Lena has always felt an inexplicable tie to the ocean, and it’s grown stronger of late, as if calling her. On the verge of turning sixteen, she’s determined to finally learn how to surf, despite her father’s unyielding objections. But even as she takes to the water, she discovers the truth about her mother, who supposedly died in the ocean years ago: she was a mermaid. Given a chance to embrace her long-hidden heritage, Lena leaps at it, but will her new family and the mysteries of the deep seduce her away from the life she’s always known? Lyrical, romantic, and captivating, this aquatic coming-of-age tale makes for a fun, satisfying read.
Archive for category Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology
Having come into her power as the Mistress of Revels, Bertie Smith has left the Theatre Illuminata in search of Nate, her pirate friend who was kidnapped by the sea goddess Sedna. With her as always are the alluring air spirit Ariel, and a gaggle of mischievous Shakespearian fairies. With nothing going as planned, Bertie’s going to have to do a lot of improvising if she wants to rescue Nate, find her true father, discover her true origins, puzzle out the extent of her feelings for both Nate and Ariel, and make sure the show goes on. The sequel to Eyes Like Stars, this is another rousing adventure of literary and theatrical whimsy, filled with sly twists and humorous moments. Bertie’s continuing story deserves multiple encores and a standing ovation.
It’s 1913, and in the small crossroads town of Arcane, Missouri, anything can happen. When a traveling medicine show stops for repairs, bringing with it all manner of bizarre technological contraptions and dubious cures, Natalie Minks is alternately fascinated and worried. Even at a glance, she knows something’s not right with Dr. Limberleg and his companions. What she discovers will strike at the very heart and soul of her beloved home, leading an epic struggle for survival. A historical steampunk fantasy drawing inspiration from trickster tales, deals with the devil, and other folklore, this book’s crammed full of nifty ideas and awesome moments. Unique and wonderful, featuring a feisty, resourceful heroine, this book’s definitely a don’t-miss under any circumstances.
Welcome to a world where the gods are alive and well and dealing with humanity on their own terms. Everyone’s got a personal god, who takes care of them according to the level of faith involved and sacrifices offered. Want that promotion? Sacrifice a calf to Baal. Looking for lower insurance premiums? Marduk’s your deity. Demeter might be handy if you want a lush lawn, and so forth. After years of holding out, Phil and Teri are fed up with seeing everyone else get ahead through worship while they get left behind… so they’re in the market for a god.
Enter Luka, raccoon god of prosperity. Let him crash on your couch and eat your leftovers and maybe have a few friends over, and he’ll take care of you. Oh, but he might forget to mention the goddess ex-girlfriend still stalking him, or his archenemy, the dreaded god Gorgoz, whose minions are lurking in the shadows. And don’t mind when he and your best friend the god groupie start hooking up, because, well, raccoon god of prosperity. Phil and Teri may have their own god now, but he comes with a lot of baggage, and their lives are about to get hazardous. When mortals get wrapped up in the affairs of the gods, it rarely ends well.
Never one to repeat himself, A. Lee Martinez once again offers up a screwball fantasy where the mundane and the magical clash with tongue-in-cheek results. The concept is sheer genius: gods surviving in the modern world by actively soliciting worshippers for a little quid pro quo arrangement. And well, look, Divine Misfortune had me at “raccoon god of prosperity.” Yes, I am that easy to please. This book could kick puppies, and I’d still have given it a fair shot just for that bit. Sometimes, the high concept is all you need, especially when the author is firing on all cylinders.
But in all seriousness, this is a great story. Reminiscent of Tom Holt in his prime, it’s steeped in mythology, both traditional and newly-invented, and heavily accented with a dry humor that somehow makes it all the more enjoyable. It’s not the deepest of storylines, nor the most profound, but it’s thoroughly entertaining and good for a few laughs. I’ve never been disappointed by Martinez’s books, and Divine Misfortune is as good as anything else he’s ever done.
Plus, raccoon god of prosperity. I’m thinking I may need to set up an altar for that one. Just in case. But hopefully I won’t end up with a giant feathered snake god sleeping on my couch as a result.
It’s not easy being a part-pooka shapeshifter in a society where supernatural Others are tolerated at best, hunted at worst, but by keeping her true nature secret, Gwen has managed just fine. However, when a serial killer starts targeting Others around her, Gwen may not be able to hide for long, especially when she becomes a target. Now, with the help of a cute kitsune, she has to track down a murderer before he strikes again. The skillful use of myth and folklore and a strong emotional component keep this from being your standard murder mystery.
