Koncocoo

Best Fairy Tales

Uprooted
WINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL • Naomi Novik, author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale. HUGO AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR | BuzzFeed | Tor.com | BookPage | Library Journal | Publishers Weekly “ Uprooted is confidently wrought and sympathetically cast. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Moving, heartbreaking, and thoroughly satisfying, Uprooted is the fantasy novel I feel I’ve been waiting a lifetime for. “Novik here delivers a tale that is funny and fast-paced, laced with hair-raising battle scenes and conspiracies; it also touches on deeper ecological concerns we grapple with today.” — The Washington Post. The resulting warmth and intimacy provide a nicely nurturing environment for her heroine’s unusual adventures.” — The Seattle Times. “An original and fully realized fantastical place guaranteed to enthrall her longtime fans and attract new readers.” — Library Journal (starred review). The vivid characters around her also echo their fairy-tale forebears, but are grounded in real-world ambivalence that makes this book feel quietly mature, its world lived-in.” — The New York Times Book Review “Novik here delivers a tale that is funny and fast-paced, laced with hair-raising battle scenes and conspiracies; it also touches on deeper ecological concerns we grapple with today.” — The Washington Post “Novik takes us on a surprise-filled journey. A delight.” —Cassandra Clare, New York Times bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments series “Magical and practical, otherworldly and planted in the real, I could not stop reading this book and neither will you!” —Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author of Trickster’s Choice and Trickster’s Queen “Wild, thrilling, and deeply, darkly magical. An instant classic.” —Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians Trilogy “ Uprooted is one of those tales you come back to over and over again because it’s just that enchanting. The adventure builds with such tension that you are peeking through your hands at the end, hoping it will all be okay, and Naomi Novik delivers a conclusion that’s deeply satisfying, earning a permanent space on my bookshelf that I’ll revisit often.” —Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of Shattered “Reading Uprooted was like rediscovering a favorite old sweater, familiar and beloved. It feels as if it has always existed and has been waiting patiently for me to return to it.” —Maggie Stiefvater, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy “I didn’t know how much I wanted to read a book like this until it was already in my hands. Uprooted has everything I love about Novik’s writing style, with the added bonus of some old-world magic and the flavor of a dark faerie story.” —Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Kingkiller Chronicle series. A charming and inviting story that looks unflinchingly at the strangling roots of hurt and revenge.” —Robin Hobb, bestselling author of Fool’s Assassin “The roots of Uprooted are planted deep in fairy tale lore, but the story that Naomi Novik has coaxed forth is fresh and compelling. It reads like a previously undiscovered origin myth in the best possible way!” —Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series “I’ve been a diehard fan of Naomi Novik’s work since reading His Majesty’s Dragon, and her new fantasy, Uprooted, is an utter delight. The magic is true magic, and the human relationships—especially those between women—complex and believable.” —Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint “The most darkly compelling fantasy I’ve read in ages, Uprooted is overflowing with profound dread and real beauty, and boasts a heroine who blazes with spirit and originality. Not to be missed!” —Christopher Golden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Snowblind “Naomi Novik’s Uprooted is a marvelous fantasy reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle .
Reviews
"That’s a pretty awesome combination in my book and when she chose to write the Temeraire series, a fantasy/historical mashup combining the concept of intelligent dragons working as a sort of Air Force with wartime forces in the Napoleonic era, well…I was hooked. It’s straight fantasy but absolutely reminds one of that nostalgic feeling of fairy tales you read (or were read to you) from childhood. After reading the opening two chapters I thought I was on my way into just such a fairy tale, but it wasn’t long before any ideas I had about predicting where this was going were thrown out of the proverbial window. The plot begins as a twist in the age-old concept of a young maiden being picked every ten years by the village elders to sacrifice to the dragon in order to buy its protection. Her use of language is perfect for this type of tale, combining the lighter fairy tale elements but also taking a deep dive into battle scenes with a hard grittiness that, frankly, surprised me."
