If you have wanted to explore steampunk, that new alternative world science fiction sub-genre, this is the book you’ve been waiting for as an introduction. The concept for most steampunk is that in an alternative world steam engines became the major form of energy instead of our own history of the development of electricity. It is a world filled with marvelous contraptions and gutsy folks who invent and run them. Boneshaker is a gem of an example of the best of this new breed of sci-fi.

In an alternate version of the 1880s the civil war is still raging, and Seattle is a town that has had a devastating accident that almost destroyed it. Leviticus Blue, a mad inventor, creates a machine that tunnels beneath the city. In the process he accidentally releases a deadly gas from the bowels of the earth that turns people into strange beings called “rotters”, another word for zombies. He is never seen again. A wall is erected to keep the zombies and the deadly gas within the city confines, and a new city is just beginning to evolve, one that struggles to survive at all, on the outskirts of the wall. It is here the story begins.

We follow the struggles of Zeke, Leviticus’s son, who is determined to clear his father’s name. When he goes into the deadly city to find clues that would exonerate his father of blame, his mother Briar knows she must go into the city after him. It is both the determination of a mother and the guilt of a secret untold that motivate her and in the end those are the strengths that help her to succeed. But it is the journey, told from both Zeke’s point of view as well as Briar’s that really flesh out for the reader both the world they now live in, and how it got to be that way.

The true strength of this story is not the machines, but the characters in it. Not only Briar and Zeke, as is to be expected, but also the strange and twisted people who have found a way to survive in a city filled with meandering mobs of zombies, deadly gas that can kill you in an instant and warring tribes of underground survivors. One group is led by a mysterious Dr. Minnericht while the other is a band of plucky and resourceful pirates and assorted riff-raff from the edges of the old Seattle life. As the story unwinds in the bowels of Seattle, the question of just who Dr. Minnericht really is and what he wants with Zeke become a turning point in Briar’s search for her missing son.

With the introduction of Boneshaker steampunk author Cherie Priest kicks off her highly successful series, all set in this alternate world just before the turn of the twentieth century. It is a world so well realized that it has won Priest accolades from such places as Publisher’s Weekly and throughout science fiction fandom. Even better, if like me you have come to love this world and its colourful characters, lucky for us there are several follow up novels. But this is the one that started it all for Priest and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves science fiction, steampunk or just great writing.

Yes, Martin can sometimes take quite some time between books, but heck he is one busy guy! Between books he is always on the go, working on the production of RPGs based on his worlds, putting together anthologies that win big awards and so much more. So it is no wonder that once you get hooked on a series the likes of Song of Ice and Fire, it is almost impossible to be patient for each new book to come out.

If you haven’t actually tried the series, you might want to check it out. It is already seen as a classic fantasy series, and with the television show that is based on the first book doing gangbusters, you just might want to read through the books as well. They are filled with amazing characters, wonderful magic and so much more. You can find out about each book in the series as well as be able to order them directly through this website (we thank you) by simply clicking on our Game of Thrones books link right here. Enjoy!

Binscombe is a small town in a small corner of England’s Home Counties, the kind of place you might miss just going through. But then, these tales aren’t about that Binscombe, they are about the other Binscombe, the one that is filled with little tales of things that go bump in the night or where, as Mr. Whitborn puts it in the introduction, “waiting for a bus may take a lot longer than you think”.

The collection of stories, which originally came out between 1987 and 1998 follow the arrival into town of Mr. Oakley and his guide about town that threads us through the bizarre pathways of life in Binscombe Mr. Disvan. It seems that although Oakley is new to the town, it is not new to his family, for the oldest gravestones bear his last name. But there seems to be a past that refuses to be buried, and in a town like Binscomeb, even the inanimate objects have stories to tell.

A collection of stories like Binscobe Tales is a treat we don’t get often enough in fantasy. Whitborn has a unique ear for the wit of the Northern English and a sense of the whimsy that coupled with a creepy dark undertone take you on a very different kind of journey. Read the stories at will, just leave the light on when you’re done.

I wrote about the first book in this series, Blood Faerie, back in May when it came out because it intrigued me to see the concept of a murder mystery book where the Fae, or Faeryie Folk are shown with such respect and a great big nod to the myth of the wee folk. This great new fantasy novel picks up where we left Eilidh, a runaway of the fae folk who was living the life of a refugee in Perth Scotland until the murder of a human in a way that could only be fae leads her to tap into forbidden magic to solve the crime.

In this, the second book of the series, Eilidh is asked to help find a missing faerie prince when the son’s father shows up at her doorstep.  Soon she is working alongside Quinton Munro, her bonded Druid, following a trail of lost magic that is beyond ancient. But along the way other mysteries present themselves that may be part of the mystery of the missing prince, such as an entire Scottish village that has just vanished.

