Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Woodcutter Jarl and his wife have nine children; when the last one is born and turns out to be a fifth daughter, her mother refuses to give her a name, believing that sons are more useful. Her family refers to her as "pika" (girl), although her favorite brother, Hans Peter, who traveled the world on a ship calls her "lass." The country where they live has been immersed in a nearly-unending winter, which makes life difficult. So when a giant enchanted polar bear (isbjorn) shows up one night and asks the pika to live with him for year, she agrees to go if he'll ensure that her family finds fortune while she's gone. The isbjorn takes her to a castle made of ice that has all the comforts she could want, except that it starts to feel like a prison. The more questions she asks, the more servants start disappearing and she begins to fear what could happen; but that doesn't stop her from trying to find answers--and risk ruining everything...

This is a fairly good retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, though there aren't really many surprises. I was a little disappointed that some of the plot points introduced at the start of the story that seemed important never really amounted to anything. However, I did enjoy it and I was interested to see what would happen. I would definitely recommend this to fantasy fans who like to read fairy tale retellings or who want something set in the "real world" that's a little out of the ordinary.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Seer and the Sword, Fablehaven, Howl's Moving Castle, or Auralie: A Fairy Tale

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

In the kingdom of Kendel, people who communicate with animals through the gift of "animal magic" are hunted and killed for it. So it is imperative that no one find out that Prince George and his mother have the gift. After his mother dies, George's relationship with his father is strained and keeping his secret becomes more difficult for the prince as he gets older. When he turns seventeen, George visits the neighboring kingdom of Sarrey to meet his betrothed, Princess Beatrice. She is cold and reclusive, spending all of her time with her wild hound, Marit; but it turns out that it is because she also has a terrible secret. The real question is whether or not George and Beatrice can trust one another and work together to solve the problems - and maybe even find love.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down once I got in a few chapters. The characters are realistic, including their struggles to find themselves while keeping their secrets. Parts of the plot seemed less cohesive later in the story than at the beginning, but it all came together well at the end. I would recommend this story to fantasy fans who are looking for a story with a little more depth and characterization, or who enjoy stories about relationships between humans and animals.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Spirit Fox, No One Noticed the Cat, Radiant Darkness, or The Minds series

No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey

When Mangan Tighe, Regent to Prince Jamas of Esphania dies, the prince is suddenly immersed in a world of politics that he has to navigate alone. At the time, no one noticed Tighe's cat, Niffy, however, when she adopts Jamas, everyone is amused when he starts asking for her opinion as Tighe used to. The political situation heats up when the neighboring country of Mauritia starts looking toward Esphania to expand their holdings, and it soon becomes clear that their queen, Yasmin, has even bigger plans toward gaining power than anyone realized.

This story is a short novella, so it's a fairly quick read. Although it falls into the fantasy genre, there isn't much magic and the core of the story is more about politics. However, it was certainly an interesting story, and I would recommend it to fantasy fans who enjoy political intrigue or fantasy stories centering around cats as magical creatures.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Reserved for the Cat, The Prophecy, Magic in the Mirrorstone: Tales of Fantasy, or Daughter of the Flames

Spirit Fox by Mickey Zucker Reichert and Jennifer Wingert

Reminiscent of medieval fiefs, the matriarchal fort communities of the Marchlands have long fought in a battle dictated by their gods. But when the gods make peace amongst themselves, the people embrace the 'Joyous Reunion' and make it illegal to learn fighting or warcraft of any kind. Unfortunately, years of peace have made them an easy target for an invading foreign army intent on wiping out the magic that many people wield as healers and soothsayers as well as those who have been spirit-linked to animals – a magical connection which the foreigners call an Abomination but which the Marchlanders view as a gift from their gods. One young girl, Kiarda, suffers a particularly difficult fate because her spirit link has become corrupted, causing her to turn into a fox. She must learn how to deal with her personal healing and find ways to save her people before their way of life is destroyed.

I really enjoy this book - the plot is relatively unusual, but definitely interesting. The characters are well developed (although occasionally a little too predictable) and the characterization of the invaders in particular added a unique facet to the story. The ending is a little too neat to be entirely 'realistic,' but it does tie up all the loose ends satisfyingly. I'd definitely recommend this book to fantasy fans.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Reserved for the Cat, Half-Human, Resenting the Hero, or Dragonsdawn

Series about Tortall by Tamora Pierce


All of the books in this posting take place within a universe created by the author, centered around the country of Tortall. Each series can stand alone, although several of the characters appear in multiple story lines, so some of the 'back-story' is in previous books.

