The Daughters War

 By: Christopher Buehlman

Location: FIC BUE

Genre: Fantasy

Prequel to  The Blacktongue Thief

A masterful tale of war and loss. The Daughter's War is achingly beautiful, and once it has you in its grip, it will not let go until you turn that final page Shauna Lawless

A standalone novel following young warrior Galva dom Braga on her journey from untested academy swordswoman to feared and bloodied veteran knight, set during the war-torn, goblin-infested years just before The Blacktongue Thief .

The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men. They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and inflicted a waking nightmare on the known world. Yet humanity persists, fighting back with all we have against their bottomless hunger for human lands and human flesh.

Now it's up to the daughters of Manreach to save what’s left of the human kingdoms; they’ll fight with every weapon at hand, with fearsome gods at their backs and brutal monsters at their sides.

Galva ― Galvicha to her three brothers, also under arms against the foe ― has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights, to serve at the side of women who, like her, have chosen the battlefield over the marriage bed. She and her sisters in arms march toward a once-beautiful city now overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids ― made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind.

The road to victory is bloody and the stakes are high; the goblins are clever and merciless in their prosecution of this third war against us. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted ― not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side.

But some hopes are worth any risk.

The Arthurian Tales

 By: Giles  Kristian

Location: FIC KRI

Genre: King Arthur

3 in the Series:

 Lancelot- Warrior, Friend. Lover. Legend

Camelot- they fought to keep the dream alive

Arthur: Out of the mist of legend thunders this epic story of the last lord of war.

“And yet Arthur had Merlin. And Merlin had an idea. And so Arthur listened”

John Gwynn- Loved this. A truly excellent finale to a wonderful trilogy. Gritty and heartbreaking, this is a novel that grabs you and sweeps you along to its emotional and bittersweet ending. A must read.

review by Willim Gwyn

We follow a grim, disillusioned mercenary named Beran. He kills for money, but then he is ordered to kill a boy. And no ordinary boy at that. It is a boy who could unite Britain, but only if he lives….

I imagine everyone has seen or read or watched many different takes on the Arthurian legend, but please do not let that move you away from this. Arthur, as well as the two companion novels, Lancelot and Camelot, offer such a unique perspective. This is historically based, as we are thrust into a Britain now with little hope of fighting back the seemingly endless waves of Saxons.

Giles Kristian once again proves his writing prowess. His characterisation is simply sensational, with character growth occurring so naturally, in a way that does not feel forced by plot. It is really just amazing how immersive and engaging this story is, and a huge contributor to that is how natural and vivid the characters feel.

“‘The songs say I will come again.’ He lifts his chin. ‘Here I am.’”

I will continue to profess my love for this book as I now turn my attention to the themes. We have the battle between tragedy and heroism, but we also have an exploration of themes that usually aren’t engaged with as much. Such as the double-edged sword of memory is exposed as Beran is forced to confront his past, and finds both solace and pain in it. This engagement with themes that contribute to the plot but also simultaneously enriches the characterisation has such a strong impact on the reading experience. I’ve said it already, but I’ll say it again. Giles Kristian uses his vast writing skills to weave a tapestry that immerses you and shocks you, but also moves you and has a lasting impact.

This is just extraordinary. Arthur like you have never seen it before, yet it resonates in your heart just the same. The character arcs are brilliant, the world vivid, the plot unpredictable, the prose lyrical. It is a joy to pick up.

If you like Arthurian literature, you should love this. If you enjoy historical fiction, you should this. But if you just love an immersive story with standout characters, you should also love this.

Fallen: George Mallory: The Man. The Myth and the 1924 Everest Tragedy

 By: Mick Conefrey

Location: NF 920 CON- Exploration

Genre:  Everest-  Bio, Non Fiction

An excellent biography of George Mallory, who died on Everest in 1924 and whose body was discovered in 1999 close to the Summit. The question of whether he and Sandy Irvine, his young co-climber, reached the summit remains unanswered and has preoccupied historians and mountaineers ever since. Mick Conefrey is an accomplished mountaineer and writer who writes sensitively and sensibly about the pros and cons of this argument and conveys the heroics and resilience of these early climbers. A stirring, romantic account of extraordinary bravery and single minded commitment. Review by Stephen King

An authoritative, myth-piercing study of the world-famous explorer George Mallory, who disappeared on Mount Everest in 1924.

