Are you in the mood to read the weird? Need a taste for the fantastical? Want to read some new fantasy? Look no further than these great titles you can find here at Peter White!

The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

The Brides of High Hill is the latest installment in The Singing Hills Cycle by acclaimed author Nghi Vo. This novella finds Cleric Chih, collector of stories, accompanying a prospective bride to meet her soon-to-be husband for the first time. Vo’s signature narrative flare makes the microcosm of the lord’s manor come to life in beautiful detail, though sometimes beauty can hide an underlying rot. None of the servants are willing to speak with them, small grotesques are stationed at almost every building, and the lord’s first son has mysterious fits whenever he speaks. Something is not right in this house, and as the wedding draws closer Cleric Chih finds themself caught in a tangled and dangerous web. Vo delivers yet another excellent entry to the series, and, as always, leaves us excited for more.

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

In this young adult fantasy, Ash is a young, ambitious, and talented alchemist. Or at least he would be, if he had the money to have an education and get licensed. Without a license Ash is forbidden from using alchemy at all, which is how he finds himself working at Lancaster Mage’s College as a janitor instead of studying there. When he catches the notices of the infamous Ramsay Blackthorn, a genius in their own right, Ash is drawn into a dangerous quest for a powerful book. Infinity Alchemist is a familiar world with an interesting engaging magical system. The book is equal parts adventure and introspection as Ash and his closest companions face scheming foes in positions of overwhelming power, and trials of their hearts. Callender makes a bold foray into fantasy with Infinity Alchemist, set to continue with Chaos King publishing in early 2025.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

Have you hopped on the ‘cozy fantasy’ bandwagon yet? If you haven’t, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is the perfect entry into this this new trend, filled with tea-serving bookshops and pet griffons. Reyna is tired of her service to a Queen who doesn’t value her time, or her life. So, abandoning her post in the dead of night, she rides to the far north with magical girlfriend, Kianthe, in tow to open the shop of their dreams. But the Queen is not willing to let go of her belongings so easily. As Reyna and Kianthe try to build a steady life for themselves, magical mishaps and adventures keep seeming to land at their feet. Filled with assassins, dragons, and many cups of tea, this first entry to Rebecca Thorne’s Tomes & Tea series is a great start to the next but thing in cozy fantasy.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

From the author that brought us Ninth House and Six of Crows comes a bold new standalone fantasy novel, set in Madrid during the age of the Spanish Inquisition. Luiz is a practitioner of small magic, only using small spells to ease her way as a maid and scullion. But when her magics catch the attention of Victor de Parades, a wealthy merchant aiming for he king’s favor, Luiz knows this will finally be her chance at fame and fortune. Despite the dangers of pretending at miracles with Jewish blood in her veins, Luiz’s ambition is too great to be held down any longer. And with the help of Parades’ mysterious assistant Santangel, she may just make it. Filled with lush historical detail and snappy dialogue, The Familiar is an enchanting tale you’ll have to fight to put down. With the eyes of the Inquisition around every corner, Bardugo is a master at keeping her readers on the knife’s edge of dramatic tension.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

A Letter to the Luminous Deep starts with mystery from page one. An epistolary novel, a book told in letters and other correspondence, readers will realize quickly that these letters originate from a world very different from our own. Two years ago, two lonely people took up correspondence regarding the mysteries of the grand ocean, only to vanish without a trace beneath it. Now, their family left behind is trying to piece together what happened to them. As letters are exchanged and the mysteries grow, so too does the certainty that whatever happened to these people was no accident of fate. To say anymore would be a great disservice to this fantastic story. A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a stunning debut work, and I’m waiting with bated breath to see what wonders Cathrall will bring to us next.

By Cat Shattuck

Local History Coordinator