Throwback Thursday: A Few Old SFF Favorites

I was looking at some of my older reads, and rounded-up a few that I’d really liked. So here they are, and may be if you’re looking for new things to try out, you’ll discover a few gems here.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

It seems improbable that poor Maia’s life will ever turn for the better, until he turns out to be the last living heir to the goblin throne. From there onwards, it’s all about Maia navigating the tricky contours of the royal court. Simply put, this is the tale of how the underdog became emperor, and who doesn’t love the underdog winning? The Goblin Emperor is the perfect antidote to The Grimdark. Rating: A-

Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip

Ombria in Shadow is one of McKillip’s trademark ‘cozy fantasies’, charming, elegantly written, and full of potent and nostalgic imagery. A malevolent being wants to gain control of the magic of Ombria and its shadow city. But along come a halfling Mag and her teacher sorceress, to save the twin cities. Also recommended on similar lines: The City in the Lake by Rachel Neumeier. Rating: B+

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Briony, broken and bitter, lives in a village covered with swamps, and for some reason, she hates herself. That’s how the prologue to Chime begins, and I can’t give away more, except that Briony’s past hides a secret that is a recipe for disaster for the entire village. The audiobook from Susan Duerden is especially wonderful and gives this haunting fantasy story a voice all of its own. Rating: A+

The Scorpio Races by Maria Steifvater

In Scorpio Races, humans and seafolk co-exist under some ancient delicate pact. The villagers keep their end of the pact by throwing an annual race of the waterhorses. Puck enters the races in a desperate bid to keep her elder brother from abandoning their family. The races are perilous, and the curious longing for the sea is very real. The charming Puck would possibly be the Irish YA urban fantasy version for National Velvet. Rating: A-

The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint

Grace gets shot by a junkie at a grocery store, and finds herself in a curious limbo between life and death. But the living can’t let go of their dead, and the dead can’t let go of the living…. And The Mystery of Grace is just that: the enigma of life after death, the pain of letting go, and the strange mystery of divine grace. Rating: B+

The Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip

Peri, who has lost her fisherman father to the angry sea, and her mother to ‘seafever’, has grown up neglected and truly hates the Sea. One day, she hexes the Sea, and unwittingly sets forth a chain of un/fortunate. For out of the sea comes a terrible dragon, and the dragon is hunted by a mage, and the troubled prince of the land turns out to be a seafolk changeling. So, obviously Peri lands in big soup in Changeling Sea. Rating: A+

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Mary lives in a village at the outskirts of the Forest of Hands and Teeth. It’s no ordinary forest, but is infested by Zombie-like creatures. The Zombies are attacking the village, and Mary and her friends must escape to the Ocean. It is Mary’s sheer force of determination in the face of death that pulls this story to its remarkable conclusion. Rating: A-

Brood of Bones by A.E. Marling

Hiresha, an elder enchantress of Morimound City, has been called in urgently. All the women in Morimound, both young and old, are becoming pregnant — simultaneously. Some villain is using dark magic to suction life out of them, and Hiresha is the only one who may be able to stop him. It’s available as a free audiobook on Scribl, and is all kinds of awesome. I liked it so much, I immediately purchased the other ebooks in the series. Rating: A+

Tarot Cafe Manga by by Park Sang-sun

If nothing else in this list works for you, try out the Tarot Cafe Manga. Beautifully illustrated, the manga tells the story of a tarot-card reader, Pamela, who has literally made a pact with the devil. She wants to end her immortal life, and in return, she must get hold of the beads of a necklace. Her clients– all magical and strange creatures– pay her fee in beads, and embroil her in their tales now and then. Dark but fascinating, the manga is definitely worth a shot. It’s not for the faint-hearted though. Rating: A-

All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear

Windwracked Stars is a very unique Norse mythology retelling. Ragnarok, the ancient battle between the Light Ones and the Tarnished ones, ended when Grey Wolf betrayed the Light Ones. Over 2500 years later, the other lone Light survivor, Muire, is hunting for that traitor Wolf. Turns out many of the Light Ones have been reborn (including Muire’s deceased lover) but are now controlled by the Technomancer, the strange ruler of the new dystopian world. Rating: B+

The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope

It is criminal how this book is so under-rated. But I was hooked within the first five pages, this rarely happens for me! If you like masterfully-handled Tamlin tales, or Fae stories, mixed with cunning riddles, a strong OTP, and a strong dash of history — this is one of best versions you will ever find. I finished the book only to start re-reading it immediately. This too does not often happen for me. I can’t praise this book enough. Rating: A+

Serpent Garden by Judith Riley

Serpent Garden is about a Flemish painter’s daughter in medieval Europe who somehow ends up painting miniature portraits for the Tudors and spying for Cardinal Wolsey. Hijinks ensue, and art becomes a tool of political intrigue. This book gives a fine detailing of painting in those yester years, all the depth and shades and techniques and whatnots of watercolors. Slow but with a steady build-up of events. Rating: A-

How the World Became Quiet by Rachel Swirsky

Start with Swirsky’s “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen’s Window“. It starts off innocently, almost incoherently, and then this flower-plucking lady gets manipulated by her queen and gets enslaved into a genie’s bottle. The genie gets called upon across multiple ages, each age so radically different and frighteningly plausible. Yet the lady makes a hopeful choice, she still believes in human life. “Eros, Philia and Agape” is equally thought-provoking, about how AI is likely to result in an identity crisis. (The stories are available as free reads, do try them out.) Rating: A+

Have you read any of these books? Did you like them? And if you have any suggestions similar to the above, please share!