Archives de catégorie : Fantasy

WRASSLE CASTLE #1: LEARNING THE ROPES de Paul Tobin, Colleen Coover et Galaad

The first in a middle-grade fantasy trilogy by Eisner-winning comics creators Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover. Lydia Riverthane has always dreamed of being a professional wrassler, the greatest of all fighters in the kingdom of Grimslade. There are just a few pesky things standing between her and the big tournament at Wrassle Castle.

WRASSLE CASTLE #1: LEARNING THE ROPES
by Colleen Coover & Paul Tobin
illustrated by Galaad
‎ Wonderbound/Vault, September 2021
(via JABberwocky)

There’s only one way Lydia can save her brother—wrassling! Lydia Riverthane has always dreamed of being a professional wrassler, the greatest of all fighters in the kingdom of Grimslade. Growing up in the shadow of Wrassle Castle, where her older brother routinely racks up championship belts, has only fueled her competitive fire. But when her brother is mysteriously arrested for treason, Lydia and her friends must find a way into the year-end tournament. There she can win back his freedom the only way she knows how…wrassling! Book 1 of the three volume series of original graphic novels.

(This is Book 1 of the three volume series of original graphic novels. Book 2 and 3 are also available.)

Paul Tobin is the New York Times best-selling author of the Plants vs. Zombies graphic novels, as well as a wide range of other titles for all ages of readers. Paul wrote extensively for Angry Birds, and for Marvel’s all-ages « Adventure » line, and teamed with artist Benjamin Dewey on the Eisner-nominated I Was The Cat graphic novel, and with his Plants vs. Zombies artist Ron Chan for their recently released Earth Boy graphic novel. Along with his wife, artist Colleen Coover, Paul is the creator of the multiple Eisner-Award-winning Bandette comics featuring the antics of the world’s best—and most charming—thief. Paul and Colleen also teamed up on their Banana Sunday graphic novel. Paul lives in Portland, Oregon, where he feels that it rains frequently enough, but not hard enough.
Colleen Coover is a comic book storyteller and illustrator living in Portland, Oregon. With writer Paul Tobin, she is the co-creator of the comics Banana Sunday and Bandette. When she is not making comics or creating illustrations for a variety of clients, Colleen spends her time spinning yarn, knitting sweaters, and eating ice cream. She is a member of Helioscope, a collective of Portland-based creators.
Galaad is a French comic book artist and a former freelance illustrator, animator, concept artist, and storyboard artist for the entertainment industry – specifically for video games and animation.

DRAGON RIDER de Taran Matharu

In this debut adult/YA crossover fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of the SUMMONER series, comes an immersive new fantasy world where humans can bond with dragons… Jai, hostage in the court of an Emperor who killed his father, finds himself caught up in a rebellion and stumbles across a dragon’s egg which could be the key to change his fate forever.

DRAGON RIDER
by Taran Matharu
HarperVoyager, July 2023
(via Mushens Entertainment)

Jai is a Captive in the Sabine Court – ever since his father Rohan, leader of the Plainsfolk, led an uprising and was put to death by the Emperor who Jai must now serve. The Sabine Empire has a powerful tool, the Gryphon Guard: elite warriors who ride gryphons. Only one thing is more powerful than them: dragons, exclusive to a rival kingdom. When the emperor’s son is betrothed to Princess Erica of the Dansk Kingdom she brings with her a powerful dowry: dragons. These powerful beasts come in several forms, but secrecy surrounds them and only the Dansk Royalty can soul-bond with these magical beasts to draw on their power and strength.
There is uproar when the Emperor is found dead, and the Dansk King is accused of his murder. In the ensuing chaos, Jai has one choice: run or be killed. And when he finds a stunted dragon’s egg in the belly of Ragni’s dead dragon, he takes it with him. Soon, united with Princess Erica, also on the run from Titus, he must make a decision. Does he flee to an anonymous life or – aided by his new dragon chick – does he stand up and fight against a cruel Empire that destroyed his people?

Taran Matharu is the New York Times bestselling author of the Summoner series, which has been translated into 15 languages and has sold over two million copies in the English language. He was born in London in 1990. Taran began to write the Summoner series in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’ and sharing his work on Wattpad.com. The shared sample of the story went viral, reaching over 3 million reads in less than six months. His Contender trilogy was published in 2019. He has won the Journal de Mickey award in France and the Sakura medal in Japan, and was Book Trust’s writer in residence.

THE WILDERWOMEN de Ruth Emmie Lang

Two sisters embark on an extraordinary journey to discover the truth behind their mother’s mysterious disappearance. Ohioana Book Award finalist Ruth Emmie Lang returns with a new cast of ordinary characters with extraordinary abilities

THE WILDERWOMEN
by Ruth Emmie Lang
St. Martin’s Press, November 2022
(via Harvey Klinger)

Five years ago, Nora Wilder disappeared. The oldest of her two daughters, Zadie, should have seen it coming, because she can literally see things coming. But not even her psychic abilities were able to prevent their mother from vanishing one morning, never to return.
Zadie’s estranged younger sister, Finn, can’t see into the future, but she has an uncannily good memory, so good that she remembers not only her own memories, but the echoes of memories other people have left behind. On the afternoon of her graduation party, Finn is seized by an “echo” more powerful than anything she’s experienced before: a woman singing a song she recognizes, a song about a bird…
When Finn wakes up alone in the woods with no idea of how she got there, she realizes who the memory belongs to. Nora. Now, it’s up to Finn to convince her sister not only that their mom is still out there, but that she wants to be found. Against Zadie’s better judgement, her and Finn hit the highway, using Finn’s echoes to retrace Nora’s footsteps and uncover the answer to the question that has been haunting them for years: Why did she leave?
But it isn’t long before Zadie realizes there is a dark side to her sister’s gift. The more time Finn spends in their mother’s past, the harder it is for her to return to the present, to return to herself. As Zadie feels her sister start to slip away, she will have to decide what lengths she is willing to go to to find their mother, knowing that if she chooses wrong, she could lose them both for good.

