Traditional or cultural fiction and true stories, tales and retellings
Sourcebooks, Inc War
Book Synopsis
£14.06
Sourcebooks, Inc Wings Once Cursed & Bound
Book SynopsisFor fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout comes a bold and captivating fantasy by bestselling author Piper J. Drake.My wings unbound, I am the Thai bird princessThe kinnareeAnd no matter the cost,I will be free.Peeraphan Rahttana lives her life in Seattle, unaware of the complicated magical world spinning just beyond the shadows and mist...until a violent clash outside her dance rehearsal has her literally whisked off her feet. Her darkly brooding rescuer, vampire Bennet Andrews, claims to represent a secret organization dedicated to locating objects of myth and magic, tucking them safely away where they can do no harm-but he's too late to save Peeraphan from a deadly curse.Yet Peeraphan isn't what she seems. Wings unbound, she's a Thai bird princess of legend...and while the curse won't kill her outright, it's only a matter of time. Determined, Bennett sweeps Peeraphan deeper into a supernatural world far beyond anything she ever imagined in a desperate bid to find a solution...and an explanation for the powers even she doesn't know how to define.Her world may have changed overnight, but Peeraphan knows one thing for certain: she can't go back to living as a human anymore. Not when she's felt what it's like to fly with Bennet by her side. She's determined to keep her wings and her freedom...and defy anyone who would try to take them from her again.What would you save if the world you knew disappearedAnd you could open your eyes to what exists just beyond?
£8.54
Sourcebooks, Inc Salt Kiss
Book SynopsisFrom TikTok sensation Sierra Simone comes the first in the Lyonesse series, a spin-off of her bestselling New Camelot books.Tristan Thomas is lost. After leaving the army, the young former soldier is in limbo. Until, that is, he's hired by Mark Trevena, the owner of Lyonesse-DC's ultra-secret club-to be Mark's new bodyguard. He's drawn into Mark's dark, seductive world of power and desire, and slowly drawn to Mark himself, even though Mark is everything Tristan knows he shouldn't want: cruel and wicked and shamelessly amoral.But protecting Mark isn't Tristan's only duty: soon, Mark asks him to guard his soon-to-be bride as she travels home from Ireland on Mark's yacht. Tristan is jealous-and hurt to learn that the object of his obsession is engaged-but the former soldier in him is made to obey orders, and he goes to fetch Mark's bride for him.Isolde Laurence is nothing like Tristan expected, however. Young, quiet, and sharp, she's being pushed into this marriage by her family, and as the two travel back to America, Tristan finds himself fascinated with Isolde and the glimpses he gets of the lonely but determined woman behind her reserve. And the fascination is mutual: one night, while sailing under the cold stars, they share a searing kiss. From there, it's a fast fall into the forbidden for all three of them.
£8.54
Sourcebooks, Inc Athena's Child
Book Synopsis
£16.19
Sourcebooks, Inc Mountains Made of Glass
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Corvidae Literary Services LLC Tales from the Den: Dark Fiction Volume 1
Book Synopsis
£9.36
Winterset Books Stranger in the Twisted Realm
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Shellback Studio The Falcon Queen
Book Synopsis
£11.22
Krista Jain A Rokian's Curse
Book Synopsis
£19.94
Galen Steffen The Passage of Galloway
Book Synopsis
£15.75
Joel Thomas Feldman Ash
Book Synopsis
£12.89
Far Forest Scrolls Far Forest Scrolls Earth on Fire Ocean of Blood
Book Synopsis
£23.75
Sourcebooks, Inc A Game of Fate
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 the story of Hades and Persephone told from Hades's point of view. "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.
