer is to read a book that has supernatural or magical elements. In addition to the titles suggested in our reading journal (stop by any branch to pick one up if you haven’t yet!), books by these authors would be a great fit to complete that challenge. 

Current events can be overwhelming, to say the least. Books provide an opportunity for readers to transport themselves elsewhere, and genre fiction lends itself especially to such departures from everyday life. Even if science fiction and fantasy are not your preference, other genres offer similar getaways. There is a book out there that will provide just the right escape for you. Of course, if you are struggling to find the right title, our staff are happy to share recommendations. Visit one (or more) of our branches this summer and discover exactly the book you need to read right now. 

Eliana is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Elkridge Branch and co-chair of the HCLS Equity Committee. She loves reading, even if she’s slow at it, and especially enjoys helping people find books that make them light up. She also loves being outside and spending time with friends and family (when it’s safe).

A warm painting shows a cozy cottage in dappled sunshine at the top of steps, on which a winged cat lounges.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Kristen B. Leave a comment
A warm painting shows a cozy cottage in dappled sunshine at the top of steps, on which a winged cat lounges.

by Kristen B.

Some books have it all: A courageous librarian, an ambulatory talking spider plant, winged cats, cloud bears, and a romantic interest who rides sea horses. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst gives you a warm hug in the form of a book. That’s not to say it’s only cozy vibes and no plot – there’s plenty of story to keep you reading.

Kiela and her assistant Caz (the sentient plant) flee political unrest that sets fire to the Great Library of Alyssium. Kiela, who has been preparing for this unfortunate reality, packs as many books as she can, herself, and Caz into a boat and sets sail for the island where her family originally came from. She makes it across open waters to Caltrey, where the cottage she remembers from childhood still stands.

It turns out that the political upheaval in the capital city has also had consequences on this faraway island. Imperial sorcerers no longer travel, and magic has become unbalanced, causing huge storms and other troubles. However, the books Kiela rescued are mostly magical spellbooks. The chapters where she and Caz test spells through pure trial and error are delightful. The drawback is that unlicensed magic is illegal, so Kiela ends up opening a jam shop and providing “remedies” on the side (fooling no one).

As she settles in, Kiela makes all sorts of wonderful friends. She also reconnects with Larran, a childhood friend who now happens to be a helpful, handy, and handsome neighbor. Although a natural introvert, Kiela soon discovers the importance of connections and trust within a small community. The found family at the center of the book comes together to see everyone through a series of mishaps and misfortunes, including a suspiciously behaved Imperial citizen who washes up during a big storm. Sorting out the unexpected visitor drives the second half of this gentle book.

The joy of this sort of cozy fantasy is that even though stakes are high, and certainly Kiela feels as though her world is ending, people help each other and make it through. Cozy fantasy is the counterweight to all the dread-full, grim-dark fantasy that has been dominating the genre in recent years. The Spellshop might be as far from A Song of Ice and Fire as a reader can get and still be reading in the same fantasy genre. And that’s okay. It’s good to have a wide variety of books to suit all different readers and moods. Honestly, while it might not make sense if you use strict logic, The Spellshop makes perfect sense to your heart with its hopeful outlook on a world in turmoil.

I am looking forward to reading the second book, The Enchanted Greenhouse, about the magician who created Caz and the second chances she is given.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is available in print, e-book, and e-audiobook.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

A dark image, almost an engraving, shows a lone figure on a far mountaintop.

Fantasy Reads on the High School Summer Reading List

Julia M Leave a comment
The strong elongated letter of the title is surrounded by a symmetrical image of bones, birds, bugs, and plants - all in a deep blue green palette.
A young Black teenage boy in a hoodie stands in front of a spooky tree dripping with spanish moss. Mysterious light appears in front of his hand. Cover is all in dark blues and deep greys.
The brightly colorful cover illustration has a single figure of a Pacific Islander young woman with a headband woven of greenery and flowers. long hair, and other creatures worked into the bottom of the image.
A young woman's face, with light eyes, is partially masked by fabric and vines.
A dark image, almost an engraving, shows a lone figure on a far mountaintop.

by Julia M.

There’s no time like the summertime to dig into a long, immersive fantasy book. The 2025 High School Summer Reading list features several titles that fit the bill—here are five recommendations to keep you engrossed for hundreds of pages! 

Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson is a suspenseful fairy tale centered on a cast of lifelike characters on their quest to find the heart of the nefarious secret society known as the Order of Toadmen. The main character, Merry, grapples with her magical ability as she fights against society to save her father. I loved this book’s sweet friendships, the rivals-to-teammates dynamic between Merry and her counterpart, and the way the mystery unfolds as we follow the main characters deeper and deeper into the murky magic.    

