Book picks similar to
Spark and Carousel by Joanne Hall


fantasy
recommended-by-friends
women-authors
magic-and-fantasy

The Sword of the Land


Noel-Anne Brennan - 2003
     Rilsin was fated to rule the land of Saeditin-until a bloody coup killed her family around her, and she was drafted into service to the new queen, her own cousin. Now, Rilsin must choose between a long-awaited peace-and a betrayal that could ruin the very kingdom she pledged to protect...

The Cunning Man (The Cunning Man, A Schooled in Magic Spin-Off Book 1)


Christopher G. Nuttall - 2021
    In desperation, his master arranged for him to study at Heart's Eye University, a former school of magic that has become a university, a place where magicians and mundanes can work to combine their talents and forge the future together.But all is not well at Heart's Eye. The magical and mundane apprentices resent and fear each other, the teaching staff is unsure how to shape the university and, outside, powerful forces are gathering to snuff out the future before it can take shape. As Adam starts his new apprenticeship, and stumbles across a secret that could reshape the world, he finds himself drawn into a deadly plot that could destroy the university ..... And leave Lady Emily's legacy in flaming ruins.

Dreamwalker


James Oswald - 2012
    A sad, shrunken echo of the once-proud creatures of their myths, now they shuffle through their last days, hidden by their subtle arts from the men who have persecuted and killed them for over two millennia. Yet in amongst this quiet decline, there is new life. Benfro, son of Morgwm the Green, the first male kitling in a thousand years. His hatching at the confluence, when great Rasalene the moon covers Arhelion the sun, must surely mark him for great things. For long ago dragons wrought a deep wrong on the land, and now is come the time to make amends.----First in the series, The Ballad of Sir Benfro, Dreamwalker sets the stage for an epic fantasy of dragons and men, magic and mystery.

Talon


Michael James Ploof - 2014
    On the frozen Barbarian island of Volnoss, survival means strength. Only the strongest and tallest shall be named Vald. Like their harsh unforgiving homeland, they allow no weakness. Those who do not meet the measure are declared Skomm, and condemned to a life of slavery. They call him Throwback... Born two months premature during the Frozen Plague, raised by his grandmother, and rejected by his father, he is allowed to live among the mighty Vald until the day of his measure. A day fast approaching. They call him Skomm... He must somehow survive a cold world of giants, and a twisted culture of discrimination, cruelty, and injustice. Despised for his size and weakness, shunned by his peers, and beaten by bullies, he knows no friend but a timber wolf pup named Chief. They call him by many names… Legend will call him TALON WINDWALKER. Set two hundred years before the events of Whill of Agora, TALON, Book #1 of the Windwalker Archive, reveals the origins of Dirk Blackthorn’s spirit wolf, Chief. Talon is a coming of age tale rich with magic, culture, friendship and lore. It is a fast-paced race against time; an underdog story wrought with action and adventure. Fans of the Legends of Agora books will be introduced to unforgettable new characters, and revisit a few old friends. Although Talon takes place chronologically before Whill of Agora, it can be read before or after.

Imaginary Lands


Robin McKinleyJoan D. Vinge - 1985
    Nine writers, including James P. Blaylock, Peter Dickinson, Patricia A. McKillip, P C Hodgell and the editor, Robin McKinley, have written stories where the land is crucial to the tale: the armchair traveller will find the best of fantasy on this grand tour of imaginary lands.1 • Paper Dragons • [Land of Dreams] • novelette by James P. Blaylock23 • The Old Woman and the Storm • short story by Patricia A. McKillip35 • The Big Rock Candy Mountain • novelette by Robert Westall59 • Flight • novelette by Peter Dickinson91 • Evian Steel • [Merlin's Booke] • novelette by Jane Yolen125 • Stranger Blood • novelette by P. C. Hodgell155 • The Curse of Igamor • short story by Michael de Larrabeiti169 • Tam Lin • novelette by Joan D. Vinge199 • The Stone Fey • novelette by Robin McKinley

Half World


Hiromi Goto - 2009
    They are from Half World, a Limbo between our world and the afterlife, and her father is still there. When her mother disappears, Melanie must follow her to Half World—and neither of them may return alive.

The Orc of Many Questions


Shane Michael Murray - 2013
    Everybody with a brain knows that. Orc tribes save their strength for fighting, not thinking. They survive by raiding the lands of weaker races, repeating it year after year to offer tribute to the masters of their mountain home.Life on Firebrand Peak is short and nasty. Death comes quickly and the fallen are soon forgotten. Generations pass, yet the tribe remains brutally the same.Until one little orc starts asking too many questions.

