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Fabulous Fantasies: West of Wicked and A Master of Djinn

21 Apr

West of Wicked
by Nikki St. Crowe
West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe is the first in The Great and Terrible Land series. The second in the series East of Envy will be out in November. The story is a darker and spicier spin on The Wizard of Oz that should appeal to fans of Wicked. Dorothy was abandoned as a young child at a Kansas farm by a loving couple, but she never quite fit in. Now all grown up she is questioning whether to accept the marriage proposal from a handsome friend, when a tornado takes her to a mysterious, gloomy land. She encounters a gorgeous stranger hung up like a scarecrow and a variety of other familiar and new characters as she journeys to find the Wizard. The story is told from multiple perspective which gives a unique perspective on the world and its inhabitants many of whom including Dorothy are hiding intriguing secrets.

A Master of Djinn
by P. Djeli Clark
A Master of Djinn is a spectacular steampunk adventure set in Egypt in 1912 that had plenty of twists and turns that surprised and enthralled me. So often in the past when I would see Egypt depicted in fantasies, it would focus on archeologists and tomb raiders, this story stars Egyptians themselves which gives an insider view of the action that takes place. This was P. Djeli Clark’s first full length novel, but there are additional prequels in this series you can check out, if you enjoy this story. Fatma el-Sha’arawi works for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is surprised (and not particularly overjoyed) when she learns she has been assigned a partner, but she will need all the help she can get when she investigates a secret brotherhood dedicated to a famous historic figure, Al-Jahiz, who had first brought the magical into our realm.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Bee’s Knee’s Fantasies: Wolf Worm and Butterfly Effects

17 Mar

Wolf Worm
by T. Kingfisher
Wolf Worm is the latest by T. Kingfisher. Sonia Wilson grew up assisting her botanist father with his research and as a talented illustrator, enjoyed creating beautiful art out of what many people would simply consider weeds. But after her father’s death she struggles to find work as a scientific illustrator until she is hired to paint a collection of parasitic insects for a reclusive entomologist. The strange happenings in the nearby woods filled with odd wildlife and rumors of “blood thieves” has her both fearful and curious.

This is an entrancing dark historic fantasy/gothic horror story that gave me the creeps in the best possible way. As someone who grew up with a biology teacher for a father who enjoyed photographing our backyard bugs, I appreciated the detailed way that Kingfisher handled the topic. Even predisposed to finding insects intriguing, Kingfisher’s description’s still were at times horrifying and I can only imagine how much dread they would inspire in entomophobics. The 1899 time period felt well researched including social issues of the time. Kingfisher’s experience as an artist, herself, brings Sonia’s passion to life. She masterfully builds dread and includes several unexpected twists. If you enjoy this story, also check out her excellent spin on Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, What Moves the Dead, and its sequel, What Feasts at Night.

Butterfly Effects
by Seanan McGuire
Butterfly Effects is the latest in Seanan McGuire’s InCryptid series, which follows several generations of the Price family (both biological and found) on their adventures. Sarah Zellaby is one of the more unusual members of the family who was adopted as a young child. Sarah isn’t human, she is a Johrlac, a species that look like pale humans with dark hair, but are actually evolved from a species of psychic wasps on a world in another dimension. By those who are aware of them, her species is typically feared and reviled on earth for their powers and tendency to cause chaos. Despite all of her best efforts at being a good person, she has been kidnapped and brought to the Johrlac home world for crimes she did not even know existed.

McGuire gives enough of the backstory at the start so that you do not need to read the other books in the series to understand this one; this books follows events most closely with the stories in Imaginary Numbers and Calculated Risk which also focused on Sarah. Butterfly Effects is told from both Sarah’s perspective and that of one of her adopted cousins. Sarah is an interesting and complex character and I think readers who are neurodiverse will especially feel a kinship with her. The Johrlac world is vividly described from its giant bugs and beautiful flowers to its unique buildings; this story will appeal to Science Fiction as well as the series’s usual Fantasy fans.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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