• Song of the Lioness Quartet:
  

  1. Alanna, the First Adventure - Alanna of Trebond is getting shipped off to school to learn how to be a lady and her twin brother is off to start his training to be a knight. But that's the last thing either of them wants, so they conspire to switch places: Alanna will pretend to be 'Alan' and earn her shield while Thom studies to be a mage. Training is difficult - and so is hiding her real sex, but Alanna is determined to get through her first four years as a page.

  
  

  2. In the Hands of the Goddess - Alanna continues her training as Prince Jonathan's squire. Throughout those four years, she discovers even more difficulties, including war with a neighboring country, but also has help since the Great Mother Goddess has decided to adopt Alanna as one of her own. Soon, the young squire will find that being a Chosen one of the gods is incredibly complicated...

  
  

  3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man - The newly knighted 'Lioness' leaves Corus to let outrage die down, now that her identity has come to light. She finds far more than she bargained for when she kills a Bazhir mage and the tribe forces her to take his place. Alanna must face her fears about magic and learn that there's more to being a knight than just swordfights.
  

  
  

  4. Lioness Rampant - Although Tortall is a strong country, they are threatened by political upsets all around. The only way to unite and consolidate Tortall's power under Jonathan's rule is for Alanna to bring home the Dominion Jewel - a mythical gem that a ruler can use to bond the land of an entire country to the Crown. The path to get the Jewel, and then bring peace to Tortall is long and difficult, but Alanna can do it if anyone can.
  

  
  



• The Immortals Quartet:
  (This series mentions some of the same characters - like the King - but can stand alone.)
  

  1. Wild Magic - When Veralidaine Sarrasi goes to the horse fair looking for a job, she never dreamed that she would meet people who could see her true potential - although she doesn't have the Gift, she's a wild mage. Daine has the power to talk to animals and even shift into their shapes. When Numair Salmalín (the most powerful mage known in Tortall or elsewhere) discovers her talents, he teaches her to use them and Daine finds herself thrust in the midst of adventures.

  
  

  2. Wolf Speaker - Daine gets word from the wolf pack that she used to live with (when she was first orphaned) that the humans in their valley are destroying the land where the pack hunts. Numair and Daine (now with the dragon kit Skysong in tow) head out to help them, but when they get there, they discover that the problem is far worse than they imagined: treason. Suddenly, it's up to them, with the help of the wolf pack, to save Tortall.

  
  

  3. The Emperor Mage - When Tortall sends a delegation to Carthak to forge an agreement between the countries, Daine goes with them, to look at the Emperor's prized birds. But when she gets there, a forgotten local goddess, the Graveyard Hag, decides that Daine presents the perfect opportunity to make herself known to the people again. Temporarily given the power to bring dead animals back to life, Daine suddenly discovers that when the gods meddle, her life becomes far more complicated. Her only hope is to find a way to fix the situation fast...

  
  

  4. In the Realms of the Gods - During an attack from some particularly nasty Immortals, Daine almost dies and wakes up in the realm of the immortals where she finally meets her father and discovers that her mother has become a low-level goddess herself. Unfortunately, she and Numair (who got pulled in with her) can't stay long because their friends in Tortall need their help in the war. Although it's difficult, the two must trek across the immoral realms to find the dragons, who might be able to take them back. It turns out, however, that where they /are/ isn't much safer than where they're headed. Getting home is going to be a challenge.

  
  



• Protector of the Small
  (This series is also a stand-alone, but there are more characters from the Lioness series)
  

  1. First Test - Although it is no longer illegal for girls to earn their shields, none have trained to become knights. Keladry of Mindelin has decided to be the first. After living with her parents in the Yamani Islands as diplomats, Kel understands the importance of training and what it will take to be a knight. Her parents agree, but Kel discovers that, unlike the other pages, she'll be on probation for a year, simply because she's a girl. Although she's frustrated by the injustice, Kel is determined to prove that she can keep up with the boys - and maybe surpass them.

  
  

  2. Page - Having survived the first year, Kel gets permission to continue her knightly training, but she discovers that making it this far doesn't mean any of it is easier. Kel still struggles with her fear of heights, but she works hard in her studies and continues to prove her worth, slowly gaining the trust of her fellow pages. She'll have to put her skills to work, though as she ends her first four years.

  
  

  3. Squire - Kel is excited when Raoul of Goldenlake chooses her to be his squire. Together, they set off on the royal progress, training and fighting in tournaments. Occasionally, there are adventures, however - like the one that lands Kel with a baby griffin that only she can take care of. Although her four years as squire are difficult, it all comes down to the final test of knighthood; everyone is waiting to see if Kel will make it past the Chamber of the Ordeal and be the first (legal) Lady Knight.

  
  

  4. Lady Knight - Having earned her shield, Kel gets sent to a distant outpost where she has to build a refugee camp from scratch. Although it takes more work than she had expected, Kel soon becomes attached to 'her' people. When their peace is threatened, Kel takes on the 'killing machines' that she saw in the Chamber of the Ordeal. It will be her biggest challenge yet, but Kel is not about to abandon the people that she has sworn to protect.

