Even though no one has set up a reading challenge here I thought it would be a good idea to share what we are reading in this genre and what we think.  Hope others agree.  I am in Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman.  It's a series of short stories by the author.  So far I've read four and found them interesting.  Earlier this month I read The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice, #2) by John Flanagan.  It's a good series appropriate for teen-agers.  And, whether or not this belongs here I want to talk about The Last Policeman series by Ben H. Winters.  It's outstanding.  I read the first one in December and followed that one with Countdown City and World of Trouble this month.  The series is about earth and how society breaks down when an asteroid is heading for impact, except for the hero who continues helping whoever he can.

I just finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and am about to start Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Ah, I really enjoyed The Night Circus.  Glad to hear that you did, too.

I really loved the first two books of the Last Policeman series and am still waiting to get my hands on the 3rd.  You are right, REK, it is outstanding.  I just finished an older fantasy (Pre Tolkien) published in 1926.  Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees doesn't have great heroic characters, quests for amazing objects, horrific monsters or epic battles.  It is the story of a mayor in the capital city of very small country which has banished fairy from its daily life (or so they think.)  It's beautifully written, poetic in places.

Oh Lisa,  I've read Lud in-the-Mist and I liked it very much.  As for the Last Policeman series I found the last two in the series through our library while the first one came through my WL.  It has been while since all the books in a series won five stars from me.  

I am finishing up the Macht trilogy by Paul Kearny. Just started the third book Kings of the Morning. Never read him before but he is a wonderful author and I can't recommend him enough.

The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe is very good.  The Tufa live in the mountains of Tennessee, they are rumored to have been there even before the first Europeans arrived.  One, a wounded soldier returning from the war in the Middle East, has lost touch with the music that defines her people.  It unfolds slowly but is well written.  

Ordered the only copy of the Macht trilogy by Paul Kearny I could find on pbs.  The rest are on my WL as is The Hum and the Shiver.  Thanks so much both of you.

Am reading:

The Storyteller, Fool's Apprentice, The Mage in Black, and Lothaire.

I finished The Red-Headed Stepchild.

Judye

What did you think of The Red-Headed Stepchild?  I've just begun The Onion Girl. And, I finished Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler which I totally enjoyed.

I really love De Lint's Newford novels.  I was surprised that he hadn't done a Jilly centered novel before Onion Girl.  I've just finished Uprooted by Naomi Novik.  Very good, definately worth reading.

I am reading Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series. Just finished Prince of Thorns and flying through King of Thorns. I've seen mixed reviews of the books, but I have loved them. It's nice to read fantasy that is under 500 pages and you can move on from it. The main character isn't a nice person but he grew on me.

I'm mostly reading Terry Pratchett series. I'm up to book #20 now in Diskworld.

Wow!  I've just begun collecting the Terry Pratchett series.  Any time somone gets to #20 in a series it must be very good.  Thanks Stephanie for sharing.  My first read The Color of Magic is scheduled for this month.

No! No!  I can't commit to 20 books anymore! I have no room on my shelves.

So, instead, I started Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin, #1 in the Broken Earth trilogy.  I very much enjoyed the Inheritance series. One quarter of the way into this one, it looks to be just as thought provoking as Inheritance.

ETA:  Finished 7/17.  Now, I have to get book 2!  If you like the writer, you will definitely like the book.

Yes!  I like N.K. Jamisin too but haven't dipped into the Broken Earth trilogy.  Thanks for sharing.  Put that series on my TBR.  Just began another by Jim Butcher, Small Favor.  Lots of action, fun and games.  I was afraid that I would lose MIchael in this one.  He's another of my favorite heros in this series.  I really enjoy this series.  Harry Dresden is so cool.

My latest read is Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.  I am enjoying it very much but it does remind me somewhat of The Hunger Games series.  However, there are differences that make it worth reading.  Mare is the key character who develops a unique talent, that of drawing and creating lightening to protect herself.  It's the first in a trilogy.

