Read Feed: Summer Serial Reads
Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, 10 a.m.Staff PicksShepherd Park/Juanita E. Thornton Library
Read Feed: Summer Serial Reads
Exciting discoveries. Power plays. Wondering who is trustworthy. Fantastic and alternate worlds. Over the summer, I read the latest installment from a few series that I've been following.
Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan
In the final novel of the "Memoirs of Lady Trent" series, the famed dragon naturalist Isabella, Lady Trent, embarks on the greatest adventure of her career. While Isabella is attending a lecture presented by her husband Suhail, a foreign visitor named Thu Phim-lat demands to see her, saying he's found a dragon of the likes he's never seen from a mountainous location. Excited, Isabella sets out with Suhail and her longtime colleague Tom Wilker. During a mountain climb, a dangerous incident occurs, and Isabella is separated from her group. Sometime later, Isabella wakes up and discovers she's been rescued by the Draconians, a dragon species believed to be extinct. Her discovery of the Draconians' home, the Sanctuary of Wings, is more than an important find; it is also cause for political implications. I enjoyed this fantasy series with a Victorian-inspired setting and an interesting take on dragons.
Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession by Alison Weir
Young Anne Boleyn, the daughter of an aristocratic English family, is enjoying a beautiful day at her family's home, Hever Castle. When her father, Thomas Boleyn, arrives home, he tells Anne that she will be going to serve in the royal court in the Netherlands. It is a prestigious position; Anne becomes an accomplished and educated young lady. After some years abroad, Anne returns to England and enters the household of Queen Katherine of Aragon, wife of King Henry VIII. She falls in love with a wealthy nobleman, however, it comes to the attention of Henry VIII. Anne is stunned to learn that the King has taken interest in her. As Anne and her family rise to greater wealth and power, she learns it all comes with a price. This is the second novel in Weir's "Six Tudor Queens" series.
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
As the latest installment of the "Invisible Library" series opens, Librarian spy Irene Winters is on probation after events involving her apprentice, Kai. An urgent message comes from the Library: former Librarian and nemesis Alberich has returned and all the Library staff must assist with its defense. Irene and Kai are sent to find a book in an alternate Imperial Russia ruled by Catherine the Great. There, the pair encounter Alberich. What happens next is a race to stop Alberich from destroying the Library and everyone with it. This is a well-written fantasy series with a Library like no other!
A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander
After their last case in southern France, Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves are staying at their villa in Greece. Two of Lady Emily's long-time friends join them. One day, a gentleman claiming to be Lady Emily's deceased first husband, Viscount Philip Ashton, appears. He explains he has been working as an archaeologist and his current work site isn't far from the villa. Is the story of his lost years credible? When a series of murders occurs connected to Philip's work, Emily and Colin must find out who is targeting Philip and work to keep an artifact related to Greek mythology from falling into the wrong hands. I've enjoyed reading Lady Emily's work as an amateur detective since the beginning and where her cases take her in the late Victorian era. Check out Emily's earlier adventures in the "Lady Emily Mystery" series!
Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine
In the latest novel in the "Great Library of Alexandria" series, Jess Brightwell and his Library friends are imprisoned in futuristic Philadelphia after a confrontation in London. Philadelphia is home to Book Burners and smugglers. The group sees that the city has fallen on desperate times. Jess's friend Thomas offers to build a printing press while the others plan an escape. When Jess and his friends reach the Brightwell family residence, they discover they are part of a larger game. This young adult series featuring the Great Library of Alexandria is an incredible and action-packed read.
Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan
In the final novel of the "Memoirs of Lady Trent" series, the famed dragon naturalist Isabella, Lady Trent, embarks on the greatest adventure of her career. While Isabella is attending a lecture presented by her husband Suhail, a foreign visitor named Thu Phim-lat demands to see her, saying he's found a dragon of the likes he's never seen from a mountainous location. Excited, Isabella sets out with Suhail and her longtime colleague Tom Wilker. During a mountain climb, a dangerous incident occurs, and Isabella is separated from her group. Sometime later, Isabella wakes up and discovers she's been rescued by the Draconians, a dragon species believed to be extinct. Her discovery of the Draconians' home, the Sanctuary of Wings, is more than an important find; it is also cause for political implications. I enjoyed this fantasy series with a Victorian-inspired setting and an interesting take on dragons.
Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession by Alison Weir
Young Anne Boleyn, the daughter of an aristocratic English family, is enjoying a beautiful day at her family's home, Hever Castle. When her father, Thomas Boleyn, arrives home, he tells Anne that she will be going to serve in the royal court in the Netherlands. It is a prestigious position; Anne becomes an accomplished and educated young lady. After some years abroad, Anne returns to England and enters the household of Queen Katherine of Aragon, wife of King Henry VIII. She falls in love with a wealthy nobleman, however, it comes to the attention of Henry VIII. Anne is stunned to learn that the King has taken interest in her. As Anne and her family rise to greater wealth and power, she learns it all comes with a price. This is the second novel in Weir's "Six Tudor Queens" series.
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
As the latest installment of the "Invisible Library" series opens, Librarian spy Irene Winters is on probation after events involving her apprentice, Kai. An urgent message comes from the Library: former Librarian and nemesis Alberich has returned and all the Library staff must assist with its defense. Irene and Kai are sent to find a book in an alternate Imperial Russia ruled by Catherine the Great. There, the pair encounter Alberich. What happens next is a race to stop Alberich from destroying the Library and everyone with it. This is a well-written fantasy series with a Library like no other!
A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander
After their last case in southern France, Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves are staying at their villa in Greece. Two of Lady Emily's long-time friends join them. One day, a gentleman claiming to be Lady Emily's deceased first husband, Viscount Philip Ashton, appears. He explains he has been working as an archaeologist and his current work site isn't far from the villa. Is the story of his lost years credible? When a series of murders occurs connected to Philip's work, Emily and Colin must find out who is targeting Philip and work to keep an artifact related to Greek mythology from falling into the wrong hands. I've enjoyed reading Lady Emily's work as an amateur detective since the beginning and where her cases take her in the late Victorian era. Check out Emily's earlier adventures in the "Lady Emily Mystery" series!
Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine
In the latest novel in the "Great Library of Alexandria" series, Jess Brightwell and his Library friends are imprisoned in futuristic Philadelphia after a confrontation in London. Philadelphia is home to Book Burners and smugglers. The group sees that the city has fallen on desperate times. Jess's friend Thomas offers to build a printing press while the others plan an escape. When Jess and his friends reach the Brightwell family residence, they discover they are part of a larger game. This young adult series featuring the Great Library of Alexandria is an incredible and action-packed read.