£20.80
Isotopia Publishing First Quiver
Book Synopsis
£18.99
Scroll Media Company LLC Peter
Book Synopsis
£22.49
Hawkwood Books Crow Dark Dawn
Book SynopsisCrow Dark Dawn interweaves the stories of Morrow, Ghresselle, Fenya and Binnory: vulnerable, complex and cunning, surviving in a liminal city of wind-swept wharfs and winding alleyways, stagnant canals and cold dank cellars - drawing on folklore and myth to create a distinctive dream-like atmosphere. Morrow: abandoned by Lummenmilk, his mother. He is brought up by Grob, the wizened old ratcatcher, who teaches Morrow his trade. Ghresselle: an old woman losing touch with reality, who wanders the city in search of her dead husband and a brother she never had, but who she believes is drowned. Fenya and Arrak: two street urchins, filching fruit and pickings from the market and the docks. Binnory: a young woman who arrives from the country, but quickly becomes entangled with the pickpockets and tricksters she meets on the streets. Longing and loneliness, hunger and disease live cheek by jowl with dancing and revelry, fiddle-playing and puppetry - and the haunting memory of a far-off village, lingering on in the mythic tale of a flower which bursts into flames, but never burns. DAVID GREYGOOSE dw dot windowsproject AT btinternet dot com
£8.54
around Yateley Publications The Witches of Slievenamon: 2023
Book Synopsis
£15.99
Country Books Garden of the Good Folk
Book Synopsis
£7.59
Kate Craft Chaos Forged a Fable
Book Synopsis
£19.80
Jerven Publishing Sentinals Across Time: Book Four of the Epic
Book Synopsis
£16.14
Jerven Publishing Sentinals Across Time: Book Four of the Epic
Book Synopsis
£23.74
Pan Macmillan Australia Gorgon: Alex Hunter 5
£11.63
Pan Macmillan Australia I, Morgana
£10.99
Douglas & McIntyre The Wild Heavens
Book SynopsisA graceful and compelling first novel that pays tribute to the magic and unfathomable mystery of the natural world.It all starts with an impossibly large set of tracks, footprints for a creature that could not possibly exist. The words sasquatch, bigfoot and yeti never occur in this novel, but that is what most people would call the hairy, nine-foot creature that would become a lifelong obsession for Aidan Fitzpatrick, and in turn, his granddaughter Sandy Langley.The novel spans the course of single winter day, interspersed with memories from Sandy's lifechildhood days spent with her distracted, scholarly grandfather in a remote cabin in British Columbia's interior mountains; later recollections of new motherhood; and then the tragic disappearance that would irrevocably shape the rest of her life, a day when all signs of the mysterious creature would disappear for thirty years. When the enigmatic tracks finally reappear, Sandy sets out on the trail alone, determined to find out the truth about the mystery that has shaped her life.The Wild Heavens is an impressive and evocative debut, containing beauty, tragedy and wonder in equal parts.
£16.14
Book*hug The Animals
Book SynopsisIn a quaint tourist village, Dorn makes miniature scale models displayed in the local shops. Yet life is far from idyllic; he suffers under the thumb of a rich, philandering younger brother and an unloving father, and cannot find the courage to admit his love to Ravenna, the ungainly schoolteacher.Life takes a strange turn when the government-sponsored "Wild Home Project" is introduced and wolves, rats, minks, otters, and bears move into villagers' homes. Soon, Dorn receives a mysterious commission, finds a body in a park, and has several run-ins with a former classmate-turned police officer. When fire breaks out, Dorn takes on the unlikely role of hero in the hope of changing the course of his life.A realist novel with the air of a fairy tale, The Animals is a surprising, funny, and thought-provoking story that explores the nature of relationships faunal and human, and reminds us of the challenges of finding one's place in society . . . and that living with a wolf is not a very good idea.Trade Review“Fagan’s novella distills enchantments from the ordinary while treating the forces that corrupt ordinary life (including religions, governments, and the bored rich) with sardonic incision. Each scene proffers a surprise, strung together to form a sometimes baffling, always delightful whole.” —Foreword Reviews“In Fagan’s short and addictive novel, all sorts of animals are being domesticated as pets through something called the Wild Home Animal Project. They represent a sanctioned yet mortal danger that a gullible citizenry is embracing because a bizarre social initiative has slid into being and become the norm. . . At its heart, the novel is a puzzling and lively parable.”—The Literary Review of Canada
£17.05
Talon Books,Canada Medusa
Book SynopsisAn incendiary new novel based on the myth of Medusa from noted author Martine DesjardinsShe's been called Medusa for so long that she's forgotten her real name. She walks with her head down, her face hidden behind her hair to spare others the sight of her Deformities eyes so horrible they repel women and petrify men. She herself never dares to look in a mirror. Driven from her family home, Medusa is locked up in the Athenæum, an institute for young malformed girls, which stands on the shores of a lake infested with jellyfish. In this dismal abyss, where Benefactors indulge in cruel games with their protégées, she gradually discovers the prodigious and formidable faculties of her ocular Sickenings. The day when Medusa finally emerges from her confinement, she sows destruction in her path. But before she can take revenge on the Benefactors who humiliated her, she'll first have to face the treacherous gaze of her nemesis and the deadly gaze of her own Abominations.Martine Desjardins's chilling and poetic Medusa is a provocative story of women's body shame and men's body shaming, phallocratic oppression, and the power of femininity an inversion of the traditional balance of power that throws a light on so-called monstrosity.
£12.34
Inhabit Media Inc The Other Ones
Book SynopsisIn “The Net,” a girl and her mother arrive at their secluded cabin on a frozen lake to find their fishing net has been attacked, a massive hole ripped through the middle. After the net has been mended and the night’s catch eaten, the daughter sits awake playing with a bit of leftover netting string. When she was a girl, her grandmother taught her to make string figures—just as her mother had taught her—a game played by Inuit for generations, but a game not to be taken lightly . . . as the daughter plays late into the night, and the mother sleeps, other monstrous forces are soon awakened from beneath the frozen lake. In “Before Dawn” a young boy runs out onto the tundra to play with his new friend by his side, venturing far beyond his mother’s rule that he not stray past the inuksuk on the horizon. The boy’s friend beckons him farther and farther, and the farther they get from home, the more the friend seems to change . . . until he is no longer human at all. Horrified, the boy listens to the creature’s proposition: return home before dawn, or be lost forever to the other side . . . Complemented by haunting illustrations from Toma Feizo Gas, The Other Ones is a fresh take on modern horror by an exciting new Inuit voice.Trade Review"Want to feel haunted years from now? Read this book. These are innocence stealing stories that will scrape your soul cold. You have been warned." Richard Van Camp, author of The Lesser Blessed and Godless but Loyal to Heaven
£12.34
Eye of Newt Books Bestiarium Greenlandica: A compendium of the
Book SynopsisMeet the motley crew of dangerous, cheeky, and fantastical beings of Greenland! << Content Warning: nudity and mentions of sexual violence. >> The world of Greenlandic mythology is inhabited by creatures that have played a vital role in Inuit beliefs and stories throughout the ages. The Bestiarium is a collection of what is generally known about these diverse beings, spirits, and animals. Their stories are gritty, cruel, and reflect from the harsh landscape and lifestyle of ancient Greenland. Descriptions are paired with illustrations by contemporary Greenlandic illustrators that transport these mythological beings into the 21st Century. A brief history of Greenland and the shaman tradition launches the reader into the ancient world of Greenland and how myth and legend told generation after generation can mould and depict a place that was dark and grim as mischievous and lively and full of natural wonders. Now available in North America as part of Eye of Newt’s specialty series, Wool of Bat, which is focused on the preservation and promotion of folklore and oral history from around the world. This edition of the Bestiarium features re-translated and edited chapter on "Shamans, witches, and witchcraft" by Robin Fenrir Mansa Hillestrøm.Table of Contents8 Preface by Maria Bach Kreutzmann10 A brief history of Greenland by Ujammiugaq EngellA17 AAJUMAAQ18 AASSIK20 AAVERPAK21 AJAQQISAAQ22 AKUEQQUTIT24 ALLAQ24 ALLIARUTSIT26 AMAARSISARTOQ29 AMAROQ30 AMU33 ANGIUT34 ANINGAAQ37 ANNGIAQ38 AQAJARORMIORSIORTOQ39 ARPATTUT41 ASIAQ42 ASSAGISSATE45 EQALUSSUAQ46 EQQILLIT49 EQUNGASOQ50 ERLAVEERSINIOOQI53 IGALILIK54 IKKIILLINEQANNGEQQISSAARTOQ55 IKUSIK55 ILLUKOQ57 IMMAP NANUA58 INNERSUIT & ALLIARUTSIT61 INNERSUIT TAARTAAT62 INORROOQ64 INORUTSIT65 INUARAKASIK66 INUARULLIKKAT67 INUSSUAQ SAARNGIINNAQ68 ISEQQAT70 ITTUKUK71 KATSIIA72 KIIAPPA75 KILIFFAK76 KISERMAAQ77 KUKIFFAAJOOQ78 KUUPAJEEQM79 MAKAKAJUIT81 MALIINAN82 NALAARSIK85 NAPPAASILAT87 NATTAANNGUAQ88 NEQIKITSULIAQ89 NERRERSUUTP91 PARPALIGAMIK UNIAKATTALIKQ95 QAJARIAQ96 QAMALLARLUTIK98 QAQQAT NAALAGAAT100 QARLIMAATSOQ103 QIVITTUT104 QULLERMIUT107 QUNGUSSUTARIAQS108 SASSUMA ARNAA113 SERMILISSUAQ114 SERMIP INUAT116 TARRAJAARSUIT118 TIMERSIIT119 TOORNAARSUK121 TUNIT122 TUPILAKU126 UERSAT INUAT129 UMIARISSAT130 Shamans, witches and witchcraft by Robin Fenrir Mansa Hillestrøm136 Alternative names and spellings140 Glossary142 The team behind the book156 Bibliography
£28.45
Eye of Newt Books Museum of Hidden Beings: A Guide to Icelandic
Book Synopsis
£20.36
Eye of Newt Books Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts: A Guide to the
Book Synopsis"A love letter to the Welsh language... Ellis’ detailed watercolor illustrations are the main attraction, providing fresh artistic representations to inspire a new generation of readers. Mythology fans and art enthusiasts alike will enjoy this beautiful book." — Booklist ‘‘Packed with lore, history, and beautiful illustrations, Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts is an indispensable registry of everything that lurks in the shadows, glides just beneath the surface, or goes bump in the night. I love it!’’ — Todd Lockwood ''My first thought upon seeing Welsh Monsters was “Goodness, what a useful book!” —John Howe Upon the dramatic landscape of Wales there have been born many creatures and beings of legend. This lushly illustrated guide delves into the dragons, beasts, fair folk, and spirits of Wales. Tales become blended and one with history, and this history meets illustration with C.C.J. Ellis’ rich renderings of these creatures. Detail and colour lift these beings off the page and bring this compendium to life. Now available worldwide, this new edition includes a Welsh language guide so that each of the creatures might be known by their original Welsh names. You may have heard of the Red Dragon (Draig Goch) featured on the national flag of Wales, but have you heard of the Water Leaper (Llamhigyn Y Dŵr) or of the Mary White (Mari Lwyd)? Ellis aims to re-introduce the beasts of Welsh myth and legend to the world and bring a touch of Wales to your shelves. Part of the Wool of Bat series focused on the preservation and promotion of folklore and oral history from around the world.Trade Review"A love letter to the Welsh language... Ellis’ detailed watercolor illustrations are the main attraction, providing fresh artistic representations to inspire a new generation of readers. Mythology fans and art enthusiasts alike will enjoy this beautiful book." — Booklist Table of ContentsFORWARD BY STEPHANIE LAW 8 AN INTRODUCTION TO WALES 10 THE ANNWN 12 DREIGIAU (Dragons) 14 AFANC 16 CEILIOG NEIDR 18 DDRAIG GOCH 20 THE DRAGONS OF DINAS EMRYS 22 GWIBER 24 THE GWIBER OF PENMACHNO 26 BWYSTFILOD (Beasts) 28 ADAR LLWCH GWIN 30 CATH PALUG 32 CEFFYL DŴR 34 CŴN ANNWN 36 GWYLLGI 38 LLAMHIGYN Y DŴR 40 TWRCH TRWYTH 42TYLWYTH TEG (Fairfolk) 44 TYLWYTH TEG 46 BWBACHOD 48 BWCA 50 CEWRI 52 COBLYNAU 54 ELLYLLON 56 GWRAGEDD ANNWN 58 GWYLLION 60 MORGEN 62 PWCA 64 YSBRYDION (Spirits) 66 ANGELYSTOR 68 CYHYRAETH 70 Y DYN GWYRDD 72 GWRACH Y RHIBYN 74 MARI LWYD 76 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 78
£20.89
Fergus P Egan Lanta: Song of the Sea
Book Synopsis
£16.99
Orion Publishing Co Inland
Book SynopsisFEATURED ON BARACK OBAMA'S 2019 READING LIST SHORTLISTED FOR THE SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 'SPECTACULAR' Guardian'A WONDER' Daily Mail'SPARKLING' The Times'EXQUISITE' Observer'MAGNIFICENT' TLS'EPIC' Entertainment Weekly'A TRIUMPH' LitHub'INFECTIOUS' Financial Times'A MASTERPIECE' Sunday Express Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman awaiting the return of the men in her life, biding her time with her youngest son - who is convinced that a mysterious beast is stalking the land around their home - and her husband's seventeen-year-old cousin, who communes with spirits. Lurie is a former outlaw and a man haunted by ghosts. He sees lost souls who want something from him, and he finds reprieve from their longing in an unexpected relationship that inspires a momentous expedition across the West. Mythical, lyrical, and sweeping in scope, Inland is grounded in true but little-known history. It showcases all of Téa Obreht's talents as a writer, as she subverts and reimagines the myths of the American West, making them entirely - and unforgettably - her own.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: Guardian, Time, Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, The New York Public Library 'Should have been on the Booker longlist' Claire Lowdon, Sunday Times'Magnificent... Brings to mind Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude or Toni Morrison's Beloved' Times Literary Supplement'Exquisite ... The historical detail is immaculate, the landscape exquisitely drawn; the prose is hard, muscular, more convincingly Cormac McCarthy than McCarthy himself' Alex Preston, ObserverTrade ReviewA tremendously talented writer * Ann Patchett *Magnificent . . . brings to mind similar effects in, say, Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude or Toni Morrison's Beloved. * Times Literary Supplement *This free-ranging tale of an American frontierswoman should have been on the Booker longlist... I'm already looking forward to whatever Obreht writes next. -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times *This exquisite frontier tale from the author of The Tiger's Wife is a timely exploration of the darkness beneath the American dream ... The historical detail is immaculate, the landscape exquisitely drawn; the prose is hard, muscular, more convincingly Cormac McCarthy than McCarthy himself ... [The] paranormal element reminds us strongly of George Saunders's Lincoln in the Bardo ... Inland also feels of a piece with another recent novel, Sarah Perry's Melmoth, a brilliantly eerie gothic tale in which the horrors of history are condensed into a single ghostly figure -- Alex Preston * Observer *[Obreht] has used the little-known existence of the Camel Corps as the inspiration for Inland, her propulsive second novel ... Infectious storytelling ... Obreht is as engrossing with her depiction of the colourful and disparate encounters experienced by Lurie and Burke as she is on the claustrophobia of small-town rivalries -- Catherine Taylor * Financial Times *It's a voyage of hilarious and harrowing adventures, told in the irresistible voice of a restless, superstitious man determined to live right but tormented by his past. At times, it feels as though Obreht has managed to track down Huck Finn years after he lit out for the Territory and found him riding a camel. She has such a perfectly tuned ear for the simple poetry of Lurie's vision... Sip slowly, make it last. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *Set against a backdrop of hardship and saturated with magic and myth, this ambitious novel is a modern masterpiece, culminating in an unforgettable ending -- Rosie Hopegood * Sunday Express *"Obreht is the kind of writer who can forever change the way you think about a thing, just through her powers of description . . . Inland is an ambitious and beautiful work about many things: immigration, the afterlife, responsibility, guilt, marriage, parenthood, revenge, all the roads and waterways that led to America. Miraculously, it's also a page-turner and a mystery, as well as a love letter to a camel, and, like a camel, improbable and splendid, something to happily puzzle over at first and take your breath away at the end. -- Elizabeth McCracken * O Magazine *Obreht is superb at tracing such inescapable wounds, both personal and national. Her 2011 Orange prize-winning debut, The Tiger's Wife, mapped the aftermath of civil conflict in an unnamed "Balkan country still scarred by war", which was based on her native Serbia ... The fictional territory of Inland is as vivid and as violent: Arizona in the second half of the 19th century, populated by "cowpokes and prospectors", gunslingers and cattle kings - and, yes, cameleers ... Exquisitely panoramic ... compelling ... On every page gorgeously tinted images conjure the otherworldliness of this desert existence ... Obreht's narrative skill here is part of the magic of Inland, which succeeds spectacularly at reinventing a well-worn genre and its tropes. There are no stereotypes in this western, only ferociously adroit writing that honours the true strangeness of reality in its search for the meaning of home -- Elizabeth Lowry * The Guardian *As it should be, the landscape of the West itself is a character, thrillingly rendered throughout... Here, Obreht's simple but rich prose captures and luxuriates in the West's beauty and sudden menace. Remarkable in a novel with such a sprawling cast, Obreht also has a poetic touch for writing intricate and precise character descriptions. * New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice) *At a time when old-fashioned storytelling seems to be in decline, Téa Obreht is a class apart ... a bustling, bravura adventure that's part Western, part Cormac McCarthy and part Obreht's unique blend of spiritual realism ... This is not a novel to gulp down, but to savour, as Obreht fleshes out every possible detail in language that tastes both of the soil and of the skies. The final chapter, meanwhile, rich in poignant symbolism, is a wonder -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *Set at the end of the 19th century, it has dual narratives of a frontierswoman and a former outlaw. Suspenseful, atmospheric, near mythical in tone, and lyrically written * I paper *With Inland Obreht makes a renewed case for the sustained, international appeal of the American West, based on a set of myths that have been continually shaped and refracted through outside lenses . . . Discovering the particular genre conventions that Obreht has chosen to transfigure or to uphold soon becomes central to the novel's propulsive appeal. * New Yorker *Sparkling descriptions ... Obreht is alive to the sharp, enduring pain of grief and how it alters even the most mundane aspects of life - and she convincingly conjures the jagged anxiety of clinging on to life and livelihood in the face of terrible odds -- Siobhan Murphy * The Times *It's eight years since Obreht's debut, The Tiger's Wife, made her the youngest winner of the Orange Prize. Inland, her second novel, is an equally skilful exploration of myth and fable, and histories both forgotten and elaborated -- Sophie Ratcliffe * Daily Telegraph *Téa Obreht was just 25 when she wrote her Orange Prize-winning debut The Tiger's Wife, a lush and magical retelling of the bloody history of the Balkans. Her new book ventures into the Wild West for an intricate, slow-burn two-hander that, while more sober and rugged, by no means ditches her interest in the supernatural -- Anthony Cummins * Metro *What Obreht pulls off here is pure poetry. It doesn't feel written so much as extracted from the mind in its purest, clearest, truest form * Entertainment Weekly *The landscape of the West itself is a character, thrillingly rendered throughout in phrases such as "red boil of twilight" and "a stillness so vast the small music of the grasses could not rise to fill it." Here, Obreht's simple but rich prose captures and luxuriates in the West's beauty and sudden menace. Remarkable in a novel with such a sprawling cast, Obreht also has a poetic touch for writing intricate and precise character descriptions... Inland has the stoic heroic characters and the requisite brutal violence of the western genre, but the decision to place an immigrant and a middle-aged mother at its center is a welcome deviation... In Obreht's hands, this is an era that overflows with what the dead want, and with wants that lead to death. Her two central characters may not be who we have been conditioned to think of when we conjure the old American West, but they, too, are America. * International New York Times *Inland is a classic story, told in a classic way - and yet it feels wholly and unmistakably new... Obreht offers a new representation of the West, both in the characters she chooses and the emotional rigor and range with which she writes. The result is at once a new Western myth and a far realer story than many we have previously received - and that's even with all the ghosts. * NPR *Téa Obreht's M.O. is clear: She's determined to unsettle our most familiar, cliché-soaked genres . . . Inland can feel like Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian turned inside out: contemplative rather than rollicking, ghostly rather than blood-soaked . . . giving so much of the novel's stage to Nora makes this a less familiar woman's western, one that's more about resilience, wit and family than frontier justice. * Minneapolis Star Tribune *There is so much to admire and enjoy here: the interplay of magic and reason, the threats of progress, the tribalism of a nation forming. Above all the difficulty of simply living alongside one another, evoked in Obreht's masterful language, variously lyrical, hilarious, and profound -- Francesca Steele * The Spectator *Refreshing ... plenty of fine descriptive writing to admire -- Max Davidson * Mail on Sunday *Obreht has a gift for vivid language and deft stories-within-stories ... She gives words fresh purposes, to great effect; verbs sizzle ... haunting. * Economist *This book is everything you'd expect the literary event of 2019 to be: sweeping, confident, ambitious, well-researched and difficult ... it really packs a punch ... it is moving and learned, and it reminds us how the history of America has always been about trying to create a home in a hostile place -- Niamh Donnelly * Irish Times *A captivating, sweeping novel * Grazia *Every page is a triumph - even if you don't think you like Westerns. Trust me, this book will make you a believer. * Lit Hub *It will enchant lovers of lyrical prose and the myth of the American West. * Harper's Baazar *Obreht's novels are capital-E Events - big, ambitious, provocative reading experiences...At last we have Inland, a bracingly epic and imaginatively mythic journey across the American West in 1893, in which the lives of a former outlaw and a frontierswoman collide and intertwine. * Entertainment Weekly *Obreht uses her prodigious writing gifts to create a new mythology for the American West, one that glimmers with the intensity of a desert mirage. * Nylon *Obreht brings her extraordinarily intricate worldview, psychological and social acuity, descriptive artistry, and shrewd, witty, and zestful storytelling to another provocative inquiry into the mysteries of place, nature, and human complexities... As her protagonists' lives converge, Obreht inventively and scathingly dramatizes the delirium of the West-its myths, hardships, greed, racism, sexism, and violence-in a tornadic novel of stoicism, anguish, and wonder. * Booklist (starred review) *The most thrilling discovery in years * Colum McCann *The unrelenting harshness of existence in the unsettled American West sharply focuses what Obreht refers to as 'the uncertain and frightening textures of the world' in this mesmerizing historical novel spun from two primary narrative threads . . . The novel's unforgettable finale, evocative and grimly symbolic, crystallizes its underlying themes of how inconsolable grief and unforgivable betrayal shape the circumstances that bind its characters to their fates. Obreht knocks it out of the park in her second novel. * Publisher's Weekly *A frontier tale dazzles with camels and wolves and two characters who never quite meet. Eight years after Obreht's sensational debut, The Tiger's Wife, she returns with a novel saturated in enough realism and magic to make the ghost of Gabriel García Márquez grin. She keeps her penchant for animals and the dead but switches up centuries and continents. Having won an Orange Prize for The Tiger's Wife, a mesmerizing 20th-century Balkan folktale, Obreht cuts her new story from a mythmaking swatch of the Arizona Territory in 1893 . . . Obreht throws readers into the swift river of her imagination . . . [A] deep stoicism, flinty humor, and awe at the natural world pervade these characters. [Lurie and Nora] are both treacherous and good company . . . The final, luminous chapter is six pages that will take your breath away. * Kirkus *
£8.54
Reaktion Books Arthur: God and Hero in Avalon
Book SynopsisFor fifteen centuries, legends of King Arthur have inspired generations. In the misty past of a Britain under siege, half-remembered events became shrouded in ancient myth and folklore. The resulting tales were told and retold, until over time Arthur, Camelot, Avalon, the Round Table, the Holy Grail, Excalibur, Lancelot and Guinevere all became instantly recognizable icons. Along the way, Arthur's life and times were recast in the mould of the hero's journey: his miraculous conception at Tintagel through the magical intercession of his shaman guide, Merlin; the childhood deed of pulling the Sword from the Stone through which Arthur was anointed King; the Quest for the Holy Grail, the most sacred object in Christendom; the betrayal of Arthur by his wife and champion; and the apocalyptic battle between Good and Evil, ending with Arthur's journey to the Otherworld. Arthur: God and Hero in Avalon views Arthur in terms of comparative mythology, and argues that the Once and Future King remains relevant because his story speaks so eloquently about universal human needs and anxieties. The book discusses the tales of King Arthur, from the very earliest versions to the most recent film and television adaptations, and offers readers an insight into why Arthur remains so popular.
