Tag Archives: fantasy

City of Others and other Singapore Inspired Fantasies

21 Jan

City of Others
by Jared Poon
Though it is only January, the new urban fantasy, City of Others may already be one of my favorite books of the year. The story follows Benjamin Toh, a middle manager for the Division of Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders in Singapore, which oversees the nonhuman members of the city. He himself is a Gardner, who has the supernatural power to look inside himself and reshape his soul to not only be braver but to be physically stronger as well. This story has a sweet mm romance, an adorable set of workplace found family members, and a parade of intriguing Southeast Asian mythic creatures and humanoids to discover. The storyline about a housing complex which is periodically glitching out of our reality and Benjamin’s attempts to stop it and the entirety of Singapore from permanently vanishing was enjoyable, but I hope this isn’t the end of Benjamin’s adventures since the world Poon has created is so intriguing that I was left wanting more of it. If you are a fan of Men in Black or The Dresden Files then I highly recommend checking out City of Others.

Looking for more Singaporean Fantasies? Check out these other works:
Black Tides of Heaven
by Neon Yang
Black Tides of Heaven is the first, LGBTQ Asian inspired fantasy novella in the Tensorate Series by Singaporean author Neon Yang. The series was one of the 100 best fantasy books of all time, according to Time Magazine and a Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards for Best Novella.

Sister Snake
by Amanda Lee Koe
Sister Snake is a modern spin on the Chinese folktale “The Legend of the White Snake” which follows two sisters, one in Singapore and one in New York City.

The Wicked and the Willing
by Lianyu Tan
The Wicked and the Willing is the 2023 Lambda Literary Award Winner for LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction. It is a sapphic gothic horror vampire novel set in 1927 Singapore.

Have a fantasy recommendation to share; let us know in the comments!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Fantasies to Believe In: A Tangle of Time, Love Bites, and Pantomime

3 Sep

Check out these three terrific fantasies coming out next week!

The Hexologists: A Tangle of Time
by Josiah Bancroft
A Tangle of Time is the second in Josiah Bancroft’s fantastic Hexologist series. Set in a steampunk world where technology is slowly overtaking magic and there is waning belief in practitioners of arts like Hexology, which is magic using different symbols, (each chapter has a different hex represented at the start). But when an artist dies suspiciously after reaching out to hexologist, Isolde, for help, it will be up to her and her husband to discover the answer to what is going on and who is behind the mysterious changes in their world. This story further explores the intriguing world they inhabit and adds new and clever characters as well as revisiting some old favorites. Isolde comes closer to understanding the mystery of her missing father. There are clever spins on classic fantasy tropes as well as new and original monsters that speculative fiction lovers will enjoy. If you are missing the clever, funny writing of Terry Pratchett check this one out.

Love Bites
by Cynthia St. Aubin
Love Bites is an urban fantasy set in our modern world where things like vampire and werewolves are things of myth and legend, that is what Hanna believes until she gets a new job as an assistant to a handsome and mysterious art gallery owner. Hanna is a recent divorce and though life has gotten her down in the romance and finance department, things seem to be looking up with two handsome men (her new boss and a cop) seemingly interested in her as well as the gallery providing a steady pay check. I enjoyed Hanna’s snarky worldview and the cute interactions between her and her cats who are more children than pets. This is not a subtle novel, this a fun, over the top romp. The ending has an exciting cliffhanger which leads in to the next book in the Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery Mystery Series, Love Sucks. which will be out on October 7.

Pantomime
L.R. Lam
Pantomime is the first in the Micah Grey series set in an alternate Victorian Scotland where mysterious remnants of past inhabitants are used by those currently living there, but not fully understood. Micah was born intersex and runs away and hides with a traveling circus in order to stop the surgery that his mother was going to force upon him to have him be more fully female. A strange ghost from the past at the circus whispers that there maybe others in hiding like him with long forgotten magical powers. This sweet, gentle coming of age story slowly unfolds with flash backs between Micah’s life with the circus and his previous life as a wealthy debutant. Although written as a Young Adult novel, it has appeals for adults as well.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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