Shop prequel books, films, & more
In the spirit of last week’s blog post by Claire about co-authored books, we’ve decided to team up and do a co-authored blog, about… prequels! Prequels are going to be the talk of the town right now, with the upcoming Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins on the horizon.
Just like so many of the people in our lives, books introduce us to characters and stories at a specific moment in time, and we move forward from there. Sometimes, authors give us a glimpse of what made them who they are, what events shaped them and the times that they are currently living in, but most of the time, they look forward, not back. But sometimes, like with the people who we meet, we want to spend more time in the backstory, finding out more and filling in more pieces of their puzzles. For this, authors have given us prequels.
OverDrive’s Digital Content Librarians have put together some great resources on prequels, and we’re going to highlight a few of our favorites below!
Books you should know about
Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo and Dani Pendergast
From Shelia: The Darkling is everyone’s favorite Grisha (that would be a witch for the uninitiated). Because readers of the Shadow and Bone trilogy can’t get enough of him, Leigh Bardugo, along with illustrator Dani Pendergast, craft a magnificent origin story for this magnificent hero/villain. This full color graphic novel shows a young “Eryk” traveling with his mother, the two never able to settle down, as the Grisha are persecuted wherever they go. They find another group of Grisha to stay with for the winter, and Eryk begins to relax and make friends with one of the girls in camp. But life with powerful magic is never easy, and if you’re going to go dark in your adult life, there’s probably something pretty awful in your past, as the future Darkling and mother find out.
Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
From Meghan: If you found the world of Legends & Lattes to be beyond charming (as I did), you’re going to love going back and discovering this wasn’t the first time that Viv was battle-weary ex-soldier trying to escape her warring ways. This low-stakes cozy fantasy will charm even the hardest of hearts, and let us see deeper into Viv’s past in the town of Murk, where she finds solace in a local bookstore and friendship and perhaps more with the owner, Fern. But when the necromancer who she was hunting when she stumbled into Murk reappears, will the peace she seeks be abruptly ended? As this is a cozy, you need not worry too hard!
The River Judge by S. L. Huang
From Shelia: In The Water Outlaws, a gender bent, queer reimagining of the Chinese classic Water Margin, the heroine, Lin Chong is an arms instructor for the Imperial Guard who winds up spending more time with outlaws than she had planned. In the prequel novella, The River Judge, we see some of these outlaws years earlier, focusing on nine-year-old Li Li. Her parents operate an inn, and one day she finds a dead man in the storeroom, at which point, young Li Li learns some important life lessons.
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
From Meghan: This stand-alone prequel takes us not into the lives of Mateo and Rufus, rather we go back to the beginning of what brough them together, Death-Cast. Orion has always feared death, and being born with a heart condition, he always knew that his would be soon. Valentino should have nothing to fear, but when his twin sister almost dies in an accident, he suddenly finds that the end is on his mind. When they both hear of this new company that claims to be able to accurately tell you your last day, they both sign up. When they meet in Times Square on the first day of Death-Cast, they share an instant connection. But when only one of them gets the call that this is the last day, how will they handle their budding attraction? Read with tissues!
Tooth and Claw by Craig Johnson
From Shelia: Walt Longmire and his good friend, Henry Standing Bear, have been through a lot of adventures during Walt’s career as the sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. But before Walt was the sheriff, the two also served in Vietnam and then shared quite the adventure in Alaska on their return. Tooth and Claw is the story of their time together in America’s frozen north, working for an oil company. The workers are terrorized by a particularly vicious polar bear, but it turns out that the real danger to Walt and Henry might not come from nature, rather from the others they work with.
Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
From Meghan: We always knew that Pip had a thing for solving murders, ever since the smash sensation A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, but how did she get to be so savvy? Let’s go back and check in on the girl who would solve crimes, only this time, they’re fictional, or so that’s was the plan… Pip’s been invited to a 1920s-themed murder mystery party, and while she’s not excited to attend at first, she soon finds herself engrossed in the fun. As the twists and turns lead to the true identity of a fictional character, Pip finds herself enjoying being detective enough to think about pursuing a real murderer that’s been on her mind.
Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger, illustrated by Rovina Cai
From Shelia: A devastating flood displaced Shane and her family years ago, as it also took many members of her family, including her father. Still, Shane and her mother continue on, along with their ghost dog, helping to find people who go missing. But then the day comes when Shane’s mother is the one who goes missing, leaving Shane alone with a single grandparent to help track down her mother. The bigger problem, though, is what if Shane’s mother is no longer in this world or time? Fans of the critical darling Elatsoe will love this look at the grandmother of that book’s heroine.