Where is everyone?  I love reading what others are reading in fantasy.  Just finished Reserved for the Cat by Mercedes Lackey, one of the first authors that drew me into this genre.  Good, good read!  Now I have to find the other books in this series!

My friend has written a sci/fi fantasy book. It's available for free on Kindle. Check it out.
https://www.amazon.com/Story-Tale-Eighth-Herald-Book-ebook/dp/B077BBGQ8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518373016&sr=8-1&keywords=Alicia%20Marsland&pldnSite=1

Am working the The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie.  I like these tales very much and finished the second in the series:  Best Served Cold.  Now a pbs friend is sending another series by the author.  Just finished my second book by Clive Barker, Abarat.  To date, there are four in this series and I've only read the first and it was so much fun I can't wait to get the next one.

Finished the Wool trilogy.  Shift was not as good as I expected but second books often serve as a bridge.  The third, Dust, was quite good but seemed to have some omissions and contradictions that left me wondering how that happened  or how did I miss that.  Shift dragged in spots so I would give it a 3.75 rating and Dust rated a solid 4.00.  However, in my estimation the series is certainly worth  reading.  Do put this trilogy on your reading list but be  prepared for length as each of these books is looong.  

Where is everyone?  Just finished Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.  It's such a fun read.  One laughs at the antics of Sophie as an old woman.  She seems to get it wrong more often than she gets it right which confuses things but tickles the reader's funnybone.  I enjoyed this read so much that I whirled through it, finding it hard to put down.  Certainly 4.5 stars if not 5.

High Voltage, winner of the 2018 Nebula Award, is an outstanding read.  Here is a synopsis of the read as I understand it.

Nine-year-old Dani O'Malley remembers living in a cage with little love and little to eat. Cared for by the sadistic Rowena who trains her to kill she grows up vowing that she will forsake killing unless she is protecting the innocent, those she loves or defending herself. And, she includes the city she loves, Dublin, and its people which she guards from forces determined to destroy or enslave humans.

In love with an immortal named Ryodan, who takes form as beast part of the time, Dani understands and loves the handsome virile Ryodan. The fey want to enslave humans while an old god named Balor wants to destroy them.   The two must work together with the Nine (immortals who take both human and beast forms) and others to protect their world. But the more adult humans that disappear the stronger Balor becomes. He is dangerous and vindictive.  An  old god whose powers grow stronger with each human soul he absorbs, Balor discovers as an enemy of unusual powers in Dani. She found that she can throw lightening bolts to destroy her enemies. As her powers increase no one can even touch the blackening areas of her body without being burned out of existence. And, the more she uses her powers the more areas of her body blacken. While l she doesn't understand what is happening to her she embraces the powers to help her defend and protect her world.

As the story unfolds we discover that even though they cannot touch each other, Dani and Ryodan pledge their love to each other. The story continues and the powers of the forces that threaten the human race build, too. Can Dani and Ryodan save their world? Can they be lovers physically as well as emotionally? Later chapters provide the answers to these questions. Excellent plot, fantastic characters, and skillful prose make this a read I couldn't put aside.
 

Time for another October Daye book.  Just finished A Local Habitation by Seanon McGuire, 4 stars.  This book is gritty, sad, and full of activites by full-blood fae, changelings and other individuals who take human form at times.  There is murder, murder and more murder as October tries to solve the mystery not only of who doing the killing, why and how.  Communications beyond the company grounds fails and she finds herself without outside support.  As she investigates a company involved in technology October herself comes close to death.  The gate to the company grounds crashes down upon her car from which she escapes with scratches, a few burns, glass cuts and bruises.  Someone shoots at her twice and she becomes embroiled in a life or death duel with the murder.  While I didn't remember much about the first book I read I do like this changeling investigator who puts her life on the line again and again.

Wow this forum dried up! I hope to see some reaction to some of these posts.  Well I'll input something here.  Hopfully someone will reply or post elswhere. I am currently reading Best Served Cold.  By Joe Abercrombie. I am a little more than halfway through and really enjoying it.  Here's to a kickass female main character.  I read The First Law Trilogy and consider it one of my most favorite reads.  I also hear the other two stand alones in this universe are very good as well.  