As she continues to unravel secrets to get to the bottom of the missing son, Eilidh soon finds herself in the midst of assassination attempts, faced with deception of all kinds and begins to wonder if the child has been sacrificed to keep a secret by a mad queen. Will she find herself forced to commit treason and betray the man of her heart? Can she betray her kingdom’s one chance to be reunited in order to gain a chance at a life she has dreamed of having?

Things will come to a head in this book but be prepared to see conclusions in the one to follow, Enemy of the Fae. Lucky for those of us who have grown to love Eilidh and her kind, this one of the great new fantasy novels to come out,  is completed and scheduled for release soon. For me, Azuri Fae is still a book that is hard to put down and unique in its approach to the fantasy genre. I hope we see more from India Drummond like this!

Of course, The Lord of the Rings is the given Father of Them All, because as many know Tolkien pretty much established the genre with the creation of his historic and ground-breaking fantasy book series. But there are certainly many other books that you could say are the roots to this tree of knowledge. I am sure that there are as many opinions on what books would make a top ten list of greatest fantasy books of all time as there are books in the genre. But since I am writing this blog, I am going to give you my list of the top ten fantasy books that I feel gave definition to the genre. Of course, they would all make wonderful Christmas presents, to say the least. How about a stack of five to a young reader just discovering fantasy? Wouldn’t that be amazing?

One-

Title: The Mists of Avalon
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley

One of the definitive takes on the Legend of King Arthur; I would recommend the book for any young ladies as its woman-centric tale is a great take on the legend. It is high court drama with plenty of court intrigue and romance, with just enough smarts to make you sit up and notice. She sets up the emerging tug-of-war between Christianity and the old Pagan world with great believability and since her research is pretty exhaustive you will find yourself deeply engrossed in a whole different world before you know it.

Two-

Title: The Sword of Shannara
Author: Terry Brook

This is the essential sword-and-sorcery adventure tales. There is a reason it was the first fantasy book to make it to the New York Times bestseller list, Brook tells the tale with such wit and fun that you find yourself staying up just a little longer to see where it all goes. It is high adventure for a group of young beings (humans, elves and dwarves) and though it has been criticized for its obvious dependence on Lord of the Rings, it is done so well that anyone who loves a good adventure would have a hard time faulting it for using a formula that works so well. And the fun part is, if you love this book there are plenty more adventures to follow.

Three-

Title: The Neverending Story
Author: Michael Ende

When a young student hides in an attic to escape his fellow student tormentors, he stumbles across a book. When he opens it he discovers a magical kingdom, one that is disappearing because no one ever reads about it anymore. Soon the young man is a hero in a story, and we follow along on an adventure of a lifetime as we enter this world with him, and find a way to once again save the day, and the kingdom. A magical story that is never old, it is a great gift for a young reader.

Four-

Title: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Author: Ray Bradbury

It is a story that will haunt you from one of the masters of storytelling. In a small-town carnival is a ride that can either reverse or accelerate aging. When two young kids find out and decide to check this out for themselves, they are soon struggling to help each other simply survive. It is a bit horror, a bit fantasy with a big piece of macabre mystery in the middle. A dark tale, but one that has the right fantasy elements to make it seem both familiar and eerily strange at the same time. The goth teen on your list will appreciate it and maybe even thank you.

Five-

Title: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Author: Susanna Clarke

Alternate worlds are a staple of fantasy and this is a wonderful one. The story takes place in a Victorian England where magic exists, but is just another regimented element of life. It is the way that Clarke uses language in this book that makes it transport you to her own realm. There is a bit of Dickens and some of Austen in the feel of the storytelling, but the relationships of the characters and most of all of the writer addressing you with some very tongue-in-cheek footnotes that will have you turning each page more quickly. An engaging world filled with unexpected surprises.

Six-

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum

It is a story that has become a part of our culture, and yet many who have seen the film or the play have not read the original book. Originally written by Baum as a bedtime story for his kids, it has come to be the favorite bedtime story of all, with its lost little girl, magical kingdom and three kindly helpers. The book goes on from here, to thirteen more stories of the further adventures of all the creatures great and not so great in the book. If you have little ones, you might consider starting our own tradition and reading them a little from this and the subsequent books as a bedtime story. There is so much here to recognize as the story has become part of us, that they will love to visit it again and again.

Seven-

Title: The Last Unicorn
Author: Peter S. Beagle

This is a lyrical tale of the final unicorn left, and its quest to find others of its kind. It feels and reads almost more like poetry than a novel, and is wonderful read aloud. The story may sound simple, but it has a charm to it and a very deep set of questions at its core that the movie, if you saw it, simply never bothered to ask. Beagle has a musical quality to all of his work, and this one is one of his best.

