Books Received, August 5 to August 11
12 Aug, 2023
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The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. Henry (December 2023)
What happens when nature will no longer stand by and accept its destruction? A female fire chief discovers an ancient world rooted with secrets that can save – or destroy – in the newest fantasy by Veronica G. Henry, author of Bacchanal. Beneath the forest floor, they watch… Syrah Carthan doesn’t know why she accepted a job as the first female fire chief at Sequoia National Park, where, decades earlier, a forest fire killed her parents. That day, her brother, Romelo, disappeared, as if pulled into the scorched earth itself. Syrah has always had an uncanny affinity for the natural wonders of the park she protects, but after she sanctions a prescribed burn that goes terribly wrong, she quits her position in disgrace. However, when another devastating wildfire breaks out, Syrah, reluctantly pulled back into action, discovers an unknown world that has existed underground since the beginning of time. This secret society, built around the forest’s complex root system, is now divided into two factions. One is ruled by the Keeper, the giant sequoias’ benevolent caretaker. The other by a mysterious undoer, who’s determined to wage war on humanity. Through him, nature can retaliate and wipe out the earth’s careless ravagers for good. Torn between human loyalty and preserving the delicate balance of nature, Syrah must make a choice – one that will change both her destiny and that of the world above and below forever.
The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse by Tom Holt (October 2023)
Tom Holt’s brilliantly funny new novel set in the world of The Portable Door (now a delightful movie starring Patrick Gibson, Sophie Wilde, and Christoph Waltz). The team of commercial sorcerers at Dawson, Ahriman & Dawson can help with any metaphysical engineering project, large or small (though by definition they all tend to be pretty large). They can also create massive great puddles of chaos that might one day swallow up the entire universe. Take, for example, the decision to recruit a certain bearded fellow whose previous work experience mainly involves reindeer and jingle bells. It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but is he really the best person to save the world from Tiamat the Destroyer, who has literally gone ballistic?
A God In Hiding by Matthew Hughes (December 2023)
Summer Ghost by Loundraw & Otsuichi (August 2023)
They say that if you set off fireworks at a certain abandoned airfield outside of town on a midsummer’s night, the spirit of a young woman who took her own life might appear before you. Three teens from different high schools, all interested in this local urban legend, come together on one fateful evening when the boundary between life and death grows thin…
The Darkness Before Them by Matthew Ward (November 2023)
ALL PATHS LEAD TO VENGEANCE. These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the populace struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king.
Kat doesn’t care about any of that. A talented thief, she’s pursuing one big score that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and treasure room. However, Kat has a unique gift: she can speak to those spirits, and even command them. She’ll need every advantage she can get.
Kat’s not a hero. She just wants to be free. To have her old life back. But as rebellion rekindles and the war for Khalad’s future begins, everyone — Kat included — will have to pick a side.
The Darkness Before Them is the start of a gripping new epic fantasy series packed full of intrigue, action and powerful magic.