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Five Fantasy Reads
I’m N’kysha, working with the LPG on their accessible digital books project. In my spare time, I love nothing more than an exciting fantasy read! With the last few weeks of winter upon us, who doesn’t want to disappear into a good book and hibernate until spring? Bundle up with these incredible books, each with the ability to transport you to vivid and fantastical worlds that are sure to make you forget the cold outside your windows.
Yume by Sifton Tracey Anipare (Dundurn Press)
Dive into the extraordinary world of Japanese mythology, demons, and dreamworlds with up and coming author Sifton Tracey Anipare’s debut novel Yume. With inspiration taken directly from her experience as a Black woman teaching English in Japan, Yume weaves the human experience of wanting to connect to one another and one’s inner self with both the mythical and mundane. This Alice in Wonderland-esque epic urban fantasy will make you examine relationships in an increasingly disconnected world, all the while keeping you on your toes with its cinematic storytelling!
Deep Sea Feline by Dave Hurlow (Latitude 46 Publishing)
For lovers of music, ancient gods, epic opera and page-turning mystery, meet Deep Sea Feline, backdrop to a colourful cast of characters set in a fantastical Toronto. Witness reality and fantasy intertwine as people disappear, seasons go through drastic change, and birds threaten a hostile takeover, all because one struggling musician is gifted a song from a mystifying being in a painting. To avoid certain chaos and doom, main character Charlie and fellow artists and musicians must stage an opera, face their greatest fears, and navigate strange and wondrous realms to not only save their city, but restore the equilibrium between worlds and beings.
The Alchemists’ Council by Cynthea Masson (ECW Press)
Looking for a lyrical and compelling fantasy driven by animated characters and a striking backdrop? Cynthea Masson’s The Alchemists’ Council begins an epic trilogy filled with questions of loyalty, responsibility, and the fate of all dimensions. When the free will of all humanity is thrown into question, young Jaden, a new Initiate in the Alchemists’ Council, must decide whether to trust the information and lifestyle she’s been fed her entire life or make a leap of faith and join the Rebel Branch, with whom her allegiance has been slowly growing. This page turner is sure to keep you on your toes every step of the way!
Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers
by Jen Desmarais and Éric Desmarais
(Renaissance Press)
Calling all fans of fantasy that is equal parts adventure, romance, and mystery; allow us to introduce you to Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers by Jen and Éric Desmarais. Set in a fictionalized Westmeath, Ontario, Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers follows Kennedy Farfield, a woman just desperately trying to find her purpose in life. (Relatable, am I right?) After an accidental save of Jason Johnson, a member of a super-secret supernatural race, from an assassination attempt, the pair are flung into an epic romance filled with danger and adventure. Together against all odds including grumpy wizards, gossiping hags, mafia robots and more, they must uncover and solve the reason behind disappearing residents, and save those closest to them.
The Winter Knight by Jes Battis (ECW Press)
Historic fantasy meets present day with The Winter Knight by Jes Battis, a gripping urban fairy tale where the Knights of the Round Table are alive and well, reincarnated into modern Vancouver. In a stunning example of how to effortlessly weave queer, trans, and disabled representation into a traditionally non-inclusive genre, The Winter Knight highlights lovable heroes, and ponders what it truly means to be a myth and how we make our own stories. Whether you’re a fan of urban fantasy, ancient legends, or somewhere in between, this is an unputdownable tale where characters push boundaries and defy expectations.
