BRASS DRAGON CODEX
Rebecca Shelley
(Writing as R. D. Henham)
Mirrorstone Books

Never start a conversation with a brass dragon--it might never end!

Mourning the loss of his parents, orphaned baby brass dragon Kyani ventures out into the desert to find something to eat, and finds a gnome named Hector instead. When he saves Hector from certain death by giant centipede, he thinks he's found a friend for life.

Hector is not so sure he wants a chatty, hungry brass dragon following his every move. But with a group of Solamnic knights and a settlement of dwarves ready to fight over the marvelous invention Hector guards with his life--and a thief stalking that very device--he may need the help that only a fun-loving brass dragon can provide.
Reading Level:  Ages 9-12

DRAGONFORGE: A NOVEL OF THE DRAGON AGE
James Maxey
Solaris Books

Powerful dragons have ruled the land for an eternity, but now their supremacy hangs in the balance. Although the oppressive King Albekizan is dead, his attempted genocide cannot be forgotten. The humans seek vengeance and they will stop at nothing to achieve retribution. Radical prophet Ragnar leads a rebellion that seeks to overthrow the dragon leaders and reclaim the kingdom.
Though there are those who fight for justice, peace and a land where humans and dragons can live in harmony, they are fast becoming outnumbered and their ideals forgotten. When all out war erupts, legendary dragon hunter, Bitterwood, must face his own personal demons and decide where his loyalty truly lies.

"Maxey's world is stunningly imaginative, a landscape both familiar and alien, and packed with thoughtful treats for readers."

--Publishers Weekly

IN THE FOREST OF FORGETTING
Theodora Goss
World Fantasy Award-Winning Author
Prime Books

Goss's collection of 16 gothic stories possesses a spare, surprising beauty, though her modern-day characters, like those in fairy tales, are constrained by the hard lessons she sets out to teach. The three linked stories, "Miss Emily Gray," "Conrad" and "Lessons with Miss Gray," turn on the character of the title, a dark Mary Poppins-like woman who exists to grant children their hearts' desires—often at a high price. Goss layers the Victorian tone and everyday magic of these tales with commentary on familial negotiations and the grave consequences for heedless behavior. Other stories consider family cohesion and snobbery, as in "Sleeping with Bears," about a Southern belle who exhibits "no originality" until she marries a bear named Trout Catcher. Her sister quickly comes to understand the attraction. In "Lily, with Clouds," a bohemian woman dying of cancer returns to her blue-blooded family in Virginia, where her conventional sister can't help judging her unusual life. Though Goss (The Rose in Twelve Petals and Other Stories) crafts these delicate stories with tight control and wit, in toto they become something of a moral sledgehammer.

--From Publishers Weekly, Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

FOXFIRE: TRICKSTER'S GAME #3
Barbara Campbell
DAW Books

Years after their exile, legendary hero Darak and his wife Griane have founded their own tribe and raised four children. A rebel force, led by Darak's own daughter, seeks to recruit him to their cause. But the greatest danger comes from their youngest son, Rigat—actually sired by the Trickster God . . .

"Think Jean Auel and Judith Tarr. . . . Barbara Campbell creates characters readers will care about and produces a storyline that grabs reader interest."

--Midwest Book Review

KITTY AND THE DEAD MAN'S HAND
Carrie Vaughn
New York Times Bestselling Author
Grand Central Publishing

Already the alpha pair of Denver's werewolf pack, Kitty and Ben now plan to tie the knot human-style by eloping to Vegas. Kitty is looking forward to sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool and doing her popular radio show on live TV, but her hotel is stocked with werewolf-hating bounty hunters. Elsewhere on the Strip an old-school magician might be wielding the real thing; the vampire community is harboring a dark secret; and the irresistible star of a suspicious animal act is determined to seduce Kitty. Sin City has never been so wild, and this werewolf has never had to fight harder to save not only her wedding, but her very life.

"Vaughn's universe is convincing and imaginative."

--Publishers Weekly

EVIL WAYS: A MORRIS AND CHASTAIN INVESTIGATION
Justin Gustainis
Solaris Books

In a story that ranges from Baghdad to Los Angeles, Evil Ways sees eccentric billionaire Walter Grobius attempt to unleash a devastating magical apocalypse. Quincey Morris and his partner, white witch Libby Chastain, are drawn into their deadliest case yet, but from different directions. In Los Angeles, Quincey is blackmailed by the FBI into investigating a series of ritualistic child murders. In New York, Libby barely escapes an attempt on her life by assassins armed with magical weapons. Both of these threads eventually intertwine, leading the investigators to a conspiracy so vast and diabolical as to defy belief.

The final, bloody confrontation takes place at Grobius's isolated Idaho estate, on Walpurgis Night--the night of the Witches' Sabbath. Quincey and Libby, and their allies, must fight a desperate battle against immensely powerful dark forces that threaten the future of all mankind.

SUPERPOWERS
David J. Schwartz
Three Rivers Press, Random House

Madison, Wisconsin: In the summer of 2001, five college juniors wake up with . . . not just a hangover, but superpowers.

Jack Robinson: Grew up on a farm, works in a chem lab, and brews his own beer. Age: 19. Superpower: SPEED.

Caroline Bloom: Has a flair for fashion design and a mother who's completely out of touch. Works as a waitress for a lunatic boss. Age: 20. Superpower: FLIGHT.

Harriet Bishop: Studied violin, guitar, and piano . . . and was terrible at them all. Now writes about music for the campus paper. Age: 20. Superpower: INVISIBILITY.

Mary Beth Layton: Is managing a 3.8, but feels like she's working three times as hard as the people around her. Age: 20. Superpower: STRENGTH.

Charlie Frost: Has an anxious way about him, and always looks like he's on day 101 of his most recent haircut. Age: 20. Superpower: TELEPATHY.

But how do you adjust to an extraordinary ability when you're an ordinary person? What if you're not ready for the responsibility that comes with great power? And how do you keep your head in a world that's going mad?

"A thoughtful and convincing blend of magic and realism. I believed in these ordinary, recognizable college students with their extraordinary abilities. As their powers change and fail them (and vice versa), Superpowers tells us a story both soaring and sober."

--Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club

LOS GUARDIANES DEL PASADO
Paco Ruiz
(Writing in Spanish as P. R. Gomez)
Destino

What would happen if you accidentally changed the course of history? When Sem and his sister Rosie save Max from being crushed by a truck, they don't think about the consequences. But their action generates a chain of changes that the three of them must stop if they want to save the world.

They will have to travel to the future, but it won't be easy because the Guardians of the Past want to find and kill Max, and the time machine is disintegrating.

A journey through time to a troubling future, inhabited by fantastic creatures, this novel reveals the importance of our actions, the consequences they carry, and how those consequences can influence the future of us all.

Reading Level:  Ages 9-12