Bargain Ebooks: The Mirror's Tale and The Brave Apprentice by P. W. Catanese for $2.99 Each

The Mirror's Tale: A Further Tales Adventure (Further Tales Adventures) and The Brave Apprentice: A Further Tales Adventure by P. W. Catanese are on sale for $2.99 each in ebook format. That's half of their usual price of $5.99.

These two books are part of a series by Catanese that retells fairy tales for middle readers aiming at boys as the primary audience, but don't let that stop you from enjoying them if you are not an elementary and middle school aged boy. When these books were first published, there wasn't much out there marketing fairy tales to that age and gender group--there still isn't--so it was a refreshing addition to fairy tale retellings. The series also has fun with some lesser known fairy tales, such as the Brave Little Tailor.

Not all books in the series have been converted to ebooks--these were published just as ebooks were growing in popularity--so buying the books also essentially votes with the publisher to get the other books published in ebook format for future generations of readers, too. The series is still available in paperback.

Book description for The Mirror's Tale: A Further Tales Adventure (Further Tales Adventures):

Everyone has heard the story -- the dwarves, the talking mirror, the evil witch. But this tale doesn't belong to Snow White anymore....

Bert and Will, the twin sons of the baron of Ambercrest, are best friends. They do everything together and can't help it if trouble just seems to...find them. But the baron is fed up and has decided that separation will keep them out of mischief. One twin, he proclaims, will stay in Ambercrest for the summer, while the other will be sent to The Crags -- a foreboding, rocky outpost on the edge of the kingdom.

It is there, hidden in a forbidden black chamber, that one of the boys discovers a bejeweled and mysterious mirror. What is the precious object? And why does it make him feel so...powerful? Soon the twins' kinship is replaced by dark magic and deceit, and a kingdom hangs dangerously in the balance. What becomes of one who is ruled by the forces of evil? And can brotherly love conquer a consuming quest for power?

Book description for The Brave Apprentice: A Further Tales Adventure:

"Seven at one blow!" That's what they say about the Brave Little Tailor -- he killed seven foes with one blow. But no one can prove it's even true. Besides, that took place a long time ago, and the Brave Little Tailor is now an old man. So what happens when an army of angry trolls invades his kingdom?
Meet Patch Ridlin. He's a tailor's simple apprentice in the remote village of Crossfield. He's a hard worker who's never wanted for much, except maybe a little adventure. But when he rescues his friend Osbert from an aging and decrepit troll, Patch finds himself something of a town hero. Word of his bravery quickly spreads throughout the countryside, and Patch is summoned to the king's castle. King Milo needs his help to wage war on a gang of trolls threatening to destroy the kingdom.
Soon Patch finds himself engaged in an all-out battle against the trolls. With only the help of a fool named Simon and a maddening riddle, can Patch figure out the troll's fatal flaw? Or is the kingdom destined to perish?

Bargain Ebook: Waterfire Saga, Book One: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly for $3.99

Waterfire Saga, Book One: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly is on sale for $3.99 for ebook format, for at least the weekend, I believe. It's usually in the $8 range.

Book description:

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe. When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

Bargain Ebook: Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon for $1.99

Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon is on sale in ebook format for $1.99. This is the first time it has been on sale at this price to my knowledge and is usually more in the $9 or more range.

Book description:

Two sheltered princesses, one wounded warrior; who will live happily ever after?

Princess Margrethe has been hidden away while her kingdom is at war. One gloomy, windswept morning as she stands in a convent garden overlooking the icy sea, she witnesses a miracle: a glittering mermaid emerging from the waves, a nearly drowned man in her arms. By the time Margrethe reaches the shore, the mermaid has disappeared into the sea. As Margrethe nurses the handsome stranger back to health, she learns that not only is he a prince, he is also the son of her father's greatest rival. Sure that the mermaid brought this man to her for a reason, Margrethe devises a plan to bring peace to her kingdom.