Eight-

Title: Gormenghast
Author: Mervyn Peake

Set in Medieval times, those whose lives are bound by Gormenghast castle live under the thumb of its young ruler, Titus Groan. He abhors the rituals that they follow and thus the divide is set up from the start. A dark story, gothic in scope, the language is heady for some but I found this one of the most unforgettable books ever. I can still after ten years remember being completely blown away at the end of the book as the themes of madness versus genius war and yet below it all is a humour that will startle you at times. Unforgettable and compelling.

Nine-

Title: The Princess Bride
Author: William Goldman

Some may find this an odd choice, but truly this is a book that has a little of something for any person no matter what you are looking for. A tale that has so much fun with the genre of fantasy that you almost forget that the adventure is just a tale. And the framing device is one that sets it apart and makes it the stand out novel that it is. Plenty of giants, pirates and lots of princes and heroes for everyone. A great gift for someone you know who hasn’t yet ventured into the world of fantasy. This one will take them there in style.

Ten-

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Of course no list of this sort would be complete without this book. It is the one that started it all, the beginning of the great quest that was to be The Lord of the Rings. It is such a simple story really, of a group of trolls that need the help of a hobbit to get back their treasure. But the quiet telling of the life of this particular hobbit, and how he reluctantly comes to have his adventure is charmingly told. A more concise story than the sprawling LOTR makes it a great one for gift-giving to introduce them to the charms of hobbits on adventures.

And so, that is my short list of great fantasy books. Any of these would make a great gift, or pick them as a group to introduce someone special to the joys of fantasy. Of course, there are so many I have left out. But they will just have to wait for another day.

He says it is a bittersweet feeling to bring the story to a close, but feels good about his final gift to all his fans. The journey has been a long one, beginning with his first book at age 15 when he had completed high school through home schooling and didn’t feel ready to start college quite yet. The story of how he came to be published reads like something out of a fantasy book itself.

He wrote the book over the course of a year, spent a year editing and polishing it and then self-published it with the help of his parents. The family then spent the next year travelling across the country promoting the first book in the top fantasy books series by giving lectures at schools, libraries and bookstores and taking it directly to the readers. One of those readers was the stepson of author Carl Hiaasen who took the book to his publisher Knopf, a division of Random House. They made the decision to republish the first book in the series Eragon when Christopher was 19.

 Although people may have initially picked up the first book intrigued by the thought it was written by a 15 year old, the book when on to be highly successful because people loved the strong characters and were swept into the story. He has spent the last nine years completing the saga as well as several other books that look at various aspects of the world he has created within the series.

The top fantasy books series began with primarily a YA audience but has built a strong following amongst all age groups as it has progressed and grown up along with its author. Although a film was made in 2006 based on the first book, he tends to dismiss it as someone else’s version of his story. He says he wrote the book he wanted to write and they made the film they wanted to make.

And what is next? Well, he thinks he may take a much-needed break before returning to writing. Science-fiction sounds like a good new beginning he thinks, and although he knows he will want to explore new worlds and new ideas, he will eventually return to the world of Eragon. But for now, he is looking forward to the completion of the book tour he is currently on and a bit of a break.

Title: Empire State
Author: Adam Christopher
Release: December 27 2011
Pages:448
Genre: Alternate Universe Fantasy

In this upcoming fantasy novel from one of Angry Robots most promising writers, if the Empire State looks familiar, that’s because it almost is. It is New York, in another universe that is almost ours, just not quite. Probation is still around and mooks and shamuses are everywhere you look. It is a world where superheroes are around, but they have degenerated into feuding rivals that no longer keep the streets safe for the rest of us. But for most people that world is a shadow one that they aren’t even aware of, that is until PI Rad Bradley discovers something that will make everything else seem unimportant. He knows it will change the world around him and the Gotham-like city he loves.

Title: Infernal Devices
Author: K.W. Jeter
Release: April 2011
Pages: 384
Genre: Steam Punk Science Fiction

George is a sometimes musician who is sometimes more. His father was a watchmaker who was often sometimes more. When his father dies and leaves his watchmaker’s shop to George, the son doesn’t know what to make of it, or of the infernal devices that are part of it. But then someone tries to steal one of those infernal devices. Soon George finds himself caught up in an intrigue that includes time travel, sexual adventures and wild wild music. This is a reprint of the original steam punk novel that took everyone by storm when it first came out and coined what was to be a new genre of science fiction. A masterpiece from the originator of steam punk and one of the top fantasy books to come out in the last few years