historical fantasy

  • Our Favorite Fantasy Fiction of 2022

    I’d say Fantasy Fiction is enjoying a “renaissance,” but it never went away, and has garnered massive mainstream interest since a certain boy wizard’s first day at Hogwart’s, or even since Bilbo left the Shire. That said, today’s fantasy readers can choose from an unprecedented diversity of subgenres, settings, voices and themes. We recently compiled… Continue reading

  • Black History in Fiction

    Each February, many readers come to the library to check out the latest titles on Black history. Don’t read history books? No worries! Whether you enjoy historical or literary fiction, thrillers or fantasy, romance or mysteries, here are some recent books that immerse us in the lived experiences of Black Americans throughout our history. By… Continue reading

  • Taking a walk on the weird side of Fantastical Seattle

    Taking a walk on the weird side of Fantastical Seattle

    We all know that Seattle is fantastic, but only fantasy readers know just how much so. Seattle not-quite-as-we-know-it has appeared in many fantasy novels. Urban fantasy fans will be familiar with Kat Richardson’s classic Greywalker series, in which psychic sleuth Harper Blaine solves crimes along the natural and supernatural faultline that passes right through our… Continue reading

  • Queering Historical Fiction & Historical Fantasy

    Queer literature is booming right now, with more and better representation of LGBTQIA+ characters every year. Here are some recent historical novels and historical/alternate history fantasy to check out. First, some historical novels with queer protagonists: The Best Bad Things by Katrina Carrasco is one gritty historical debut. It has a pretty fast-paced bent, introducing… Continue reading

  • Historical fantasy – the best of both worlds!

    I appreciate the way genre designations can make books easier to find, but I confess that I love the bleeding edges where books shade from one genre into another; my current bailiwick is historical fantasy. I find that it brings the best elements of historical fiction – a strong sense of time, place, and culture… Continue reading