Search Results

The romantic aspect is less essential than the fantasy elements, which I appreciated. Gillig builds a layered fantasy world on elements of stone and water, and the moth symbolism changes characters' energy is spent on pining and obsessing, where dramatic declarations overshadow a novel's fantasy The Knight and the Moth is built on a spare yet satisfying fantasy world with a limited number of characters For more fantasy/science fiction stories I've loved, please check out these titles .

Click the links here to explore Bossy reviews of other dystopian , fantasy , and romantasy titles.

battles within the books' alternate history; and the human protagonists are wonderfully faulted and fantastic Naomi Novik is also the author of richly wrought fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted The stories in her book Buried Deep revisit some favorite Novik worlds as well as introducing the world

Sebastian de Castell's worldbuilding is fascinating, the magic-school setting is a favorite, and the The dark humor is fantastic. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this book or other fantasy books you've loved!

I hope you'll also check out the books on my first Greedy Reading List of Six Fantastic Dystopian and The tone of Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth was unlike any fantasy novel I’ve read, and the friendships NASA contact, Molly, who sends her audio messages (and occasionally forwards along episodes of Romy's favorite

This 1000-page fantasy novel is intense, brutal (significant trigger warnings are warranted), extremely This beast of a fantasy novel (it's 1040 pages) tracks a healer and alchemist suffering from significant a universal recommendation because of the shocking abuse (and the novel's significant length), but fantasy I listened to Alchemised as a library audiobook (it was over 36 hours long), narrated by the fantastic More Dark Fantasy Novels Alchemised  is SenLinYu's first published novel.

Tale of Two Cities offered a compelling story of redemption and self-sacrifice with a significant fantasy In this historical fiction-fantasy, characters from Dickens's tale are plunged into a dark, powerful But in Parry's novel he must also reckon with his fantastical origin story (stolen by faeries and pressed

In Kuang's dark academia fantasy novel Katabasis , Alice Law is a postgraduate student in a ruthlessly This is a clever, strange, dark, and often darkly funny fantasy.

If you're interested in other Bossy reviews of fantasy mysteries I've enjoyed, check out the titles at

Lex Croucher's foray into dark academia is fantastic, with angst, mature themes, magical adventure, sinister

This first installment in the series sets up an overlooked princess who becomes a heroine; deadly monsters who may be being treated unfairly; an enemies-to-lovers romance; and shifting loyalties. The dialogue is often dramaaaatic, but I'm in for the next book. Odessa is the oldest daughter of a king, but she has always felt like a placeholder; her father has always focused on vigorously teaching and training her younger sister May as his heir. You might predict that Odessa will be the unlikely heroine of this story when you find out that she has red hair . This character is not going to go along with the plans set out for her, everyone! (Her hair is dyed brown, and Odessa is given only gray clothing to wear by her stepmother, although she doesn't seem to have ever fought this obvious move to keep her in the background.) But wait! When a prince from another region arrives and demands a bride price for protecting the land that Odessa's family rules--and specifies that only Odessa will do--what she understood to be her destiny is upended. Her father frantically demands that she spy, steal, cheat, and lie in her marriage in order to protect her homeland. But the only ones who have ever shown her loyalty or respected her abilities are her unlikely new family and friends. Is she beholden to her origins or to her future? Dear reader, she is going to end up being brave, and finding love, and and Doing the Right Thing. I knew all of this was coming, but I didn't mind it. I did, however, grow weary of Dess's repeated rhetorical questions and revisiting of the same issues over and over, neither of which felt like it moved the plot forward. The dialogue is sometimes dramaaaaatic, but generally the pacing rolled right along in this one. This first romantasy in Perry's planned trilogy offers monsters, royalty, secrets, hidden identities, battle training, some oddly modern-seeming profanity, and, abruptly, some steamy scenes. The swearing felt modern, but the setting felt more medieval. Odessa questions the ethical treatment of (and killing of) the seasonally attacking and deadly monsters in the story, as they seem infected by a negligently manmade disease. A love interest is also affected by a condition he cannot control, so watch out, Odessa! This is all important in setting up book two. Startlingly, we hear (briefly) from the Guardian's point of view at the end of the book. I listened to this as a TWENTY-HOUR audiobook. Devney Perry is also the author of forty romance novels. More Books Like This I'm iffy on "romantasy," but for other books I've read along these lines, please check out this link .

mystery in a post-colonial West African city, but I didn't feel very connected to or invested in the fantastical In Tochi Onyebuchi's fantasy mystery, main protagonist Boubacar is a war veteran and a private investigator Harmattan Season  is a dark, broody, mysterious fantasy story that takes place in an unnamed city in The denouements felt somewhat tedious to me, and the fantastical aspects (the floating buildings and

I love a historical-fiction-feeling fantasy story like this one, and Blood of the Old Kings sets up

The first in the Legends & Lattes series is a cozy fantasy story about new beginnings, the transformative This is a sweet, cozy fantasy story that feels like a big hug; it's a love letter to coffee, to the beauty

While I probably should stop reading "romantasy" because I prefer my fantasy and romance to remain separate I probably need to stop reading "romantasy" or "romantasy"-adjacent books, because I love fantasy stories and I love romantic comedies , but for me, the intersection of romance and fantasy is often unsatisfying

Dowry of Blood is a shadowy, spooky, sultry story imagining Dracula's wife Constanta and their relationship, in which he exerts control and constricts her actions--until she dares to dream of exploring the world outside in the centuries of life she has left. I wonder if you would have wanted me if you found me like that: vibrant and loved and alive. Constanta is the sole survivor of a brutal medieval massacre in her village--but she's drawing her last breaths. Then a mysterious stranger arrives--seemingly drawn by her wavering between life and death--and promises her eternal life as his bride. Dowry of Blood is a spooky, sultry, shadowy story of Dracula's first wife, and in Constanta's point of view we witness her horror as the full impact of her husband's power and cruelty becomes clear. After years under his strict control (he is not named as Dracula here), the forced isolation begins to grate upon her. New members of their group are brought in, intimately connected to each other yet trapped in the same claustrophobic circle of hell. Constanta flirts with moments of joy and begins to imagine an alternate path to freedom and discovering the wonders out in the world. When Constanta breaks into her husband's private sanctum and discovers his significant studies, hidden knowledge, and vulnerability, Constanta and her precious allies debate whether to attempt to gather the significant courage to act against him or to continue on for centuries more under his confining, constricting thumb. But they have stayed too long in their fortress in the country; her husband's self-assured confidence and careless actions have led murderous villagers to their door. This could be the end of the "family"--or a sudden opportunity to fight for their freedom. I listened to Dowry of Blood as an audiobook. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? You might also want to check out these gothic-feeling stories. For a more playful take on vampires, check out Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series; you can read my review of the witty, fun Soulless here and my take on book two, Changeless, here. I plan to finish this great series at some point. For a very different take, you might check out The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, in which vampires mainly serve as catalysts for change.

excited to read this final installment in Freya Marske's Last Binding trilogy, a queer historical fiction fantasy-mystery mischievous and complementary) group of allies fights to reveal the source of the evil at work, and favorite and compromise, and Marske's storytelling is yet again charming, funny, sometimes dark, and always fantastic

In this return to the world of Elfhame (Folk of the Air trilogy), Holly Black takes us deeper into the story of characters Wren and Oak as they determine whether they can trust each other as they attempt to save Madoc. As a child, Wren read lots of fairy tales. That’s why, when the monsters came, she knew it was because she had been wicked. In The Stolen Heir, the first book in Holly Black's Stolen Heir duology, the story returns to the world of Elfhame. (It's important to first read the Folk of the Air trilogy--see link below in order to understand the plot and character development). Suren (Wren), changeling child queen of the Court of Teeth, is forced to band together with the charming, untrustworthy Oak (fae brother of Jude), to try to save Madoc from Lady Nore's Ice Needle Citadel. Wren and Oak were once betrothed, and Wren isn't sure how much of Oak's appealing vulnerability and honesty is real--or if she's being played for a fool. But Wren isn't content to let her fate be shaped by a beautiful, magical prince. She's going to need to wrest control of her own destiny. I didn't feel drawn in by Wren, who feels lost throughout much of the story, and I didn't feel as though Oak was as fully developed as I wanted him to be. I loved the return of the storm hag Bogdana! I listened to this as an audiobook. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Click here for my review of Black's The Queen of Nothing; I mentioned the great Folk of the Air trilogy in the Greedy Reading List Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series.

This second and final installment of Faizal's young adult duology emphasizes on the power of found family over blood ties; reveals chilling, ambitious, ruthless plans for creating a horde of vampires; and pushes characters to sacrifice for love. The first installment in Hafsah Faizal's young adult Blood and Tea series offered intriguing secrets, a swirling mystery, terrible betrayal, heartwarming found family, steady action, and vampires. That book ended with the city reeling from a night of death and destruction. In this second and final book in the duology, grieving Arthie Casimir and her makeshift gang--Flick, Jin, and vampire leader Laith--are eager to upend Flick's mother's political stronghold and to set things to rights, achieving some justice. All sorts of dastardly plots are pursued, thwarted, renewed, and destroyed; terrifying torture and threats are acted upon; family ties are no match for the found-family bonds between friends; political machinations are upended; and some characters are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the others. An aspect of the story that comes into play in various forms is a revised understanding of the Other (vampires), pushing those who fear and assume that vampires are only about destruction to accept that they actually live nuanced, valuable, layered existences and illustrate a deep ability to care, fight for what's right, control themselves, and act nobly. I didn't love this installment quite as much as book one, but Faizal keeps the pace moving and progresses the bonds and affection between the main protagonists. The vampire element is expanded and the cutthroat plans for and potential power of an unleashed vampire horde looms over all. I listened to this novel as an audiobook. More from Hafsah Faizal For my review of the first book in this series, please see   A Tempest of Tea . Faizal is also the author of We Hunt the Flame .

the worldbuilding and the headstrong, powerful loose cannon of Nahri, as well as the Middle Eastern fantasy character Nahri, the complex cultural backgrounds clashing in the book, and the Middle Eastern-based, fantastical I listed Amina in the Greedy Reading List Six Four-Star (and Up) Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads I

and the gutsy characters facing wartime struggles and challenges, but I was surprised that the book's fantasy I really liked this, but I was surprised by how light it felt on fantasy elements.

I felt like the story started off slowly, but once the world was built and the background established, I was hooked on the interpersonal relationships, the dramatic conflicts, the creatures' magical abilities, and their evolving quests. Various demons work as mercenaries in Nine Hells, and Bex trusts only them to protect her. Over time, some of these demons have evolved into grumbling lackeys for the Eternal King, or bound slaves. But when Bex and her demons team up with a new client--a powerful male witch who's got it in for the king--it could change everything. The first part of the book felt clunky to me, bogged down by explanations of how Aaron's imagined world works and the basic history of various conflicts and groups (gods, demigods, demons, free demons, witches, warlocks, East Coast/West Coast, heaven, hell--I was reeling a little bit). Eventually the story seemed to hit its stride, and the various demons, magical powers, dark histories, missions--and the Bex-Adrian friendship, client-bodyguard relationship, and growing attraction--made me wonder what would happen next. Neither Bex nor Adrian is exactly what they appear, nor are they following the scripts set out for them. Together, they are more powerful and capable and creative than alone, and they make a formidable team that reimagines reality for their kinds. Now that the world of the books has been built, I expect the second installment to move along at a nice clip; Aaron's dynamic battle scenes were a strength here. I'd love to hear your Bossy thoughts about this book! Rachel Aaron is also the author of the DFZ Changeling series, the Heartstrikers series, the Crystal Calamity series, and other books. I listened to Hell for Hire  as an audiobook.

I read the first in that series, The Magicians , for but me it was short on magic and fantastical elements

soon finds herself navigating the complex world of seers, frauds, and holy men vying for the king's favor Meanwhile, Luzia can't trust those competing against her for favor, as dark forces lead one after another I love a mix of historical fiction and fantasy, and while this novel isn't as layered and complex or

fiction-feeling story, a Sherlock Holmes and Watson-type investigatory relationship, and fascinating otherworldly fantasy

and her most likely candidate is a grumpy minotaur (who's also her teacher, oops) who also needs a favor The cover is arresting, and the sparkles and art are a nod to the novel's fantasy genre.

The supporting characters are fantastically odd, fiercely loyal, and a heartwarming support for a girl

