Here are some of the new and forthcoming fantasy books that looked interesting or noteworthy at BEA:
- Endymion Spring has all the makings of a successful book: a story that looks intriguing and unique, and a marketing campaign designed to pique curiosity. At BEA, Random House gave out a pamphlet, locked with the book’s signature entwined snakes, and containing a golden key with a ribbon reading, “Unlock the Secret.” A web site, www.whoisendymionspring.com will gradually reveal more information about the books; currently all sections but the first one are locked. The story does look interesting: a tale of fantasy, mystery and magic that ties in to the invention of movable type printing. Endymion Spring will be available August 22. Keep your eyes on this one!
- Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson made a splash last year with their Peter Pan prequel, Peter and the Starcatchers. This year, they introduce Peter and the Shadow Thieves, a sequel to the prequel. They have also begun a new series for slightly younger readers which ties in to the Peter Pan stories. The first book, Escape from the Carnivale, will be published in October.
- The Looking Glass Wars is an alternate version of Alice in Wonderland. Alyss Heart, deposed heir to the Wonderland throne, trusted Lewis Carroll to tell the truth but he got it wrong.
- The Snow Spider is the first book in The Magician Trilogy, by Jenny Nimmo, author of the Children of the Red King (Charlie Bone) series. The Snow Spider was first published in 1986 and has been out of print for five years. It’s shorter than the Charlie Bone books and looks appropriate for a slightly younger (ages 8—12) audience.
- The Floating Island (The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme), by Elizabeth Haydon and due out in August, looks to be a fantasy adventure structured around the supposed fragments of a lost journal. The book includes illustrations by Brett Helquist, who is most well-known as the illustrator of the Series of Unfortunate Events.