Welcome to my stop on the Crazy Canuck New Year’s Blog Hop.  I hope you have been enjoying this holiday season with family and friends.  This time of year can be filled with plenty of hustle and bustle, so why not take a moment to sit back, put your feet up and enjoy a great book?

Here are a few of my favourite Canadian Fantasy authors:

Michelle Sagara – Chronicles of Elantra series

I love, LOVE this series.  The story follows the adventures of Private Kaylin Neya, a very likeable, less than perfect heroine, and some interesting supporting characters. Sagara has created a fascinating universe populated by six seperate races: the lion-like Leontine, the dragons (in human form), the elf-like Barrani, the Tha’lani mind readers, the angelic Aerians as well as lowly humans like Kaylin herself.  I love how the character of Kaylin, who is young both figuratively and literally in the first book, is allowed to grow with each new experience and obstacle she is forced to overcome.

The first book in the series is Cast in Shadow and I highly recommend you start there.

Kelley Armstrong – Women of the Underworld

Regardless of whether you prefer witches, werewolves, vampires or necromancers the series is sure to please all paranormal fans. There really is something for everyone. Armstrong has created a world that exists in our own, right there in front of us, but hidden. The series is full of strong female characters and of course, the men that are man enough to keep up with them.

While each book in the series is a stand-alone story, there is a lot of overlapping of characters from book to book so I recommend you read this series in order.  The first book is Bitten (now also a TV series on the Space channel)

Guy Gavriel Kay – The Last Light of the Sun, Under Heaven, and many others

Kay is a master of his art – the art of telling magical stories that are interwoven with enough historical fact that you can almost believe his fantastical, altered reality is real. His novels are a labour of love. Each one thoroughly researched and you can tell.  One of my all-time favourites is The Last Light of the Sun, a hauntingly beautiful, intelligent story about the Viking era of Scandanavia and the British Isles.  Another favourite is Under Heaven, a lyrical masterpiece that utterly and effortlessly sweeps you away, blending history and fantasy, immersing you in eighth-century Tang Dynasty China.

Kay has so many great books. I really loved them all.  I have to admit, his high fantasy Fionavar Tapestry trilogy is my least favourite of the bunch. I much prefer his historical fantasies.  Besides the two I mentioned above, I also loved The Lions of Al-Rasan and Sailing to Sarantium (and its sequel, Lord of Emperors).

Honourable Mentions:

Tanya Huff (The Enchantment Emporium) – Urban fantasy actually set in Canada, what a novel idea!

Charles de Lint (Moonheart, and too many others to mention) – A modern master of urban fantasy that combines folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams and urban legend into pure magic

Jes Battis (Night Child) – Urban fantasy with a dash of CSI, set in Vancouver.

Julie Czerneda (A Turn of Light) – Pure fantasy yet a refreshing change from princes and fairies.

Enter to Win the Grand Prize!

Digital copies of a book from each participating author including:
Altering Authority by Ashley Dooley
Dead and Kicking by Lisa Emme
Something in the Air by Marie Landry
Magic Resistant by Veronica DelRosa
The Naughty List by Cori Vidae
Firefly: Ice Born by P.M. Pevato
Thirteen by Shannon Peel
Enemy Within by Marysol James
Questing for a Dream by P.D. Workman
Vice by Rosanna Leo
Lakeshore Secrets by Shannyn Leah
Guarding Midnight by Kacey Hammell
3013:Renegade by Susan Hayes
The Raven Room by Ana Medeiros
Alien Next Door: Complete Series by Jessica E. Subject
Slow Ride Home by Leah Braemel
One Gold Heart by Sadie Haller
Unconditional Devotion by Kayleigh Malcolm
Festive Persuasion by Charlene Roberts
Two $10 gift cards for Chapters-Indigo

Click the link below to visit the Rafflecopter page and enter to win.  Don’t forget to visit the other stops on the hop and get additional entries to the Grand Prize.

CLICK TO WIN!

Visit the other stops on the Blog Hop for more great Crazy Canuck posts and more chances to enter to win!

KEEP HOPPING!

Make sure to stop by and check out the posts of each of our hosts.  Not only will you get to learn more about some Canadian authors, but you’ll have the opportunity at each stop to enter the Grand Prize Giveaway.

Click the button below to see a list of the sites to visit.  Stop at them all!