This contains a few books I bought in May as well.
J. R. R. Tolkien in Beren and Lúthien, 2017
“Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year.
Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings, Melkor, called Morgoth, the Black Enemy, of a Silmaril.
In this book Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded; but that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father’s own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.”
My family is obsessed with Tolkien. My aunt wrote her college thesis on Tolkien’s poetry and my mom reads the Lord of the Rings trilogy at least twice a year (she’s basically an expert and can answer any question about the series). I was raised on Tolkien (and C. S. Lewis) so these books and their authors hold a special place in my heart.
As soon as I found out that the story of Beren and Lúthien was coming out I knew that I had to get it for my mom (Barnes and Nobel yo). This is the first time the story has been told directly and I cannot wait to read it when my mom has finished.
V. E. Schwab in A Darker Shade of Magic, 2015
“Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.”
Found this one Barnes and Nobel while i was browsing around. I thought it looked like fun, and here we are. This is the first book in a series.
Kerby Rosanes in Mythomorphia: An Extreme Coloring and Search Challenge, 2017
I mean, it’s a colouring book. ‘Nuff said.
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Ronlyn Domingue in Keeper of Tales Trilogy Book One: The Mapmaker’s War, 2013
“This will be the map of your heart, old woman.
In an ancient time, in a faraway land, a young woman named Aoife is allowed a rare apprentice/ship to become her kingdom’s mapmaker, tasked with charting the entire domain. Traveling beyond its borders, she finds a secretive people who live in peace, among great wealth. They claim to protect a mythic treasure, one connected to the creation of the world. When Aoife reports their existence to her kingdom, the community is targeted as a threat. Attempting to warn them of imminent danger, Aoife is exiled for treason and finds refuge among the very people who had been declared her enemy. With them, she begins a new life surrounded by kindness, equality, and cooperation. But within herself, Aoife has no peace. She cannot share the grief she feels for the home and children she left behind. She cannot bear the warrior scars of the man she comes to love. And when she gives birth to their gifted daughter, Aoife cannot avoid what the child forces her to confront about her past and its truth. On this most important of journeys, there is no map to guide her. In this tale, her autobiography; Aoife reveals her pain and joy, and ultimately her transformation.”
Picked this up at B&N.
Guy Gavriel Kay in The Fionavar Tapestry Book One: The Summer Tree, 1984 and The Fionavar Tapestry Book Three: The Darkest Road, 1986
“Five men and women find themselves flung into the magical land of Fionavar, First of all Worlds. They have been called there by the mage Loren Silvercloak, and quickly find themselves drawn into the complex tapestry of events. For Kim, Paul, Kevin, Jennifer and Dave all have their own part to play in the coming battle against the forces of evil led by the fallen god Rakoth Maugrim and his dark hordes.
Guy Gavriel Kay’s classic epic fantasy plays out on a truly grand scale, and has already been delighting fans of imaginative fiction for twenty years.”
I found this (and the third book) at a bargain bookstore and thought the story sounded interesting. Also, very affordable x33
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman in Dragonships of Vindras Book Three: Rage of the Dragon, 2012
I got this book for a dollar at the bargain bookstore. A DOLLAR, SON! I don’t own the first two, but this is Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman we are talking about and I’ll read just about anything they write. I am also in the process of reading the first book in the series, Bones of the Dragon, which I will eventually review whenever I finish reading it (it’s so overdue at the library). I wont be putting the story summary because it gives away some things from the previous two books. No spoilers here! I am really looking forward to continuing this series.
Kevin J. Anderson in The Key to Creation, 2011
So this book here. Wow. I also grabbed this one for a dollar and it is also the third in a series. I read the first book, The Edge of the World, ages ago. It is this massive, gorgeous world whose characters have interwoven stories and there was even an album that went along with the story. Again, I wont be posting the summary because I don’t want to give away anything from the previous books. Now that I’ve found this one, I will have to re-read The Edge of the World meaning there will probably be a review of this series in the future. This find has reminded me of Terra Incognita, and I am itching to read these books.
I also picked up the second volumes of The Dark Tower and The Girl from the Other Side. I have yet to actually read the first volumes, but that will happen eventually, probably. One day.
Anyway, these are the books that have joined my collection during the months of May and June. Hopefully I get around to reading some of these soon. I’ve got quite the list to work through!
Thanks for being here!
-Hatchet x33
[Synopses and book covers from Goodreads.com | Featured Image from Pexels.com]
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