Book picks similar to
Mad Magic: Mystifying Magicians and Spellbinding Sorcerers by Clare Oliver


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Deathless


Catherynne M. Valente - 2011
    But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

Twilight of Avalon


Anna Elliott - 2009
    In the shadow of King Arthur's Britain, one woman knows the truth that could save a kingdom from the hands of a tyrant... Ancient grudges, old wounds, and the quest for power rule in the newly widowed Queen Isolde's court. Hardly a generation after the downfall of Camelot, Isolde grieves for her slain husband, King Constantine, a man she secretly knows to have been murdered by the scheming Lord Marche -- the man who has just assumed his title as High King. Though her skills as a healer are renowned throughout the kingdom, in the wake of Con's death, accusations of witchcraft and sorcery threaten her freedom and her ability to bring Marche to justice. Burdened by their suspicion and her own grief, Isolde must conquer the court's distrust and superstition to protect her throne and the future of Britain. One of her few allies is Trystan, a prisoner with a lonely and troubled past. Neither Saxon nor Briton, he is unmoved by the political scheming, rumors, and accusations swirling around the fair queen. Together they escape, and as their companionship turns from friendship to love, they must find a way to prove what they know to be true -- that Marche's deceptions threaten not only their lives but the sovereignty of the British kingdom. In Twilight of Avalon, Anna Elliott returns to the roots of the legend of Trystan and Isolde to shape a very different story -- one based in the earliest written versions of the Arthurian tales -- a captivating epic brimming with historic authenticity, sweeping romance, and the powerful magic of legend.

Hetty Feather Trilogy


Jacqueline Wilson - 2013
    Growing up under the watchful eye of the hateful Matrons is hard for spirited, feisty Hetty, but she lives in hope that she'll find her real family one day, and have a real home.These three inventive, gripping and moving tales from one of our most beloved storytellers have captured the hearts of thousands of young readers. Follow Hetty as she leaves the Hospital, seeks work as a servant girl, searches for her mother and father, and finally decides where her future lies . . .

Age of Victoria


Alston Sleet - 2019
    She wanted to explore the world and escape from the strict etiquette of British nobility. With her father fighting in India, the governess assigned to raise her controlled every aspect of her life. The financial downturn of a friend of the family would lead to her sister's longtime engagement turning into an immediate marriage. Victoria's thirst for adventure and tomboy ways would not prepare her for the sudden advent of the apocalypse. Can Victoria and her friends survive this new world of Classes and Skills? Join Victoria and her family on a LitRPG adventure, unlike any other!

Australia's Strangest Mysteries #2


John Pinkney - 2012
    Someone [the murderer?] had covered him with a small strip of carpet.Nearby, in a ditch,lay Mrs Chandler - her face and torso bafflingly blanketed in beer cartons.The discovery made international headlines. It swiftly emerged that Dr Bogle, a brilliant specialist in solid state physics, had recently accepted a research post in Washington – and had been preparing to fly there, with his wife and children. Mrs Chandler, who’d worked as a nurse before her marriage, had been at the same New Year’s party with Gilbert Bogle the evening before. They had left separately.Scientists found that the pair had died of acute heart failure – but they could suggest no cause. There were no signs of violence: no smothering or strangulation; no hypodermic marks; no evidence, in the body tissues, of poisons, or radioactive substances of any kind.From the morning the bodies were found, the Bogle-Chandler conundrum would perplex the law’s keenest forensic minds...

Omnibus Two


Lucia Ashta - 2019
     What would you do if you were invited to study at the Magical Arts Academy? Enroll, of course! Join Isadora and her crew of magical misfits. Embark on a wild adventure today! Omnibus 2 includes books 5-8 of the Magical Arts Academy: Questionable Rescue Sorcerers' Web Ghostly Return Transformations

The Star-Touched Queen: Chapter Sampler


Roshani Chokshi - 2016
     Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you're only seventeen?Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire...But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most. . .including herself.A lush and vivid story that is steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. The Star-Touched Queen is a novel that no reader will soon forget.

The Time and Again Series Boxed Set


Deborah Heal - 2014
     Time and Again (book 1) Unclaimed Legacy (book 2) Every Hill and Mountain (book 3) One summer Abby and her new boyfriend John Roberts, along with their young friend Merri Randall, get the opportunity of a lifetime—the chance to see Time from God’s Perspective. Abby Thomas’ summer starts with tutoring a sullen 11-year-old named Merri Randall. Not fun. But when she discovers a weird program on the girl’s computer, her summer turns amazing. No one knows how Beautiful Houses works, but when it’s set up in an old house, the lives of everyone who ever lived there become an open book. With the click of the mouse Abby can pause, rewind, or fast-forward for a “God’s eye view” of history. Better yet, she can get inside the minds of the people they meet to experience their hopes, fears, and challenges. Finally. A way to find out what really happened in the olden days, the stuff that never made it into the history books. But there are dangers. Sometimes Abby and her friends find out more than they want to know about people and events from the past.

