I love horses and I love the magic that exists in the world. I have always been drawn to both. My maternal grandmother had the ‘second sight’ as they called it, and I have inherited that from her. My books and poetry reflect my sincere belief that magic and wonder are alive and well and that we need to nourish them by acknowledging their existence in our everyday lives. The miracle of life, the sun rising and setting every day, the dance of the stars and moon across the sky, the glory of the northern lights—who can claim that isn’t magic?
de Lint creates a magical mix of myth and reality that is totally believable, his characters stay with you long after the book is done. The glowing mists of magic lingering long after the pages are closed. He makes you wonder if what you thinkyou saw out of the corner of your eye is actually real.
When Celtic folk musician Janey Little discovers a secret manuscript in an old attic trunk, strange and frightening things begin to happen. Janey’s perilous story, and the one she is reading—about spunky adolescent Jodi Shepherd, beset by the witchery of the evil Widow Pender—expertly weave two separate plot threads. A steadily mounting tension makes two small seaside villages in Cornwall come alive with danger, magic, and mystery. One of de Lint’s best-loved novels, The Little Country is a fantastic escape dealing with ancient standing stones, the power of music, and the warmth of true friendship.
While in a style all her own, Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks mirrors de Lint’s ability to bring the thrill of magic and danger into our world against the backdrop of our mundane reality. I love the idea that magic exists alongside the reality most think is the be all and end all. To believe that the things we see out of the corner of our eye actually exist, perhaps just in an alternate realm that lies beside ours. I have to say I believe in magic. I thoroughly enjoy this book and have read it more than once.
Eddi McCandry has just left her boyfriend and their band when she finds herself drafted against her will in a faerie war between the Summer and Winter Courts, the WAR FOR THE OAKS. While trying to cope with her new otherworldly bodyguyard, the Pooka, Eddi also struggles to build a new life, a new band, survive the schemes of the Queen of Air and Darkness -- and discover the magic that is truly her own. Emma Bull and Will Shetterly write novels, short stories, screenplays, comic books, poetry and essays. Emma was a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula and World…
I’m not a big romance fan, but Roberts deftly mixes good and evil and witches and demons into a purely solid and real setting which brings the magic to the forefront and relegates the romance part of the plot to a secondary character. Set on Three Sisters Island, an old legend is brought to a conclusion in a wild climax. I loved all three books in this series.
The conclusion of the "Three Sisters Island" trilogy. The new owner of the island's only hotel, Sam has returned to Three Sisters with hopes of winning back Mia's affections. But Mia needs his help to face her greatest challenge, and the deadline for breaking a centuries-old curse draws near.
Lackey has created a huge following for her Valdemar series and with good cause. Imagine a world where unearthly, beautiful spirits in the guise of horses ‘choose’ a person to be their Herald. Which means they are bonded in a relationship that transcends anything else and their role, nay duty, is to protect and help those less fortunate than themselves. It’s a real world, created with villains and heroes and guarded by the heavenly “Companions” manifesting as horses. If you love magic and horses, you can’t go wrong with any Mercedes Lackey book.
Groundbreaking epic fantasy series in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar universe • Lambda-Award winning novels with heartfelt high adventure and magic
Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wasn’t no part in such things. Nor does he seek a warrior’s path, wishing instead to become a Bard.
Yet such talent as his, if left untrained, may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well. So he is sent to be fostered with his aunt, Savil, one of the fame Herald-Mages of Valdemar.
But, strong-willed and self-centered, Vanyel is a…
This book was instrumental in my creation of Laurel’s Quest. Hamish and Paul are earth energy dowsers and Laurel follows their path along the Mary/Michael earth energy lines in England. It is a journey of discovery and of confirmation of their theory that ancient man knew about these lines of power and built stone monuments to mark the places where the two lines (male and female) cross to create nodes. Avebury and Glastonbury Tor being two of the most well-known. Pilgrims still walk the ancient Ridgeway and Icknield Ways that cross the English countryside leading from one place of power to another under the watchful gaze of the many white chalk horses scoured into the hillsides. I can’t recommend this book enough, it is brilliant.
If you are into ley lines, then this book is a must for you. It literally maps the Michael and Mary ley lines (which originate in Cornwall in the South West of England) in the finest detail, and takes you on a journey through ancient history to present day. Not only will you discover where the ley lines criss-cross the English countryside but you will find out how the ancients used the ley lines to locate their sacred sites and activate their energies at key times of the year to promote fertility and harmony in the landscape and the people.
Laurel Rowan can’t escape from her true reality. Her mother is terminally ill, and her father sends her to family friends so he can spend time at the hospital. Once in Cornwall, she stumbles upon a magical spring where she meets the White Lady, who offers her a chance to gain her heart’s true desire, if only she can solve a riddle.
Pursuing her quest amidst the magic of the Cornish countryside, she is aided by Coll and her new friends Gort and Aisling. They are also helped by creatures of legend and myth. The friends must battle the odds in the form of bullies and confusing clues. Will Laurel have the courage to solve the riddle and fulfill her quest?
My favorite fantasy novels tend to be rather complex. Winding plotlines, mysteriously interconnected characters, whimsical settings, and intricate, thoughtful worldbuilding combine to create immersive stories that stick in the mind like overworn folklore. Time travel or interworld travel lend additional layers of intrigue and mystery, forcing the inescapable contemplation of a more thrilling, alternate reality. And if it’s all packaged in artful, breathtaking prose that breeds full-color images, audible noises, indelible flavors, nose-crumpling odors, and tangible textures, I will happily lose myself in the pages, truly forgetting about the strictures of everyday life… at least until I get hungry and remember I need to consume more than books to survive.
An Heir of Realms tells the tale of two young heroines—a dragon rider and a portal jumper—who fight dragon-like parasites to save their realms from extinction.
Rhoswen is training as a Realm Rider to work with dragons and burn away the Narxon swarming into her realm. Rhoswen’s dream is to Ride, but her destiny will pit her against her uncle and king, who have scorned her since before her birth.
In the Exchange, the waystation between realms, Emmelyn fights the G’Ambit, a gambling ring with members more intent on lining their pockets than protecting the realms—or their own lives.
Realm-devouring parasites threaten all existence. The Exchange is desperate to destroy them. But could their radical plans endanger the realms, too?
Soul-sucking parasites are overwhelming the realms.
Rhoswen of Stanburh is of age to train as a Realm Rider—a defender of the realms. Riders and their dragons work together to burn away infiltrating Narxon as they swarm in through tears in a realm’s fabric. But it’s not an easy battle: the mere touch of the smoky, dragon-like adversaries can reduce the lively winged beasts—and their Riders—to ash.
Becoming a Realm Rider is Rhoswen’s dream, but she carries far more responsibility…
