fantasy

Silverborn by Jessica Townsend – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Silverborn by Jessica Townsend 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: June 24, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9780316348393

The fourth book in the Nevermoor series has Morrigan discovering that her mother is actually from Nevermoor and was part of a very wealthy family. Morrigan is invited to meet her mother’s family, the Darlings, but things don’t go perfectly at their first meeting. Still, she continues to be in touch with them as her relationship with her mentor falls apart due to both of them having kept large secrets from one another. At a Darling wedding, Morrigan finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation where she and her friends may just be the only ones still searching for the true murderer. She must also find time to continue her studies to be a Wundersmith, one of the big secrets she is keeping from everyone.

After many delays in its publication, there is such joy in returning to the world of Nevermoor and the magic delights that dwell there. In this novel, there is plenty of darkness woven throughout. Readers will be able to figure out some of the mysteries and lies ahead of Morrigan while other reveals will surprise. With a monster, a murder and Morrigan, this book has plenty to keep fans happy.

If you haven’t tried this children’s fantasy series yet, this fourth book just adds to the reasons to read it soon. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin

Publisher: Page Street YA

Publication Date: August 5, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9798890032706

Verity is a young witch in the middle of her witch training where she has left home and spends each year in a new place. She is just ending a lovely year living near a bakery when a leaf appears to beckon her to her new assignment. Foxfire is a village separated from the world since their bridge was destroyed, leaving them isolated. To make it worse, there is a creature who has laid a curse upon them, ruining their crops, leaving them hungry and desperate. It is into this village that Verity arrives. Her magic will not be trusted to be helpful and she must find ways to take on the creature ruling over the town who continues to make deals with villagers where they often never return. 

There are so many witch books, so please don’t assume this is just another one that you’ve read before. Martin has created a witch who has real power, real duties to service and a connection to the natural world that reads with such deep roots that it will echo in your bones. His story is marvelously complex both in the characters and their motivations and in the magical structures he employs. Nothing is simple for the reader or Verity in Foxfire, which is challenging and delightful. Add in a touch of romance and this is fire.

Impossible to put down, this is one of the best teen witch books out there. Appropriate for ages 12-18.

The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell (9780593809907)

Return to the world of Impossible Creatures with this second book in the series. Christopher is delighted to be called back to help the Archipelago again, this time to save the dragons. It takes a lot to kill dragons, and they only trust Christopher to speak to them and rescue them. As Christopher travels to the magical world, he meets Anya, a girl with a special connection to royal birds and who has lost people to the poison being used to kill the dragons. Now they have a shared quest, to find an antidote and save Anya’s father from being accused of killing the king, her grandfather. 

Readers’ hearts will soar along with Christopher’s in delight at returning to the Archipelago. Second books in series are particularly challenging and Rundell carries this off with grace and style. She gives readers exactly what they were yearning for, a grand adventure with beloved characters as well as new characters to connect with. Anya is a great foil for Christopher in the tale, which is less a tour of the magical land and more focused on a specific quest, yet feels incredibly expansive too. Don’t forget to say some of Rundell’s gorgeous language aloud, particularly her character names for the creatures, they are great fun!

A great sequel in a marvelous series. When does the third come out? Appropriate for ages 10+.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Seven Ways Through the Woods by Jenn Reese – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Seven Ways Through the Woods by Jenn Reese, illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz (9780063356269)

When you come to a dark forest, you have several ways to enter it. First, you can simply follow the path where others have walked before you. It’s not exciting, but it’s an option. There are six other choices that are a lot more fun. Perhaps riding a griffin? Or taking the sprite tunnels? Or finding a portal flower. The seventh way is only for the bravest explorers. That way is to leave the path and stay in the magical forest, not seeing it as an obstacle but a destination. 

I didn’t know much about this picture book when I started reading that thought that it might be focused on nature and hiking. I was overjoyed to find that it took a magical turn into sprites, moss giants, griffins and more. The text keeps the tone of a guide narrator, much like a regular hiking book, which adds to the charm. The illustrations from the beginning are rich and colorful, using the digital format to create saturated tones that glow. 

Pure forest magic. Appropriate for ages 4-7. 

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Greenwillow.

Beetle & the Chimera Carnival by Aliza Layne – Book Review

| Tasha

Beetle & the Chimera Carnival by Aliza Layne (9781665907484)

This sequel to Beetle and the Hollowbones captures the same spirit as the first. In this new story, Beetle and Kat are looking forward to attending the Chimera Carnival together, an event that happens every ten years. The event draws dragons from across the world to the space. But when Kat and Beetle discover an injured dragon who is crying for their egg to be rescued, they are drawn into a dark mystery that hides behind the celebration. Meanwhile, Beetle’s magic starts to manifest physically in new ways and Kat has to deal with her parents and their expectations for her and her magic. As the threat grows, Kat and Beetle have to figure out who to trust and how to battle a force that could wipe out everyone they love.

Layne does such an amazing job of creating a graphic novel that is both an adventure through a magical realm and also an exploration of the two main characters and their love. This second book explores the world more fully, including Beetle’s goblin magic and a new underground realm. It also has the characters coming out to loved ones and developing their connection to be even closer. The art is filled with purples, oranges and greens, bringing the world, the carnival and the characters to life with color and action.

