Are you in the mood to travel to a different world instead of the beach this summer? Me too. If you aren't ready to dance in a mushroom ring under a full moon or following a strange winged creature into the forest, give one of these books a try!
Compiled by:
Madeline Bitter
Adult Fiction- Fawcett
Do you secretly think faeries are real? Do you ever mistake a glimmer out of the corner of your eye for a window reflecting light, or something else entirely? In Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, the study of the fae is a scholarly focus at the university level, and the socially inept Emily Wilde has traveled to the Scandinavian region for research. She is conducting a field study on the fae of the cold, mountainous region, but her discoveries reveal a much more ominous business right beneath the villager’s noses.
SF Huff
Series: Gale Women #1
Alysha Gale inherits the family junk store in Calgary after her grandmother dies. While taking stock of the items in the shop, Alysha finds a monkey’s paw, a magic mirror, and a leprechaun. As it turns out, Alysha comes from a family especially talented in charms and enchantments with the store serving a most unusual clientele. Dragons are circling the city of Calgary, causing our main character to call for help from her magical family to aid her. This story features strong, well rounded characters and new mythology for readers to dive into.
SF Addison
Court intrigue lovers, take note! If you haven’t read this award-winning novel, you must. Maia, the half-goblin, half-elf son of the Emperor is brought out of exile after his father and his brothers in line for the throne die in a suspicious accident. Maia has been raised in exile, far from any experience with royal court tactics, trickery, and intrigue. His rough manners and rudimentary knowledge about how to rule and manage the power plays around him are written in a warm and understated tone, which readers of the genre will find refreshing. It also features some steampunk elements!
Adult Fiction- Mulford
Series: The Five Crowns of Okrith #1
Hankering for a spicy romance, high fantasy novel with a complex protagonist with secrets? Protagonist Remy has been on the run for most of her life when she is tracked down by the annoying-but-gorgeous Prince Hale of the Eastern Kingdom to stop a war between the Northern Court and his own. He needs a red witch to do that, so he collects Remy to try and save both of their kingdoms. Secrets aren’t revealed right away, making this a satisfying read for readers in the mood for a mystery with great worldbuilding.
SF Harris
Joanne Harris of the beloved novel Chocolat has graced readers with a collection of interconnected fairy tales that take place in a land called the Nine Worlds. Many of the stories are about the life of the Lacewing King and his subjects, the Silken Folk. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Charles Vess, this book looks as magical as it reads.
SF Tompkin
Set in medieval times where kings and queens are divided and highly hostile to each other, the Vatican is encroaching on the Celtic’s way of life, and the faerie realm is fighting for the heart of Ireland. The half-goddess Aisling is assigned the task of negotiating between the humans and the fae, while a mercenary hired by the Church is sent to destroy the vestiges of magic. The Last Days of Magic is perfect for fans of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin and historical fiction.
SF Ross
Series: Elements of Cadence #1
On the magical island of Cadence, a young bard named Jack Tamberline returns to his birthplace after being summoned to find girls who have gone missing from his village. Jack’s homeplace is teeming with spirits and powerful elementals that answer only to a bard’s music, which is why his childhood rival Adira, headwoman of the East, brings him home to help solve the mystery of Cadence’s missing girls. Jack and Adira work closely with the spirits of the island to uncover the truth only to reveal something far darker than they thought. This story is an excellent example of where the setting becomes a main character in its own right.
Adult Fiction- Robots
Written as a kind of showdown between two fantasy genre favorites, Robots vs Fairies is a collection of short stories by science fiction and fantasy authors like Catherynne M. Valente, Jeffery Ford, and Max Gladstone—just to name a few. There's a playful introduction in which a couple of the authors write letters to the future robot or fairy overlords, and discuss which team they are on. It’s a fun collection of stories that take on all sorts of versatile tones—from comedic to creepy.
SF Mcguire
Series: October Daye #1
After spending 14 years trapped in the body of a fish after an investigation gone wrong, half-fae and half-mortal October Daye has had to readjust to her new life alone. October is a private investigator employed by faerie clients. Although she attempts to fade into the human world, she's pulled back into her profession after she's tasked with solving the murder of her old friend, Countess Winterrose. Filled with action-packed scenes and richly detailed world building, Rosemary and Rue is a perfect blend for fantasy and crime fans alike.
SF Novik
Miryem is the daughter of a family of Jewish moneylenders in their small village. Miryem is especially good at numbers and ways to make fellow villagers pay their debts. Her skill catches the attention of the local faerie population, particularly their leader who overhears her brag that she can turn silver into gold. In this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, traditional Jewish traditions and practices play a crucial role in helping Miryem outsmart the coldhearted fae in this riveting story.
Y Atwater
Series: Regency Faerie Tales #2
Ten Thousand Stitches is the story of Euphemia “Effie” Reeves, a housemaid in Regency era England who is hopelessly in love with the youngest son of the family she works for. Luckily for her, Juniper Jubilee, lord of the faerie forest Blackthorn, takes a shine to Effie and decides to enact his mission to “be kind to the powerless and cruel to the powerful.” In this retelling of Cinderella, Effie not only hatches a plan to have her love interest reciprocate her feelings, but also one that reveals the cruel power structures around her, thanks to the help of her new fairy godparent. This story is a fresh romantic comedy for readers who are looking for something lighter! Although marketed as a young adult novel, adult audiences can also enjoy this riveting tale.
SF Delint
If you consider yourself a fan of urban fantasy and haven’t read any books by Charles de Lint yet, stop reading this and go dive into the Newford series or any of his standalone works. Or, better yet, a collection of his very best stories! De Lint writes about the fictional city Newford, a bustling place filled with goblins, crow girls, trolls, and fae courts that gather in shopping mall food courts to revel. Even his human characters are beyond magical! These stories are classics of the genre.