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams explores a world of magic incorporated through Black American history, folklore, and myth. When Malik Baron reunites with his estranged grandmother, he’s drawn into a world of magic and mystery that may just give him the tools he needs to control his magical powers and protect his foster brother on his journey to find his missing mother. This book transforms the magic school trope into something defiant and heartfelt.  

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier is a fantasy adventure based on mythology from Guam and other Pacific Islands. We meet our main character, Hanalei, in her days of exile after her father steals a sea dragon egg. She spends her days studying and sketching the majestic sea dragons in the surrounding waters, and when an encounter with a dragon offers her a chance to return home, Hanalei is launched into a quest that could save her family—and the entire kingdom of Tamarind. The book delivers a beautifully woven, mythology-rich expansion on the teen dragon rider trope and leaves readers asking, “When will there be another one?” 

Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros is a historical fantasy set in 1940s Lithuania. The book follows Vera, a golem created from an ancient magic, called kishuf, by a father grieving for his murdered daughter. Driven with a violent purpose, Vera is sworn to avenge herself against the Nazis. Throughout her quest, she finds that she’s not the only one with access to kishuf—and it’s going to take everything Vera has within her to come out triumphant. This dark fantasy draws from Jewish folklore to spin a tale full of strength and vengeance.  

Heir by Sabaa Tahir picks up almost two decades after A Sky Beyond the Storm, the final installment in Tahir’s previous series. Sabaa Tahir excels at balancing a full cast of characters and creating interesting and distinct points-of-view, and Heir is no exception. We get to watch the story unfold from behind the eyes of Aiz, Sirsha, and Quil—the orphan, the outcast, and the prince. Like the Ember in the Ashes quartet, Heir tells a war story in a fantasy setting that delves into issues of genocide, human rights, family bonds, and betrayal, and underscores it with characters that forge fierce bonds of friendship and love.  

Happy reading!  

Julia is a Teen Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. They love to read YA books, play the cello, practice martial arts, try new cookie recipes, and generally squeeze as many hobbies into a day as possible.

A person in armor, hiding another person, appears in black and white against a red background with golden lettering.

Meet the Author: Neon Yang

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Photo of the author looking seriously straight at the camera.
A person in armor, hiding another person, appears in black and white against a red background with golden lettering.

Meet Author Neon Yang
Wed, May 7 | 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Online. Register at bit.ly/Author-Yang to receive the link for the event.
For adults.

Neon Yang is a queer non-binary author based in the UK. They have been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Lambda Literary, Ignyte, and Locus Awards, and their Tensorate series of novellas (The Black Tides of Heaven, The Red Threads of Fortune, The Descent of Monsters, and The Ascent to Godhood) was an Otherwise Award Honoree. In previous incarnations, Neon was a molecular biologist, a science communicator, a writer for animation, games and comic studios, and a journalist for one of Singapore’s major papers.

The Black Tides of Heaven & The Red Threads of Fortune

Review by Kristen B.

A person with long black hair and a determined scowl, dressed in black robes, sits cross-legged upon a cloud. The art is ornate and swirling like classic Asian paintings.

How do fate and free will coexist? Can they? Is a person’s fate preordained no matter their actions, or can they swim upstream against the current? The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang examines this conundrum through a set of turning points in Sanao Akeha’s life. Born an unexpected twin, Akeha lives their life always in the shadow of their more famous sibling, Mokoya the prophet, who has visions of future events. This novella considers Akeha’s opposition to the roles and responsibilities of being a member of the ruling dynasty. In a series of vignettes from childhood through early adulthood, Akeha makes choices that affect himself and his relationships, his twin, his mother, and maybe the entire nation.

In these books, the magic system is based on elemental powers, such as air, water, and earth, that weave through the Slack. Magic users “tense” to employ the energies available. I really like the idea of tense/slack as a way of projecting power. In another interesting piece of world-building, children are genderless. Each person confirms their chosen gender as they approach adulthood. The twins’ mother, the Protector, rules as a complete authoritarian, with an iron fist in the form of Tensorate pugilists who train at the Great Monastery. Akeha discovers a rebellion of Machinists, who employ physics and chemistry to rival the Tensors. Yang does an excellent job building a rich world that seems both familiar and foreign.