A dynamic and loving second book in a great graphic novel series. Appropriate for ages 12+.

Reviewed from copy provided by Atheneum.

2024 Nebula Award Winners

| Tasha

The winners of the 2024 Nebula Awards have been announced by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. Here are the winners and shortlisted titles for Novel, Novella and the Norton Award for best YA. You can find the entire list at Locus.

NOVEL WINNER

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

NOVEL FINALISTS

Asunder by Kerstin Hall

The Book of Love by Kelly Link

Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera

Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

NOVELLA WINNER

The Dragonfly Gambit by A.D. Sui

NOVELLA FINALISTS

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

Countess by Suzan Palumbo

Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

The Practice, the Horizon and the Chain by Sofia Samatar

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

ANDRE NORTON AWARD WINNER

The Young Necromancer’s Guide to Ghosts by Vanessa Ricci-Thode

ANDRE NORTON AWARD FINALISTS

Benny Ramírez and the Nearly Departed by José Pablo Iriarte 

Braided by Leah Cypess

Daydreamer by Rob Cameron

Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee

Puzzleheart by Jenn Reese

I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins – Book Review

| Tasha

I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins (9780593623862)

Nell knows that her magic is going to appear soon since woman in her family gets their magic at age fifteen. Each woman’s is unique to them. Her mother changes ages constantly, her grandmother can feel every room in the house she is in, her aunt’s hair whispers secrets to her. Perhaps the worst of them is Nell’s sister, Mora, who bleeds music and who uses razor blades to release it from her body. Mora is now in the hospital to get help, and Nell fears what her own magic will do to her. When her magic arrives as insects that reveal the emotions that Nell is unable to feel, Nell doesn’t know what to do. The blue stick insects are her sadness, the ladybugs are her creativity, but worst are the wasps that are her rage. Can Nell manage to lock away her emotions deep inside to keep the wasps from coming again? Or can she find a way to feel these dangers emotions somehow?

This verse novel is simply incredible. Chewins writes a book of raw and edgy verse that demands that we see beyond the magic to the truth of each person’s experience. The verse lays bare Nell’s experience, including the abuse that she refuses to acknowledge and the trauma of her family because and despite the magic they have. The use of insects adds a creepy beauty to the book, enough to make your skin itch but also be in awe of the spectacle.

Furious, beautiful and dangerous, this verse novel insists on being heard. Appropriate for ages 13-16.

Reviewed from library copy.

2 Adult SFF Reads Recommended for Teens

| Tasha

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Aboard the HMS Fairweather, bodies are disposable but minds last forever until one day that all changed. Dorothy, one of the ship’s detectives, awakens in a body that isn’t hers just as the ship is going through magnetic storms that mess with its systems. Dorothy must figure out why she is in an unfamiliar body but even more importantly why someone else aboard the spaceship has been murdered! What she does know is that part of this predicament is due to her nephew Ruthie who may be smart but is also chaotic. But he also may have just saved her mind from being erased forever. 

The answer to what happens when you mix a great mystery with a science fiction setting, this teen-friendly adult novel is great fun. Told in a novelette format, the book is only 100 pages long and whizzes readers along introducing marvelous characters, including the sentient ship itself. With lots of inclusive characters, many of whom are part of the LGBT community, the book makes the most of the unique characteristics of a ship in space and virtually unkillable people. A grand mystery among the stars, here’s hoping that we will visit again soon.

Great fun for older teen readers, this jaunt of a science fiction mystery is highly recommended. Appropriate for ages 14+.

Reviewed from library copy.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong (9780593815915)

Tao travels alone with her mule and wagon across the land, making sure that she only tells insignificant fortunes so she won’t attract the attention of the mage guild. She is an immigrant to the country having lost her father and come with her estranged mother. Even if she’s lonely, she makes sure she is safe. Soon though, she finds herself helping a reformed thief and a warrior to find a lost little girl. They are also joined by a baker looking for adventure and an aloof magical cat. With these new companions come new friendships but also new dangers.

This cozy fantasy is as warm and lovely as I imagine Tao’s wagon to be. The friendships develop organically on the page and the adventures the group has culminate in a very fulfilling ending that addresses much of Tao’s past. The writing is spry and great fun thanks to Leong infusing the entire read with a lot of humor and joy.

A grand adventure just right for adults and teens alike, particularly those not looking for a romance just good fun. Appropriate for ages 14+.

Reviewed from library copy.

A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill – Book Review

| Tasha

A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill (9780593182307)

Rowan is learning to be a ranger, taking care of the land and its people with the help of a flying horse. But when Rowan tries to show off their skill and doesn’t listen to cautions, their horse is injured. Stuck now walking everywhere, Rowan is assigned to help Leone, a lone figure who spends a lot of time with sheep. Leone has his own dreams. He plays the fiddle constantly but won’t play for any person at all. As the two of them start their slow journeys together, their friendship begins to grow. Each finds support in one another, creating joy and romance.

O’Neill is author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society. This graphic novel combines a fantasy world with a trans and non-binary coming out story for both main characters. Beautifully told and filled with true moments of connection and romance, this book features characters who are complex and layered.

Beautifully illustrated and compellingly told, this graphic novel will make your heart soar. Appropriate for ages 10-14.

Reviewed from library copy.