The Lost Gate


Orson Scott Card - 2011
     While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny  as well.  And that will lead to disaster for the North family.

The Godless


Ben Peek - 2014
    Fifteen thousand years after the end of their war, their bodies can still be found across the world. They kneel in forests, lie beneath mountains, and rest at the bottom of the world's ocean. For thousands of years, men and women have awoken with strange powers that are derived from their bodies.The city Mireea is built against a huge stone wall that stretches across a vast mountain range, following the massive fallen body of the god, Ger. Ayae, a young cartographer’s apprentice, is attacked and discovers she cannot be harmed by fire. Her new power makes her a target for an army that is marching on Mireea. With the help of Zaifyr, a strange man adorned with charms, she is taught the awful history of ‘cursed’ men and women, coming to grips with her new powers and the enemies they make. Meanwhile, the saboteur Bueralan infiltrates the army that is approaching her home to learn its terrible secret.Split between the three points of view, The Godless' narrative reaches its conclusion during an epic siege, where Ayae, Zaifyr and Bueralan are forced not just into conflict with those invading, but with those inside the city who wish to do them harm.The first installment of an exciting new epic fantasy series, The Godless is a fast-paced page turner set in an enthralling new world, perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie and Brent Weeks.

A Cast of Stones


Patrick W. Carr - 2013
    Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom. Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty nears its end and the selection of the new king begins--but in secret and shadow. As danger mounts, Errol must leave behind the stains and griefs of the past, learn to fight, and discover who is hunting him and his companions and how far they will go to stop the reading of the stones. 2014 Carol Award Winner for Speculative

Silevethiel


Andi O'Connor - 2013
    Follow me to the light.»Following her father’s murder, Princess Irewen Donríel is betrayed and left for dead in the forests of Mistwood. Rescued by the elf prince, Laegon Elendell, Irewen awakes an exile with no home, no country, and no people. But as the horrific memories of murder and betrayal return, she realizes the nightmare is only beginning. The world of Vaelinel is failing—its fate bound to her in ways no one fully understands. A mysterious elven prophecy may provide her with some answers, but continuously hunted and fighting for her life, Irewen quickly learns that unearthing the truth will be more difficult than she ever imagined. Can she accept Laegon’s love and the friendship of the Wood Elves, or will she stand alone against the terrifying evil now threatening to destroy the entire world?

Sky Keeper


S.M. Gaither - 2017
    Some of the reviews below reflect the old version. Welcome to the World Below, where the keepers command the sky, but the commander of the keepers controls the empire... For centuries, the four kingdoms of the Caspian empire have remained safe and hidden below the ocean, protected from the Surface World—and from that ocean that separates them—by a great barrier maintained by magic. Aven Talavir has spent her entire life learning to be a keeper of that barrier, channeling her powers into maintaining and healing it. But now an impossibly sinister force seeks to shatter it. To stop the looming flood of destruction, Aven picks up her knives and sets off on a quest to find an ancient power that may be able to permanently heal the makeshift sky. Reaching it will mean fighting her way through dangerous politics and deadly magic, all while finding love and friendship in unexpected places— Only to realize that the greatest treachery may not lie in the breaking sky, but in the very hearts of the people around her. The perfect next read for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Tamora Pierce, and Megan Whalen Turner. If you enjoy strong female leads, swoon-worthy romance, feisty mythical creatures, and unique magic systems, then scroll up and grab the first book of this trilogy today!

The Book of Fatal Errors: First Book in the Feylawn Chronicles


Dashka Slater - 2020
    Clumsy and awkward, he feels entrapped by his teasing classmates and their constant laughter. But now it is summer. Rufus is free. He roams the wildlands of his grandfather's mysterious homestead, blissfully unaware of the danger up ahead.And there is much danger. Rufus and his snooty cousin Abigail soon become entangled in the tantalizing world of the feylings, mischievous fairly-like creatures desperate to find their way home. In helping the feylings, Rufus tumbles down a dark path rich with age-old secrets and difficult truths. Any move he makes might be his final fatal error.Or perhaps, his most spectacular beginning.

Herald of the Storm


Richard S. Ford - 2013
    Under the reign of King Cael the Uniter, this vast cityport on the southern coast has for years been a symbol of strength, maintaining an uneasy peace throughout the Free States. But now a long shadow hangs over the city, in the form of the dread Elharim warlord, Amon Tugha. When his herald infiltrates the city, looking to exploit its dangerous criminal underworld, and a terrible dark magick that has long been buried once again begins to rise, it could be the beginning of the end.