Bovalino's story hooked me with a main protagonist who's a female knight, her best-friend mage, intriguing magic, a terrifying destiny, showstopping secrets, danger and adventure, and a deep romantic connection. I loved every bit of the first book in Bovalino's Hand and the Heart series. Captain Grey Flynn is a knight pledged to protect the mage Kier, who she has known since she was a child. She is not only a blade but a source of magic, a well. Unbeknownst to others, she and Kier have gone through a forbidden process to become tethered, so that magic flows between them like an unspoken language. But Grey is also secretly in love with Kier. Early in the story Grey, Kier, and choice members of their army are assigned to the protection of a young woman and told to spirit her through the mountains to safety. She is believed by many to be the key to the land's future and the heir to its magic. But she is not who the army thinks she is...and Grey herself is hiding an enormous secret about her own identity, which not even Kier knows. This, my friends, is my sweet spot for romantasy. There is no Outrageous Character Swooning meant to stand in for actual character development or used as a shortcut to attraction and bonds. Bovalino offers a wonderful in medias res introduction to the deep emotional and platonic, affectionate connections between Grey and Kier. What keeps the main protagonists apart is a realistic-feeling set of emotional barriers intended to preserve their lifelong friendship--the stakes of messing with their friendship are understandably high. And Grey's secret is significant; it keeps her somewhat at an emotional distance from Kier. All of this feels warranted. As danger intrudes upon the story and everything Grey and Kier have known feels up in the air, their relationship changes, and the dramatic development of a romantic relationship when death is breathing down their necks feels warranted, perfectly complicated, and heartstoppingly saucy. When the swooning arrives, it's after Bovalino has set the perfect stage for it. The magic in Bovalino's world is strange and the circumstances around the island feel like a grayscale, murky pause in the book's action and a potentially heartbreakng tease of a second chance. The pacing sloooowed during this section, but I was invested. I found the ending a little bit unsatisfying, but I didn't expect the direction the story took, either. Bovalino doesn't offer easy answers, but messy, fought-for, and deserved resolutions. I loved this. I listened to The Second Death of Locke  as a library audiobook on Libby . Please check out these Bossy reviews of medieval-set books . You can click this link for more books about knights. More from V. L. Bovalino The second book in the Hand and the Heart series is currently scheduled for publication in fall 2026 and is titled The Thief and the Traitor Bride . Bovalino writes young adult novels under the name Tori Bovalino; this is her first book for adults.

The first installment in Faizal's Blood and Tea series offers intriguing secrets, a swirling mystery, terrible betrayal, heartwarming found family, steady action--and vampires. "It's teatime, scoundrels." In the first book of Hafsah Faizal's Blood and Tea series, A Tempest of Tea , Arthie Casimir collects secrets--and by doing so, amasses enough power to become a criminal mastermind, exerting her influence within the city's dark underbelly. Her exclusive tea room becomes a posh hangout for vampires each night, but when her bloodhouse is threatened, she must work with one of her enemies in order to protect her livelihood and power. She helps plot to infiltrate the Athereum, an exclusive vampire society, but complex, dark conspiracies threaten to upend all of her plans, endangering Arthie and everyone aligned with her. “Aren’t you afraid?” she asked. “Fear stops life, not death.” Faizal combines secret identities, intricate plots, vampires!, hidden feelings, and wonderfully complex relationships in this mystery. A Tempest of Tea layers heartwarming found family, heartbreaking emotional barriers, and reluctant vulnerability to build characters that I cared about, funny gems, tantalizing moments, and an intriguing build-up to the books to come in this series. The cover artwork, palette, and the book's title felt off to me; they seemed to indicate Cozy Mystery (well, aside from the blood in the teacup), while the story feels more intricate and strange and deep. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? I listened to A Tempest of Tea  as an audiobook. Hafsah Faizal is also the author of We Hunt the Flame .

Scholomance series and I realized I haven't posted a stand-alone review of some of Novik's other standout fantasy

This fantasy novel about the power of storytelling was wonderful. I'm in the middle of a small but fantastic pattern of reading female-knight-driven stories; check out

battles within the books' alternate history, and the human protagonists are wonderfully faulted and fantastic

with ballet, an orphan's struggles, and Depression-era Chicago, but once Nocturne shifted into dark fantasy In Alyssa Wees's slim (it's 240 pages) fantasy novel Nocturne, set in the Little Italy of 1930s Chicago But once the fantasy elements became the focus, the story felt more like a series of ethereal concepts You can check out my Bossy reviews of other fantasy titles here.

Only a few Antari have been born in a generation, and they have long been the only ones with the power If you've read the Shades of Magic books, you'll already be acquainted with the fantastic characters Now Kosika, a young, impressionable, fervor-driven young Antari, is taking up the mantle of the deceased

fight in The Golden Enclaves meant that I didn't get to spend extended page time with some of my most favorite Novik is also the author of other fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted and Spinning battles within the books' alternate history, and the human protagonists are wonderfully faulted and fantastic

In Blanchet's young adult fantasy debut, Herrick's End, Ollie's only friend Gwen has disappeared.