The Red Threads of Fortune follows Mokoya, after the devastating and tragic events of the first book. She has moved on from her role as prophet and now hunts magical beasts in the desert. She’s following rumors of a particularly large and dangerous naga, a dragonish serpent from the Quarterlands where gravity is lighter so the monsters can fly. Rider, who comes from the Quarterlands astride a tamed naga, hunts the same creature, and they team up with Akeha and the Machinists rebellion after the naga attacks a small city. Moyoka eventually finds an answer to the unwanted prophecies that seem to ruin her life. I look forward to reading the next two installments in this complicated world.

Their latest book, Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame, is a stunning queer novella about a dragon hunter finding home with a dragon queen. New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake calls it, “A lovely, intricate gem of a fairy tale about finding yourself in another person and traveling distant lands to finally come home. I loved it.”

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

The book cover shows a city skyline reflected in water in the moonlight, with several small boats approaching, one with a passenger facing the shore.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Kristen B. Leave a comment
The book cover shows a city skyline reflected in water in the moonlight, with several small boats approaching, one with a passenger facing the shore.

by Kristen B.

Sometimes, a quirky book comes into your life at just the right time. Water Moon was that book for me recently, during a high-stress time. It’s a delightful, cozy sort of fantasy set in a Japanese-inspired mythology, and it feels like an anime show that could air on a Saturday morning.

As the story opens, Ishikawa Hana is ready to take the reins of her family’s pawnshop when her father retires. It’s an unusual shop; only people who need it can find it, sitting tucked next to a popular ramen restaurant. The shop allows people to bargain away their greatest regrets. Kei is a nuclear physicist who is in Japan to work on the Super-K conductor looking for neutrinos. He’s in Tokyo for ramen – and hoping for a little wish fulfillment. Kei stumbles into the pawnshop and finds Hana standing amid ransacked wreckage.

Hana’s father has disappeared, on the run from mysterious figures who collect the regrets that are bargained away every month. The Shiikuin have no mercy for those who stray outside their roles. Hana’s father, Ishikawa Toshio, seems to have stolen one of the regrets, which take the shape of brightly-colored birds, and fled. When Kei wanders in looking for ramen, he immediately offers Hana all the help he can.

Hana then introduces Kei to the world on the other side of the puddle, where magic has its own rules that run counter to everything Kei thinks he knows. The two adventure through dreamlike sequences in a rather episodic manner, which made me think it would be a great animated show. They visit Hana’s grandmother’s tea house, explore the floating Night Market, and experience falling through a paper door and being folded like origami, among other memorable vignettes. All the while, Hana and Kei try to stay one step ahead of the cruel monsters on their trail.

While they are running and solving puzzles, Hana constantly tells Kei that things are not what they seem. The two have an instant connection and spend the course of the story falling in love while being sure they can’t be together. Hana is engaged to a childhood friend, and Kei is from our world, not hers. But, the story wonders, what is the price of happiness? What duty do we owe to how things are “supposed to be?” How do you set aside expectations so you can truly live your most authentic life?

All these weighty questions are wrapped up in spare, lovely prose and a fast-moving plot. You keep reading to find out how they escape the next pickle, always looking for Hana’s missing parents – and the answer to how you get to be with the one you love. Things might not be as they seem, but the resolution is wonderfully, romantically satisfying.

Water Moon is available from HCLS in print and as an e-book and e-audiobook on Libby.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

The book cover shows a winding staircase going from the lower right to the upper left corners, with an open door with light coming through in the middle; below that door, seemingly free-falling into space, is a human figure in silhouette. There are four gold seven-pointed stars in the background.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

elianahcls Leave a comment
The book cover shows a winding staircase going from the lower right to the upper left corners, with an open door with light coming through in the middle; below that door, seemingly free-falling into space, is a human figure in silhouette. There are four gold seven-pointed stars in the background.

by Eliana H.

Those of us who work in libraries know that books contain a special kind of magic. Even the most ordinary books can hold the key to something extraordinary for the right reader. This past summer, I read a story about a book with a different kind of magic. 

The Book of Doors introduces us to Cassie Andrews. She lives in New York City with her roommate and best friend, Izzy, and works at a bookstore that she loves. Although she lost the grandfather who raised her as a teenager and traveled abroad before settling in the city, no one would call Cassie’s life particularly exceptional.

All that changes, though, when one of her favorite customers dies in front of her at the bookstore and Cassie finds a worn-looking old book that he seems to have left behind for her. When she opens it, Cassie discovers The Book of Doors, which contains confusing drawings and strange writing. It also promises that any door is every door. Soon, Cassie learns exactly what this means. She and Izzy explore the limits of the book, and before long, they draw the notice of a mysterious man. His name is Drummond Fox, and as he explains once he approaches them, the Book of Doors is one of a set of unique books. He is the caretaker of the Fox Library, and he watches over those volumes that he’s managed to gather and protects them from nefarious collectors who seek to use the books to do harm. Cassie has to decide if she can trust Fox and where her responsibility lies in all of this. 