In the years following his disappearance near the summit of Mount Everest in June 1924 at the age of thirty-seven, George Mallory was elevated into a legendary international hero.

Dubbed "the Galahad of Everest,” he was lionized by the media as the greatest mountaineer of his generation—a man who had died while taking the ultimate challenge. His body was only recovered in 1999 and there is still speculation about whether he made it to the summit. Handsome, charismatic, and daring, Mallory was a skilled public speaker, athlete, technically-gifted climber, a committed Socialist, and a supremely attractive figure to both men and women. His friends ranged from the gay artists and writers of the Bloomsbury group to the best mountaineers of his era.

But that was only one side to him. Mallory was also a risk-taker who, according to his friend and first biographer David Pye, could never get behind the wheel of a car without trying to overtake the vehicle in front; a climber who pushed himself and those around him to the limits; a chaotic technophobe who was forever losing or mishandling equipment; a man who led his porters to their deaths in 1922, as well as his young climbing partner Andrew Irvine only two years later.

So who was the real Mallory? What were the forces that made him and ultimately destroyed him? Why did the man who, in 1922, denounced oxygen sets as "damnable heresy” himself perish on an oxygen-powered summit attempt two years later? And perhaps most importantly, what made him return to Everest for his third and final attempt?

Using diaries, letters, memoirs, and thousands of contemporary documents, Fallen is a gripping forensic investigation of Mallory’s last expedition that, at long last, separates the man from the myth.

The House Across The Lake

 By: Riley Sager

Location: FIC SAG

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

... it’s absolutely unusual, creative, twisty, mind spinning! Nilufer

The New York Times best-selling author of Final Girls and Survive the Night is back with his most unexpected thriller yet.

Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple who live in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is rich; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.

One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage is not as perfect and placid as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she uncovers eerie, darker truths that turn a tale of voyeurism and suspicion into a story of guilt, obsession and how looks can be very deceiving.

With his trademark blend of sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy surprises, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake unveils more than one twist that will shock readers until the very last page.

Pieces of Her

 By: Karin Slaughter

Location: FIC SLA

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

'A nerve-shredding psychological thriller that will keep readers guessing to the very last page' New York Journal of Books

'A frenetic, stay-up-all-night kind of read' Good Reading

'Filled with Slaughter's trademark twists' Entertainment Weekly

Now a major Netflix adaptation: The #1 Australian bestseller from the author of The Silent Wife 'A novel that sets the standard for psychological thriller writing. Rarely in fiction have the past and the present collided with such force and in such a distinctive and compelling voice' Jeffery Deaver

What if the person you thought you knew best turned out to be someone you never knew at all?

Andrea Oliver's mother, Laura, is the perfect small-town mum. Laura lives a quiet but happy life in sleepy beachside Belle Isle. She's a pillar of the community: a speech therapist, business owner and everybody's friend. And she's never kept a secret from anyone. Or so Andrea thinks.

When Andrea is caught in a random violent attack at a shopping mall, Laura intervenes and acts in a way that is unrecognisable to her daughter. It's like Laura is a completely different person - and that's because she was. Thirty years ago. Before Andrea. Before Belle Isle.

Laura is hailed as a hero for her actions at the mall but 24 hours later she is in hospital, shot by an intruder, who's spent decades trying to track her down.

What is Andrea's mother trying to hide? As elements of the past return and put them both in danger, Andrea is left to piece together Laura's former identity and discover the truth - for better or worse - about her mother. Is the gentle, loving woman who raised her also a violent killer?

