Fiction, Fantasy, & Epics Book Club

Under the Whispering Door

“One reviewer called Under the Whispering Door "A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place", which pretty accurately sums it up. A love story as well as a story of grief, regrets, and living a meaningful life, Under the Whispering Door is ultimately a story of hope and second chances. This book is delightfully weird and quirky, and a wonderful follow up to Klune's House in the Cerulean Sea.”

Genevieve, A Great Good Place for Books

A widower battles his grief, rage, and the mysterious evil inhabiting his home smart speaker, in this mesmerizing horror thriller from Gus Moreno.

It was Vera’s idea to buy the Itza. The “world’s most advanced smart speaker!” didn’t interest Thiago, but Vera thought it would be a bit of fun for them amidst all the strange occurrences happening in...

Within These Wicked Walls

“The blend of magic and realism is fun and the heavy romance is a delight. Blackwood's skill at combining our reality, for instance, a religion with God (He) and all its accoutrements, slavery, and abuse, with a fantastical magical system involving amulets, evil spirits, blood-mad hyenas, and clay people, is well done. A well crafted homage to Jane Eyre.”

Kristine, Buttonwood Books and Toys

Popisho

“Playful and full-flavored, Popisho is a story of strange magic and communal intimacy. The kelp-crossing scene, which asks us to trust a shifting world, is one of the most beautiful pieces of literature I have ever read. "I told you," a young guide urges, while teaching our hero to walk on water, "I not following any path. I following what is here in the moment, ready to take me."”

Alyson, WORD Bookstores

If you enjoyed 1984, then you’ll love The House in the Cerulean Sea.

“This was a wholesome squeal of a novel that I ADORED! It had so much hype around it so I was wary but it immediately drew me in and wouldn't let me go until I finished. I opted for audio since it seemed that was the only way I was going to squeeze it in with my giant TBR list. Once I started, I literally changed my activities to better fit the listening of this book—more knitting, less TV, longer walks, and antisocial behavior. The narrator, Daniel Henning, perfectly encapsulated the whimsical nature of Linus Baker and his mysterious Level 4 security assignment to the island of Marysas. Though this book is entirely its own, it had vibes that reminded me of 1984 meets The Umbrella Academy meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Klune imbues so much life into all his characters. The kids are so cute and sassy and I love this quasi-magical world that they exist in, despite the fact that it keeps them locked away in an orphanage. I love that themes of our own world are examined and questioned and that it has a happy ending. I highly recommend this fantastical novel to everyone! Any book that steals all my attention from start to finish is pure magic and should be cherished!”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

If you enjoyed The Song of Achilles, then you’ll love She Who Became the Sun.

“Can you switch your fate with another’s? Can you seize the opportunity to become great when everything in the world is hell-bent on making you nothing? Zhu’s destiny was nothingness, a destiny that terrifies her. When her brother dies, she decides to take his destiny. Thus begins her journey through monasteries, cities, and wars. She encounters a Eunuch general who struggles with his identity and desire for revenge, a monk who bends the rules to survive, a woman whose strength is in her vulnerability, and a whole cast of amazing characters. This retelling of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty is exquisitely told. It has everything I love in a fantasy adventure: a trickster monk, a tortured warrior, fate, and lil’ bit of magic.”

Izzy, Off the Beaten Path

The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang's heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the... Read more »

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read. When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only... Read more »

A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry.

Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the... Read more »