"It has been a long time since I have read a love story such as this. There really is a lot of book in this book (if that makes sense)."
"Agnieszka is a young woman who has grown up in the shadow of the Dragon's tower and in the shadow of the Wood which is filled with danger and corruption. The Wood captures her friend Kasia and, despite it never happening before, Agnieszka manages to recover her from the Wood and clean her of the Wood's corruption. When Prince Marek learns that Kasia has been rescued, he pursuades (actually it is closer to blackmail) Agnieszka and the Dragon to attempt to rescue his mother, the Queen, who was stolen more than 20 years before."
"At first glance it appears similar to many other YA novels featuring a strong female lead but rather than either falling into the same pitfalls as as other YA novels or trying to pointedly avoid them, this novel goes at its own pace in its own style."
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Obsidian Son: A Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Book 1 (The Temple Chronicles)
Nate learns that the only way to save his city from these creatures is to murder his best friend…. Nate’s choice will throw the world and his own conscience into cataclysmic chaos: avenge his parents or become a murderer to save his city. Because to do either, he’s going to have to show the world that magic is very, very real, and that monsters are very, very hungry… To survive, he might just need to take a page from the book, How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters. I suggest the following sequence: Obsidian Son Blood Debts Fairy Tale – Prequel (FREE to email subscribers) Grimm Silver Tongue Beast Master Tiny Gods Wild Side. Dark Fantasy Supernatural Thriller Witches & Wizards Urban Fantasy Thriller Supernatural Shifter Angels & Demons Science Fiction & Fantasy Paranormal and Urban Romance Supernatural Mystery and Suspense Vampires and Werewolves. Anticipation abounds while fantasy meets reality in equal measure.The story unfolds as told through the eyes of its hero, the complex and funny wizard-man Nate Temple - intelligent, informed, flawed and a tad eccentric. As if character and magic were not compelling enough, the book spills much more - suspenseful drama, mystery, `spare no expense' fast paced action; it is violent, bloody, erotic, sexy and variously romantic.Harnessing a powerful combination of genres and alter-dimensions, Silvers thrives on attention to detail, and achieves it most elegantly.
Reviews
"Things change when his parents die and Nate gets involved in trying to find out if his parents were murdered, why a certain book is so important, and what a sun solstice would have to do with the whole mess. It goes along sort of light and maybe sort of lulling for a little bit, and then suddenly you're in the middle of a dragon attack, or something else life-threatening is happening. I want you to know that I almost never think about rereading a fiction book--they are mostly just not worth it--but this one certainly is, and there is enough detail in it to warrant a second run through, especially when you know it is the first book to the series."
"Shayne eases us into the idea that there are wizards and magic in our contemporary world. The major characters are developed throughout the book, while the minor ones are painted with swift, deft strokes."
"If you are a fan of the Dresden Files then you will enjoy this book."
"I started this book and quickly decided what type of story it was."
"I didn't think I could still laugh this hard!"
"Goofy and detailed."
"Fantastic group of side characters that are well developed(in many ways nudge nudge wink wink you know what I mean) Very much a Macho romp thrill ride that is fun to take."
"If you are tired of waiting for the next Harry Dresden book, try this series."
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Blood Debts: A Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Book 2 (The Temple Chronicles)
Already plagued with sinister night terrors that could qualify him as a card-carrying psychopathic insomniac, Nate can barely even manage to put his pants on in the morning, let alone pick teams for the Apocalypse. But when he’s framed as a demon sympathizer, condemned by the Armies of Heaven, and hunted down by both his allies and the Four Horsemen, this wizard doesn’t think it can get any worse…. Then they take away his magic. And a wizard without magic stands no chance against the forces of Heaven and Hell…. If you like Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, or Patrick Rothfuss, you will LOVE the second installment of the Amazon Bestselling Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller series. I suggest the following sequence: Obsidian Son Blood Debts Fairy Tale – Prequel (FREE to email subscribers) Grimm Silver Tongue Beast Master Tiny Gods Wild Side - September 2017.
