Fast Five Fiction: New Installments in Popular Series

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. With the new year fast approaching, this week I'm sharing five of the latest installments of some popular series. 

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Never After: The Missing Sword by Melissa De la Cruz

Return to the land of Never After, where real life and fairy tales collide, in book four of #1 New York Times-bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz's hit middle grade fantasy saga perfect for fans of The Land of Stories series.

To save her mother from Olga's evil clutches, Filomena and her friends will set off for new lands and new adventures. Without a moment to lose, Filomena must travel to the legendary land of Camelot to find the sword of Excalibur - the only thing that can save Fil's mother from Olga's mysterious illness.

But Camelot is not all that it seems. Fil and the crew quickly realize that there is another fairy tale that has taken hold in the land of Arthurian Legend. . . that of the Wizard of Oz! With the help (and hindrance) of the Wicked Witches of the East and West, lions and tigers and bears will surely be the least of Fil and the crew's troubles.

As the League of Seven follows the yellow brick road to retrieve the enchanted sword and complete their most important quest yet, they find nothing will thwart the ogres and their mission to destroy Never After. In a land where nothing is truly as it seems, will Fil and the League of the Seven survive the witch's tests? Or will Olga's perilous plans rip Fil's mother away from her forever?

Spongebob Squarepants Mysteries: Ooze in the Ocean by David Lewman

SpongeBob SquarePants is back with a new mysterious case to solve in the second book of this exciting middle-grade series! When a glowing green trail appears outside of the Shady Shoals Rest Home, retired superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy ask SpongeBob and Patrick to take on the case and figure out what the trail is. Unfortunately for the two detectives, they are lead through ship graveyards, underground tunnels, and ultimately in the nest of some of the most dangerous villains Bikini Bottom has ever been faced with!

Thieves of Shadow: Champions of the Fox by Kevin Sands

In this conclusion to the thrilling Thieves of Shadow series, bestselling author Kevin Sands delivers a jaw-dropping heist that sees five young thieves masterminding a prison break from the empire's most impenetrable island fortress. Fans of The False Prince and Ocean's Eleven will be mesmerized by this page-turning series filled with twists and turns.

"Follow my instructions, and when our task is done, I will release you."

Commanded by the magical artifact known as the Dragon's Eye, junior con artist Callan and his friends are eagerly reaching the end of the epic quest that will finally free him from the Eye's sinister hold. But their final task is their most ambitious: sneaking into the emperor's private island prison and rescuing a man from a jail cell that has been locked tight for a hundred years. This impossible heist will strain the gang's unique abilities to thieve and deceive everyone from the guards, the city elite, the warden, and even the nefarious local crime boss who warns them to stay away.

As the friends plan out their last and most difficult con job, Callan begins to question what they're helping the Eye to achieve. Aided by magical hints and fitful dreams, Callan slowly uncovers the Eye's true desires. To his horror, he realizes that he may be the one being conned all this time . . . and his mistake could cost the world's entire existence.

The Nighthouse Keeper: A Blight Harbor Novel by Lora Senf

Evie once again leaves her world behind to rescue Blight Harbor's ghosts in this second book in the bone-chilling middle grade Blight Harbor trilogy that's reminiscent of Doll Bones and Small Spaces.

Evie Von Rathe has been home for only a few weeks from her adventure in the strange world of seven houses when Blight Harbor's beloved ghosts begin to disappear. Did they leave without saying goodbye, or has something gone horribly wrong? Soon Evie is invited to a mysterious council meeting, where she learns about the Dark Sun Side and a terrible secret.

Yes, the ghosts have gone missing. And that means serious trouble.

With the help of an eleven-year-old (or 111-year-old, but who's counting) ghost named Lark, trusty Bird, and a plump ghost spider, Evie must find a way to defeat the vicious Nighthouse Keeper responsible for the missing ghosts, save her otherworldly friends, and find her way home from the Dark Sun Side before she's trapped there forever.

The Memory Thieves by Dhonielle Clayton

The fantasy adventure sequel to the instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller, The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton! Return for Year Two at the global magic school in the sky in The Memory Thieves.

"The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world." --Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling-author

Eager to wield their stapiers for Marvel Combat, Ella, Brigit, and Jason are back for their second year at the Arcanum Training Institute. With Ella's celebrity growing throughout the Marvellian world after thwarting the Ace of Anarchy's diabolical plans, it's proving hard for her to focus on her coursework. But back home in New Orleans the Conjure community isn't too happy about her return to the skies for another year learning to become a Marveller. As if life wasn't complicated enough, Ella soon discovers more dangerous secrets about the Conjure architect who built the school.

Before she can dig deeper, a mysterious magical illness sweeps through the Institute, and Ella lands at the top of the suspect list. Can Ella and her friends save themselves and the Marvellian world before chaos breaks loose?

Happy Friday and happy reading!