I've recently discovered the awesomeness of Georgette Heyer books. Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce both cited her as a favorite author. I figured if two of my favorite authors loved her, I should give her a try.

And try I have. Nine books since the beginning of the year. Fortunately, Heyer wrote more than 50, so I should be good for awhile yet.

She wrote from the 1920's to the 1960's and is called the "Queen of Regency Romance." She's often put in the romance section at stores and libraries, but the "romance" in these books is on par with the romance in Jane Austen novels. It's there, but it's only slightly central to the plot.

What it comes down to is that Heyer is a fantastic writer with keen insight to the ridiculousness of people in general. Her plots are never the same--even while the set-up often is--and the twists and turns are both unexpected and delightful.

Some of my favorite so far: Friday's Child, The Quiet Gentleman, The Foundling, Black Sheep, and The Masqueraders. Try one, they are deliciously fun!

The Radiant Road
by Katherine Catmull

Dream Walking, Fairy Makings, and a Dark Prophecy

Returning to her ancestral home, Clare finds that she has forgotten about its strange magic and her childhood friend, Finn--a half-fairy, half-human boy. She finds that she is the defender of the fairy gate that is her home. She struggles to relearn all the magic she has forgotten before the prophecy involving the dark fairy, Balor, is fulfilled.