Myths & Legends Books

Book SynopsisSoon to be a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE produced by M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN and starring DAKOTA FANNING. You can't see them. But they can see you. This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time. Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers, and why are they keeping the humans imprisoned, keen to watch their every move? A spine-chilling debut horror adventure set in the remote and sinister forests of Ireland, from critically acclaimed Irish writer A.M. Shine. 'A dark, claustrophobic read' T. Kingfisher, author of Paladin's Grace 'Readers get an intimate glimpse into the fraying edges of each character's psyches, the constant hunger, the paranoia, the loss of hope, and far worse... The Watchers will appeal to fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, Josh Malerman, and Scott Smith' A.E. Siraki, BooklistTrade ReviewA dark, claustrophobic read -- T. KingfisherReaders get an intimate glimpse into the fraying edges of each character's psyches, the constant hunger, the paranoia, the loss of hope, and far worse... A combination of supernatural and psychological horror, The Watchers will appeal to fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, Josh Malerman, and Scott Smith -- A.E. Siraki, BooklistThis book has such atmosphere, and creepiness, and is an ideal read for the Halloween season, or any time you want some spookiness in your life! * Beauty and Lace *Intense and thrilling, The Watchers is a great debut and solid addition to the survival horror sub-genre * Read By Dusk *A brisk, at times scary but thoroughly enjoyable read * Bloody Flicks *A clever, highly original story beautifully written * The Untidy Bookshelf *The Watchers was a punch to the jugular... The author pulled out the rug from under me on more than one occasion. A must-read for the spooky season! * The Coy Caterpillar Reads *

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Book Synopsis'A masterly achievement, a work of imaginative grandeur and complete artistic control' Ian McEwan'Brilliant and unputdownable' Salman RushdieHe's a trickster, a player, a jester. His handshake's like a pact with the devil, his smile like a crack in the clouds; he's watching you now and he's gone when you turn. Tyll Ulenspiegel is here!In a village like every other village in Germany, a scrawny boy balances on a rope between two trees. He's practising. He practises by the mill, by the blacksmiths; he practises in the forest at night, where the Cold Woman whispers and goblins roam. When he comes out, he will never be the same.Tyll will escape the ordinary villages. In the mines he will defy death. On the battlefield he will run faster than cannonballs. In the courts he will trick the heads of state. As a travelling entertainer, his journey will take him across the land and into the heart of a never-ending war.A prince's doomed acceptance of the Bohemian throne has European armies lurching brutally for dominion and now the Winter King casts a sunless pall. Between the quests of fat counts, witch-hunters and scheming queens, Tyll dances his mocking fugue; exposing the folly of kings and the wisdom of fools.With macabre humour and moving humanity, Daniel Kehlmann lifts this legend from medieval German folklore and enters him on the stage of the Thirty Years' War. When citizens become the playthings of politics and puppetry, Tyll, in his demonic grace and his thirst for freedom, is the very spirit of rebellion - a cork in water, a laugh in the dark, a hero for all time.Trade ReviewThis is a brilliant and unputdownable novel. Kehlmann is the true inheritor of the German fabulist tradition that stretches back to the Brothers Grimm and even further, and in the legendary prankster figure of Tyll Ulenspiegel he has found his perfect avatar * Salman Rushdie *The best novel Kehlmann has ever written . . . Deeply affecting, lively, brutal, wonderfully unreserved, modern, romantic German epic . . . Tyll is Kehlmann's victory over history, his historic triumph * Der Spiegel *A masterpiece . . . the most extraordinary European novel for many years . . . a brilliant book of stories, of great drama, cinematic and poetic . . . Kehlmann is at the height of his powers * Neue Zürcher Zeitung *Kehlmann's best novel so far . . . amidst the destruction, in the places where nothing reflects the former inhabitants anymore, it is the dead who show themselves . . . we owe it to this novel that we can see the dead more clearly, so clearly that it hurts * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *Kehlmann's storytelling is astonishing * Die Welt *Possibly Kehlmann's best novel since Measuring the World * Süddeutsche Zeitung *A delight * Die Zeit *Tyll proves that Kehlmann is literature's jack-of-all trades. He manages to combine meticulous historical research and virtuoso language mimicry with a frightening exploration of our current sense of dystopia. An incredible educational experience and improbably entertaining. -- Michael HanekeKehlmann's imagination runs deep and wild. It travels with the currents of history, in its cycles of brutality and violence, it reaches into our own solitude and silence, summoning us, it soars far and high, and echoes with the power of myth. -- Valeria LuiselliA beautiful, engrossing and fascinatingly structured novel. Lucid, limpid, savage. Tyll quietly intrudes on our present crisis of European identity. Have four centuries made us any wiser? This novel is a masterly achievement, a work of imaginative grandeur and complete artistic control * Ian McEwan *Daniel Kehlmann's Tyll is a laugh-outloud-then-weep-into-your-beer comic novel about a war... Kehlmann is at the top of his game * The Times *The narrative moves from myth to historical novel to ballad and back. and Ross Benjamin's translation follows it faithfully * The Spectator *A romp through the thirty years' war... This energetic historical fiction, featuring a folkloric jester in a violent, superstitious Europe, is the work of an immense talent * Guardian *Tyll is an absorbing and, for a novel about a prankster, remarkably sincere novel * Literary Review *Like a magician, Kehlmann conjures comedy, farce and badinage, even in a blighted time of war * Financial Times *Vivid . . . Kehlmann, a confident magician himself, plays his bright pages like cards. But he has a deeper purpose, which is revealed only gradually, as the grand climacteric of his chosen war steadily justifies its presence in the novel . . . Kehlmann is a gifted and sensitive storyteller . . . Despite the grimness of the surroundings and the lancing interventions of history, the novel's tone remains light, sprightly, enterprising. Kehlmann has an unusual combination of talents and ambitions-he is a playful realist, a rationalist drawn to magical games and tricky performances, a modern who likes to look backward * New Yorker *Profoundly enchanting but never sentimental, Tyll is a magnificent story . . . Kehlmann is a master of economical, devastating description . . . Chilling . . . In this exquisitely crafted novel, Kehlmann moves just as nimbly through the grimmest of human experiences. The result is a spellbinding memorial to the nameless souls lost in Europe's vicious past, whose whispers are best heard in fables. * The New York Times Book Review *Prodigiously imaginative . . . [A] brilliant, blackly sardonic retelling . . . In Mr. Kehlmann's unforgettable joker we have a picture of humankind in all of its madness and strutting pride * The Wall Street Journal *a dazzling, picaresque romp * The Observer *It's typical Kehlmann, a delicious cocktail of philosophy, adventure and earthy humour * Sunday Express *A skilfully written tale that is darkly entertaining and inventive * Sunday Times (Summer Reads) *'[D]arkly funny' Guardian best books of 2020

