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Thornspell
Helen Lowe
Synopsis: Helen Lowe reimagines the Sleeping Beauty story from the point of view of the prince who is destined to wake the enchanted princess in this lush, romantic fantasy-adventure.

Prince Sigismund has grown up hearing fantastical stories about enchantments and faie spells, basilisks and dragons, knights-errant and heroic quests. He'd love for them to be true—he's been sheltered in a country castle for most of his life and longs for adventure—but they are just stories. Or are they?

From the day that a mysterious lady in a fine carriage speaks to him through the castle gates, Sigismund's world starts to shift. He begins to dream of a girl wrapped, trapped, in thorns. He dreams of a palace, utterly still, waiting. He dreams of a man in red armor, riding a red horse—and then suddenly that man arrives at the castle!

Sigismund is about to learn that sometimes dreams are true, that the world is both more magical and more dangerous than he imagined, and that the heroic quest he imagined for himself as a boy . . . begins now.
Publication Date: 09/09/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Dark Destiny
Melody Lowe, Kym Hackenberger
Synopsis: Scorned by her betrothed; shunned by her family; her true love murdered in a less-than-chivalrous battle... An innocent young princess takes a turn down the twisted path of vengeance to become the Queen of the Dark Realm. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" we cry, outraged at the latest injustice that life has tossed our way. But life isn't always fair, a fact that no one knows better than Elspeth, Princess of Rookskrieg. What could transform an innocent young princess, full of life and hope and all that's good, into the evil queen of Sleeping Beauty fame, who condemns an innocent child to her death? Dark Destiny is the Sleeping Beauty story that's never been told, the story of a young woman whose dream of blissful life outside her royal destiny is shattered by the twists of fate.
Publication Date: 09/03/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Ghost Medicine
Andrew Smith
Synopsis:

The summer before Troy Stotts turns seventeen, his mother dies. Troy and his father barely speak, communicating instead by writing notes on a legal pad by the phone. Troy spends most of his time with his closest friends: Tom Buller, brash and fearless, the son of a drunk; Gabe Benavidez, smart enough to know he’ll never take over the family ranch; and Gabe’s sister, Luz, whose family overprotects her, and who Troy has loved since they were children.

           Troy and his friends don’t want trouble. They want this to be the summer of what Troy calls “ghost medicine,” when time seems to stop, so they won’t have to face the past or the future. But before the summer is over, their paths will cross in dangerous and fateful ways with people who will change their lives: Rose, a damaged derelict who lives with a flock of wild horses and goats; and Chase Rutledge, the arrogant sheriff’s son.

           Troy and his friends want to disappear. Instead, they will become what they least expect —brothers, lovers, heroes, and ghosts.

Publication Date: 09/02/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Soldier King
Violette Malan
Synopsis: A new novel of high fantasy and adventure featuring martial arts masters Dhulyn and Parno.

Fulfilling their Mercenary contract, Dhulyn and Parno have accepted the surrender of Prince Edmir, heir to the Tegriani Realm. The Common Rule of the Mercenary Brothers states that prisoners taken by them go free and unharmed. But when the War Commander who hired them refuses to honor this agreement, the duo break their contract and escape with the prince. And thus they take the first step along a path that might lead Dhulyn to the truth about her past?or bring them to a magical trap from which there may be no escape.
Publication Date: 09/02/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
My Cousin, the Alien
Mike Gorman, Pamela F. Service
Synopsis: In this first book of the Alien Agent series, we meet Zack, a normal kid with a crazy cousin, Ethan, who thinks he's an alien. But is Ethan really crazy? And why do the same bald, odd-looking fat guys keep reappearing everywhere the boys go?
Publication Date: 09/01/08
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fantasy
The Remarkable and Very True story of Lucy and Snowcap
Synopsis: Set on fictional islands off northeast America in 1787, this story features two twelve-year-old girls from different cultures who must join forces to save themselves, their people, and one special baby.
Publication Date: 09/01/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
The Witches of Dredmoore Hollow
Synopsis:

Nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Mystery

When his two strange aunts arrive at Dredmoore Hollow, eleven-year-old Elijah finds his life turned upside down. His parents suddenly leave town, and he’s whisked away to stay with Serena and Agnes on Moaning Marsh, where they run the world’s most mysterious beauty salon. Not to mention their creepy hired man, his beastly pet, and the three unusual girls who are their only customers. Elijah discovers that secrets and magic are part of the Dredmoore family legacy, and there’s no hiding from your roots no matter how deep, dark, and tangled they may be.