Gwynne's epic, Norse-inspired saga tracks three fascinating main protagonists through battles, shifting alliances, strengthened resolve, and revenge journeys. I loved this. In John Gwynne's Norse-inspired saga The Shadow of the Gods , it's been a century since the gods battled themselves into extinction. Only their bones hold power now--for those brave enough to seek them out. There is talk of war's return, and three warriors will shape the future of the land of Vigrid: Elvar, a noblewoman searching for fame through battle; Orka, a huntress on a quest filled with danger; and Varg, a servant who joins the mercenaries called the Bloodsworn so that he may seek revenge. The three stories run along with plenty of steam, centered around violent battles, brutal revenge, extended searches for loved ones, and the carving out of new futures by our main protagonists. The story is always shifting--shaped by betrayals and the flipped script when fate and destiny aren't what the characters thought and they must come into their own. This is epic but never melodramatic, and I was hooked on the Viking-esque elements, the badass women who find their strength, and the perfect balance of resolution and cliffhanger to build anticipation for book two. Spoiler: a dragon appears at the very end of the book, laying the groundwork for more dragon page time in subsequent books. I loved this. I listened to The Shadow of the Gods  as an audiobook. More from John Gwynne: Gwynne is also the author of book two in this series, The Hunger of the Gods , the series Of Blood and Bone, and The Faithful and the Fallen series. Gwynne is also a Viking reenactor.

The Everlasting involves jaunts through multiple versions of the same story, as our fantastic main protagonists This is the type of romantic fantasy I adore.

He's a fantastic character I loved. This great book by C.A. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. also want to read Carey's The Boy on the Bridge, which is a standalone book in the same series, is fantastic This is one of my all-time favorite books. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #fantasyscifi, #series, #fourstarbookreview What are your favorite post-apocalyptic

Book two of the series continues to be playful, mischievous, wonderfully detailed about Victorian life, and full of supernatural creatures and clever plotting. I loved the first book in Gail Carriger's five-book (plus a prequel short) Parasol Protectorate series, Soulless. I also included it in the Greedy Reading List Three Offbeat Series I Just Started and Love. But after raving about it for two years it seemed time to stop letting this second installment languish on my unmanageable to-read list and get on with it! The series takes place in 1870s London, and in book two as in book one, the immensely appealing, practical, fearless character of Alexia Tarabotti (now married to Lord Maccon, a werewolf) navigates danger and helps achieve justice by using her smarts, eschewing societal tradition and limits on women, and demonstrating her ability to neutralize the supernatural abilities of werewolves, vampires, and other creatures. She is a preternatural--a human without a soul--serving on Queen Victoria's somewhat secret advisory committee, which affords her a certain power, and she is also the Alpha female of her husband's pack, which affords her a very different one. When her husband disappears, Alexia tracks him to Scotland, where all manner of badly behaving creatures await, she needs her incredibly handy parasol, her unshakable nerve, some savviness, and the armor of the latest fashions in order to fight off danger, uncover dastardly plots, discover the power plays at work, and save her own life. This installment involves technology of the time, ancient Egyptian artifacts, revelations about Alexia's mysterious father (and about her husband's centuries of history that predate her), more racy moments and attractions, and dirigibles! I am in for all of these books and laughed out loud at the dialogue, Alexia's abrupt manner, and the delightful oddities in Changeless. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? My only issue here is personally logistical--my library doesn't own a copy of the next book in the series, Blameless. Carriger is the author of many series; this is the only one I've dug into so far.

Alternative Arthurian legends twist through this first in a young adult fantasy series, but what hooked

I listened to the first installment in Shannon Chakraborty's Amina al-Sirafi fantasy series, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi as an audiobook, narrated by the fantastic Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal. irresistible main protagonist in the feminist Muslim character of Amina; and the sea adventure with various fantastical

