The Bright Sword        

by Lev Grossman

Penguin Random House

    This retelling of the legend of Camelot centers on the less well known people of the realm, makes villains of some of the heroes, has a great deal of bloodshed and is, overall, a wonderful read. Grossman explains in a short essay at the end a bit about the way this story has been changed over hundreds of years with each retelling - the anachronisms and lack of historical accuracy - which bring new colors to each of the stories. 

    This is a fine addition to the lore.

If you'd like to know more about this book, or own it, please check with your local independent bookstore or this fine place bookshop.org .

 I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons 

Peter S. Beagle

Simon & Schuster

    This is a very light and engaging fantasy. The characters are delightfully well drawn and I hope we see them in a sequel. This is my first Beagle book but I will try some of his other older ones.

    A distracting fantasy may be just the thing we need for these difficult political times.

    Vote. Please.

If you want to know more about this book, or own it, please check your local independent bookstore or this great place: bookshop.org .

Trust Her                               

by Flynn Berry

PenguinRandomHouse

This is a fine sequel to Berry's Northern Spy - both deal with the conflict in Ireland; two sisters who escaped severe consequences when they moved from Belfast to Dublin find it's a very small island. Both of the women are thoughtful and hopeful about the prospects for peace, in spite of their own difficult positions, and they'll do their best to keep their families safe. A compelling read.

If you'd like to know more about this book, or own it, please check your local independent bookstore or this great placebookshop.org