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Book Synopsis 'Jennifer Makumbi is a genius storyteller.' Reni Eddo-Lodge An intoxicating mix of Ugandan folklore and modern feminism, from a multi-award-winning author As Kirabo enters her teens, questions begin to gnaw at her – questions which the adults in her life will do anything to ignore. Where is the mother she has never known? And why would she choose to leave her daughter behind? Inquisitive, headstrong, and unwilling to take no for an answer, Kirabo sets out to find the truth for herself. Her search will take her away from the safety of her prosperous Ugandan family, plunging her into a very different world of magic, tradition, and the haunting legend of 'The First Woman'. 'In Jennifer Makumbi, we have a giant of literature living among us.' Peter Kalu, Jhalak Prize Judge A SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY MAIL, BBC CULTURE & IRISH INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR Trade Review'The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is the feminist coming-of-age story we've been waiting for. With the timeless quality of a story shared from lips to ears, this novel is a page-turner and a mind-blower.' Tayari Jones, author or An American Marriage‘Ugandan literature can boast of an international superstar in Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi.’ Economist'The genius of this novel is in its subtlety: home truths about the treatment of women throughout history are hidden like gems within the utterly engaging tale of a single girl... So, I’m calling it now: The First Woman will soon be considered a coming-of-age classic. And rightly so.' Stylist'Makumbi balances heartbreak with humour… The novel is also a discourse on power (whether political, social or sexual), but executed with a beautifully light touch.' Daily Telegraph'A beautiful coming-of-age story...steeped in folklore and feminism, rebellion and longing.' Evening Standard'Fantastic... Packed with passion and drama — and in possession of sharp political elbows — The First Woman finally becomes a moving and resonant celebration of sisterhood.' Daily Mail'A novel bursting with resilience and warmth... Mixing the mythic and the modern, happily ignoring formal neatness to encompass Uganda's miscellaneousness, it's an enthralling achievement.' The Sunday Times'At turns rapturous and devastating... Makumbi's writing uplifts and inspires, evoking the grand tradition of folklore and stories passed down, one woman to the next.' Refinery29'Superb. An intoxicating tale that combines mythic and modern elements to make the headiest of feminist brews.' Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch 'A powerful coming-of-age tale… Kirabo is a fantastic character – headstrong and curious – and the way Ugandan myths are woven through the story is mesmerising.' Good Housekeeping'Kirabo's odyssey makes for a riveting, exuberant novel, a coming-of-age like no other.' O, The Oprah Magazine, 'Best Books of 2020''Joyful and intimate... Makumbi revels in the female perspective of this unusual, richly detailed coming-of-age story.' Times Literary Supplement'Captivating, wise, humorous and tender: Makumbi has come back stronger than ever... A riveting read.' Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King'A lively, engaging read... Its energy derives from its considerable wit and the charm of its central character.' Guardian'The First Woman is a wonder... Clear, vivid, moving, powerful, and captivatingly unpredictable... With wry wisdom, great humour, and deep complexity, Makumbi has created a feminist coming-of-age classic for the ages.' Namwali Serpell, author of The Old Drift'Bursting with resilient humour, the novel is as engaging as it is informative.' The Times, 'Best Books of 2020''Makumbi's prose is irresistible and poignant, with remarkable wit, heart and charm... The First Woman rewards the reader with one of the most outstanding heroines.' New York Times

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Book SynopsisAs heard on BBC Radio 4''s ''A Good Read: the amphibious cult classic: a magical tale of a suburban housewife''s affair with a frogman ...''Disturbing but seductive ... Wonderful.'' Margaret Atwood''Perfect.'' Max Porter''Still outpaces, out-weirds, and out-romances anything today.'' Marlon James''A feminist masterpiece: tender, erotic, singular.'' Carmen Maria Machado''''Genius ... A broadcast from a stranger and more dazzling dimension.'' Patricia Lockwood''Kind of weird and cool. '' Irvine Welsh''Genius ... Like Revolutionary Road written by Franz Kafka ... Exquisite.'' The Times''Incredibly liberates readers from the awfulness of convention to a state where weirdness and otherness are beautiful.'' Sarah Hall''A devastating fable of mythic proportions ... Wondrously peculiar.'' Irenosen Okojie (foreword)Dorothy is a grieving housewife in the Calif

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Book SynopsisThis Christmas, ''hand yourself over to be enchanted'' (Guardian) by the English genius behind witchcraft classic Lolly Willowes.''Worth 9.99 for the book jacket alone (trust Faber) ... It's exquisite and shivery, just like the stories within ... By turns creepy, melancholy, horrifying, tragic and beltingly romantic.'' Sunday Times''One of our finest writers.'' Neil Gaiman''One of the most shamefully under-read great British authors of the past 100 years.'' Sarah Waters''Diminutive masterpieces ... Hand yourself over to be enchanted.'' Guardian''Extraordinary, lucid wildness.'' Helen MacDonald''Glinting perfection'' The TimesDecades after her divorce, a lady returns to the village of her tumultuous marriage. A railway carriage hosts a charged schoolboy encounter. A murder raises fears of blackmail. A woman waits anxiously in a caf

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Book SynopsisThis is a golden treasury of over one hundred English folktales captured in the form they were first collected in past centuries. Read these classic tales as they would have been told when storytelling was a living art – when the audience believed in boggarts and hobgoblins, local witches and will-o’-the-wisps, ghosts and giants, cunning foxes and royal frogs. Find “Jack the Giantkiller”, “Tom Tit Tot” and other quintessentially English favourites, alongside interesting borrowings, such as an English version of the Grimms’ “Little Snow White” – as well as bedtime frighteners, including “Captain Murderer”, as told to Charles Dickens by his childhood nurse. Neil Philip has provided a full introduction and source notes on each story that illustrate each tale’s journey from mouth to page, and what has happened to them on the way. These tales rank among the finest English short stories of all time in their richness of metaphor and plot and their great verbal dash and daring.Trade Review"A treasure-trove of living stories, and enormously fun to read. Enjoy!""Shivery, creepy, melancholy, funny, fantastic and very real ... Neil Philip’s classic collection offers us an overflowing cauldron of marvellous stories.’"Collections of folktales as good as this should be bound in gold and brought out on ceremonial occasions as national treasures.""A profound influence on me and Hookland.""This is the best collection of English folktales since Katharine Briggs's assemblage in four volumes, and perhaps the best ever in a single volume.""A superb anthology of more than one hundred extraordinary tales that reveal the exquisite nature of the English storytelling tradition. This is a dazzling book.""Never was a better time for such a knowing, appreciative volume of our shared tales.""An expertly chosen selection of English folktales that is highly readable, endlessly entertaining, and intellectually enlivened. If by some mysterious goblin’s spell I was condemned to give away all the books in my library but one, this is undoubtedly the book I would keep.""Buckle up and prepare for close encounters with ghouls and boggarts, witches and merry-maids, talking cats and roaring bulls.""The generally admitted and admired glories of English literature rest on a much more neglected popular tradition of story-telling. This collection brings that tradition back to life, in a wonderfully accessible form.""A truly beautiful collection of over one hundred English stories . . . collated with true wonder and love for the magic of storytelling."

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Book SynopsisFairy stories, especially from the fertile landscape of Ireland where the supernatural grew from the legends of the Celts, are the magic stories of everyday folk seeking solutions to the challenges of the day. This spritely new collection brings together the fables and stories of banshees, kings, trembling farmers, tricksters and beloved princesses. ‘Smallhead and the King's Sons’ (a Cinderella story) and ‘The Haughty Princess’ (recalling Grimm’s ‘Kings Thrushbeard’) are amongst the many delightful tales of hope and reckless determination. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

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Book Synopsis The debut novel from the triple Hugo Award-winning N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season***WINNER of the Locus Award for Best First Novel******WINNER of the RT Reviewer's Choice Award******Shortlisted for the Tiptree, the Crawford, the Nebula, the Hugo, the World Fantasy, the David Gemmell and the Goodreads Readers' Choice Awards***Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky - a palace above the clouds where gods' and mortals' lives are intertwined. There, to her shock, Yeine is named one of the potential heirs to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with a pair of cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history. But it's not just mortals who have secrets worth hiding and Yeine will learn how perilous the world can be when love and hate - and gods and mortals - are bound inseparably.The Inheritance Trilogy begins with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, continues in The Broken Kingdoms and concludes in The Kingdom of Gods.Also by N. K. Jemisin:The Broken Earth trilogyThe Fifth SeasonThe Obelisk GateThe Stone SkyThe Dreamblood DuologyThe Killing MoonThe Shadowed SunTrade ReviewJemisin's first novel has a wistful, lyrical tone, and the intrigue - both romantic and political - is skillfully handled. Book one in the Inheritance Trilogy is sensitive, restrained high fantasy * Guardian *A story that manages to be both fantastically grand and very personal. Definitely recommended * Waterstones Books Quarterly *"A bold and strong new voice in fantasy fiction" Tricia Sullivan, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewStrong and immersive. Well-worth plucking from the pile of chiton-lit * The Times *Vivid with fury, passion and strength, this is a fabulous myth retelling. A powerful, thought-provoking portrayal of a fascinating and complicated woman framed in beautiful prose. I loved it -- JENNIFER SAINT, bestselling author of ARIADNE and ELEKTRAWow! What a powerhouse of a novel. Savage, passionate and absolutely spellbinding. The recreation of Sparta is astonishing - you feel you are with Clytemnestra, completely immersed in the brutal world she inhabits with her siblings, whose complex relationships are drawn with skill and tenderness. Clytemnestra's rage, heartbreak and determination radiate off the page. I was utterly gripped -- Elodie Harper, bestselling author of THE WOLF DEN & THE HOUSE WITH THE GOLDEN DOORA blaze of a novel, fiery and furious - and alight with murderous revenge. Like Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint, Casati offers the female perspective on the old, patriarchal tropes of the Greek myths * Daily Mail *Rivals House of the Dragon in conspiracies and feminine brutality. Here is a complex and courageous woman, all flesh and blood, simmering with passion. Facing the grimmest of betrayals, Clytemnestra's ruthless desire for revenge powers a thrilling plot. This is an electrifying read that shocks and fascinates in equal measure -- LIZ FREMANTLE, the critically acclaimed author of QUEEN'S GAMBITA heroine of fierce spirit caught in a world ruled by men, finding a way through with a sharp, unquenchable courage. With the fire and spark of Madeline Miller and the depths of Mary Renault, Clytemnestra will keep you reading well into the small hours, and your dreams will be of worlds where women reach for the gods -- MANDA SCOTTA passionate picture of a fiercely patriarchal society and her heroine's refusal to be bound by itsrules * Sunday Times *Clytemnestra, whose name has come to epitomise female wickedness, has found a worthy advocate in Costanza Casati and this fascinating Greek myth retelling . . . Casati brings the blood-soaked world of Greek mythology fully alive in this powerful novel * Woman & Home *Costanza Casati renders a singularly vibrant Ancient Greece, absolutely alive with emotion and suspense. Casati reveals a Clytemnestra we've never met before: fiercely intelligent, passionate, and loving - and willing to do anything to avenge the ones she loves -- Naomi Krupitsky, New York Times bestselling author of THE FAMILYA swift-paced telling of the story of Clytemnestra, the fierce but loving princess of often-brutal Sparta . . . The easy-to-follow storytelling and well-rounded characters in the novel really draw in the reader * i *Ablaze with moments of deep tenderness and visceral ferocity, Casati's Clytemnestra gives the phrase 'fight like a girl' its rightfully heroic and empowering meaning! Beautifully told in a style that pays nimble homage to classic Greek mythology, Clytemnestra is a rich and compelling read, and even more so for every woman who has ever had to fight to reclaim her power. A must-read! -- Buki Papillon, author of AN ORDINARY WONDERBold and elegant, this novel deconstructs Clytemnestra's infamy and then, with tremendous empathy and wisdom, reconstructs her into an enthrallingly complex figure filled with passion and spirit. This fiery tale of revenge and desire really is the stuff of legend -- Sarah Priscus, author of the critically-acclaimed GROUPIESPowerful and sympathetic, Clytemnestra shines a light on Helen of Troy's overshadowed sister. Crafted with page-turning suspense, Casati spins a mesmerizing story of an ambitious warrior queen who must use all her skill to protect herself and those she loves from men who view women not as equals, but as pawns to be sacrificed upon the altars of lust, greed, and fame. An ancient and intriguing tale made fresh for today's 21st century battles -- Liz Michalski, author of DARLING GIRL: A NOVEL OF PETER PANA thrilling reimagining of an infamous Greek figure * RED *A thrilling tale of power and prophecies, and the fierce Queen who fought back at those who wronged her * COSMOPOLITAN, 'The best books to look forward to in 2023' *If magical mythological books call your name, Clytemnestra is the one for you * Glamour UK *Swift-paced, straightforward storytelling, richly imagined characters. Timeless * Scotsman *Savage, passionate and absolutely spellbinding. Clytemnestra's rage, her heartbreak and her determination radiate off the page -- ELODIE HARPER, bestselling author of THE WOLF DEN and THE HOUSE WITH THE GOLDEN DOOR

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Book SynopsisJ.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth, collected for the first time in one volume.Trade Review‘Physically beautiful and sometimes overwhelming in its power, this book is a grand compendium of all Tolkien said about the period when the foundations of The Lord of the Rings are laid’John Garth, THE GUARDIAN ‘It brings a Biblical grandeur to Tolkien’s fictional history’WINTER IS COMING ‘A trove of source material about one of Middle-earth’s most intriguing and central back stories. The book is beautifully illustrated by Alan Lee and nimbly edited by Brian Sibley’WASHINGTON POST ‘For those wishing to expand their understanding of Middle-earth and the incredible legend crafted by Tolkien, this is an essential piece to complete that puzzle’BOOK REPORTER ‘With this most recent volume, The Fall of Númenor, Sibley has beautifully and brilliantly done for Tolkien’s Second Age what Christopher Tolkien did for the First Age’NATIONAL REVIEW

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Book SynopsisGorgeous Collector's Edition. Many medieval writers, especially from France and Wales, wrote stories about the great British leader, King Arthur. Legends, folklore and myths from this period come together to paint a picture of who he was with some describing him as a great warrior, defending Britain from its enemies, while others suggest Arthur had magical qualities. Throughout this mystery, King Arthur has become an iconic figure, known for his court and knights and his chivalric adventures. This collection offers a selection of myths, featuring Arthur’s knights of the round table, his love for Queen Guinevere and of course the ultimate betrayal by his most trusted knight, Sir Lancelot. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

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Book SynopsisClytemnestra's Bind is a bold and brutal first-person retelling that redefines her story, unveiling the untold depths of her soul and the legacy she forged as a mother, wife, and queen. Queen Clytemnestra''s world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to him. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves. From one of Greek mythology''s most reviled charactersa woman who challenged the absolute power of mencomes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother''s burning love. Perfect for readers of Greek mythology, and fans of Costanza Casati's Clytemnestra, Madeline Miller's Circe, and Jennifer Saint's Elektra.

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Book SynopsisDiscover the enthralling fantasy world of gods and mortals in bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair's reimagined New Greece. Readers are "hopelessly addicted" to this captivating story of Hades and Persephone."Take her, and I will destroy this world. Take her, and I will destroy you. Take her, and I will end us all."Hades, God of the Underworld, is known for his inflexible rule, luxurious night clubs, and impossible bargains. Used to control, he is not prepared to discover the Fates have chosen his future wife and Queen-Persephone, Goddess of Spring.Despite her attraction to the god, Persephone, an ambitious journalism student, is determined to expose Hades for his cruel and ruthless ways. She defies him at every turn, even as the attraction between them explodes.Hades finds himself faced with the impossible-proving his future bride wrong. Regardless of his efforts, there are forces who wish to keep the two apart and Hades comes to realize he will do anything for his forbidden love, even defy Fate.

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Book SynopsisThe new historical novel from Philippa Gregory, the Number One bestselling author of Tidelands and Dark Tides.  In a divided country, power and loyalty conquer all . . . Ned Ferryman, inspired by news of a rebellion against the Stuart kings, returns from America with his Pokanoket servant to join the uprising against roman catholic, King James. As Ned swears loyalty to the charismatic Duke of Monmouth, he discovers a new and unexpected love. Meanwhile, Queen Mary summons her friend Livia to a terrified court. Recklessly, Livia drags her son Matthew and his foster mothers Alinor and Alys into a plot to save the queen from Monmouth’s invasion, and Matthew is rewarded with the Manor of Foulmire: on the tidelands where Ned, Alinor and Alys had once scraped a poor living. Suddenly, Alinor is lady of the manor, as Ned marches into the last battle between the royalists and commoners, hoping for a new dawn Trade ReviewPraise for Dawnlands: ‘This sprawling, epic addition to the series will delight Gregory’s many fans' The Times ‘Fast-paced, gripping and meticulously researched, the latest novel from Philippa Gregory is historical fiction at its best…Few authors bring history to life like Philippa Gregory and her vivid descriptions of 17th century life give readers a ringside seat at the action' Daily Express 'Spellbinding’ Woman’s Own ‘I love falling into a Philippa Gregory novel, her vibrant take on historical events always brings past eras alive…This has drama aplenty with the fear of execution for treason, deportation, and imposter Princes, the rewards and dangers presented are colossal and exciting. This epic story follows a family from one end of the old empire to another, as they try to find a place in a new world' Adele Parks, Platinum Magazine Praise for Tidelands and Dark Tides: 'Gregory is an experienced storyteller and doesn’t let you down. Tidelands is a gripping and intelligent portrait of a woman fighting to survive in a hostile world' The Times ‘The first in a planned series . . . The author crafts her material with effortless ease. Her grasp of social mores is brilliant, the love story rings true and the research is, as ever, of the highest calibre' Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail ‘Vivid and beguiling – Philippa Gregory at her best’ Woman & Home 'A compelling novel that shines a light on the struggles of seventeeth-century women' Daily Mirror 'The novel's power lies in Gregory's evocative portrayal of the tidelands and the everyday lives of those who are bound to them' Sunday Express 'Philippa Gregory returns with an English Civil War novel that excels in everything she does best. Historical events are written with breathless immediacy, keeping the reader enthralled even if they know the outcome. She pays close attention to the plight of women in the past, so often unchanged despite men's wars, and gives them a voice . . . Fans will not be disappointed' Alys Key, The i 'Shines a light on the struggles of seventeenth-century women . . . If this novel is the first sign of what's to come then readers are in for a treat' Emma Lee-Potter, Daily Express

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Book Synopsis'A dazzling fairytale' Stephanie Garber, on Six Crimson CranesA dragon's kingdom. A star-crossed love. And a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world, or break it . . .Shiori's quest continues in the soaring sequel to the New York Times bestselling young adult fantasy Six Crimson Cranes.Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined. She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all the while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood. The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori's aid one minute, and betraying her the next - threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win.PRAISE FOR ELIZABETH LIM'Magic leaps from every page of Lim's exquisite fairytale' Axie Oh'An amazing creation!' Tamora Pierce'The perfect blend of whimsy and ferociousness, with twists and turns that will tug at your heartstrings' Chloe Gong'This is a gem for all lovers of whimsical fantasy!' Natasha Ngan'Lim is a master storyteller which is apparent with every magical turn of the page' Kerri Maniscalco'This book is magic!' Kristin Cashore'Elizabeth Lim takes readers on a captivating and wholly original journey' Melissa BashardoustTrade Review** PRAISE FOR ELIZABETH LIM **Magic leaps from every page of Lim's exquisite fairytale. Teeming with romance and adventure, The Dragon's Promise is a poignant conclusion to one of my favorite stories of all time * Axie Oh, New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea *A riveting conclusion to Shiori's splendid tale of courage and heart! Elizabeth Lim's masterful storytelling immersed me in a vivid world full of magic and romance, and had me rooting for the star-crossed lovers at every turn * June CL Tan, author of Jade Fire Gold *A perfect conclusion. The Dragon's Promise continues a tale of intrigue and adventure, with a love story that will feel like a warm hug. I absolutely adore Shiori and Takkan * Chloe Gong, bestselling author of These Violent Delights *Every bit as gorgeous, romantic and dazzling as its predecessor, The Dragon's Promise is the perfect end to a stunning duology * Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches *A dazzling fairy tale full of breathtaking storytelling * Stephanie Garber, New York and Sunday Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Broken Heart on Six Crimson Cranes *An amazing creation! * Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter on Spin the Dawn *The perfect blend of whimsy and ferociousness, with twists and turns that will tug at your heartstrings * Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights on Six Crimson Cranes *This is a gem for all lovers of whimsical fantasy! * Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire on Six Crimson Cranes *Lim is a master storyteller which is apparent with every magical turn of the page * Kerri Maniscalco, New York Times bestselling author of Kingdom of the Wicked on Six Crimson Cranes *This book is magic! * Kristin Cashore, New York Times bestselling author of Graceling on Six Crimson Cranes *Elizabeth Lim takes readers on a captivating and wholly original journey * Melissa Bashardoust, author of Girl, Serpent, Thorn on Six Crimson Cranes *A beautiful novel about standing up for your beliefs, making peace with the past and fighting for those you love, all with the added excitement of enchantments, mythical creatures and a romance to truly believe in. The Dragon's Promise delivers a strong conclusion to the story that was begun in Six Crimson Cranes and fantasy fans will find a lot to love about it too * Culturefly *The author of the bestselling Six Crimson Cranes returns with the magical new saga of a cursed pearl and true love truly tested, set in an evocative land full of dragons and political intrigue * Waterstones *

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Book SynopsisStep into a world of gods, heroes and monstersThroughout history, mythologies have been fundamental to societies and cultures across the world. They are the collected stories of a people - the fascinating folk tales and the epic legends that shape the history and the beliefs of whole civilizations.This pocket guide offers readers an engaging and accessible introduction to the major world mythologies, exploring their origins, foundational stories and key mythological figures.Learn how the Greeks won the ten-year Trojan war, how the Norse god Thor got his mighty hammer, and why the Aztecs made a daily human sacrifice to the sun god, Huitzilopochtli.If you're looking to enrich and expand on your understanding of world history, religion and culture, then this book is an ideal starting point to fill your mind with stories of wisdom and wonder.Discover the captivating stories behind the following mythologies: Aboriginal, Aztec, Celtic, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Incan, Japanese, Maori, Mayan, Mesopotamian, Norse, Roman.

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Book SynopsisGorgeous Collector's Edition. From such texts as the Shah Nameh (the Persian Book of Kings), Masnavi-e Ma’navi, the Anvar-i Suhayli fables and works by the great poet Nizāmī, come ancient tales of a civilization that once stretched across the known world. Find here the wonderful stories of the magical bird the Simurgh, the Seven Labours of Rustem, the evil demon onager-giant Akwán Díw and the tragic romance of Laili and Majnun. Persian literature is amongst the most beautiful and inventive of all cultures, offering a joyful read of creation, love and conquest. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

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Book SynopsisIn this beautiful book of classic fairy tales, award-winning author Philip Pullman has chosen his fifty favourite stories from the Brothers Grimm and presents them in a''clear as water'' retelling, in his unique and brilliant voice. From the quests and romance of classics such as ''Rapunzel'', ''Snow White'' and ''Cinderella'' to the danger and wit of such lesser-known tales as ''The Three Snake Leaves'', ''Hans-my-Hedgehog'' and ''Godfather Death'', Pullman brings the heart of each timeless tale to the fore, following with a brief but fascinating commentary on the story''s background and history. In his introduction, he discusses how these stories have lasted so long, and become part of our collective storytelling imagination. These new versions show the adventures at their most lucid and engaging yet. Pullman''s Grimm Tales of wicked wives, brave children and villainous kings will have you reading, reading aloud and rereading them for many years to come.Trade ReviewNever putting a foot wrong, the result is a magical complexity-in-simplicity that is sure to become a classic in its own right -- Adam Lively * Sunday Times *Philip Pullman has radically reworked the Grimm tales for all ages -- Nicolette Jones * Telegraph *One of Pullman's most useful additions is the vastly improved poems and jingles...his freer versions are catchy and authentic * Guardian *I've admired Philip Pullman since his early fantasy Galatea on through the splendid trilogy His Dark Materials. All of his gifts, including his prose eloquence, and his endless high Romantic imagination, are manifested in this marvelous retelling of Grimm -- Harold Bloom

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Book SynopsisIncluding brand-new paintings, this is a fully illustrated new edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, telling the earlier history of Middle-earth, recounting the events of the First and Second Ages, and introducing some of the key characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Elendil and the Dark Lord, Sauron.The Silmarillion is the core of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing, a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth, through the Second Age and the rise of Sauron, to the end of the War of the Ring.They are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the Elves made war upon him in his impenetrable fortress in Angband for the recovery of the Silmarils, three jewels containing the last remaining pure light of Valinor, seized by Morgoth and set in his iron crown.Accompanying these tales are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of the gods is dTrade Review‘How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?’The Guardian ‘Demanding to be compared with English mythologies… at times rises to the greatness of true myth’Financial Times ‘A creation of singular beauty… magnificent in its best moments’Washington Post ‘A grim, tragic, brooding and beautiful book, shot through with heroism and hope… its power is almost that of mysticism’Toronto Globe & Mail

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Book SynopsisFor the first time ever, a very special edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout in colour by J.R.R. Tolkien himself and with the complete text printed in two colours.The Silmarilli were three perfect jewels, fashioned by Fëanor, most gifted of the Elves, and within them was imprisoned the last Light of the Two Trees of Valinor. But the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, stole the jewels and set them within his iron crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth.The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Fëanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroism, against the great Enemy. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part.The book also includes several shorter works: the Ainulindalë, a myth of the Creation, and the Valaquenta, in which the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings.Tolkien could not publish The Silmarillion in his lifetime, as it grew with him, so he would leave it to his son, Christopher Tolkien, to edit the work from many manuscripts and bring his father's great vision to publishable form, so completing the literary achievement of a lifetime. This special edition presents anew this seminal first step towards mapping out the posthumous publishing of Middle-earth, and the beginning of an illustrious forty years and more than twenty books celebrating his father's legacy.This definitive new edition includes, by way of an introduction, a letter written by Tolkien in 1951 which provides a brilliant exposition of the earlier Ages, and for the first time in its history is presented with J.R.R. Tolkien's own paintings and drawings, which reveal the breathtaking grandeur and beauty of his vision of the First Age of Middle-earth.Trade Review‘How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?’The Guardian ‘Demanding to be compared with English mythologies… at times rises to the greatness of true myth’Financial Times ‘A creation of singular beauty… magnificent in its best moments’Washington Post ‘A grim, tragic, brooding and beautiful book, shot through with heroism and hope… its power is almost that of mysticism’Toronto Globe & Mail

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Book SynopsisThree Powerfully Alluring Vampire MenAnd One Queen to Rule Them AllAll Mina ever wanted was to escape her father's control. Half human, half vampire, she lived eternally torn between two worlds, never fully experiencing the pleasures of either-until her father chose her as the pawn in his latest political move, gifting her to the darkly powerful and dangerously seductive Malachi Zion.Malachi is not a vampire to be trifled with. He rules with an iron fist and has a reputation for the darkest of sins. But the longer Mina spends with him, the more she realizes he's not the monster she first thought-and as fear bleeds into lust, then trust, then something more, Malachi opens Mina up to a world she never knew could be hers for the taking: including the love of Malachi's two closest friends and companions.Now surrounded by all three men, the center of their shockingly seductive world, Mina may finally have the power to face down her father and take back the life-and crown-that by all rights should be hers.LONG LIVE THE QUEEN.

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Book SynopsisA delightfully witty and mordant modern classic from Finland: the story of a journalist who befriends an injured hare and embarks into the Finnish wilderness Kaarlo Vatanen is fed up with his life. He's sick of his job, his wife, his urban lifestyle in Helsinki. But all this changes one warm summer's evening, when he encounters an injured hare on a deserted country road. On an impulse he can't fully explain, Vatanen abruptly abandons his car, his home, his wife and his job to chase the hare into the forest. A year of comic misadventures ensues, where Vatanen and his unlikely companion battle through forest fires, pagan sacrifices, military war games and encounters with murderous bears, kept afloat by the help and understanding of other sympathetic free spirits. A much-loved classic in Finland, The Year of the Hare is a freewheeling adventure through the Finnish countryside, and a witty portrayal of one man's long detour from conventional living.Trade Review'No wonder the French have made this book into a cult. Finnish wit as sharp as the Arctic weather' - Mail on Sunday'A change-your-life novel' - New York Magazine'Sums up the Finnish culture and people' - Guardian'A fable of the joys of freedom... The hare proves to be a delightful, undemanding, and loyal companion, who can laugh, listen, and feel embarrassment' - Boston Globe'Paasilinna has been amusing Finns for thirty years and readers in twenty-five languages. He concocts situational comedy highlighted by deadpan, sometimes black humour' - New York Times

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Book SynopsisA unique collection of traditional stories about faeries, elves and goblins. Faeries, elves, goblins, leprechauns, brownies, spriggans and many other supernatural beings leap vividly off the page in this collection of haunting stories. Included are 25 stories drawing on folklore from the rich narrative heritage of Britain and Ireland. Marvel over ancient spells to summon faeries to your house, tremble at the shapeshifting powers of dangerous faery queens, lose yourself amongst the illusions of Faeryland and learn how to protect family members from the terrors of faery abduction. Interspersed with facts on faery folklore, these tales cover faery morals, elvish misdemeanours, the spells cast by goblins and the sightings of the creatures, as well as their dealings with mortals. With charming illustrations from favourite illustrators throughout, including Arthur Rackham, this book reminds us of the enduring appeal of folklore and mystery for all generations.

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Book SynopsisThree magical gowns. Two kingdoms on the brink of war. One chance to save them all.Maia Tamarin proved her skill as a tailor when she wove the dresses of the sun, the moon, and the stars, but it will take more than a beautiful gown to hide the darkness rising up within her, in the stunning sequel to Spin the Dawn. Maia Tamarin's journey to sew the dresses of the sun, the moon and the stars has taken a grievous toll. She returns to a kingdom on the brink of war, while Edan, the boy she loves, is gone - perhaps forever. No sooner does she set foot in the Autumn Palace than she is forced to don the dress of the sun and assume the place of the emperor's bride-to-be. But the emperor's rivals learn of her deception, and there is hell to pay - yet the war raging around Maia is nothing compared to the battle within. Ever since she was touched by the demon Bandur, she has been changing: losing control of her magic, her body and her mind. It's only a matter of time before Maia loses herself completely, but until then she will stop at nothing to find Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her home. The stakes are higher than ever in this breathtaking sequel to Spin the Dawn.** Praise for Elizabeth Lim **'Your next big YA series' Entertainment Weekly'A stunning tapestry of adventure' Washington Post'What an amazing creation!' Tamora PierceTrade Review** Praise for Elizabeth Lim **Your next big YA series . . . We've got our eye on this stylist blockbuster * Entertainment Weekly *Romance, artistry, and deep enchantment * Gregory Maguire, NYTimes bestselling author of Wicked *What an amazing creation! Every time I thought I knew where it was going, I was wrong. This is a white-knuckle read! * Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter *Part epic adventure, part fairy tale, and part Project Runway, Spin the Dawn is a thrilling tale as rich as velvet and as exquisite as fine embroidery * Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from Everywhere *A stunning tapestry of adventure * Washington Post *A fabulous fantasy . . . Sure to delight even the most jaded of fantasy readers * NPR *Lim weaves an enchanting narrative, with all the magic of a fairytale and the guts and grit of an epic adventure. Diverse folklore, imaginative worldbuilding and a brilliant lead character who wields creativity as skillfully as a weapon - this is a gem for all lovers of whimsical fantasy! * Natasha Ngan, NYTimes bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire *Beautifully written with a can't-wait-for-the-sequel ending, this breathtaking and fast-paced Silk-road inspired fantasy from the author of Mulan-retelling Reflection (2018) is sure to enchant readers beginning to end * Booklist *With strong storytelling and characterization and a pleasing romance, this will have broad appeal * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisEnter a world in which magic exists, hope wins and every woman’s heart is alive with courage! This global feast of ancient tales features valiant women overcoming every kind of obstacle and danger to fulfil their destinies. Travel through Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. Shudder, cheer and laugh out loud as the heroines deal with trolls, faeries, dragons and ghosts; admire their knowledge, wit and cunning; marvel at shapeshifting and other manifestations of the supernatural. A rich collection of fairy tales, beautifully illustrated throughout with Joe McClaren woodcuts, this book is stitched together like a series of Scheherazade stories. It is story-telling at its best, pitch perfect fairy tales of fearless women for readers everywhere.Trade Review‘An appealing and accessible introduction to the folklore of many different places around the world... The narrative voice is vivid and flexible, drawing in the reader from the beginning... A pleasure to read.’ Folklore Sophia Kingshill 2022

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Book SynopsisA retelling of Disney Beauty and the Beast with stunning development art from the original Disney Studio artists. Collect the whole Animated Classics series!Disney Beauty and the Beast is one of the best-loved films of all time and has been a family favourite for thirty years.Relive the magic through this retelling of the classic animated film, accompanied by paintings, sketches and concept art from the original Disney Studio artists. Discover the inside story with a foreword by a Disney filmmaker, and turn to the back of the book to learn more about the artists who worked on this iconic film.This beautiful hardback features premium cloth binding, a ribbon marker to match the cover, foil stamping and illustrated endpapers. This is the perfect gift for all those who have been enchanted by the magic of Beauty and the Beast, and a book to be treasured by all.

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Book SynopsisSumptuous slipcased edition of Tolkien's classic epic tale of adventure, fully illustrated in colour for the first time by the author himself. This deluxe volume is quarterbound and includes many special features unique to this edition.Since it was first published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy and epic adventure has touched the hearts of young and old alike. Over 100 million copies of its many editions have been sold around the world, and occasional collectors' editions become prized and valuable items of publishing.This one-volume deluxe slipcased edition contains the complete text, fully corrected and reset, which is printed in red and black and features, for the very first time, thirty colour illustrations, maps and sketches drawn by Tolkien himself as he composed this epic work. These include the pages from the Book of Mazarbul, marvellous facsimiles created by Tolkien to accompany the famous Bridge of Khazad-dum' chapter. Also appearing are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Middle-earth.This very special deluxe edition is quarterbound with raised ribs on the spine and stamped in two foils. The pages are edged in gold and contained within are special features unique to this edition.Trade Review‘Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the 20th century.’Sunday Telegraph ‘The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them’Sunday Times ‘Masterpiece? Oh yes, I’ve no doubt about that.’Evening Standard

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Book SynopsisCharged with possibility and power, this memorable collection is an extraordinary immersion into the bodies and voices, mindscapes and landscapes, of the shapeshifting women of our native folklore. Drawing on myth and fairy tales found across Europe from Croatia to Sweden, Ireland to Russia, these stories are about coming to terms with our animal natures, exploring the ways in which we might renegotiate our fractured relationship with the natural world, and uncovering the wildness and wilderness within.Trade Review"A deeply evocative and haunting collection... Part rally cry, part warning, part manifesto and all parts enchanting, Sharon Blackie's Foxfire, Wolfskin is a deeply evocative and haunting collection. I want to press this powerful book into the hands of everyone I know and say listen." -- Holly Ringland, author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

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Book SynopsisA powerful retelling of Oedipus and Antigone from the perspectives of the women the myths overlooked, from Natalie Haynes, the Women's Prize-shortlisted author of A Thousand Ships and the Sunday Times bestseller Stone Blind.My siblings and I have grown up in a cursed house, children of cursed parents . . .Jocasta is just fifteen when she is told that she must marry the King of Thebes, an old man she has never met. Her life has never been her own, and nor will it be, unless she outlives her strange, absent husband.Ismene is the same age when she is attacked in the palace she calls home. Since the day of her parents' tragic deaths a decade earlier, she has always longed to feel safe with the family she still has. But with a single act of violence, all that is about to change.With the turn of these two events, a tragedy is set in motion. But not as you know it.'Haynes balances a fresh take on the material . . . giving new voice to the often-overlooked but fascinating Jocasta and Ismene.' - Madeline Miller, author of Circe.Trade ReviewA passionate and gripping account of a famously dysfunctional family. Haynes balances a fresh take on the material with a deep love for her sources, wearing her scholarship with grace, and giving new voice to the often-overlooked but fascinating Jocasta and Ismene. -- Madeline Miller, Women's Prize winning author of The Song of AchillesHaynes’s fascination with this long vanished world is evident in every line . . . Her Thebes... is vividly captured: a place of hard light and sharp shadows, dust, fountains and dry heat. * Guardian *Natalie Haynes takes on Sophocles in her vivid and affecting second novel -- Fiction to look out for in 2017 * Observer *Glorious, gripping and brutal . . . I loved it -- Victoria DerbyshireNew life is breathed into a powerful ancient story through Natalie Haynes's clever and vivid story telling. -- Martha KearneyNearly every page of Natalie Haynes's The Children of Jocasta could stand alone as poetry. This is a visceral, engrossing, and meticulously-crafted reimagining of two of the most important stories of all time. A truly remarkable feat -- Dr Amanda ForemanIn this gripping novel, Haynes takes us to the breaking heart of one epically dysfunctional family and makes heroines of those previously doomed to be spectators of their own tragedy -- Damian Barr, author of Maggie & MeHaynes is master of her trade, crafting perfect sentences and believable characters who speak and think in delicately nuanced language. [She] succeeds in breathing warm life into some of our oldest stories to show how remarkably little basic human relationships and emotions have changed * Telegraph *Atmospherically evoking a landscape of longed-for lakes and dark mountains, Haynes also subtly explores the “space between us and them” – between rulers and the people; parents and children; our personas and most secret selves * Observer *A wonderful and inventive take on an ancient tale -- Antonia Senior * The Times *Haynes has written her own version of the tragedy, finding new space in the narrative by looking at it through the eyes of two characters neglected by antiquity: Oedipus’s mother/bride Jocasta and their youngest daughter Ismene . . . Some of this novel’s greatest satisfactions come from the way Haynes translates the story out of the mythic and into a naturalistic register of love, loss and ambition . . . The ancient city state comes vividly alive in Haynes’s hands, and canny deviations from the archetypal outline keep the suspense going. In The Children of Jocasta, Haynes has written a fine new story between the old lines. * Spectator *

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Book Synopsis For the first time ever, a beautiful slipcased edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout in colour by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, with the complete text printed in two colours and with many bonus features unique to this edition. Trade Review‘How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?’The Guardian ‘Demanding to be compared with English mythologies… at times rises to the greatness of true myth’Financial Times ‘A creation of singular beauty… magnificent in its best moments’Washington Post ‘A grim, tragic, brooding and beautiful book, shot through with heroism and hope… its power is almost that of mysticism’Toronto Globe & Mail

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Book SynopsisThe definitive book of stories from Arthurian legend. Delve into the enchanted world of Arthurian legends where you will meet the Knights of the Round Table, Wizard Merlin, King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. With plots full of romance, adventure and enchantment, these fascinating ancient tales have been revived by the author to reflect their origins in oral history and will appeal to a whole new generation of readers. Stories include Elaine Who Loved Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Tristan and Isolde and The Enchantment of Merlin, many of which have recently been adapted in modern cinema and remain a fascination within contemporary culture. The book also features detailed notes on each story and mentions specific places in Britain with Arthurian links, including properties such as Tintagel. Beautifully illustrated with images inspired by Arthurian legend by Arthur Rackham and others.

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Book SynopsisGorgeous Collector's Edition. India, one of the great, ancient civilizations, spawned a fascinating canon of myths and legends. With multiple gods, and a riot of colour and character, this fantastic new book, Indian Myths & Legends, explores the themes and landscapes that created the tales, and reveals the boundless energy that brought us the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, retelling the stories of Krishna, Buddha and Shiva, and some of the many different versions of creation. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

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Book Synopsis From the author of Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror & the Light, comes the true story of the 18th Century Irish giant, Charles O’Brien, who was exhibited in London and eventually dissected by the surgeon John Hunter. Charles O’Brien, bard and giant. The cynical are moved by his flights of romance; the craven stirred by his tales of epic deeds. But what of his own story as he is led from Ireland to seek his fortune beyond the seas in England? The Surprising Irish Giant may be the sensation of the season but only his compatriots seem to attend to his mythic powers of invention. John Hunter, celebrated surgeon and anatomist, buys dead men from the gallows and babies’ corpses by the inch. Where is a man as unique as The Giant to hide his bones when he is yet alive? The Giant, O’ Brien is an unforgettable novel; lyrical, shocking and spliced with black comedy.Trade Review‘[A] novel that magically creates an illusion of the Age of Enlightenment. Hilary Mantel puts the stink of the eighteenth century into our nostrils’ Independent ‘A novelist of remarkable diversity…She writes about curiosity, companionship, art, love, death and eternity. She writes with wit, compassion and great elegance. Her books never fail to surprise, nor to delight: in this one she is at her very best – so far’ Independent on Sunday ‘Mantel can out-write most writers of her generation, male and female. What she has done here is disturbing, grievous and extraordinary.’ Maggie Gee, Sunday Times 'Filled with bizarre happenings, brazen images and characters whose earthiness you can smell.' TES 'Hilary Mantel has felt herself into the poetics of history with singular intensity.' New York Review 'Pathos and humour as they are elsewhere in the book are blended to perfection.' Sunday Telegraph 'Simultaneously vigorous and poetic, full of satisfying earthy details.' Sunday Independent (Ireland)

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Book SynopsisFrom mermaids to dragons, 16 ancient Celtic fairy tales retold with their histories The Celtic cultures of the British Isles – Ireland, Scotland and Wales – have produced some of the richest traditional tales in Europe. Three words best sum up their themes and flavour: adventure, enchantment and romance. In this book, Rosalind Kerven has revived the best Celtic fairy tales for a new generation. The stories are sourced from old folk tale collections from all three regions, alongside selected medieval Welsh and Irish texts. • Visit mysterious Otherworlds inside the hills and below the sea – including a land where only the truth is ever spoken. • Meet iconic characters such as the first great Welsh poet, Taliesin, and the mighty Irish hero, Fionn mac Cumhaill. • Cheer on bold Scots lasses such as Mallie Whuppy, as she outwits a fearsome giant, and Kate Crackernuts, who rescues a prince from bewitchment. • Encounter witches, fairies, a bogle, talking animals and strange underwater beings. Each story is retold from the medieval texts and oral storytelling traditions of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with fascinating background notes and a long list of sources and further reading included. The background notes feature a list of source material, analyses of themes, and examples of similar legends from all over Europe. Trade Review'A gorgeous hardback.' Author of Times Bestseller 'SISTERSONG' and 'Song of The Huntress' Lucy Holland

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Book SynopsisGorgeous Collector's Edition. From the birth of Zeus, to Prometheus, Pandora and Helen of Troy, Odysseus and Jason and the Argonauts, the myths of the Greeks and, later, the Romans, are passionate and powerfully told. The Gods are jealous of each other's powers, subject to mighty outbursts of love and always seeking vengeance. The dark forces of the ancient world were held at bay by the resourceful and emerging civilization that formed the basis of Western culture, providing a tradition of fabulous tales that are retold here. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

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Book SynopsisPlayful, moving and wholly remarkable' GuardianA small miracle' New StatesmanMastery of craft, resonance and deep feeling on every page' TelegraphAn introspective young boy, Joseph Coppock squints at the world with his lazy eye. Living alone in an old house, he reads comics, collects birds' eggs and plays with his marbles. When, one day, a rag-and-bone man called Treacle Walker appears, exchanging an empty jar of a cure-all medicine and a donkey stone for a pair of Joseph''s pyjamas and a lamb''s shoulder blade, a mysterious friendship develops between them.A fusion of myth, magic and the stories we make for ourselves, Treacle Walker is an extraordinary novel from one of our greatest living writers.All the exuberance and eccentricity, all the deep thought and resounding mythology of [Garner's] best work' ObserverSpare and allusive luminous and understated' Rowan Williams, New StatesmanCryptic, evocative, sparely told and deceptively simple' Carolyne Larrington, TLSA NEW STATESMAN BOOK Trade Review‘Treacle Walker is a small miracle’ New Statesman Best Books of 2021 ‘Remarkable … there’s mastery of craft, resonance and deep feeling on every one of these 150 pages.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Spare and allusive … luminous and understated. It’s about seeing and healing; any more by way of summary would be useless’ Rowan Williams, New Statesman ‘It’s a strange, austere, uncompromising book, leagues ahead of anything else I’ve read this year’ Peter Thonemann, TLS ‘This seemingly brief tale is a hypnotic wonder, blurring the boundaries of time and spirit… A glorious wonder in its own right. Here is real magic between hard covers’ Erica Wagner, New Statesman ‘Treacle Walker is a circular narrative, made of smaller interlocking circles, with actions and whole paragraphs repeating: in its end is its beginning. This late fiction also works the seam opened up in Garner’s very first novel, inspired by the story handed down to his grandfather about enchanted sleepers under Alderley Edge … Playful, moving and wholly remarkable work … There’s a life’s work inside this little book’ Guardian ‘Sparse yet masterful… This is a mesmerising folktale where every word counts’ Literary Review ‘Garner has always suggested that there is essentially just one story, and this novel … contains all the exuberance and eccentricity, all the deep thought and resounding mythology of his best work … cramming in … more ideas and imagination than most authors manage in their whole careers’ Observer

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Book SynopsisThe debut series from the double Hugo Award-winning N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth SeasonFor two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameri's ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family's interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.As long-suppressed rage and terrible new magics consume the world, the Maelstrom - which even gods fear - is summoned forth. Shahar and Sieh: mortal and god, lovers and enemies. Can they stand together against the chaos that threatens the kingdom of gods?The Inheritance Trilogy begins with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, continues in The Broken Kingdoms and concludes in The Kingdom of Gods.Trade Review'This has been an intensely enjoyable series to read...What began as a twist on the familiar fantasy epic has developed into a penetrating analysis of the relationships between gods and humans, and the problems that arise, but also issues of power among people and countries, and who gets to wield it' * INTERZONE *The Inheritance Trilogy has all the elements I love in fantasy: worlds that are fresh and not overly derivative of fantasy that's gone before, complex characters with both strengths and flaws, powerful magic that isn't just a substitute for technology but affects everything from the obvious like power structures to the subtle, like everyday attitudes and habits. Oh, and a compelling, gripping plot * Trudi Canavan (SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author) *

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Book SynopsisFrom the creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami designed to explain the origins of the island of Japan, to the hundreds of kami (gods or spirits) and monsters populating the tales, Japanese legends tell the story of the land, the nation, the people and the divine heritage of the emperors of Japan. Often bloody and fantastic, the tales are a powerful, rewarding read, gathered together in the gorgeous, deluxe hardcover binding of the Flame Tree Epic Tales series. The latest title in Flame Tree's beautiful, comprehensive series of Gothic Fantasy titles, concentrates on the ancient, epic origins of modern fantasy.

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Book SynopsisAssembling ten tales and six poems – along with Machen’s novella – from the boom years of Pan-centric literature, this new collection revels in themes of queer awakening, transgression against societal bonds and the bewitching power of the wild as it explores a rapturous and culturally significant chapter in the history of weird fiction.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow.'Living in Ancient Greece in the 5th Century BC, Aesop was said to be a slave and story-teller. His much-loved, enduring fables are revered the world over and remain popular as moral tales for children. With infamous vignettes, such as the race between the hare and the tortoise, the vain jackdaw, and the wolf in sheep's clothing, the themes of the fables remain as fresh today as when they were first told and give an insight into the Ancient Greek world.

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Book SynopsisGasp in wonder' Marlon James, author of Black Leopard, Red WolfElectrifying' Irenosen Okojie, author of NudibranchGasp-inducing' AnOther Joyous, defiant' Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of Open WaterVisionary' GuardianVAGABONDS! is a tumultuous and unexpectedly joyous novel of oppression and defiance among the people and spirits of Lagos.Lagos is a city for all . . . you share this place with flesh and not-flesh, and it's just as much their city as it is yours.Èkó, the spirit of Lagos, and his loyal minion Tatafo weave trouble through the streets of Lagos and through the lives of the vagabonds' powering modern Nigeria: the queer, the displaced and the footloose.With Tatafo as our guide we meet these people in the shadows. Among them are a driver for a debauched politician; a lesbian couple whose tender relationship sheds unexpected light on their experience with underground sex work; a mother who attends a secret spiritual gathering that shifts her reality. As their lives begin to intertwiTrade Review‘You don’t read this novel. You swan dive into it, then gasp in wonder’ Marlon James, author of A Brief History of Seven Killings ‘I’m in awe of Osunde’s writing … I can’t wait for others to delve into the joyous, defiant world she has rendered for her debut novel, VAGABONDS!’ Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of Open Water ‘Every year promises the birth of the next literary superstar… Eloghosa Osunde’s VAGABONDS! is an exceptional debut’ i-D ‘A feast of a book, a marvelous ode to spirits and outsiders that is irreverent (and painfully funny) while being serious enough to drill a hole in one’s chest. There is nothing in the world like this book’ Lesley Nneka Arimah, author of What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky ‘A novel as vivid and varied as the city itself’ Harper’s Bazaar 'Osunde’s gasp-inducing novel takes us to the Lagos streets with an ensemble of misfits and vagabonds, each with their own stories of queerness, personal demons, all-consuming love… Immerse yourself in Osunde’s kaleidoscopic world' AnOther Magazine ‘An explosive portrait of Nigeria that will blow your mind – in prose that feels so alive it practically vibrates off the page. A masterpiece’ Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Book of Joan ‘A dazzling, hypnotic portrait of lives lived on the margins’ T Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls ‘A vibrant blend of big-city life and contemporary mythology’ New York Times ‘Osunde’s writing is rich and sensorial … Vagabonds! is alive with magical potential in the face of oppression’ Creative Review

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Book SynopsisJohanna Basford is an illustrator and ink evangelist who prefers pens and pencils to pixels. Her intricate, hand-drawn illustrations are loved the world over by those who have coloured in (sometimes more than once) her bestselling books Small Victories, Rooms of Wonder, 30 Days of Creativity, Worlds of Wonder, How to Draw Inky Wonderlands, World of Flowers, Ivy and the Inky Butterfly, Johanna's Christmas, Magical Jungle, Lost Ocean, Enchanted Forest, and Secret Garden. An incredible 25 million copies sold. Johanna is a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee, Scotland. She likes sugar mice, floral teacups, peonies, and bumblebees.Visit her online at johannabasford.com or follow @johannabasford.Trade ReviewThe colourists have a queen, and her name is Johanna Basford. * New York Magazine *Consider trading in your yoga mat for a set of markers and peruse the gorgeous gardens of Basford’s imagination. * The Huffington Post *

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Book SynopsisUniquely inventive and vivacious in style and with deep insight into children's points of view, Hans Christian Andersen established a new genre in literature.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of Best Fairy Tales uses the classic translation by Jean Hersholt and is illustrated by various artists, with an afterword by Ned Halley.Hans Christian Andersen was a profoundly imaginative writer and storyteller who gave us the now standard versions of some traditional fairy tales - with an anarchic twist - but many of his most famous tales sprang directly from his imagination. The thirty stories here range from exuberant early works such as 'The Tinderbox' and 'The Emperor's New Clothes' through poignant masterpieces such as 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Little Match Girl' and 'The Ugly Duckling', to more subversive later tales such as 'The Ice Maiden' and 'The Dryad'.Trade ReviewHans Christian Andersen's fairytales . . . have captivated generations with their blend of plain language, unbridled imagination and haunting strangeness * Guardian *Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales are not fairy tales at all; they're too bittersweet, too knowledgeable about the way of the world for that. What they've done is provide us with many of the archetypes that sustain our Western collective unconscious * Independent *

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Book SynopsisFeaturing 211 classic tales from the Brothers Grimm, including favorites such as "Hansel and Gretel," "Cinderella," "The Frog Prince," "Rapunzel," "Snow White," and "Rumpelstiltskin," The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales is accompanied by 40 color plates and 60 black-and-white illustrations from award-winning English illustrator Arthur Rackham, whose books and prints are now highly sought-after collectibles. Originally titled Children’s and Household Tales, The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales contains what have been the essential bedtime stories for children worldwide for over two centuries. The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, were German linguists and cultural researchers who gathered legendary folklore and aimed to collect the stories exactly as they heard them. The fourth book in the Timeless Classics series from Rock Point has nearly 800 pages of classic fairy tales to enjoy and features a gorgeous deckled edge, ribbon marker, and foil and deboss details on a vibrantly colored case—a standout for your personal library collection. The Timeless Classics series from Rock Point brings together the works of classic authors from around the world. Complete and unabridged, these elegantly designed gift editions feature luxe, patterned endpapers, ribbon markers, and foil and deboss details on vibrantly colored cases. Celebrate these beloved works of literature as true standouts in your personal library collection. Other titles in the series include: The Complete Novels of Jane Austen, The Complete Sherlock Holmes, The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, The Complete Tales of H.P. Lovecraft, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Trade ReviewAdults and young readers alike have enjoyed these stories for more than two centuries, and in this volume the 211 classic tales from the German linguists Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm include favorites such as “Hansel and Gretel” and “Cinderella,” and are accompanied by 40 color plates and 60 black-and-white illustrations from the English illustrator Arthur Rackham. * Mountain Times *

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Book SynopsisPrincess Peppa and Prince George introduce their favourite fairytales with these fun sticker scenes! Use the big stickers to complete the activities and tell your own stories with Peppa Pig and her friends in this magical activity book packed full of stickers.

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Book SynopsisThis is the definitive collection of Tolkien's five acclaimed modern classic fairie' tales in the vein of The Hobbit, fully corrected and reset for this edition and all beautifully illustrated in pencil by the award-winning artist, Alan Lee.The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked because of their short lengths, they are finally together in a volume which reaffirms Tolkien''s place as a master storyteller for readers young and old.Roverandom is a toy dog who, enchanted by a sand sorcerer, gets to explore the world and encounter strange and fabulous creatures.Farmer Giles of Ham is fat and unheroic, but having unwittingly managed to scare off a short-sighted giant is called upon to do battle when a dragon comes to town;The Adventures of Tom Bombadil tells in verse of Tom''s many adventures with hobbits, princesses, dwarves and trolls;Leaf by Niggle recounts the strange adventures of the painter Niggle who setsTrade ReviewRoverandom:‘An old-fashioned story, yet it still speaks freshly today… would leap to life when read aloud to a child’ Independent Farmer Giles of Ham:‘A fabulous tale of the days when giants and dragons walked the kingdom’ Sunday Times Leaf by Niggle:‘A haunting and successful demonstration of the qualities of faerie’ New York Times The Adventures of Tom Bombadil:‘Something close to genius’ The Listener Smith of Wootton Major:‘Whoever reads it at eight will no doubt still be going back to it at eighty’ New Statesman

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