Victoria

Ah, Victoria, I have read the First Law Trilogy and Best Served Cold.  Loved the reads.  Shall we try to revive this thread?  I used to post here every time I read a book that fit.  Will check what I have read this year and post the next time I visit this site.

Here are my feelings about Catseye by Andre Norton:  

Enjoyed this quick read so very much. Animals that can communicate. Of course. Anyone who has owned a pet knows that animals can communicate in many ways. We just have to be on their wavelength.  Two cats, two foxes and a kinkajou, all of which can communicate with the principal character in this book. What's cool is that Troy Horan doesn't need any equipment to communicate with them. He just treats them as equals and thoughts are transferred back and forth.  The tale is fun, quick moving and the writing flawless. I have loved her novels since I first began reading science fiction and I still do. Read it again if you've read it before and relish the story and the writing. I did.

(Chemical Garden, Bks 1-3)  by  Lauren DeStefano

Wither (Chemical Garden, Bk 1)

Others have commented about the lack of world building. That did not bother me. It seemed that all was in chaos and humans were trying to survive as best they could. Rhine and her twin brother, Rowan, trying to stay alive. Yet Rhine and many other young women are kidnapped by a group known as the Gatherers searching for brides for the wealthy.  The mansion in which Rhine finds herself is comfortable but  it's a prison to those who, like Rhine, cherish freedom. She and two other girls are restricted to what is known as the wives area. They were selected to be brides for Linden Ashley whose current wife, whom he loves, is dying.  Once married, Rhine lives with her sister-wives, 13-year-old Cecily from an orphanage, and 19-year-old Jenna, whose origin is obscure. Much focuses on Rhine's emotions and her interactions with the sister-wives and Linden. She has conflicting feelings for Linden. Why does he accept his role as husband to three women? Enter Linden's father, who was instrumental in choosing the three.  A scientist (villian) searching for a cure for a virus that kills the young women and men he is driven to save his son. He lets nothing and no one stand in his way.  Rhine is not cooperating because she wants only to escape and return to her brother. So the story begins...

Fever (Chemical Garden, Bk 2)

Rhine escapes the mansion where she was forced to become one of three coerced to marry.  She wants to find her twin brother, Rowan, wherever he may be.  However, she finds herself trapped into a prostitution ring. Finding her Rowan is as far away as ever.  When at last she escapes this situation, she is weak and ill. The man in the mansion's father, a cruel and controlling man, captures her again. Restrained on a table where he experiments on her with drugs, she discovers a tracker in her leg. The son learns what his father is doing and Rhine is moved to a hospital where the tracking device is removed and her health improves. Others become important to Rhine whose heart dwells on what will happen to those she carez about while she searches cod Rowan. I like this series and donated a complete set to a pbs friend who teaches young people. Well written books for the YA audience are to be shared. 

Sever (Chemical Garden, Bk 3)

The story repeats earlier plots and problems. There are some twists and turns that give it more omph and if one reads the first two novels one probably wants to finish the series.  However, it was my least favorite book.  Linden's father once again tricks Rhine as he has before. Does she never learn?  She does find her twin brother. He has changed but the longer they are together the more the bond between them strengthens and they begin to communicate as they once did. They discover that the world is not as they first believed. And, their parents did not have loving and compassionate motives. The twins were genetically designed in hopes that they could suvive the virus that kills the young. Many of the same characters appear and the author weaves their activities into the final plots. My chief concern is how any person, no matter how powerful could keep finding Rhine and controlling the actions of so many characters. Good luck readers. Perhaps you will feel differently so check it out for yourself.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Bk 3) by Laini Taylor

Disappointed. I have enjoyed each book in this series and while this one is good it is slow moving and repetitive. Almost put it aside times but I had connected with Akiva and Karou and wanted to see how their lives turned out. 