Reviews
"Silvers did it again."
"This tale of Nate Temple gets better and better."
"I'm a fan of indie authors, especially the good ones!"
"We get to see more of Nate on his own and how he deals with things which was great to see, however we do still get to see the rest of the gang at times."
"I enjoyed the main character's epic quest to find his parents killers while slowly losing his strength."
"In this journey, we find Nate at one of his lowest points...he hasn't slept because of night terrors that are morphing into day terrors, the Academy of Wizards is down on him for not surrendering his parent's armory and for public displays of wizardry he used to save St. Louis, to make matters worse he has pissed off angels AND demons and the Academy has punished him by making his magic abilities wane over the course of a few days....also coincidently ALL of his friends, who are his usual backup crew are all away on separate vacations. As if things aren't bad enough losing his power, the FBI is after him and has frozen all his financial assets and everyone who is after him wants his head and access to the armory. The best thing about this series is that the author has an amazing way of successfully blending fantasy, horror, drama, action and hysterical wit at sometimes seemingly the most inappropriate times."
"The one before this, Blood Obsidian I think, kind of romance urban fantasy start to it; I was a bit concerned about staying with it, but writing at 1/2 through first book tightened up, the mythology and story took over and continued into this."
"One of my favorite things about the first book was the supporting cast, and interestingly, they were mostly absent from this book."
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Best Folklore

Uprooted
WINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL • Naomi Novik, author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale. HUGO AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR | BuzzFeed | Tor.com | BookPage | Library Journal | Publishers Weekly “ Uprooted is confidently wrought and sympathetically cast. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Moving, heartbreaking, and thoroughly satisfying, Uprooted is the fantasy novel I feel I’ve been waiting a lifetime for. “Novik here delivers a tale that is funny and fast-paced, laced with hair-raising battle scenes and conspiracies; it also touches on deeper ecological concerns we grapple with today.” — The Washington Post. The resulting warmth and intimacy provide a nicely nurturing environment for her heroine’s unusual adventures.” — The Seattle Times. “An original and fully realized fantastical place guaranteed to enthrall her longtime fans and attract new readers.” — Library Journal (starred review). The vivid characters around her also echo their fairy-tale forebears, but are grounded in real-world ambivalence that makes this book feel quietly mature, its world lived-in.” — The New York Times Book Review “Novik here delivers a tale that is funny and fast-paced, laced with hair-raising battle scenes and conspiracies; it also touches on deeper ecological concerns we grapple with today.” — The Washington Post “Novik takes us on a surprise-filled journey. A delight.” —Cassandra Clare, New York Times bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments series “Magical and practical, otherworldly and planted in the real, I could not stop reading this book and neither will you!” —Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author of Trickster’s Choice and Trickster’s Queen “Wild, thrilling, and deeply, darkly magical. An instant classic.” —Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians Trilogy “ Uprooted is one of those tales you come back to over and over again because it’s just that enchanting. The adventure builds with such tension that you are peeking through your hands at the end, hoping it will all be okay, and Naomi Novik delivers a conclusion that’s deeply satisfying, earning a permanent space on my bookshelf that I’ll revisit often.” —Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of Shattered “Reading Uprooted was like rediscovering a favorite old sweater, familiar and beloved. It feels as if it has always existed and has been waiting patiently for me to return to it.” —Maggie Stiefvater, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy “I didn’t know how much I wanted to read a book like this until it was already in my hands. Uprooted has everything I love about Novik’s writing style, with the added bonus of some old-world magic and the flavor of a dark faerie story.” —Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Kingkiller Chronicle series. A charming and inviting story that looks unflinchingly at the strangling roots of hurt and revenge.” —Robin Hobb, bestselling author of Fool’s Assassin “The roots of Uprooted are planted deep in fairy tale lore, but the story that Naomi Novik has coaxed forth is fresh and compelling. It reads like a previously undiscovered origin myth in the best possible way!” —Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series “I’ve been a diehard fan of Naomi Novik’s work since reading His Majesty’s Dragon, and her new fantasy, Uprooted, is an utter delight. The magic is true magic, and the human relationships—especially those between women—complex and believable.” —Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint “The most darkly compelling fantasy I’ve read in ages, Uprooted is overflowing with profound dread and real beauty, and boasts a heroine who blazes with spirit and originality. Not to be missed!” —Christopher Golden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Snowblind “Naomi Novik’s Uprooted is a marvelous fantasy reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle .
Reviews
"That’s a pretty awesome combination in my book and when she chose to write the Temeraire series, a fantasy/historical mashup combining the concept of intelligent dragons working as a sort of Air Force with wartime forces in the Napoleonic era, well…I was hooked. It’s straight fantasy but absolutely reminds one of that nostalgic feeling of fairy tales you read (or were read to you) from childhood. After reading the opening two chapters I thought I was on my way into just such a fairy tale, but it wasn’t long before any ideas I had about predicting where this was going were thrown out of the proverbial window. The plot begins as a twist in the age-old concept of a young maiden being picked every ten years by the village elders to sacrifice to the dragon in order to buy its protection. Her use of language is perfect for this type of tale, combining the lighter fairy tale elements but also taking a deep dive into battle scenes with a hard grittiness that, frankly, surprised me."
"It has been a long time since I have read a love story such as this. There really is a lot of book in this book (if that makes sense)."
"I originally got this book as a gift, but then I wound up reading it."
"I picked this up after reading about it winning the coveted Hugo Prize for best Sci Fi Fantasy book of the year."
"I went into it knowing almost nothing about the story, but I do love magical fantasy novels."
"It's a stand alone book, but I wouldn't mind coming back to these characters. I loved the word building, the bits of Russian language sprinkled throughout. If you want a rich tapestry of fantasy with a little bit of romance thrown in, then this is your book."
"Readers will find plenty of magic to fascinate, battles to sate appetites for action, and an undercurrent of romance to round it all out."
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Best Mythology

Obsidian Son: A Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Book 1 (The Temple Chronicles)
Nate learns that the only way to save his city from these creatures is to murder his best friend…. Nate’s choice will throw the world and his own conscience into cataclysmic chaos: avenge his parents or become a murderer to save his city. Because to do either, he’s going to have to show the world that magic is very, very real, and that monsters are very, very hungry… To survive, he might just need to take a page from the book, How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters. I suggest the following sequence: Obsidian Son Blood Debts Fairy Tale – Prequel (FREE to email subscribers) Grimm Silver Tongue Beast Master Tiny Gods Wild Side. Dark Fantasy Supernatural Thriller Witches & Wizards Urban Fantasy Thriller Supernatural Shifter Angels & Demons Science Fiction & Fantasy Paranormal and Urban Romance Supernatural Mystery and Suspense Vampires and Werewolves. Anticipation abounds while fantasy meets reality in equal measure.The story unfolds as told through the eyes of its hero, the complex and funny wizard-man Nate Temple - intelligent, informed, flawed and a tad eccentric. As if character and magic were not compelling enough, the book spills much more - suspenseful drama, mystery, `spare no expense' fast paced action; it is violent, bloody, erotic, sexy and variously romantic.Harnessing a powerful combination of genres and alter-dimensions, Silvers thrives on attention to detail, and achieves it most elegantly.
Reviews
"As picky of a reader as i am i can honestly say."
"I couldn't wait to pick up the story again after I had to put it down. A lot of humor, conflict and mystery."
"Shayne eases us into the idea that there are wizards and magic in our contemporary world. The major characters are developed throughout the book, while the minor ones are painted with swift, deft strokes."
"Hero Nate Temple wields his wizardly powers in a world suddenly awash in not so mythical creatures, all the while sporting honor and a serious sense of humor."
"I really didn't know what to expect from this book, but once I started it I couldn't put it down."
"Best book in a long time."
"I started this book and quickly decided what type of story it was."
"I didn't think I could still laugh this hard!"
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