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
From Meghan: Anyone who has watched/read Practical Magic as many times as I have knows that the best part of the story is the quirky aunts who help and hinder at equal measures. In this book, they are young witches, going from 1960s Manhattan, to Massachusetts to discover who they are and hone their skills, back to NYC, this time in Greenwich Village, all with their brother in tow. You’ll get a glimpse deeper into the Owens family, and learn more about the curse that follows all of them and their loves. This witchy-read is perfect for fans of the series who want to get more of the backstory of the family, with a fabulous dose of 1960s New York.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin, illustrated by Gary Gianni
From Shelia: The world of Westeros is seemingly endless, and HBO is taking full advantage! Set several generations before the A Song of Ice and Fire series, the Dunk and Egg stories have been favorites of Martin fans for a decade, and later this year their adventure will air on HBO. Reading these stories of a hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg (who might actually be a Targaryen) are a must for serious fans, and a fun entry for folks who might still be on the fence about this universe. Three novellas are included in this collection, the ebook containing 160 illustrations. But audio listeners are also in for a treat, as it is read by the wonderful Harry Lloyd (aka Viserys Targaryen from Season 1 of Game of Thrones).
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
From Meghan: In this powerful book, Angie Thomas takes us back 17 years before the story of The Hate You Give, to learn about Starr’s father, Maverick. 17-year-old Mav and his best friend, King, are both low-level members of the local gang, King Lords. Everything is going Mav’s way, that is until he discovers that he is the father of a baby with King’s on-and-off-again girlfriend. When she leaves the baby with Mav to take care of, he is forced to reevaluate his life and begin to realize that the choices he makes from now on will affect not just him, but his family. Described as a “love letter to a close Black family and community,” this book will make you think and feel (and also make you crave some 90s Hip Hop).
If you’re interested in exploring more titles that center around Prequels (or The Hunger Games), you can explore our full Readers’ Advisory Lists.
Hot Off the Press
Stay up to date on all the TV and movie news, including those hot prequels, with one of the entertainment business’s top magazines, The Hollywood Reporter.
Get THR and more when you add OverDrive Magazines to your digital collection. Visit the Simultaneous Use section of Marketplace to get started.
Learn more about OverDrive Magazines here.
Must-Watch Films
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, 2005
From the Studio: Years before Father Lankester Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil’s soul, he first encounters the demon Pazuzu in East Africa. Merrin’s initial battle with Pazuzu leads to the rediscovery of his faith.
Agatha Christie’s Family Murder Party, 2006
From the Studio: Based on the novel “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” by Agatha Christie. Superintendent Larosiere and Inspector Lampion appear in this four-part prequel to The Little Murders of Agatha Christie.
Seoul Station, 2014
From the studio: The animated prequel to the box office record-breaker Train to Busan, and the latest from director Yeon Sang-ho, SEOUL STATION follows a man sleeping in a train station who becomes a catalyst for the pandemonium in downtown Seoul: a zombie apocalypse. The rapidly-spreading infection propels an authentic family drama, drawing mordant parallels to real-world social horrors.
A little Extra something
Support your community by diversifying your Libby offerings with Libby Extras. This week, we’re highlighting iNDIEFLIX.
iNDIEFLIX is a streaming movie service that offers access to pop culture favorites, box office hits, award-winning feature films, documentaries, and shorts. Some of those great films just might be more prequels!
Test run Libby Extras to see how each service can entertain and educate your patrons.
Thank you for joining us on this week’s round up of Prequels! Reach out to your Digital Content Librarian or Account Manager for more information on how to provide the best content for your community. Rest assured the odds are in your favor!
About the author: Shelia did everything from answering questions at the Reference Desk to tech training to running a classic lit book club in her 17 years in public libraries. Now she helps other public libraries make the most of their OverDrive collections. In her spare time, she’s either writing or reading, usually with an opera playing in the background. If you ever run into her, ask Shelia about #WITMonth.
About the author: Meghan is an OverDrive Collection Development Librarian and former academic librarian. Her English degree set her up perfectly for grad school, where she received her MLIS and has been immersed in the world of books ever since. You can find her reading with her cat, traveling with her friends and family, or having dance parties with her daughter. HEAs are life.