  
  



• Trickster's Choice & Trickster's Queen
  (The main character is Alanna's daughter, so reading the other series helps, but isn't necessary)
  
  

  1. Alianne of Pirate's Swoop is the daughter of Alanna, the King's Champion (the Lioness) and George Cooper, the King's spymaster. Her mother hopes that she will find something thing occupy her time, but since Aly doesn't want to be a knight or learn to be a proper 'lady,' Alanna is at a loss. What Aly really wants to do is become a field agent for her father, but neither parent will let her spy. When Aly sails away to visit friends, she gets abducted by pirates and sold as a slave. Suddenly, her world has turned upside down. It gets even more interesting when a local god (who claims to be her father's patron) makes her a bet: if she can keep the household's children alive through the end of the summer, Kyprioth (the god) will send her home. He assures that she will have help from him and from the crows (who are the animals of his domain). Aly takes the bet, although it will take all the spying skills that she has learned to keep her end of the bargain.
  

  2. In the sequel, Trickster's Queen, Aly has agreed to stay in the Copper Isles as the spymaster for the raka movement. Now that the family has moved back to Rajmuat, plans to put Sarai on the throne have stepped up. Aly's talents come in handy as she coordinates the activities and information of her spies throughout the city, slowly working to bring down the regents. Now, with the help of raka servants and the crow warriors, it looks like it might finally happen.

  
  

Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors; these are books that I come back to time and again when I need something good to read. Each of these series features unique, but realistic characters that are hard to forget - particularly the strong, self-possessed heroines. The setting has a sort of King Arthur feel, with knights, monsters, and magic (albeit different from the sort Merlin used), but it is set in a fantasy world. The only thing that occasionally annoys me about these books is that each series seems to cover less time, which means I tend to be left wondering what happens next and wishing there were another book. Despite that, I would recommend any of these books to fantasy readers.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Poison Study, Howl's Moving Castle, or The Last Apprentice

The Harper Hall Trilogy & Dragonsdawn

Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall Trilogy (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums) takes place on the planet Pern. For those who are unfamiliar, a group of colonists from Earth settled on Pern and then discovered that every so many hundreds of years, another planet in the system passes near Pern and drops a life-form that they call 'Thread.' Thread is a sort of parasite (for lack of a better description) that literally disintegrates anything that isn't plastic or metal and must be burned or drowned in water before they will stop. To combat Thread, the colonists genetically engineered life-size fire-breathing dragons patterned after smaller lizard-sized dragons native to Pern. Dragons are telepathically linked to human dragonriders when they hatch - together, dragons and dragonriders sweep the skies when the Thread falls, burning up as much as possible to keep the people safe.

Readers interested in the original colonists should read Dragonsdawn. I definitely recommend it - the book gives a lot of insight into the founding of Pern, and also has a great cast of characters with realistic lives as colonists. The main story follows Sorka Hanrahan and Sean Connell who are only children when they arrive at Pern, however, there are dozens of other characters which makes for an interesting story.

By the time that the Harper Hall Trilogy takes place, the settlers on Pern have spread out and populated most of the planet. However, they have also lost most of their technological origins and spread most of their traditions and stories through the songs of 'harpers.' The first two books follow the journey of Menolly, a young girl who lives in a fishing village. She has incredible musical talent, but her family believes that music should be left to men and attempt to quash her gift. Menolly runs away and is only found out-running Threadfall. At this point, her life changes forever.

The second book, Dragonsinger, picks up immediately where the first leaves off, talking about how Menolly's life changes after the truth about her talent is discovered and she goes to Harper Hall to learn about music.

Finally, the third book is really more of a stand-alone book that happens to include the same characters as the first two. It takes place several years after the end of the second book and the main character is Piemur, a boy whom Menolly meets at Harper Hall. Although Piemur is an incredible singer, his voice has begun to change and the Masterharper decides to send him out on political errands. Soon, however, Piemur ends up finding more adventure than he expected.

I really love this series for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the books are very short which makes them quick reads. I have to admit that I like the first two more than the third because it doesn't seem as relevant to the series (Menolly and the main characters from the other two books do not show up much) and because I don't really enjoy 'political intrigue' which is the central point of the third book. Menolly and the other characters are easy to relate to, and the storyline is an interesting approach to the way of life on Pern. I also enjoy the poems/songs at the start of each chapter - they are all unique and add something to the story. I definitely recommend these books to fans of music and fantasy - and to anyone looking for something a little different.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Fablehaven, Spirit Fox, Dragonhaven, or Dark Lord of Derkholm