Meanwhile, the mermaid princess Lenia longs to return to the human man she carried to safety. She is willing to trade her home, her voice, and even her health for legs and the chance to win his heart….

A surprising take on the classic tale, Mermaid is the story of two women with everything to lose. Beautifully written and compulsively readable, it will make you think twice about the fairytale you heard as a child, keeping you in suspense until the very last page.

SurLaLune Update and a Bargain Ebook: Tides by Betsy Cornwell

Tides by Betsy Cornwell is on sale for $.99 in ebook format. This one isn't a fairy tale retelling but explores selkie folklore instead, which is so often catnip for readers here.

Book description:

When high school senior Noah Gallagher and his adopted teenage sister, Lo, go to live with their grandmother in her island cottage for the summer, they don’t expect much in the way of adventure. Noah has landed a marine biology internship, and Lo wants to draw and paint, perhaps even to vanquish her struggles with bulimia. But then things take a dramatic turn for them both when Noah mistakenly tries to save a mysterious girl from drowning. This dreamlike, suspenseful story—deftly told from multiple points of view—dives deeply into selkie folklore while examining the fluid nature of love and family.

And as for that update--like so many of you, I've had a very busy summer which is promising to be followed by a very busy fall. That's a great thing because it also includes my first vacation in four years. SurLaLune has been neglected during the slower summer months this year due to family and work obligations, but I am ramping back up with more posts in the coming weeks for the new school year--not just bargain books and new books!--as much as I love those. So stay tuned and thanks for sticking around. SurLaLune turns 17 this fall and it's not going away any time soon, I'm just trying to find the bandwidth to do all I want with it, including a redesign with mobile capability for the main site. Fingers crossed!

Today Only: Bargain Ebook: Jack and the Giants by Piers Anthony & J.R. Rain for $1.99

Jack and the Giants by Piers Anthony (Author), J.R. Rain (Author) is on sale TODAY ONLY for $1.99 in ebook format.

Book description:

In a unique retelling to the classic fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Piers Anthony and J.R. Rain take you back to the magical land beyond the clouds. Back to the land of the Giants. Back to adventure and sorcery and awe-inspiring wonder.

In the real world, Jack works for a jerk. Luckily, the pretty receptionist makes his days bearable. But when Jack discovers he’s been fired, his simple life crumbles around him; that is, until he comes across the magic beans.

Now with a giant beanstalk growing outside his downtown New York apartment, Jack has a choice to make: follow the beanstalk up or pretend it’s not there. After all, he does seem to be the only one who can see it. Moreover, the beanstalk almost beckons him...

Putting aside his fears, Jack climbs out from his apartment window and onto the beanstalk, where climbs up and up and up...finally emerging through the clouds and into a land of dreams. Literally.

Almost immediately, he’s confronted by a hungry giant...and someone else. Someone he never expected. Someone he had long admired from afar. Now a team, Jack and Harriet seek answers to their dilemma, and find themselves in the middle of an age-old war for the land beyond the clouds. Battling evil kings, gods and giants, Jack is about to discover that he's much more than he ever dreamed...and that he may never return home again. And that’s just fine by him.

After all, the land beyond the clouds isn't that bad. Of course, he just has to survive first...

Today Only: Bargain Ebook: Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Maggie Stiefvater & Jackson Pearce for $2.99

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Maggie Stiefvater & Jackson Pearce is on sale today only for $2.99 in ebook format.

Book description:

From bestselling authors Maggie Stiefvater and Jackson Pearce comes an exciting new series full of magical creatures, whimsical adventures, and quirky illustrations.

Here’s a list of things Pip Bartlett can talk to:

Unicorns
Miniature Silky Griffins
Bitterflunks
Basically, all magical creatures

Here’s a list of things she can’t talk to (at least, not very well):

Parents
Teachers
Basically, all people

Because of a Unicorn Incident at her school (it was an accident!), Pip is spending the summer with her Aunt Emma at the Cloverton Clinic for Magical Creatures. At first, it’s all fun, games, and chatting with Hobgrackles, but when Fuzzles appear and start bursting into flame at the worst possible places, Pip and her new friend Tomas must take action. Because if the mystery of the Fuzzles isn’t solved soon, both magical and unmagical creatures are going to be in a lot of trouble.