Loved the humans, Zuzana and Mik, whose antics are both upbeat and positive. It is they who help recover Eliza, a mostly human with a bit of angel thrown in, who comes through to everyone's relief. Her angelic heritage shines positively in later stages of the book. A secondary romance blooms with Liraz, Akiva's "tough" sister, and Ziri. The battles in both worlds are eventually won with the help of the Stelians who are relatives of Akiva on his mother's side. The Stelians are a strange and reclusive group whose role is to help maintain the world in which all turn to reclaim and rebuild. When Akiva discovers his role it almost destroys his romance with Karou. 

Interesting plots with divergent plots that sometimes it's hard to keep up. In short, the last hundred pages saved the book for me but instead of five stars it rates only four for the reasons above. The author and the editors should have spent more time and energy pulling the final book together and tightening the story. So be it. It is what it is. 

Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Three tales. Three stories, each as well written and fascinating as the one before it. It's all about kisses. In addition, the artwork is out of this world. Loved it all.

First story: Goblins seeks those who want. Want intensely. So much so that they ignore the dangers of eating food from the goblin's hands. The heroine falls in love with a goblin in disguise as a handsome young man who seeks her soul. Her grandmother and other ghosts warn her constantly. Will she survive the encounter?

Second story: A woman whose voice is cursed to kill all who hear it falls in love. Fortunately, there is a counter force that works to protect her. When she sings to her beloved he dies with all who are in hearing range. The counter force is present to help with a twist.

Third story: Demons who were once human traded their humanity for immortality. There are ramifications that seem unimportant at the time. They give up their souls and they can never procreate. A young woman named Esme is the daughter of a young woman who escaped the clutch of the queen demon. When she becomes a woman something strange happens. One of her brown eyes turns blue. What does this mean? How will this affect her life? Only her mother and a man/demon knows and work to protect her but the dangers are real and constant. What will happen to Esme and her mother?

An Artificial Night (October Day, Bk 3) by Seanan McGuire

A woman who could be her twin greets Toby at the door.  She says is her Fetch, a spirit that will take her to the lands of dead.  Does this mean Toby dies?  Oh, great!

And, then the children begin to disappear.  Children of two of friends’ children are missing while a third, still breathing, doesn't wake up.  Now Tybalt, king of the Court of Cats, tells her about those who vanished from their group, just disappearing where?  Toby needs - just needs - to find all the missing.  Half-Fae and half-human, Toby is an investigator with powers to accomplish such a task. To do so, she finds herself going up against Blind Michael who heads the Wild Hunt, a fearsome amd scary encounter even for her.  

It was great to see some fascinating characters from previous novels appearing to help Toby, including Luidaeg, Quentin, a talented teenager, and Lily whose specialities amaze Toby. Joining them is May Day whose appearance usually can mean disaster.  Will it this time?  I recommend other readers choose this October Daye novel and check it out for themselves.  I rather liked it.

Circe by Madeline Miller

I like reading books about gods, goddesses and all the creatures that live with them.  However, this one was not as appealing to me as others I have read.  Just couldn't get into the story.  I felt, too, that the author's writing was not as polished as it could be.  It's good that there are a few twists in the flow of this tale that surprise the reader.  I enjoyed these.  Nevertheless, I felt that there were gaps that left me the reader wondering what was really supposed to be there.  

The plot is a good one and I liked the character, Circe.  She is known as the goddess of sorcery (pharmakeia).  The author emphasizes that her specialty was transformation.  Daughter of the powerful Helios, for years she seemed to have no talent and was ridiculed by her parents and siblings.  As a result she tries to please those around her or make herself as invisible as she can. This is her story as the author sees it.  In this book it took Circe years and years to free herself from what others believed her to be yet these influences come out periodically throughout her life.  At the end, Circe has chosen who she wants to be.  From that point she can live a happy life.  

Still I wonder why GR readers rated this book above the other nominated novels?   In my opinion some of those were much better.  Because many readers felt differently about the book I suggest that others check it out for themselves.