Remembrance

Jaclyn Dolamore - Dark ​Metropolis
Cabaret ​meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world. Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules. Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own. Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too. Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.

Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan
It ​is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure… One that will change both their lives forever.

Scott Westerfeld - Goliath
Alek ​and Dylan are back onboard the Leviathan. The ship is ordered to pick up Tesla, a Russian inventor who has created a machine he claims can destroy half of the world, which he is using as a threat to impose peace. Alek wants to end the war, so decides to back Tesla politically, as do the Darwinists. Meanwhile Dylan is still pretending to be a boy, though Alek has figured out her true identity, and promises to keep her secret. With stops in New York, California and Mexico, Dylan and Alek encounter adventure and intrigue at every turn, but when a secret German plan to sabotage Tesla's machine leads to a heart-stopping stand-off, as Tesla threatens to fire his weapon, it's up to the two of them to stop him - or face the end of the world for real...

Kevin Crossley-Holland - King ​of the Middle March
It ​is 1202, and thousands of knights and footsoldiers are mustering in Venice for the Fourth Crusade. Among them is young Arthur de Caldicot, squire to Lord Stephen. It is thrilling to be part of this huge gathering; but as Christian falls upon Christian and Saracens draw their scimitars, Arthur's eyes are opened to the realities of war. Looking into his seeing stone for guidance, he realises that the exploits of King Arthur and his knights, like those of the crusaders, are as grim as they are glorious. Meanwhile Arthur has his own concerns: Gatty, his betrothal, his dream of finding his mother, his relationship with his violent father and his churlish foster-brother. When he finally returns to England, all he has lost and all he has won come together. War, romance, murder, family quarrels, power politics, the conflict between Christianity and Islam: all these are elements in a story packed with drama and colour. Its vivid picture of daily life in medieval times is shot through with earthy comedy and the magic of the Arthurian legends. Darker and deeper than the first two books, this is a marvellous ending to a trilogy that has utterly captivated its readers.

William Ritter - Jackaby
Doctor ​Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s original, engrossing, and tremendously fun debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent female assistant. It is 1892, and young Abigail Rook arrives in New Fiddleham, New England, with nothing but a suitcase and a handful of coins in her pocket. In a tavern, she meets the compelling and confounding R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary – including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail’s gift for noticing ordinary but important details makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. Hardly has she been hired when she finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: a serial killer is on the loose in New Fiddleham. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of a nonhuman creature. Only handsome young detective Charlie Cane is willing to help Jackaby and Abigail, though his motives for taking such a risk are unclear. Set amidst the excitement, innovation, and mysticism of the late 19th century, Jackaby blends a classic detective story with cheeky humor and a fun touch of the macabre.

John Biggins - The ​Two-Headed Eagle
It ​is the summer of 1916 and, as luck would have it, Otto is assigned to the nascent, unreliable, and utterly frightening Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Flying Service. Ottto's aerial chauffeur is the self-willed Sergeant-Pilot Toth, with whom he can only communicate in broken Latin—although when all else fails, screaming will suffice! On the ground the rickety Habsburg Empire begins to crumble before the onslaught of WWI, while in the air Otto confronts a series of misadventures and the winds of change.

Allan Frewin Jones - Warrior ​Princess
It ​takes just a moment for fifteen-year-old Branwen's life to change forever. In the blink of an eye the Saxons attack and her brother is killed. Almost as quickly, she is sent away from her home to a neighboring stronghold where she'll be safe from harm. Now Branwen lives as a princess should--surrounded by exquisite things and lavish quarters. But deep down remains the soul of a warrior. Just when Branwen is sure she has been pushed to her limits, a chance encounter with a mystical woman in white forces her to question everything--and everyone--around her. With no time to lose, Branwen must make a choice: continue in the path her parents intended for her . . . or step into the role of true Warrior Princess.

