Christopher’s Book Recommendations: The Carpet Makers, Fablehaven, The Android’s Dream, Krampus

The Carpet Makers – Andreas Eschbach

Synopsis:

Since the time of pre-history, carpetmakers tie intricate knots to form carpets for the court of the Emperor. These carpets are made from the hairs of wives and daughters.

But one day the empire of the God Emperor vanishes, and strangers begin to arrive from the stars to follow the trace of the hair carpets. What these strangers discover is beyond all belief, more than anything they could have ever imagined…

“Andreas Eschbach has created one of the most unique, superbly-constructed sci-fi worlds in the The Carpet Makers. Eschbach is a master storyteller.”

~ Christopher Paolini

Fablehaven – Brandon Mull

Synopsis:

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among the greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. But when the rules get broken, powerful forces are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and maybe even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most…

“The Fablehaven books are so entertaining that I read the first three in a single sitting! They kept me turning the pages until 4:40 in the morning. Each book was better than the last! Brandon Mull is a talented new fantasy writer, and I can’t wait to read more from him. The world he has created is deep, intriguing, magical, and full of surprising discoveries and unexpected dangers. I especially liked his two main characters, Kendra and Seth. They both act like real people, and unlike many fictional siblings, they help and support each other when they’re in trouble. The Fablehaven series is one of the most enjoyable fantasies I’ve read in the past few years. I only wish I could have read it when I was ten or twelve.”

~ Christopher Paolini

Krampus – Brom

The author and artist of The Child Thief returns with a modern fabulist tale of Krampus, the Lord of Yule and mortal enemy of Santa Claus.

One Christmas Eve in a small hollow in Boone County, West Virginia, struggling songwriter Jesse Walker witnesses a strange spectacle: seven devilish figures chasing a man in a red suit toward a sleigh and eight reindeer. When the reindeer leap skyward taking the sleigh, devil men, and Santa into the clouds, screams follow.

*Editors’ notes: Krampus: the Yule Lord may not be appropriate for children. The artist also contributed a stunning piece of original artwork to the 10th anniversary collector’s edition of Eragon.

“Brom is that rare breed: a person who is skilled in more than one area of artistic expression. Here’s hoping that he will continue to share his dark and often beautiful dreams with us for many years to come.”

~ Christopher Paolini

The Android’s Dream – John Scalzi

A human diplomat creates an interstellar incident when he kills an alien diplomat in a most…unusual…way. To avoid war, Earth’s government must find an equally unusual object: A type of sheep (“The Android’s Dream”), used in the alien race’s coronation ceremony.

To find the sheep, the government turns to Harry Creek, ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinaire, who with the help of Brian Javna, a childhood friend turned artificial intelligence, scours the earth looking for the rare creature. And they find it, in the unknowing form of Robin Baker, pet store owner, whose genes contain traces of the sheep DNA.

To keep our planet from being enslaved, Harry will have to pull off the greatest diplomatic coup in history, a grand gambit that will take him from the halls of power to the lava-strewn battlefields of alien worlds. There’s only one chance to get it right, to save the life of Robin Baker — and to protect the future of humanity.

“The Android’s Dream is about a sheep cult that’s out to change the world. Just read the book; it’s wickedly funny. You will never look at sheep the same way again!”

~ Christopher Paolini