Publication Date: 09/01/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Sucks To Be Me
Kimberly Pauley
Synopsis: Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally?
Publication Date: 08/26/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Black Dragon Codex
R.D. Henham
Synopsis: What happens when an evil black dragon becomes your ally?

Snatched from the street by a young black dragon, Satia seems destined to end her life as a snack. But her position as a menu item quickly changes when her black dragon captor runs into two young red dragons and a wanna-be Dragonlord. In a quick twist of events, the black dragon is transformed into an ordinary teenaged boy. Always one step ahead of their pursuers, Satia makes a bargain with her captor: her life in exchange for her help. But now she must live up to her end of the bargain. With no magic and only the strength of two humans, how will Satia outwit the Dragonlord and his minions?
Publication Date: 08/26/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Zoe's Tale
John Scalzi
Synopsis: How do you tell your part in the biggest tale in history?

I ask because it's what I have to do. I'm Zoe Boutin Perry: A colonist stranded on a deadly pioneer world. Holy icon to a race of aliens. A player (and a pawn) in a interstellar chess match to save humanity, or to see it fall. Witness to history. Friend. Daughter. Human. Seventeen years old.

Everyone on Earth knows the tale I am part of. But you don't know my tale: How I did what I did — how I did what I had to do — not just to stay alive but to keep you alive, too. All of you. I'm going to tell it to you now, the only way I know how: not straight but true, the whole thing, to try make you feel what I felt: the joy and terror and uncertainty, panic and wonder, despair and hope. Everything that happened, bringing us to Earth, and Earth out of its captivity. All through my eyes.

It's a story you know. But you don't know it all.
Publication Date: 08/19/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Dark Vengeance
Ed Greenwood
Synopsis: Orivon Firefist was captured as a six-year-old child by the Nilfghar—the dark elves—who attacked his village by night on one of their surface raids. Fifteen years later, he was a moon-pale, scarred, muscular giant of a man, who  spent his days at forgework for a dark elf family. He had been trained (and flogged and ordered about) by the beautiful Tsarnarra, a lash-wielding matron who is icily cruel, but proud of the slaves that she has trained.   Through all of this, Orivon's spirit had never been broken and he rose up and opposed his underworld tyrants.  He has successfully returned to the surface world home that he thought only existed in his most distant dreams.   But the score is far from settled. Years of oppression and new revelations of the dark deeds of his former captors only fuel his forge of rage. And the fact that their evil still permeates the underworld only intensifies his desire for a dark vengeance.
Publication Date: 08/19/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Faust
Katsushi Ota, Takashi Takeuchi, Ueda Hajime, Takeshi Obata, Clamp, Otaro Maijo, Kinoko Nasu, Kouhei Kadono, Otsuichi, NISIOISIN
Synopsis: A stunning new collection of fiction inspired by the fantastic world of manga–and featuring artwork by the best in the business, including

“Outerholic,” by NISIOISIN (illustrated by CLAMP): CLAMP fans everywhere will appreciate the original art in this tale excerpted from NISIOISIN’s upcoming novel–set in the world of CLAMP’s bestselling xxxHOLiC–about a woman compelled to choose disaster.

“F-sensei’s Pocket,” by Otsuichi (illustrated by Takeshi Obata): What would you do if you could make all your dreams come true? Here’s the story of a girl who is really very ordinary–until a bunch of magic gadgets suddenly blow onto her porch.

“Outlandos d’Amour,” by Kouhei Kadono (illustrated by Ueda Hajime): For a boy who can make lightning strike, the only thing harder than learning how to control his powers is falling in love.

