Tag Archives: Frances White

Found Family Fantasies: Bone Door and The Teller of Small Fortunes

12 May

The Bone Door
by Frances White
The Bone Door is a haunting new dark fantasy/horror novel about a boy who awakes with no memories of who he is and how he got to the mysterious labyrinth he is in. He picks up a found family of other youth as he tries to escape. This story was much darker than I originally expected and those who are sensitive to violence, especially against children, may find this book very intense. However, the violence is not simply gratuitous, but is used to look at themes of overcoming one’s prescribed destiny and situation of birth. Though the story is edgy, it overall brings with it a sense of hope that darkness, even the internal kind can be overcome. If you enjoy The Bone Door you can also check out Frances White’s debut, Voyage of the Damned.

The Teller of Small Fortunes
by Julie Leong
The Teller of Small Fortunes is a charming story about a lonely fortune teller and the found family of friends: an apprentice baker, a reformed thief, and a ex-mercenary looking for his daughter that she meets along her journey. In the story the fortune teller, Tao, is living in is a Fantasy World similar to our own; although it is given a different name in the story many of the details about the main characters birthplace seem similar to China; the author lived in Beijing as a teen. Those who themselves moved to another country in their youth and the children of immigrants will see themselves in Tao’s struggles with reconciling the two worlds she belongs to, that of her current home and the place and culture she was born into. The story also explores the importance of good friendships and ways to build bridges between estranged biological family members. This story will appeal to those who are fans of Legends and Lattes. If you enjoy The Teller of Small Fortunes, you can also check out Leong’s The Keeper of Magical Things.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , ,

Magical Mysterious Romantasies: Voyage of the Damned & Rise and Divine

21 Aug

Voyage of the Damned
by Frances White
I enjoyed this new book from Frances White. Voyage of the Damned has a bit of everything, an interesting mystery with limited suspects (in this case a group of magically gifted “blessed” from the different parts of a magical kingdom represented by a variety of animals), a sweet romance, and of course an exciting fantasy adventure with a bit of horror mixed in. White created a diverse and interesting group of characters and I enjoyed that the main protagonist was pale, chubby and often thought of himself as cowardly and awkward despite in the end being brave. I kind of predicted what I think was meant to be a bit of a twist, but I still found it a satisfying plotline. It was a fast paced read and for those who are looking for a great stand-alone fantasy that won’t require committing to a long series before a resolution, than you will enjoy this work.

Rise and Divine
by Lana Harper
Rise and Divine is the fifth and final novel in Lana Harper’s Witches of Thistle Grove Series. I had previously read and reviewed several of them and enjoyed them all. They each feature a romance centered around a woman who is part of one of the four witch family’s that settled Thistle Grove and draw power from the magical lake that is found there. The books can be enjoyed individually, but since there are parts of the overall back story revealed over time, I would recommend reading them in order. The books feature many LGBTQ characters and in this case focuses on the relationship between two women one, Ivy, from the Thorn family whose magic comes from nature and life and the other Dasha, who is a “devil eater” from the necromancing Avramov family. The novel picks up after a previous romance between the two failed after Dasha’s depression led her to pull away into a limbo other realm. Now an ancient menace is growing in strength and Dasha may be the only one to be able to save Thistle Grove, but who will save Dasha?

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , ,