... and engaging story line. Clive Barker's Abarat trilogy is such a tapestry of imagery. His novel, the Thief of Always is good too. For the Older crowd: They have been mentioned but Jacquiline Carey and Anne Bishop have wonderful, fantastic worlds,though both are very dark. Patricia Briggs Moon Called and Blood Bound both are books which -if judging by the cover- don't look like they should ...