Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

SORCERY OF THORNS by Margaret Rogerson (An Enchantment of Ravens) is a fantasy novel with a strong young adult heroine: Elisabeth who has been raised since an infant at Summershall, one of Austermeer’s great libraries.  She aspires to join the ranks of the librarian wardens who forbid sorcery while guarding the kingdom’s magic books, called grimoires. These books hide spells and centuries old secrets while having the capability to turn into powerful monsters.  Salt and iron chains are two tools to keep them in check, but one (The Book of Eyes) is released and Elisabeth attempts to destroy it.  Instead of being hailed as courageous, she is suspected of the criminal sabotage, perhaps even murder.  A sorcerer, Nathaniel Thorn and his “demon,” Silas, are tasked with transporting her to the capital for interrogation.  More adventures ensue – including several battles with a magical sword named Demonslayer. Gradually, these three characters question their preconceived notions and begin to develop trust and respect for each other, something which is sorely needed as the danger grows.  

With many chapters ending in cliff hangers, SORCERY OF THORNS is an entertaining fantasy and a great choice for summer reading. This new title received a starred review from Kirkus while School Library Journal recommends SORCERY OF THORNS for readers who enjoy novels by Robin LaFevers and/or Naomi Novik.

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

ECHO NORTH by Joanna Ruth Meyer is a fun, relatively quick read which initially feels like a retelling of Beauty and The Beast. Set in India, this fantasy story involves Echo, a young woman who promises to live for a year with an enchanted wolf in order that her widowed father’s life is spared. Echo and the wolf have some amazing adventures in a magical house that responds to commands and contains a library filled with books turned mirrors.  Readers merely step into each story and when Echo does so, she meets others, including Hal, a young man who seems trapped in the books. Motifs and allusions to other fairy tales involving Tam Lin or Cupid appear. And soon, the suspense and action builds as the house starts to fall apart due to another wizard’s power and Echo and the wolf are endangered. I felt like the ending was not quite the crescendo it could have been, but I enjoyed the read and will look for more from this author. ECHO NORTH was deemed “a first purchase for libraries” by School Library Journal and received starred reviews from both Kirkus (“Epic and engrossing”) and Publishers Weekly (“a compelling, satisfying romantic adventure”). When you finish enjoying our copy look for other fantasy stories like Girls Made of Snow and Glass or Gilded Wolves.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

I am in the midst of reading THE GILDED WOLVES by New York Times best-selling author Roshani Chokshi (Aru Shah and the End of Time).  Her newest title is a fantasy involving a band of thieves in 1889 Paris just before the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) and official opening of the technologically innovative Eiffel Tower. Their leader is Séverin who is rich, powerful and a risk-taker.  He is joined by a gifted scientist and landscape artiste that he considers a brother, Tristan, plus Enrique who is an historian with identity issues, next, a math prodigy and arsonist named Zofia, and, finally, Laila, also called L’Enigme, who is very skilled at reading objects’ histories and is searching for her own. Many items in this story are “forged,” made to exhibit special powers and the thieves are trying to thwart the Order of Babel as they search for a “Horus Eye” so as to eventually regain Séverin’s birthright. Suspenseful, filled with puzzles, magic, and scheming, plus some romantic tension, THE GILDED WOLVES received multiple starred reviews (from Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and YOYA). This is a complex and compelling story and its characters represent many mixed ethnicities; look for it on our shelves soon as both a print book and downloadable audio version.