The Night Itself

The Night Itself
Author: Zoë Marriott
Publisher:
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2014-07
Genre: Fantasy fiction
ISBN: 9781406357950

When Mio steals the family's katana - a priceless ancestral sword - from her parents' attic, she just wants to spice up a fancy-dress costume. But the katana is much more than some dusty antique and her actions unleash a terrible, ancient evil onto the streets of unsuspecting London. Soon Shinobu, a fearless warrior boy, appears to protect Mio - and threatens to steal her heart. With the gods and monsters of Japanese myth stalking her and her friends, Mio realizes that if she cannot keep the sword safe, and learn to control its legendary powers, she will lose not only her own life - but the love of a lifetime.

Frail Human Heart: The Name of the Blade, Book Three

Frail Human Heart: The Name of the Blade, Book Three
Author: Zoe Marriott
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2016-11-08
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 076369200X

In the riveting final volume of Zoë Marriott’s urban fantasy trilogy, all hell is breaking loose in London. Literally. It’s been a long few days since Mio stole the ancient, magical katana from her family’s attic. She and her friends have defeated the demonic Nekomata and banished the Goddess of Death’s plague-spreading Shikome. But at a terrible cost: Mio’s beloved Shinobu is lost to her, imprisoned again within the katana. With no time to succumb to guilt and grief, Mio must find a way to defeat the vengeful gods Izanagi and Izanami once and for all. Her only hope lies in the one place immortals can’t go: the realm of dreams, a shifting dimension of water and ice, echoes and memories, beauty and danger.

Darkness Hidden

Darkness Hidden
Author: Zoë Marriott
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2014
Genre: London (England)
ISBN: 9781406355291

Despite defeating the Nekomata and getting home alive, Mio is still compelled to protect the katana -- and now the Underworld has spawned a worse monster. This one carries a plague that sweeps through London like wildfire. As Mio struggles to protect the city and control the sword's deadly powers, she realizes that this time there is no way she can keep everyone she loves out of the line of fire.

The Bard's Blade

The Bard's Blade
Author: Brian D. Anderson
Publisher: Tor Books
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2020-01-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1250214637

The Bard's Blade is the start of the new Sorcerer's Song fantasy adventure series from Brian D. Anderson, bestselling author of The Godling Chronicles and Dragonvein. Mariyah enjoys a simple life in Vylari, a land magically sealed off from the outside world, where fear and hatred are all but unknown. There she's a renowned wine maker and her betrothed, Lem, is a musician of rare talent. Their destiny has never been in question. Whatever life brings, they will face it together. Then a stranger crosses the wards into Vylari for the first time in centuries, bringing a dark prophecy that forces Lem and Mariyah down separate paths. How far will they have to go to stop a rising darkness and save their home? And how much of themselves will they have to give up along the way? At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A Broken Blade

A Broken Blade
Author: Melissa Blair
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Total Pages: 362
Release: 2022-08-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1454947888

The BookTok sensation from debut author Melissa Blair—now with exclusive bonus content! "Gripping and fierce. This is much-needed fantasy with its fangs honed sharp by the power of resistance. Melissa Blair has built a tremendous world."—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights My body is made of scars, some were done to me, but most I did to myself. Keera is a killer. As the King's Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can't help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace? As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom. Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.

Solo

Solo
Author: Kwame Alexander
Publisher: Clarion Books
Total Pages: 460
Release: 2017-08-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0310761905

Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess is a New York Times bestseller! Kirkus Reviews said Solo is, “A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.” Through the story of a young Black man searching for answers about his life, Solo empowers, engages, and encourages teenagers to move from heartache to healing, burden to blessings, depression to deliverance, and trials to triumphs. Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy, including the loss of his mother. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming Blade will become just like his father. In reality, the only thing Blade and Rutherford have in common is the music that lives inside them. And songwriting is all Blade has left after Rutherford, while drunk, crashes his high school graduation speech and effectively rips Chapel away forever. But when a long-held family secret comes to light, the music disappears. In its place is a letter, one that could bring Blade the freedom and love he’s been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift. Solo: Is written by New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Book Award-winner Kwame Alexander Showcases Kwame’s signature intricacy, intimacy, and poetic style, by exploring what it means to finally go home An #OwnVoices novel that features a BIPOC protagonist on a search for his roots and identity Received great reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus. If you enjoy Solo, check out Swing by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess.

Blade Reforged

Blade Reforged
Author: Kelly McCullough
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2013-06-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101592508

Enter the "fascinating world"(Fresh Fiction) of the Fallen Blade in this thrilling fantasy novel from Kelly McCullpough. After the fall of the goddess of justice, temple assassin Aral Kingslayer lost his purpose in life and turned to the bottle. That might have been the end of him if luck hadn’t given him a few people to help him get back on his feet—notably the irresistible Baroness Maylien Dan Marchon, who once sought his aid in claiming the throne that’s rightfully hers. Reluctant to resume the role of an assassin, he turned her down. But now Aral has learned that one of the few people willing to help him in his darkest days has been imprisoned by Maylien’s uncle, King Thauvik. Aral knows he can’t let an old friend die, but the alternative is to return to the life he left years ago. It was the death of Thauvik’s half brother that earned Aral the name Kingslayer, and now he is thrust into a war that will see no end until he lives up to his name…

Name Not Given

Name Not Given
Author: Scott Blade
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2017-08-14
Genre:
ISBN: 9781955924108

A brutal murder... A brutal serial killer... A brutal hero... Jack Widow. On a stormy beach, not a care in the world, Widow stumbles upon a washed-up pair of Army dog tags-left abandoned. However, that's not all. Someone filed the name off-a dishonorable act. Widow wants to know why. At the nearest Army base, Widow turns the tags over to the MPs. But they've got a surprise for him-the FBI and they've got questions. It turns out that a serial killer is on the loose. He targets female soldiers who've gone AWOL. Now, Widow is their number one suspect. Widow hunts a ruthless killer who targets military servicewomen and takes dog tags as keepsakes in book 6 of Scott Blade's bestselling series.

Shadows on the Moon

Shadows on the Moon
Author: Zoë Marriott
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 465
Release: 2012
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0763653446

Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume, who is able to re-create herself in any form, is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge pot.

The Bird and the Blade

The Bird and the Blade
Author: Megan Bannen
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 374
Release: 2018-06-05
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 006267417X

A sweeping and tragic debut novel perfect for fans of The Wrath and the Dawn and Megan Whalen Turner. This young adult novel is an excellent choice for accelerated tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom. The Bird and the Blade is a lush, powerful story of life and death, battles and riddles, lies and secrets from author Megan Bannen. Enslaved in Kipchak Khanate, Jinghua has lost everything: her home, her family, her freedom . . . until the kingdom is conquered by enemy forces and she finds herself an unlikely conspirator in the escape of Prince Khalaf and his irascible father across the vast Mongol Empire. On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks’ exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into an impossible love. Jinghua’s already dicey prospects take a downward turn when Khalaf seeks to restore his kingdom by forging a marriage alliance with Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. As beautiful as she is cunning, Turandokht requires all potential suitors to solve three impossible riddles to win her hand—and if they fail, they die. Jinghua has kept her own counsel well, but with Khalaf’s kingdom—and his very life—on the line, she must reconcile the hard truth of her past with her love for a boy who has no idea what she’s capable of . . . even if it means losing him to the girl who’d sooner take his life than his heart.