John Biggins - The ​Emperor's Coloured Coat
In ​this robust sequel to A Sailor of Austria, young Lieutenant Otto Prohaska of the Austro-Hungarian navy continues to narrate his adventures during the early years of this century, as he careens across Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, buffeted by lovely ladies, tyrannical lords and world events. Prohaska volunteers for flight training only to be shot down over a royal picnic, allowing him to spend time with both the Kaiser and Archduke Ferdinand, the latter of whom will shortly be assassinated, plunging Europe into WWI. When a lusty lady intrigues him, he finds himself in danger of execution. Up one mountain and down the next, by air, land and sea, the doughty lad wends his way, enduring shipwreck, pirates, battle and a Turkish dungeon. Skillfully mixing derring-do with tragedy as well as stringent wit, Biggins offers a vivid catalogue of world history 1909-1918. Sometimes there is so much history, in fact, that Prohaska seems more like a teaching aid than a living character, but overall this is engaging fare-reminiscent of George M. Fraser's Flashman series, but darker-that is likely to increase Biggins's following.

Christine Arnothy - I ​am Fifteen and I Do Not Want to Die
The ​compelling and moving narrative of a young girl caught by the tides of marching armies during the siege of Budapest in 1945. Told with calm compulsive force, and with an intimacy and maturity that defies the author's youth, I am fifteen is a poignant coming-of-age memoir, and a remarkable tale of ordinary lives destroyed by war. Budapest in early 1945: the siege - which was to kill some 40,000 civilians - raged around Christine Arnothy, her family and the various inhabitants of their building. Hiding in cellars, venturing out in a desperate search for food and water only when the noise of battle momentarily receded, they wondered if the Germans from the West or the Russians from the East would be victorious and under which they would fare best. Praying she would survive, and mourning the loss of some of her fellow refugees, Christine found solace in her writing - in pencil on a small notepad in the cellar - and dreamt of becoming a writer at the end of the war. Her subsequent adventures include a dramatic escape over the frontier into Austria, to Vienna and freedom (or so she imagined); then the difficult decision to leave her parents in an Allied refugee camp, while she searched for a new life in Paris.

Andrea Cremer - The ​Inventor's Secret
Sixteen-year-old ​Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape from the coastal cities or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks. The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery.

Melissa Pearl - Betwixt
Beautiful, ​wild-child Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well. Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded. Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?

P. C. Cast - Kristin Cast - Hidden
In ​the must-read tenth installment of the #1 New York Times bestselling vampyre series, Darkness won’t stay hidden for long… “Move over Stephenie Meyer.” –People The House of Night series is an international phenomenon, reaching #1 on U.S., German, and UK bestseller lists, and remaining a fixture on the New York Times Children’s Series bestseller list for more than 140 weeks and counting. With nearly 12 million copies in print, rights sold in thirty-eight countries to date, and relatable, addictive characters, this series is unstoppable. Now in Hidden, the tenth installment of the series, the stakes are higher than ever before. Neferet’s true nature has been revealed to the Vampyre High Council, so Zoey and the gang might finally get some help in defending themselves and their beloved school against a gathering evil that grows stronger every day. And they’ll need it, because Neferet’s not going down without a fight. Chaos reigns at the House of Night.

Eleanor Clymer - Search ​for a Living Fossil
The ​sudden appearance of a living dinosaur could hardly have surprised scientists more that the strange "fish with legs" that was caught off the coast of South Africa in 1938. Thought to be extinct for thirty million years, this living coelacanth started a South African ichthyologist, Dr. J.L.B. Smith, on a fourteen year search as exciting as any detective story.

Christine Fonseca - Libera ​Me
The ​line between good and evil has never been so blurred. Aydan wants to believe Nesy has returned to him in Vanessa. But her lack of memories and incessant nightmares begin to erode his faith. Zane is used to trusting his mind, his wisdom and his angelic senses. But these attributes are no help with Vanessa. He has no way to be certain of her true identity. That is, unless he listens to the one thing he has refused to acknowledge throughout his existence - his feelings for Nesy. Blind to both angel and demon, Aydan and Zane must now figure out the truth behind Nesy's identity before all is lost, Azza discovers the truth and the Beast is again unleashed.

