If You Enjoy Fantasy Roleplaying Games…

I know many of you out there are spending a lot of time these days playing Dungeons & Dragons or other tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) on Roll20, Discord, or even Zoom. You might be playing The Witcher 3 on your Nintendo Switch, or revisiting the tundra of Skyrim on your Xbox One. Maybe you’re even going to your local comic shop for curbside pickup of the newest Magic: The Gathering release. Whether you enjoy classic Sword and Sorcery adventures, can’t get enough of political machinations, or you prefer slice-of-life tales of magic users, I have some great fantasy comics recommendations for you!

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins by Matt Mercer, Matthew Colville, Olivia Samson, and Chris Northrop

You may have noticed that Dungeons & Dragons is really popular at the moment, as are most tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs). One of the most popular streaming campaigns is Critical Role. This comic is a prequel to their first campaign (yes, you’re hundreds of hours and a campaign behind), and reveals how our group of adventurers, known as Vox Machina, came together in the first place,

Magical Thinking

Sometimes we need a little magic in our lives, whether we create it ourselves or look to others to create it for us. Let these magic-makers offer you inspiration, wonder, and escape.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman is a classic of the genre. It introduces us to sisters Gigllian and Sally Owens and their efforts to endure the Owen family curse. The sequel, The Rules of Magic is about the Aunts in the 1950s & 60s. Also look for Hoffman’s forthcoming book, Magic Lessons (out in October) to learn the origin of the Owen family curse.

Four Flights of Fantasy for Your Listening Pleasure

Tired of looking longingly out your window while stuck inside? Then escape into these fantastic worlds each offering endless hours of aural pleasure! Each of these first books in their respective series represent a different flavor in the enormous fantasy pie. Have a slice, or better yet try them all! Happy listening.

 The Belgariad Series by David Eddings, read by Cameron Beierle

Book 1: Pawn of Prophecy

[Epic Fantasy] For fans of classic Epic Fantasies featuring Good vs Evil and a band of adventurers on an epic quest like The Lord of the Rings and the Shannara series.

This epic fantasy classic is filled to the brim with all of the tropes and archetypes that have come to define the epic fantasy genre. The book opens with an excerpt from an ancient text- a historical accounting of sorcerers and magic, gods and mortals, and a wondrous orb of untold power. Then the story begins in earnest on a small farm in a serene countryside. There an orphan boy named Garion is about to take his first steps towards fulfilling his destiny. On his journey, fraught with danger and secrets waiting to be revealed, he will be guided by his Aunt Pol, an old vagrant storyteller who he calls Mister Wolf, and an ever-growing cast of adventurers. Following in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring and Terry Brooks’ The Sword of Shannara, David Eddings’ The Pawn of Prophecy rightfully takes its place on the shelf aside those masterworks of epic fantasy.

#BookBingoNW2020: Animal as Main Character

There’s something about stories narrated by animals that provide a very different reading experience. Whether they are anthropomorphized or remain true to their wild selves, animal narrators give us a chance to step out of our human skin and see the world around us in new ways. Here are some titles that are in turn tragic, poignant and delightful.

We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly

A dog, a cat, and a rabbit, formerly benign domestic pets, become lethal weapons through a top secret military cybernetics experiment. As prototypes, the team is programmed to work together as the ultimate killing machine, drawing on each species’ innate characteristics to create one unstoppable force. When the experiment comes to an end and it’s time for We3 to be neutralized, distant memories of home drive their desperate escape. This graphic novel is simply gorgeous in both story and execution. Morrison’s nuanced and emotionally resonant storytelling is amplified by Frank Quietly’s beautiful illustrations.

Try these Children’s eAudiobook Series on Overdrive!

Stuck inside and looking for entertainment the whole family can enjoy? Try these three outstanding eAudiobook series available on Overdrive!

Alcatraz Series, Book 1: Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, read by Ramon De Ocampo

[Children’s Fantasy, Humor] For fans of Lemony Snicket and Pseudonymous Bosch

Alcatraz Smedry isn’t just some kid. Growing up in multiple foster homes, he has found that he has a knack for breaking things. No, he REALLY BREAKS THINGS. He’ll break the toaster he’s trying to use, he’ll break the counter the toaster sits on, heck, he’ll even break the kitchen! He even broke a chicken once – don’t ask. It’s not like he means to break things. He just can’t control it…but what if he could? What if he was secretly a member of a royal family of all powerful Smedrys? Each with their own unique abilities, waiting to be harnessed for the good of the world! Wouldn’t he have learned about this already? Well, not if the secret society of Librarians who secretly rule the world would have anything to say about it! Did I mention they are Evil Librarians? At least they are according to this old man he has just met, who claims to be his grandfather.