Fantasy: Finnikin of the Rock

When Finnikin was born, he was already privileged. Son of the Captain of the Royal Guard, friend of the prince and princesses, his childhood was perfect. All he wanted was to grow up to protect the future king, just like his father.

But in 5 short days, the kingdom of Lumatere is shattered. The Royal family is slaughtered, an imposter seizes the throne, and many of Lumatere's citizens, including Finn, are locked outside the kingdom by a blood curse.

For years, Finnikin has wandered the continent seeking justice and protection for his exiled people. They live in sordid refugee camps, rife with illness and choked with filth. Every exile holds in their heart a desperate wish to return home: but nobody knows how to break the curse, and open the magically sealed borders of Lumatere again.

When Finnikin and his mentor meet Evanjalin, and novice of the Goddess Lagrami, they are shocked when she claims to be able to lead them to Prince Balthazar, presumed dead all these years. But Evanjalin has an agenda of her own: she lies and schemes to accomplish some end that Finnikin can't make out. It's clear that Evanjalin loves Lumatere, and that she too wants to return home: but how can he trust her, with her wild claims of sleepwalking inside the dreams of the Lumaterans inside the wall? How can he trust a girl who won't tell him even the simplest details of her past? Even as he falls in love with Evanjalin's courage and strength, how can he allow her to lead the exiles to what might be their doom?

Finnikin must find his faith, and untwist the tangled strands of the past in order to regain his kingdom. And to gain redemption for Lumatere, he and the other Lumaterans must confront their darkest, most shameful history.

Fantasy
Grades 11 and up
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Fantasy: Incarceron

Incarceron is a prison, but it's also a whole world. For those inside its enormous walls, escape is a legend, and freedom a myth. No-one knows how large Incarceron is: there is nobody who has managed to cross it's length. Inside, there are not only cells, but strange metal forests, crumbling cities falling into ruin, and twisted wildernesses. Throughout all of Incarceron, the unblinking eye of the prison watches...and waits.

Finn is woke up, years ago, inside a barren cell. Since then, he's been struggling to live in the hostile world of Incarceron: he threw his lot in with a band of thugs and murderers, but he's sure that he was born for something else. In fact, Finn is sure that he was born Outside...free. When he finds a mysterious key that links him what what could be Outside, Finn and his companions embark on a dangerous journey through the unknown wilds of the prison.

His link to the outside is Claudia, a girl whose father is the prison Warden. As the daughter of a high ranking official, she's doomed to a loveless marriage. She dreams of throwing off the chains of Protocol that bind her, and her most dangerous desire is to break into the fastness of Incarceron, and discover what lies inside the prison that no-one can enter or leave.

These two are fated to meet: prophecy and their strong wills demand it. But how will they breach the prison walls? Is it even possible?

Fantasy

Grades 10-12

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Steampunk: Leviathan

So you're probably wondering, What in the world is Steampunk?? Steampunk is a genre term for books that cross victorian technology (e.g. the steam engine) with fantasy or science fiction.

In this case, Scott Westerfeld has created an alternate universe set just at the beginning of world war I. Twelve year old Aleksandar Ferdinand, son of the Archduke, is spirited away into hiding when his father and mother are assassinated. Those who know their history will be able to anticipate the ponderous, inevitable clashing of nations that follows, as Austria-Hungary crashes against the forces of 19th Century Europe.

Aleksandar's desperate flight to safety is interspersed with accounts from Deryn, a plucky British recruit posing as a boy for a chance to fly on the great liveship Leviathan. Britain's technology is Darwinist: they use science to interbreed creatures into vast, machine-like ecosystems. Even enormous ships like the Leviathan are completely living: and no-one knows how they work better than the mysterious civilian passenger, Dr. Barlow.

The war pits Darwinist countries against Technologist counties, who prefer the power and reliability of hard steel and metal engines. When the Leviathan is downed by German planes, Deryn and Alek are forced to find a way to blend the two technologies, and find a way for two completely different concepts to work together.

This looks like the start of a complex and fascinating series. The elements of history will engage many readers, while the original and carefully realized steampunk technologies will fascinate scientific minds. An excellent read.

Steampunk
Grades 8-11
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