Christine Fonseca - Dominus
Sometimes ​death is the only way to save a life. Nesy knows who she is now, knows what she's lost. Determined to save Aydan from his fate, she confronts the only one she blames for everything - Azza. But how can she fight the devil when she is nothing more than human. The fate of Celestium, Infernum and humanity rests in Nesy's hands. Can she find the strength to confront demons she's never imagined, face fears she's never voiced, and release the one things that has held her world together - her love for Aydan. Some sacrifices should never be made...even for love.

Christine Fonseca - Transcend
All ​seventeen-year-old composer Ien Montgomery desires is an escape from his family's rigid expectations for his life; someone to inspire his music. When he meets a beautiful violin-prodigy, Kiera McDougal, his life music takes on new life. With her, he imagines a future outside of his parents’ control. That is, until a horrible accident tears them apart. Sent to die in a sanatorium, Ien’s obsession for Kiera grows unbearable. Tortured by thoughts he can’t escape and the truth of his monstrous disfigurement, he flees, desperate to exact revenge on the people that ruined his life – his parents. But, vengeance is empty. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ien discovers that the price for his happiness may be his sanity. Set amidst the landscape of New York's Gilded Age, and inspired by Phantom of the Opera, TRANSCEND exposes the fine line between love and madness.

Christine Fonseca - Lacrimosa
It's ​been three thousand years since the fall of Azzaziel and the rebirth of evil; three thousand years since the Sentinal Order, an elite group of warrior angels, returned to Celestium. Their job-rid Earth of the dark creatures, the UnHoly. And with luck, end Azza's rule. As if casting out demons isn't hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan. He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate. But she can't, because he's also the love of her former life as a human girl-a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel. Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty-damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell-or saving him, and condemning herself. And her choice may cost her, and Celestium, far more than anyone realizes. How much will she sacrifice for love?

Kathleen Duey - Skin ​Hunger
Sadima ​lives in a world where magic has been banned, leaving poor villagers prey to fakes and charlatans. A "magician" stole her family's few valuables and left Sadima's mother to die on the day Sadima was born. But vestiges of magic are hidden in old rhymes and hearth tales and in people like Sadima, who conceals her silent communication with animals for fear of rejection and ridicule. When rumors of her gift reach Somiss, a young nobleman obsessed with restoring magic, he sends Franklin, his lifelong servant, to find her. Sadima's joy at sharing her secret becomes love for the man she shares it with. But Franklin's irrevocable bond to the brilliant and dangerous Somiss traps her, too, and she faces a heartbreaking decision.Centuries later magic has been restored, but it is available only to the wealthy and is strictly controlled by wizards within a sequestered academy of magic. Hahp, the expendable second son of a rich merchant, is forced into the academy and finds himself paired with Gerrard, a peasant boy inexplicably admitted with nine sons of privilege and wealth. Only one of the ten students will graduate -- and the first academic requirement is survival. Sadima's and Hahp's worlds are separated by generations, but their lives are connected in surprising and powerful ways in this brilliant first book of Kathleen Duey's dark, complex, and completely compelling trilogy.

S. B. Roozenboom - Predator ​Girl
Born ​in the deep forests of the Northwest, Ilume is a girl of the woods. And of the night. Ilume might be young, she might be recovering from a broken heart, but above all she’s a leader. Her pack has always come first. Until, on a rare visit to human civilization, she meets Jared. Strange and unusual beasts that few people are aware of roam our world. Jared Ferlyn is a Finder, born with the gift for detecting and tracking paranormal beings. Tagging Otherworlders for the government, he’s had his share of keeping fey, nightlings and other creatures from human sight. But when a strange new girl comes to town, Jared is unable to classify her despite his training and experience. While tracking the mysterious newcomer, Jared is pulled far into Ilume’s territory, a dangerous environment that not even a Finder is prepared for. Ilume and Jared - born into different worlds, one the predator the other the prey - and neither is prepared for what happens when the sparks fly between them.

Clare Vanderpool - Moon ​Over Manifest
Winner ​of the 2011 Newbery Award. The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest - A Town with a rich past and a bright future. Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.” Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters - and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town. Powerful in its simplicity and rich in historical detail, Clare Vanderpool’s debut is a gripping story of loss and redemption.