Gods of Jade and Shadow


Silvia Moreno-Garcia - 2019
    Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own. Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780525620754

Sistersong


Lucy Holland - 2021
    King Cador knew this once, but now the land has turned from him, calling instead to his three children. Riva can cure others, but can’t seem to heal her own deep scars. Keyne battles to be accepted for who he truly is—the king’s son. And Sinne dreams of seeing the world, of finding adventure.All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky. It brings with it Myrdhin, meddler and magician. And Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.Riva, Keyne and Sinne—three siblings entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, who must fight to forge their own paths. Their story will shape the destiny of Britain.

When the Meadowlark Sings: The Story of a Montana Family


Nedra Sterry - 2003
    Prize-winning novelist Cai Emmons praises Sterry by saying she really knows how to tell a story. Sterry grew up in a succession of isolated one-room schools in northern and central Montana, where her mother, a teacher, eked out a living. A must read for anyone who loves Montana and its rich history.

Silver Hollow Cozy Mysteries Box Set, #1-3


Leighann Dobbs - 2019
    Welcome to the small town of Silver Hollow with its bewitching magic and twisty mysteries.  Follow the Quinn cousins, Issy, Gray, Ember and Raine and their quirky familiars as they become embroiled in one paranormal mystery after another.  If you like enchanting witches, snarky familiars and hard-to-solve mysteries in a quaint small town setting, then this box-set is a must read.  This set includes the first 3 books in the series: Book 1: A Spell of Trouble Book 2: Spell Disaster Book 3: Nothing to Croak About

The Birthright


Loralee Evans - 2004
    During her flight in the deep jungles, Miriam crosses paths with Jacob, a young Nephite soldier who saves her life and leads her to safety among the Nephites. Years later, now a young woman, Miriam meets Jacob again. She is surprised to find that the sisterly affection she felt for him so long ago has developed into something deeper. But before she or Jacob can discover their true feelings for one another, war comes to the lands of the Nephites, and both Miriam and Jacob find themselves thrown into a whirlwind of struggles. As they fight to keep their faith alive, they are drawn even closer together.

Man, Myth And Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia Of The Supernatural (24 Vol. Set)


Richard Cavendish - 1970
    

Chronicles of Pelenor Trilogy Collection:


Meg Cowley - 2019
    Rising evil. Tangled loyalties. Harper discovers a legendary Dragonheart...and instantly becomes the most wanted person in Pelenor, where magic, dragons, and elves rule. She must survive - or die. Searching for the elven King's missing Dragonheart is his ruthless Spymaster Dimitri, who has his own agenda to revolutionise Pelenor.Harper is thrust into a web of intrigue, and her new companions - a roguish elven thief and his ragtag band - are not be the trustworthy friends she thinks.When Harper and Dimitri's paths collide, the only thing more dangerous than lies might be the truth, for either will destroy them.Harper and Dimitri must ally to ensure both survive the King's wrath in a court where betrayal is as easy as breathing. Who will drown in deceit, and who will rise triumphant?Dimitri’s plans backfire as he realises that time, hate, and the darkest of magics have twisted the visionary he hoped to follow, Saradon, into an evil that seeks dominion over all – and Dimitri is bound to his cause.Harper is bound to Saradon too in ways she could not imagine. She holds great darkness within her – and the only chance for salvation. Betrayal rules Pelenor - but will Harper betray herself to save those she loves? Saradon rules Pelenor with an iron fist. The Court of Tournai is beholden to him. A new Order, loyal to the Dark One of Altarea, rises under his dominion.Trapped under Saradon’s control, Harper is drawn into a darkness she cannot escape – and from which her friends cannot save her. War comes for Pelenor. The Dark One of Altarea will have his dominion. Will Pelenor be the first to fall, or can Harper and her far-flung companions somehow avert catastrophe? USA Today Bestselling Author and 2018 SPFBO Semi-Finalist Meg Cowley returns with a stunning new romantic epic fantasy trilogy set in the same world as her acclaimed Books of Caledan series. Filled with vivid characters, complex plots, and hints of romance, the Chronicles of Pelenor is perfect for fans of SJ Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses and Miranda Honfleur’s Blade & Rose. Read Heart of Dragons now.