Soon, Cassie finds herself caught up in an adventure she never imagined, learning about the books and their history as well as her own, while trying to prevent unimaginable disaster.

To warn sensitive readers: there are some quite difficult and gruesome scenes, but the story is creative and compelling. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope to read more from this debut author soon! 

The Book of Doors is available from HCLS in print and as an e-book and e-audiobook from Libby.

Eliana is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Elkridge Branch and co-chair of the HCLS Equity Committee. She loves reading, even if she’s slow at it, and especially enjoys helping people find books that make them light up. She also loves being outside and spending time with friends and family (when it’s safe).

A large black bird, a raven, with wings spread takes up the left two thirds of the cover with painted swirls and red highlights. The title appears in the bottoom right corner.

Three Teen Reads that Sent Chills Down My Spine 

Julia M Leave a comment
A large black bird, a raven, with wings spread takes up the left two thirds of the cover with painted swirls and red highlights. The title appears in the bottoom right corner.

by Julia M.

Once a year, whether I need it or not, I’ll look for something to read in October that gives me all the spine-tingly creepy feelings that go perfectly with a chilly (possibly ghostly) breeze, a lit candle (maybe the breeze will blow it out in a scary way), and a mug of hot tea (bonus points if the book is so good, the tea gets cold). Here are three of my favorite YA reads from past Octobers to keep you on the edge of your seat, and leave you feeling just a little haunted!

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert 

Alice Prosperpine has lived her life constantly on the run from bad luck—literally. She’s 17 years old and has moved dozens of times due to strange occurrences that seem to chase after Alice and her mother, Ella. They’ve lived in the shadow of Alice’s grandmother, the fabled storyteller Althea Prosperpine, whose crowning work was a book of fairy tales called the Hinterland. After Althea’s death, Alice’s mother is suddenly kidnapped by someone who claims the stories from the Hinterland are true—and that he’s from one of them. It’s up to Alice and her classmate, fairy tale fanatic Ellery Finch, to discover what the Hinterland really is, and save her mother—and Alice—before it’s too late.

A gothic mansion behind wrought-iron gates is mirrored on either side of the centered title and author. The bottom image has a red house but dead vines surrounding it, while the top one ha

Gallant by V. E. Schwab 

With a haunted house that may just have a mind of its own, a family that claims you but whom you’ve never met, and a mysterious warning not to go out after dark, Gallant tells the tale of Olivia, a 16-year-old girl who was raised under strict tutelage at an all-girls orphanage after her mother disappeared. One day, when she is soon to reach adulthood and be free, she receives a letter from an uncle she’s never met, inviting her to come live with her family—whom she’s never heard of—at their estate. When she arrives, things are not exactly as promised, and Olivia will need all her cunning to save her family from a doom that began long before her birth. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 

Every year, Blue Sargent, her mother, and her aunts have a chance to see the spirits of those who will die in the next year. When Blue sees the spirit of a boy from the wealthy private school, whom she despises, she wants nothing to do with him—until he and his three friends show up at her family’s door, looking for magical ley lines that will help connect them with the grave of a long-dead king. Blue feels drawn into their quest, and reluctantly begins helping the boys sift through knowledge long left undisturbed in an effort to find the tomb. When they discover old bones in the haunted woods, things turn sinister as they realize they’re not the only ones in search of the king’s tomb…and time is running out before the fated death that set Blue on her own quest.  

Julia is a Teen Instructor & Research Specialist at the Glenwood Branch + Makerspace. She loves reading YA books, playing the cello, practicing martial arts, trying new cookie recipes, and generally trying to squeeze as many hobbies into a day as possible.

Deep blue cover with a decorative metal filigree of holly leaves and a small bird.

The Wren in the Holly Library by K. A. Linde

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Deep blue cover with a decorative metal filigree of holly leaves and a small bird.

by Kristen B.

Maybe you’ve heard? Romantasy is IT! Nevermind that it’s really a newly coined termed for something that has existed for a long time (romance in your fantasy or fantasy in your romance). If you like to read on trend, you should take a peek at The Wren in the Holly Library by K. A. Linde, published by the same group that brought you the Fourth Wing series.