“The Garden of Sinners,” by Kinoko Nasu (illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi [TYPE-MOON]): Too many young girls are flying and dying. It has to stop–and only Shiki can put an end to it.

“Drill Hole in My Brain,” (Written and illustrated by Otaro Maijo): The ill-fated love story of a boy with a hole in his head and a girl with a horn on hers. It was great while it lasted, but the end of their affair just might mean the end of the world.

PLUS more illustrated stories, columns, interviews, and bonus features!
Publication Date: 08/19/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Queen of the Masquerade
Amanda M. Jenkins, Tiffany Trent
Synopsis: BBYA author Amanda Jenkins teams up with Tiffany Trent to give voice to the next Hallowmere heroine...

Christina wakes in a new world with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Tasked with solving a riddle that will save the duke and duchess who rescue her and take her in as a changeling, Christina seeks to puzzle out just what she's doing here and why her memory has fled.

But the riddle isn't just a key to saving the duke and duchess--it's Christina's key to something far more dire, a mission she knows she must remember, one that involves the strange young man who keeps appearing in odd places. Is the riddle a prophecy or a warning?

Acclaimed YA author Amanda M. Jenkins, in partnership with Tiffany Trent, takes on Christina's voice to determine just how much Christina's fate depends upon the answer to that question.
Publication Date: 08/12/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Everwing
MJ Grothoff
Synopsis:

A New Twist on this Years Fantasy Adventures!

EverWing, the next historical adventure, brings us along with a young royal Masu¨ra named Gavee, who discovers his understanding between right and wrong differs from his clans. He finds himself torn between what he was trained to become and what he feels to be right. This first book brings us into the Masu¨ra world and how Gavee answers the question between following his heart over the demands from his family. EverWing is the beginning for Gavee and his travels, as he moves through the struggles of his island and watches one Masu¨ra destroy everything he holds dear.
Publication Date: 08/05/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Seaborn
Chris Howard
Synopsis: "From the first page of Seaborn, you are immersed. Chris Howard navigates a wild ride through a brilliantly edgy and richly atmospheric alter-world. Here is a fresh, formidable spin on fantasy, and Howard is a talent to watch out for. Seaborn will leave you spellbound." --Adele Griffin, author of where I want to be

"Dark and atmospheric, Seaborn is an imaginative new entry in the world of paranormal fiction." --Liz Maverick, author of Wired, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2007

"...a fresh and entertaining read and I fully expect we will be hearing more from Chris Howard in the future." --SciFiGuy

"Fascinating read..." --Romantic Times 4 star review

Description: Corina Lairsey has just clawed her way free from one controlling relationship when she finds herself in another-only this guy, Aleximor, has really gotten under her skin. Literally. A 400-year-old sorcerer who gathers the drowned dead off the ocean's floor for the King of the Seaborn, he's inside her head and is wearing her body like a wetsuit. Corina desperately schemes to regain control of her self, fighting against time as Aleximor trades pieces of her life away in exchange for power over the path between the worlds of the living and the dead . . . Kassandra is the King of the Seaborn's granddaughter. She comes from the sea, but has spent her whole life in exile on the surface, struggling to control frightening powers she barely understands. She declares war on her murderous grandfather and manipulates her family, friends, oceanic royalty, and the US Navy to aid her- but Aleximor intends to use Kass to carry out his revenge against the entire Seaborn royal line. And she's also fallen in love-one more struggle for an already troubled soul.

Author's Note: Seaborn is a contemporary fantasy about the loss of freedom. There are two heroines. One, Corina Lairsey has just lost all physical control, and her story is about how she fights, convinces, bargains with the evil inside in order to get her self back. The other is Kassandra, who is from the sea, but has grown up in Nebraska in exile. She has the opposite problem Corina has. Kassandra's one of the most powerful things from the sea, but she's the product of others' manipulations, following a path to the throne she's not sure she wants to take, struggling to be certain that any motive in her head is really her own.
Publication Date: 08/04/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer
Synopsis: When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life-first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse-seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.
Publication Date: 08/02/08
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy

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