Krakens and witches and bandits, oh my!

S. M. Wheeler's incredible girl-and-her-kraken fantasy debut, SEA CHANGE, is inspiring the most heartfelt and awestruck reviews.

The Story:

The unhappy child of two powerful parents who despise each other, young Lilly turns to the ocean to find solace, which she finds in the form of the eloquent and intelligent sea monster Octavius, a kraken. In Octavius’s many arms, Lilly learns of friendship, loyalty, and family. When Octavius, forbidden by Lilly to harm humans, is captured by seafaring traders and sold to a circus, Lilly becomes his only hope for salvation. Desperate to find him, she strikes a bargain with a witch that carries a shocking price.

The Reviews:

"Wheeler’s stunning debut is a sophisticated fantasy whose lush descriptions, lyrical dialogue, and engaging structure are reminiscent of the very best fairy tales. [...] With an almost poetic sensibility, Wheeler explores gender, sexuality, friendship, and love, offering up complex characters and emotional depth all laced with subtle magic." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Wheeler’s truly original, fanciful, and transformative story will delight fantasy lovers of all types, as well as those readers attached to coming-of-age narratives and feminist sf." —Library Journal (starred review)

Librarians, the Bloomsbury USA team is eager to approve your NetGalley requests for Samantha Shannon's epic futuristic debut, THE BONE SEASON! This is book one in a seven part saga that will appeal to both teen and adult Fantasy readers.

In the year 2059 several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others' minds. When Paige is arrested and sent to the prison for clairvoyants she is assigned to a Rephaite keeper who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master and her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

Check out the book trailer on YouTube.

"Not only has Shannon dynamically and shrewdly imagined every element of this spooky yet earthy world-at-war, from its unforgiving hierarchy to vile if essential herbal concoctions, encounters with monstrous predatory creatures, and the terror of 'spirit combat,' she has also tapped into the timeless wellsprings of fear and prejudice, repression and resistance. The result is a dazzlingly brainy, witty, and bewitching tale of outrageous courage, heroic compassion, transcendent love, and the quest for freedom." —Booklist (starred review)

Download the e-galley:

Request THE BONE SEASON from its NetGalley page (link). So long as you have your title and current employer in your profile bio, you will be approved. Please contact me if you have any trouble!

While you're waiting for approval you can start by reading an excerpt on THE BONE SEASON Facebook page.

Fans of historical and international Mysteries, take note! Susan Spann's CLAWS OF THE CAT is a kick butt debut featuring a ninja detective navigating the political and social perils of sixteenth-century Japan and it's Library Journal's Debut of the Month!

When a samurai is brutally murdered in a Kyoto teahouse, master ninja Hiro has no desire to get involved. But the beautiful entertainer accused of the crime enlists the help of Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit priest who Hiro is sworn to protect, leaving the master shinobi with just three days to find the killer and save the girl and the priest from the dead man’s vengeful son.

"While Spann demonstrates admirable attention to detail in her ninja detective debut, it’s the contemporary tone of her prose that makes this intriguing 16th-century historical so accessible. Laura Joh Rowland fans will like this book for the time period, but the 'buddy tone' is reminiscent of Ian Morson’s 'Nick Zuliani' series and Gary Corby’s 'Athenian Mysteries' series." —Library Journal (starred review, Debut of the Month)

"Spann's debut provides an absorbing look at Japanese culture along with a sharp mystery." —Kirkus Reviews

"[S]et in a mostly untapped period of Japanese history, the book should do well with fans of [Laura Joh Rowland and I. J. Parker]." —Booklist