The idea that the world is full of monsters is not new, whether in real life or urban fantasy. In New York, sometime in the near future, the Monster Wars have ended and the vampires, goblins, wraiths, and werewolves have signed peace accords with humanity. Basically, it’s a pact of non-interference even though everyone is in each other’s business anyway, but life has begun to return to some semblance of normality – complete with tourists in Times Square. As always, there’s more than meets the eye. I have to say that the idea of troll toll-takers in the subway made me smile.

Kierse, master-thief and child of the streets, is clearly a New Yorker, one who loves the neighborhoods and byways of her city. She’s involved in a heist to steal a huge diamond that would provide financial security for herself and two best friends. As she sneaks into a wealthy brownstone in the Upper West Side, she can’t believe there’s seemingly so little security at the mysterious Holly Library. The unthinkable happens when, despite all her preparation and all her skill, Kierse gets caught. Graves owns the Holly Library, and he is the beast in the shadows with an agenda all his own.

This Beauty and the Beast tale, complete with library and helpful staff, takes off from there. It not only follows the classic story’s desire to rehabilitate the monster, it also contains a wild mashup of another, bigger heist, training sessions, a house party, sexy times, meaningful friendships, and ancient Irish legends. For the most part, the author manages to combine it all seamlessly into the bigger picture. I could wish for fewer side stories that distract from the main action, but it’s a fun book.

Kierse and Graves are the heart of the story – beautiful and beastly each in their own way. Trust is an issue, as is loyalty. Can you have the second without the first? Tragic personal histories haunt both main characters, but in the end you can’t help but be in their corner. The ending leaves the story wide open for at least one more installment, and I’m already looking forward to it.

The Wren in the Holly Library is available in print, e-book, and e-audiobook.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

The book cover depicts a dragon with its tongue extended, encircling a medallion that depicts a ship with all its sails unfurled on the open sea.

Reading Nostalgia

Tony B Leave a comment
The book cover depicts a dragon with its tongue extended, encircling a medallion that depicts a ship with all its sails unfurled on the open sea.

by Tony B.

In January, I resolved to try and check Goodreads at least once a day and to write something about most of the books I read. The pandemic was detrimental to my reading habits, and I needed to give my once-voracious appetite for reading a jolt. As far as new year’s resolutions go, this year has been the most successful by far. When I started my resolution by re-reading a novel I enjoyed in high school, I unintentionally kick-started a year of reading nostalgia. This was either literature that I was forced into by the English curriculum or put into my hands by family and librarians. Reading these fondly remembered books reinforced not only that re-reading books is perfectly fine, but also that it can lead to new understandings. 

The book cover depicts a white dragon with tongue extended, encircling a medallion that depicts a pagoda.

My last book of 2023, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, was a peer-pressure read, and throughout the story I kept thinking, “Wow, these dragon types really remind me of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series.” I realized I hadn’t read them since high school, so I listened to the first Temeraire novel, His Majesty’s Dragon. (Side note: Simon Vance is an incredible narrator!) I remember being impressed as a teen by the military and historical aspects of introducing a dragon air corps to the Napoleonic wars, but as an adult I have a significantly more nuanced appreciation of the social, political, and ultimately societal ramifications of adding aviators to the early 19th century. The entire series is an adventure spanning multiple continents and countries, seeing the world through both human and dragon eyes. While it can devolve into a bit of Carmen Sandiego world-hopping, the installments always come back to the big picture and are a joy to experience. 

The book cover depicts a magician and apprentice, both carrying staffs; one is bent and aiming the staff, with a circle of light resembling a blazing sun at the point.

The other series I have revisited from my teenage years was the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. Starting with Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master, these first works of Feist’s are paragons of sword-and-sorcery high fantasy. Inspired by his own Dungeons and Dragons campaigns in college, Feist writes fast action while maintaining vivid storytelling and comprehensive worldbuilding. It is easy to see how many other fantasy authors point to Feist’s work as early inspiration, because the Riftwar Saga titles are hard to put down. These were some of my favorite books as a teen, though as an adult I can spot the D&D influence and sword & sorcery archetypes much more readily. D&D-inspired content is in the limelight, and I can’t recommend these fun classics enough. 

Re-reading these series as an adult was a reflective experience and made me think about how much of our literary experience is informed by our lived experience. I encourage you to re-read a book from your not-so-recent past and see what new nuances you can find. I am looking forward to continuing this trend, possibly either with Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, which was assigned reading in high school, or Tad Williams’ The Dragonbone Chair for more epic fantasy.  

Tony is an Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Miller Branch. He has a degree in history and a renewed interest in science fiction and fantasy.