September 2011 Book of the Month: Nominations

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Fri July 1st, 2011, 2:05 pm

Our theme for September is historical fantasy. Nominations close on July 7. To avoid a situation like we had with our June BOTM, please do not nominate or vote for a book unless you intend to read it if it's chosen.

Matt Phillips · Post by **Matt Phillips** » Fri July 1st, 2011, 3:07 pm

Cool category choice! I nominate Tim Powers's On Stranger Tides.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. World Fantasy Award–winner Powers (Three Days to Never) demonstrates a precise control of complex narratives in this reprint of his rollicking and enchanting 1987 novel. Puppeteer John Chandagnac, bound for Jamaica to recover stolen money from his uncle, becomes Jack Shandy after pirates attack his ship and force him to join their crew. Shandy's struggle to accept his new life grounds the story for readers, even as Blackbeard and vodun magicians whisk everyone away to dreamlike lands where the Fountain of Youth itself awaits. The chaotic sea battles sing, though at times key events happen so quickly that they get lost in the shuffle as Jack tries to comprehend where he's going and what's at stake. This dark fantasy tale will appeal not just to pirate fans but also to anyone who appreciates Powers's talent for blending the most unlikely elements into a brilliantly cohesive whole. (Apr.)

It's supposed to be much better than the recent "Pirates of the Caribbean" installment based loosely on it ...

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Fri July 1st, 2011, 3:11 pm

I agree with the latter sentiment. And with the HNS conference in June, I shouldn't have voted for any June book. I knew perfectly well that going up to the conference, I would have too much to do, and afterward I'd be dealing with my Mom.

I would also like to add that whatever book is nominated should be widely available, which is to say, already out on all sides of the pond, and if out-of-print, s book which was so well distributed it is easy to find.

Edited-- whoops, I just realized that the theme is historical fantasy. I'll save that nomination for next month, and abstain from voting since I don't read that genre.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Fri July 1st, 2011, 3:13 pm

Um-- didn't mean to double-post. I was editing the first, and for some reason it posted my edit as a separate entry. Mods, can you make it go away?

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Fri July 1st, 2011, 3:21 pm

Hey, does Historical Fantasy include books like C.S. Lewis' the Magician's Nephew? It was written about a time in the late 1800's, which was historical to Lewis, and since his characters escaped to alternate worlds, I think you could call it fantasy. I'd read that again, it's been ages.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Fri July 1st, 2011, 3:50 pm

My nomination is Black Ships by Jo Graham

The World is ending. One by one the mighty cities are falling: to earthquakes, to flood and to raiders - on both land and sea. In a time of war and doubt, Gull is an oracle, a mouthpiece of the gods. Daughter of a slave plundered from fallen Troy, she was chosen as a child to serve the Lady of the Dead, and it is her fate to counsel kings. When nine black ships appear as foretold in her dreams, captained by an exiled Trojan prince, Gull must make her choice. She must decide between her sacred calling and the most perilous adventure - joining her mother's people in their desperate flight from slavery. From the doomed bastions of the City of Pirates to the temples of Byblos, from the intrigues of the Egyptian court to the haunted caves beneath Mount Vesuvius, only Gull can guide Prince Aeneas on his quest. And only she can dare the gates of the Underworld itself to lead him to his destiny. In the last shadowed days of the Age of Bronze, one woman dreams of the world beginning anew. This is her story.

Miss Moppet · Post by **Miss Moppet** » Sat July 2nd, 2011, 9:16 pm

[quote=""MLE""]Hey, does Historical Fantasy include books like C.S. Lewis' the Magician's Nephew? It was written about a time in the late 1800's, which was historical to Lewis, and since his characters escaped to alternate worlds, I think you could call it fantasy. I'd read that again, it's been ages.[/quote]

I'd definitely count it. Great book - one of the best if not the very best of the Narnia Chronicles.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun July 3rd, 2011, 3:08 pm

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

Kay draws on the crumbling empire of medieval Spain to inspire this tale of brutality and romance. . Kay provides insightful glimpses into the goals and motives of his many characters, including King Almalik of Cartada, his advisor Ammar ibn Khairan, a young soldier, Alvar de Pellino, and the compelling female physician Jehane. Mindful of the confusion that alternate universes can create for readers, Kay is careful to periodically summarize the current positions of the various factions in the struggles between the many kingdoms in the empire. Studded with poetry that is evocative of Spain (some selections are reminiscent of El Cid), the story is buttressed with convincing cultural and social details and descriptions of medicine as it was practiced in the 12th century.

TeralynPilgrim · Post by **TeralynPilgrim** » Thu July 7th, 2011, 10:18 pm

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, one of my all-time favorites.

A beautiful retelling of the Celtic "Swans" myth, Daughter of the Forest is a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love... To reclaim the lives of her brothers, Sorcha leaves the only safe place she has ever known and embarks on a journey filled with pain, loss and terror. When she is kidnapped by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, it seems that there will be no way for Sorcha to break the spell that condemns all that she loves. But magic knows no boundaries, and sorcha will have to choose between the live she has always known and a love that comes only once

TeralynPilgrim · Post by **TeralynPilgrim** » Thu July 7th, 2011, 10:19 pm

Entwined by Heather Dixon. It's also a retelling of a fairy-tale.

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.