June struggles with the complicated implications of her family's curse of hallucinations and mental illness...until she realizes that the red door and visions of the past are real memories from her own time-travel experiences. I wasn't the first Farrow, but I would be the last. June Farrow is biding her time on her family's flower farm in the small town of Jasper, North Carolina. But she's been seeing and hearing visions for a year now, and she believes they're linked to the curse that the community believes has its hold on the Farrow women. June would love to end the curse, the fraying of the Farrow women's minds, once and for all--by never having a child and allowing the mental illness to die with her. But when she realizes she can walk through a magical red door, she finds unexpected circumstances--and realizes that she may be able to reinvent her path forward--and possibly also shift the events of the past. Young builds a story of traveling through time and of shimmers of other realities that might have been--or possibly did occur; whether they happened or not is not always clear. The Unmaking of June Farrow involves some maddening determination on certain characters' parts to keep the time-travel element wholly secret from those who would ultimately be faced with it. (If even the bare bones of this crucial information were shared on a need-to-know basis, a character's possibility of showing up as herself in a dangerous point in time--for example, a time in which she may have been accused of a grave crime--could help secure her own safety and preserve her existence through various timelines and her implications on others.) It was tough not to feel frustrated at characters' reluctance to even allude to the giant elephant in the room, once the situation was laid bare for the reader. Receiving only vague advice (which initially feels faulty, to say the least) about simply walking through the vision of a red door that appears to her leads June into a dangerous situation in the past--a past from which she built deep roots at one point, then simply disappeared. The mystery of why June left a past timeline is intriguing and keeps the story going. The story shifts between events of 1912, 1946, 1950, 1951, and 1989. Late in the book, June begins to understand the "folding of time" and intuits how timelines may have combined. It's a complicated web of cause and effect, and for much of the book I wasn't certain that the bundle of events affected by time-travel added up (which age and version of which person exists in which time, and how does the interaction between different versions affect everything else), but I was willing to roll with it. The circumstances of the ending are largely satisfying, the emotional connections June ultimately makes are poignant, and there's a character-reveal twist that was sweet and lovely. I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group: Ballantine, Delacorte Press. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Adrienne Young is also the author of Fable, its sequel Namesake, and The Last Legacy, loosely set in the worlds of Fable and Namesake, and Spells for Forgetting.

Young adult is one of my favorite genres to read for fun and to edit. I could have listed so many fantastic young adult titles here, but I picked these varied, wonderful six What are your favorite young adult books that make you delight in feeling all the feelings? I would have been in favor of having the romantic element being tied up without the Eve aspect, or having With true friendship, loyalty, and fantastic, clever, clever ladies overcoming obstacles in their paths

irresistible, hardheaded, wonderfully faulted Tess as she broke from rigid medieval gender roles in favor

death-row inmate's desperate need for escapism leads to an elaborate world of magical thinking and fantastical He imagines a rich imaginary world full of fantastical visions, and these thoughts sustain him through

In Nethercott's Thistlefoot, estranged siblings Bellatine and Isaac Yaga find their way back to each other within this odd, dark story that is steeped in Jewish folklore. "It's wild, isn't it...how there are all these stories that played out before we even existed. And their residue is all around us, all the time, but we don't even know it. Sometimes I wonder how much of me is my own, you know?" This recently published debut novel from Gennarose Nethercott is heavy on Eastern European folklore and feels like an immersive fairy tale with modern references (for example, cell phones). In Thistlefoot, estranged siblings Bellatine, a woodworker with mysterious powers, and Isaac, a con artist and street performer with his own magic, are reunited to claim a mysterious, bizarre inheritance: a sentient house on chicken legs. You're going to have to roll with that premise for Thistlefoot to work for you, and if you're up for it, there are a lot of delights here. Thistlefoot is a strange, epic, often dark adventure tale with roots in Jewish folklore, and puppets (which may or may not come to life at times) and the story they're used to tell are central to the plot. Bellatine and Isaac find their way back to each other, bonded by trying to untangle the dangerous, sentimental, mysterious circumstances surrounding the house's existence. They find unlikely allies who are also seeking the truth about the house--and who want to protect its legacy from those who would destroy it. This, as always, is only one version of the memory. Funny, how truth changes in the telling. How a person becomes a myth, how a myth becomes a hero. Do not mistake Baba Yaga for the hero of my stories. She is not. She is not the villain, either. She is only a woman. Sometimes, one cannot know until retelling what was right and what was wrong. Thistlefoot includes some scenes in which World War II atrocities are central; delves into the desperation and cruelties of those who have struggled to America, imagining their salvation; and explores the binds of family and history. I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? If you like magical realism and folklore, you might also like the books on my Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love.

I listened to this romantic fantasy about a chosen one, a long-lost family, portals to a magical world recommendations so that I could beef up my Dragons shelf on Goodreads and put together a post of my favorite But possibly the most fantastical aspect of the story is the ease with which she secures an agent and

A Restless Truth is the second in Freya Marske's queer fantasy mystery Last Binding trilogy that began Maud and each of her unlikely allies are fantastic characters.

Paper & Blood is a quirky, lighthearted fantasy featuring copious Scottish lingo, magical creatures in