When Wolf runs away from the monastery he’s called home for years in search of a more fulfilling life, he finds more than he bargained for in the forms of a feral elf-child and a local lord driven by heartbreak, loss and ambition. Taken into service by Lord Hugo of the Red Mound, Wolf befriends his stubborn, spirited daughter, Nest, and takes on the task of civilizing the elf. But what does Hugo want with the elf, and what sort of trouble will arise as a result of his quest? Set in a long-ago Wales where magic and superstition still hold power, this book draws on traditional fairy tales and religious beliefs to tell a creepy, intriguing story where anything is possible.
When Ellie Spencer agrees to teach stage combat for a local university production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she’s inadvertently drawn into a bizarre series of events involving a secretive race of deadly mythological beings out to reclaim their full power and immortality. To thwart their apocalyptic schemes, she’ll have to embrace her own hidden powers, place her trust in some unlikely allies, and delve into a world she never knew existed. Set in New Zealand and drawing heavily from Maori myth for inspiration, this is a brilliantly-executed story, full of powerful imagery, fascinating characters, and memorable moments. Easily one of the best YA’s I’ve read this so far this year.
The only member of his family unable to work curse magic with a touch, Cassel’s honed his skills as a con man to a sharp edge as compensation. When his bizarre sleepwalking episodes disrupt the stability of his life, he soon uncovers a history of inexplicable discrepancies involving his brothers and his own memories. The weirdest? His dreams are being invaded by a mysterious white cat, who may be connected to the girl he once killed. Cassel will have to pull off the con of a lifetime if he wants to fully understand what’s going on, and free himself from a lifetime of manipulation. While drawing elements from a classic fairy tale, White Cat quickly establishes its own identity, where mobsters and magic go hand in hand with mystery and misdirection.
When Haley joins her father on a trip to Iceland, she not-so-secretly hopes she’ll finally discover how and why her mother vanished in the same spot a year before. She’s promptly caught up in a curse that’s wound through her family for generations, originating with the sorceress Hallgerd, a distant ancestor. To break the curse, she embarks on a series of adventures, accompanied by Ari, a local boy with an alarming habit of turning into a bear. She’ll brave ancient magic and forgotten myths as she tries to save herself from the past, but the cost may be more than she can handle. Clever, fast-paced, and steeped in the myth and lore of traditional Icelandic sagas, Thief Eyes is fascinating and different.
For Sarah Beauhall, life’s about to get very, very complicated. A blacksmith by trade, she live from paycheck to paycheck, making horseshoes for local farmers and replica weapons for convention-goers and the local Society for Creative Anachronism. By night, she works as props manager for low budget movies, like Elvis Versus the Goblins. Coming from a rather sheltered, fundamentalist Christian background, she’s still trying to piece together her feelings for her first ever girlfriend, terrified of public displays of affection and unable to really admit, even to herself, that she’s gay. Already in a mild state of emotional turmoil, she’s nowhere near ready for the trouble that’s about to unfold. When her favorite sword is broken, she sets out to repair it, only to be given an enigmatic warning from one of the movie’s extras: “If you attempt to reforge that sword, you must not fail.”
Turns out that she’s in possession of the legendary sword Gram, once used by the hero Sigurd to slay the dragon Fafnir. And now that Gram has turned up, some very old, very powerful people want it, and will stop at nothing to obtain or destroy it. Now Sarah has to deal with giants, trolls, dwarves and dragons, even as her life crumbles around her. With her job, her friends, even her relationship slipping through her fingers, with events spiraling out of control, Sarah may very well have to slay a few dragons of her own, or lose everything.
Black Blade Blues is a remarkably complex book, highly reminiscent of early Mercedes Lackey in some regards. Originally published in short form under the same name in the DAW anthology Swordplay (2009), it’s been cleaned up and expanded quite considerably here. Sarah’s intertwined struggles to defy destiny and come to terms with her own sexuality make for interesting, gripping reading. She’s the sort of heroine you alternately want to smack sense into, and hug comfortingly, especially as it becomes clear just how much of this is beyond her control. Elements from Norse/Teutonic mythology are utilized with great success here, weaving through and around the plot in an increasingly creepy, dramatic manner. What starts out relatively subtle becomes downright deadly by the end, where ancient myth and modern technology collide with devastating results.
All in all, Black Blade Blues is an extremely strong start to a new series, and I can’t wait to see what happens to Sarah Beauhall and her friends after this. It’s clear that we’re just scratching the surface of this setting, with Sarah as a relative newcomer to a world inhabited by ancient dragons, desperate dwarves, and hidden deities. Good stuff, without a doubt.