Recommended by Jacqueline Carey, a bestselling fantasy author, based in Michigan, whose titles can be found at the Canton Public Library.

Check our other Fave Five lists, too!

Mélusine

by Sarah Monette
Her debut novel features an enticing blend of cat burglars and wizards, intrigue and madness. Mélusine is a lush novel, rife with decadent magic, debilitating madness and dubious deeds, told in a compelling entwined narrative. The setting is richly imagined, a sprawling city at once strange and familiar, and the characters are vivid and alive.

Working for the Devil

by Lilith Saint-Crow
In her first novel for a major mainstream publisher, Saint-Crow mixes disparate elements for a fast, fun read. Working for the Devil combines dark urban fantasy with a splash of cyberpunk, a pinch of paranormal romance and a dash of gritty crime thriller to create a unique and engaging melange.

A Shadow in Summer

by Daniel Abraham
This new author has created a fascinating culture and a very fresh and unique take on magic. A Shadow in Summer is one of the most elegant and engaging fantasies Ive read in years, based on an intriguing, original premise. I eagerly await the remaining volumes in Daniel Abrahams Long Price Quartet.

In the Eye of Heaven

by David Keck
In the Eye of Heaven is a fantasy for readers who relish a bracing jolt of reality in their escapism. This is a powerful and assured debut novel, featuring gritty realism, skilled characterization and compelling storytelling set against the backdrop of a mythos that has the ring of primordial truth.

Heir of Autumn

by Giles Carwyn and Todd Fahnestock
Reading this debut reminded me of being a kid and falling in love with the genre in the first place. Heir of Autumn, the first volume in a new epic fantasy series, is a consistently engaging debut novel that delivers some real shocks along the way. Fantasy lovers will devour it!