« Exquisitely drawn characters imbue Lang’s unconventional plot with verisimilitude and heart, inspiring readers to ponder whether the world is stranger and more beautiful than it appears. Effervescent, ethereal, and suffused with wonder. » — Kirkus (starred review)

« Lang’s melancholy, atmospheric writing sets the perfect tone as the Wilder sisters unravel the mystery. The result is a cozy supernatural outing perfect for an autumn night. » —Publisher’s Weekly

Ruth Emmie Lang was born in Glasgow, Scotland and has the red hair to prove it. When she was four years old, she immigrated to Ohio where she has lived ever since. She has since lost her Scottish accent, but still has the hair. Ruth currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her husband and dreams of someday owning a little house in the woods where she can write more books. Her first novel, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, was a finalist for the 2017 Book of the Year Award from Book of the Month Club and was a Target Book Club Pick in 2018.

THE LOCK-EATER de Zack Loran Clark

For fans of Nevermoor and Howl’s Moving Castle comes an epic middle-grade fantasy about a girl with the ability to unlock anything—including the empire’s darkest secrets.

THE LOCK-EATER
by Zack Loran Clark
Dial Books/Penguin Young Readers, January 2022

Melanie Gate is a foundling with a peculiar talent for opening the unopenable—any lock releases at the touch of her hand. One night, her orphanage is visited by Traveler, a gearling automaton there on behalf of his magical mistress, who needs an apprentice pronto. When Melanie is selected because of her gift, her life changes in a flash, and in more ways than she knows—because Traveler is not at all what he seems. But then, neither is Melanie Gate.
So begins an epic adventure sparkling with magic, humor, secret identities, stinky cats, fierce orphan girls, impostor boys, and a foundling and gearling hotly pursued by the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the land.
Action-packed yet layered, THE LOCK-EATER is a mix of lush world-building, high stakes, humor, and emotional heft—a page-turner and so much more.

« An epic tapestry threaded with rich lore, vibrant characters, and a twisting plot that will have readers tumbling through the pages. Marrying the zany inventiveness of Alice in Wonderland with the thorough magical world-building of Howl’s Moving Castle, Clark creates a deeply immersive fantasy, full of both heft and humor, that’s sure to stay with young readers long after its final page is turned. » —Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil series

Zack Loran Clark is a writer and editor of children’s books, and the co-author of The Adventurers Guild trilogy. A lifelong fantasy nerd, avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and aspiring sorcerer, he lives with his husband and their dog in Brooklyn, New York.

SOME FARAWAY PLACE de Lauren Shippen

The third Bright Sessions novel from creator Lauren Shippen, features Rose, who has her humdrum life flipped upside down when she starts to travel into dreams.

SOME FARAWAY PLACE
(The Bright Sessions, Book 3)
by Lauren Shippen
Tor Teen/St. Martin’s Press, September 2021

Rose Atkinson’s mother can see the future. Her father can move things he doesn’t touch. Her brother Aaron can read minds. And Rose, well, she makes a mean spaghetti bolognese.
Everyone else in her family is Atypical, which means they manifested an ability that defies the limits of the human experience. At nineteen, well past the average age of manifestation, Rose is stuck defending her decision not to go to college and instead working in the kitchen of a local restaurant, hoping to gain the experience she needs to become a chef.
When a rollerblading accident sends her to the hospital, she meets a girl she can’t forget and she starts to feel like maybe her life isn’t quite so small. But when she starts falling asleep mid-conversation, she thinks, then again maybe I’m doomed to never have good things.
Rose should be happy to learn that she’s Atypical after all―that diving into dreams makes her a part of her family in the way she always wanted. But the more time she spends in the dreamworld, the more complicated her ability becomes. Trying to balance her work, her power, and a girlfriend who doesn’t know about Atypicals, Rose seeks help. But she soon discovers that being Atypical comes with dangers she never could have imagined. Even her carefully constructed dreamworld isn’t safe. This is the story of Atypical Rose, who discovers that your dreams coming true isn’t always a good thing.

“Shippen continues to expand her fascinating universe…This entry contains everything that makes the universe of this world appealing, including sympathetic, complex characters; magic powers that cause more problems than they solve; and…diversity. A must-read for Bright Sessions fans.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Lauren Shippen, author of The Infinite Noise, is a writer best known for her work in fiction podcasts. She is the creator and sole writer of the popular audio drama, The Bright Sessions. She went on to executive produce The AM Archives and co-produce Passenger List before founding Atypical Artists, a company dedicated to audio storytelling. She wrote MARVELS, an audio adaptation of the popular comic, released in 2019 by Marvel and Stitcher. Lauren was named one of Forbes’s 2018 30 Under 30 in Media and one of MovieMaker Magazine’s and Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch. She was born in New York City and grew up in Bronxville, New York. She currently lives in Los Angeles but travels frequently to New York.