Bargain Ebook: Swan Sister: Fairy Tales Retold edited by Datlow and Windling for $2.99

Swan Sister: Fairy Tales Retold by Ellen Datlow (Editor), Terri Windling (Editor) is on sale for $2.99 in ebook format, the lowest price it has reached to my knowledge. It's usually in the $7.99 price range.

It's a great book--I own it in hardcover and ebook and it has some lovely stories by some favorite authors. But I will admit, it has a special place in my heart for an additional reason:

Book description:

Just as fairy-tale magic can transform a loved one into a swan, the contributors to this book have transformed traditional fairy tales and legends into stories that are completely original, yet still tantalizingly familiar

In the follow-up to A Wolf at the Door, thirteen renowned authors come together with a selection of new and surprising adaptations of the fairy tales we think we know so well. These fresh takes on classic tales will show you sides of each story you never dreamed of.

Bargain Ebook: Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire for $1.99

Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire is on sale for $1.99 in ebook format. This may be the first time the book has been priced that low because I didn't previously own it in ebook format--at that price I now do.

Book description:

Is this new land a place where magics really happen?

From Gregory Maguire, the acclaimed author of Wicked, comes his much-anticipated second novel, a brilliant and provocative retelling of the timeless Cinderella tale.

In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings.... When we grow up, we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats....

We all have heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty . . . and what curses accompanied Cinderella's exquisite looks?

Extreme beauty is an affliction

Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister.

Clara was the prettiest child, but was her life the prettiest tale?

While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, burning all memories of her past, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household--and the treacherous truth of her former life.

God and Satan snarling at each other like dogs.... Imps and fairy godmotbers trying to undo each other's work. How we try to pin the world between opposite extremes!

Far more than a mere fairy-tale, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel of beauty and betrayal, illusion and understanding, reminding us that deception can be unearthed--and love unveiled--in the most unexpected of places.

New Book: From a High Tower (Elemental Masters) by Mercedes Lackey with Full Series List

From a High Tower (Elemental Masters) by Mercedes Lackey was released in June and I just realized I never posted about it!

Book description:

From a High Tower is newest adventure in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series, featuring a retelling of Rapunzel’s not-so-happily-ever-after ending.

How's that for an in-depth description? In other words, surprisingly enough, there hasn't been a Rapunzel retelling in this series yet. Now there is. And reading the reader reviews, this isn't where to begin the series if you are interested. I am behind on these, but enjoyed some of the earlier ones well enough. According to most lists, this is book 11 in the series, but that is always crazy because this series changed publishers so there are more than that I think. It would technically be book 13 I believe. Here is my list. The Fire Rose is my favorite since it is a Beauty and the Beast tale. And behind that would be The Serpent's Shadow--those are the two books that come to mind rather vividly when I think of the series. And two of the books are anthologies, but that still counts for me!

Elemental Masters Series by Mercedes Lackey:

1. The Fire Rose (1995)

2. The Serpent's Shadow (Elemental Masters, Book 1) (2001)

3. The Gates of Sleep (Elemental Masters, Book 2) (2002)

4. Phoenix and Ashes (Elemental Masters, Book 3) (2004)

5. The Wizard of London (Elemental Masters, Book 4) (2005)

6. Reserved for the Cat (Elemental Masters, Book 5) (2007)

7. Unnatural Issue: An Elemental Masters Novel (Elemental Masters, Book 6) (2011)

8. Home From the Sea: An Elemental Masters Novel (2012)

9. Elemental Magic: All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters (Daw Book Collectors) (2012)

10. Steadfast: (Elemental Masters #8) (2013)

11. Elementary (All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters) (2013)

12. Blood Red: (Elemental Masters #9) (2014)

13. From a High Tower (Elemental Masters) (2015)