The Shelterlings

 By: Sarah Beth Durst

Location: FIC DUR

Genre: Fantasy, Animals

A group of magical misfit animals learns to appreciate their seemingly useless powers—and themselves—when they work together to thwart a villain’s attempt to steal their magic. Holly, a grey squirrel, and her animal friends have accepted that they will never be wizards’ familiars. Though they are each magical, their powers are so offbeat—Holly herself can conjure pastries (and only pastries)—that no professional magic-worker would choose any of them as a companion for noble quests. So instead of going on adventures, they languish at the Shelter for Rejected Familiars, where they are known as “shelterlings.” When an old friend appears with a plan for curing the shelterlings’ defective magic, everyone is on board to help him locate and retrieve the ingredients for a powerful spell. But when they learn that his offer is not what it seems, Holly and the shelterlings must fight to defend their magic, discovering in the process that their unorthodox skills may just be what is needed to save the day.

Kirsty said

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK!

It had magic, underdogs, animals, TALKING ANIMALS, friendship, adventure, heroics, good vs evil!!! Wow!!!! I just loved the world of the Shelterlings that Durst created and I never wanted to leave. I want my own Shelterling… where do I sign up!

This story was just filled with good feels and warmth and all bubbled down to a fantastic message that it is okay to be different, everyone is special, there is a place for you and when you find it you will find where you belong!!!! Be still my beating heart!

The Silence In Between

 By: Josie Ferguson

Location: FIC FER

Genre: Historical Fiction,  Berlin Wall, family

“And we are guilty. We did nothing. And in doing nothing, we gave our consent."

Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your new-born baby...

This is what happens to Lisette. Overnight, on 13 August 1961, the border between East and West Berlin has closed, slicing the city - and the world - in two. With the streets in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate.

Lisette's teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother - once a talented pianist - the music has gone silent.

Perhaps Elly can do something to bridge the gap between them. What begins as the flicker of an idea turns into a daring plan to escape East Berlin, find her baby brother, and bring him home....

 Review by Sharon
I love historical fiction, especially books which are set around real life events that I can go and read up about afterwards. The book is a dual timeline story which revolves around the Berlin Wall. Initially the story begins in 1961 when Lisette finds herself separated from her baby boy when the Wall is put up overnight. Her son is ill in a hospital in West Berlin and she is stuck in East Berlin having gone home for some rest. The storyline then takes us backwards and forwards from 1961 to the Second World War, following Lisette's story in the earlier years and her daughter Elly's story in 1961.

This was a truly amazing book! I thought it was only going to be set around the time that the Wall went up and what happened after that, I didn't realise it would jump back in time to the War also. The switch between the two times however was done perfectly and there was no confusion as to where you were in their stories. Their stories though were captivating, heart-breaking and took you right into the fear and uncertainty of what was happening. The characters were so well written and I equally loved Lisette and Elly's stories in the different times.

The author has put a huge amount of research into this cleverly written book and as I read I was looking up little bits and pieces to see if some of these things really happened. I'm glad to say a lot of the book was factually correct, but this did add to the sadness I felt as I read to know that so many people went through this. This was an absolutely brilliant book, full of emotion, and which will stay with you long after you have finished it.

What The River Knows

 By: Isabel Ibanez

Location: FUIC IBA

Genre:  Fantasy. Historical Fiction

The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.

Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind.

When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.

With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

Murder in the Family

 By: Cara Hunter

Location: FIC HUN

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

What a format- this book is so weirdly cool!

Nilufer - one of my favourite Goodreads reviewers raves about this one...

My mind! My gray cells! Quick correction: my last remaining gray cells! It took me a day to gather my thoughts after reaching the end of this book, and even now, a day later, I am still rendered speechless. No words I can conjure adequately express my heightened emotions, immense admiration, awe, and adoration for Cara Hunter's true masterpiece!

Twenty years ago Luke Ryder was killed in the garden of his upmarket London home - no one was ever prosecuted. Now, his stepson, TV director Guy Howard, decides to revisit that fateful night in the form of a six part docu-drama as part of a Netflix true crime series.

The investigation and evidence is presented in the form of text messages, emails and old newspaper clippings, together with specialists sifting through the material, debating each and every point, and though complex, it was fascinating the way one thing led to another, until finally we get to the truth.

This book had me riveted to the page. It is original, inventive and totally 21st Century… Just brilliant!’ Janice Hallett,‘

The attention to detail is incredible, and following along is so. Much. FUN.’ Catherine Ryan Howard

‘This devilishly clever, ground-breaking novel will keep you guessing as you fly through its pages’ Ian Rankin