Tag Archives: fantasy

Enchanting Alternate Stories: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher and The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford

16 Aug

Thornhedge
by T. Kingfisher
I have written about some of Kingfisher’s works in the past including Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking and What Moves the Dead. Her work tends to be in the fantasy and horror genre. Much like Defensive Baking, this novella takes a new spin at the fairytale genre, in this case Sleeping Beauty with what felt to me like a bit of the frog prince in the mix. Instead of focusing on “the princess” in the tower it follows the adventures of Toadling, a changeling, who fills in for the fairies in bequeathing what could be a gift or curse. Kingfisher says in her endnote that she was inspired by the idea of why someone feel the need to surround the tower with such a substantial barrier. I liked where that reasoning lead her in Thornhedge. I also liked that she brought in more fairies from folk stories and some historical details for her piece; the knight in this story is a Muslim. At just over a hundred words, this novella is a quick read filled with both whimsy and menace; it manages to be both contemporary as well as hearkening back to the darker magic of Grimm Brother’s original collected tales. I received an early copy of the story from Netgalley and the publisher in order to provide an honest review.

The Dragon Waiting
by John M. Ford
From Alternate Fairytales we move to Alternate History. The Dragon Waiting was originally subtitled, “a masque of history” which is a fitting description since behind the novel lurks some of the history of the British crown, with both some slight spins on the general facts but also stirs in supernatural details like sorcery and vampirism. A lot of our recent book discussion picks for our Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion at the library had been new works such as Paradox Hotel and Siren Queen, but for July we went with this classic novel from 1983 by John M. Ford, which won a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984. The novel, along with much of Ford’s work, was in copyright limbo for years, which was only recently resolved. Neil Gaiman, a favorite author of mine, had written a glowing review of the work and he and others compared it positively to Game of Thrones, another book discussion pick, so I had high expectations going into the work. The group overall felt though the original characters were intriguing, to truly enjoy the story, a knowledge of the actual historic events the book was drawing from was necessary. We have two upcoming book discussions in September for the Science Fiction Book Discussion Group, one on Saturday, September 2 and another on Thursday, September 28.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , , ,

Ladies in the Limelight: The First Bright Thing and Siren Queen

14 Jun

Whether it is on the silver screen or in the big top, these two fantasy novels both feature strong female characters taking center stage.

The First Bright Thing
by JR Dawson
The First Bright Thing is Dawson’s first novel. It is set in Post-WWI America where Rin is a Ringmaster of a wildly unusual circus which can appear in places where railroad tracks don’t run. Like most circuses it is populated with a found family of misfits, but these have a range of powers referred to as Sparks which allow them to do everything from healing any wound to traveling through time. But now a dark threat is approaching and it will test all of their powers and strength of will to turn back the darkness that looms out of Rin’s past, which is slowly revealed in flashbacks. Those who enjoyed Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus or the streaming series The Nevers, will find wonder in The First Bright Thing. The novel handles Rin’s experience with being abused and recovery in a respectful way, but readers who are sensitive to the issue should be aware it is a reoccurring topic throughout the novel. The novel features LGBTQ characters as well as individuals from a variety of racial backgrounds; also inclusionary is Rin’s connection with her Jewish heritage, something I have rarely seen referenced or depicted in works in the Fantasy genre. I received an advanced reader copy of The First Bright Thing in order to provide an honest review to our patrons and blog readers.


Siren Queen
by Nghi Vo
I read Siren Queen for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May with the Hoboken Library’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group. Luli Wei, a Chinese American, borrows her sister’s name and becomes an actress after stumbling upon a film set near Hungarian Hill where her family owns a laundry business. Vo brilliantly chronicles Luli’s experience infusing her struggles with racism, sexism, and homophobia in the movie industry and the wider society of 1920’s America with magic which is both real and also metaphorical in a manner similar to what you expect from magical realism or folk-tales. If you are a fan of Alice Hoffman or Sarah Addison Allen this novel should appeal. The predatory film directors are literally monsters and the silver screen can bring fame but at a cost. The novel is written as a memoir and occasionally includes an interjection from her current partner, Jane, which gives it a feeling of warmth despite Luli’s cool depiction of herself. Siren Queen is Nghi Vo’s second novel after her fantastic retelling of The Great Gatsby, The Chosen and the Beautiful. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version narrated by the talented Natalie Naudus.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →