Colleen Cahill

The city of Ansul was once known as a place of learning, with its schools, libraries and temples to many gods, but that was before the Ald came out of the desert and conquered the city, destroying anything and anyone connected to books. Seventeen-year-old Memer despises the Ald, but she must be careful because the last cache of books is stashed in her house, hidden in a secret room only a few can enter.

The situation seems calm but hopeless until Orrec and his wife Gry arrive, along with their pet lion, to stay with Memer's family. Orrec has been invited to recite poetry a much revered talent before the court of the Gand, leader of the Ald. The son and priests of the Gand quickly demonstrate their dislike of anything not centered around their religion and their goal of destroying anything not of Ald. In contrast, the rebel forces in Ansul want Orrec to be their voice, to arouse the people to overthrow their oppressors and take back their city. Memer longs to join the rebels, but realizes this would put Orrec and Gry in danger and also could compromise the hidden books. As tensions rise in the city, Memer learns that something more than books lies hidden in the secret room, and that through her family, she is tied to this mysterious power.

In Voices, acclaimed science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin returns to the universe she created in the award-winning Gifts (2004), allowing teen readers to see Orrec and Gry 20 years later and also to explore another part of their world. In a fascinating novel that focuses on a clash between two cultures, readers will be absorbed as one young woman learns that life is rarely black and white, and that your enemy can become your friend.

Colleen R. Cahill works at the Library of Congress where she is recommending officer of science fiction and fantasy.

Leaving home can be both exciting and scary, with new places, new people and maybe a bit of adventure. In Patricia Elliott’s teen novel, Murkmere, 15-year-old Aggie is understandably thrilled when she gets a chance to leave her dull life in the village to be a paid companion to the ward and heir of the local lord. Even warnings from her friend Jethro cannot put Aggie off and things seem to go well at Murkmere, at least at first. The steward of the manor, Silas Seed, is warmly welcoming and the Master of the manor, who is wheelchair-bound, has clearly chosen Aggie for this position, partly because of her age and partly because her late mother was once a maid at Murkmere. Leah, the Master’s ward, is not happy with her new companion and views Aggie with suspicion and anger. Leah is not Aggie’s only problem. A believer in the divine power of birds, Aggie is aghast to learn that Leah and the Master both disdain this official religion of the state. Silas asks Aggie to report back any odd behavior by Leah and while Aggie worries about her mistress being in moral danger, she is uncomfortable with spying. Even after Leah opens up a bit, Aggie still feels lonely and longs for home. All this changes after Leah finds a swan skin, one that has a strange pull over the young heiress.

Elliott’s fantasy echoes the fairy tales in which enchanted princesses becomes swans, but her story has a dark side, with deep secrets and evil schemes. The intriguing characters, twisting plot and atmospheric settings make this a fascinating page-turner that will beguile as well as thrill. It is a perfect book for those who like a gothic edge to their stories. Colleen R. Cahill is Recommending Officer of Science Fiction and Fantasy at the Library of Congress.

In Stephen Baxter’s The Web: GulliverZone we are shown what teenagers might do for entertainment in the near future. Sarah is delighted to be spending World Peace Day by spinning into the Web and visiting the hot new theme park GulliverZone, which is based on Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. She is not amused that her little brother and the most unpopular girl in school are tagging along, but sometimes older sisters have to pay a price and this one is not too high for the latest Web entertainment spot. Sarah and her companions had hoped for cool rides but instead stumble into a dark plot, one that could lead them to become slaves of an evil force that is trying to take over the entire Web. Only three kids stand between chaos and saving the whole computer network. This exciting book is especially good for those interested in computers and virtual reality.

Colleen Cahill is Recommending Officer of Science Fiction and Fantasy at the Library of Congress.

Sorcery is usually seen as a great power, but in Justine Larbalestier’s Magic or Madness magic can be a dark curse. Reason Cansino has had an unusual childhood, as her mother Sarafina keeps the family traveling through Australia, trying to outrun Esmeralda, an evil witch and Reason’s grandmother. After Sarafina tries to kill herself, Reason finds she is now in the custody of her grandmother. If she had any doubts about Esmeralda working spells, one trip to the basement cures her uncertainty and sends the girl on a search for answers about her family background. Magic runs throughout her family tree, and Reason seems to have a choice of using the evil power or going mad. With the help of her neighbor Tom, Reason tries to escape her grandmother’s grasp and goes through a door that sends her to New York. Some hard lessons are learned as Reason searches for a way to make her life more than a choice between two unhappy paths.

Colleen Cahill is Recommending Officer of Science Fiction and Fantasy at the Library of Congress.

Moving to a new town and a new school can be a frightening thing. For Imogene, who has decided to leave her troubled ways behind, it is an opportunity to find a real friend. Looking for someone who is not part of a clique, she connects with Maxine, a loner who dresses in knee-length skirts and gets good grades. This could be a case of opposites attracting, since Imogene sports a few tattoos and doesn’t worry much about her grades. But both girls are smart, good-natured and have suffered from the hands of bullies, so as they learn from each other, their friendship blossoms.

Imogene does make a break with her past of gangs and other problems until she finds a new worry in the form of Adrian. It is not that he is a bully: he is a ghost. This would not be a big issue if he did not have a crush on her. His attention draws the notice of other supernatural beings, and Imogene begins to have strange dreams about her imaginary childhood friend, Pelly, and a band of weird creatures. These turn out to be fairies who are drawing an even darker force toward Imogene, one that threatens her very soul.

This urban fantasy, set in writer Charles de Lint’s fictional town of Newford, is full of ingenuity and wonder. De Lint, who describes his work as “mythic fiction,” is a master at creating believable characters and placing them in strange and fascinating situations. Whether or not you ever changed schools or were one of the “weird” kids, there is something for you in this absorbing novel. Colleen Cahill works at the Library of Congress, where one of her duties is Recommending Officer of Science Fiction and Fantasy.