£15.20
Collective Ink Bridge to the Other Side, A
Book SynopsisA Bridge to the Other Side is a collection of articles and traditional folk tales that deal with our feelings about and attitudes towards Death, both our own death and that of those nearest and dearest to us. A bridge between earth and heaven, this world and the next, features in the mythology of many different peoples. For example, in Norse legends, Bifrost or Bilrost is a burning rainbow bridge between Midgard, the world, and Asgard, the realm of the gods. The bridge is known as Bilrost in the Poetic Edda; compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and as Bifrost in the Prose Edda; written in the 13th century by Snorri Stureuson. Both the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda alternately refer to the bridge as Asbru (Old Norse Esirs means bridge). The Persians believed in a bridge between earth and paradise too. In his prayers the penitent in his confession would say: I am wholly without doubt in the existence of the Mazdayacnian faith; in the coming of the resurrection of the latter body; in the stepping over the bridge Chinvat; as well as in the continuance of paradise.Trade ReviewThis book, which is a collection of material of different type and origin - ancient folk-tales, myths, poems, even jokes about Death concentrate on the different ways Death is represented in different cultures...after reading it one will want to think about their lives and the numbers of good deeds performed as well as look at Death with less fear! (Professor Manana Rusieshvili, Tbilisi State University, Georgia) his is a fascinating collection , and one that had a profound effect on me. M. Berman has taken folktales and articles from a wide variety of cultural traditions, and these greatly enhance the power of his book. (David Byham, President of MENSA, Geneva)
£11.99
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. Knight of Shadows: A Guy of Gisburne Novel
Book SynopsisEngland, 1191. Richard Lionheart has left the realm bankrupt and leaderless in his quest for glory. Only Prince John seems willing to fight back the tide of chaos threatening England - embodied by the traitorous 'Hood.' But John has a secret weapon: Guy of Gisburne, outcast, mercenary, and now knight. His first mission: to intercept the jewel-encrusted skull of John the Baptist, sent by the Templars to Philip, King of France. Gisburne's quest takes him from the Tower of London to the hectic crusader port of Marseilles - and into increasingly bloody encounters with 'The White Devil': the fanatical Templar de Mercheval. Relentlessly pursued back to England, and aided by the beautiful and secretive Melisande, Gisburne battles his way with sword, lance and bow to a bitter confrontation at the Castel de Mercheval. But beyond it - if he survives - lies an even more unpredictable adversary.Trade Review'Historical Fantasy has never been such fun! This novel, [is] set during the Robin Hood era of Prince John's rule, Guy of Gisbourne is a knight enlisted to capture the skull of John the Baptist from the French King Philip. Magnificent, action-packed fantasy. This is a fast-paced book that never lets up from its opening pages. The Historical world is rich and chaos-filled, and the brutal sword-fighting and action are an integral part of the story as Guy struggles across to Marseilles and back. Exceptional story, great characters, rich and varied settings, and simply irresistible writing. What more can you ask for from a historical fantasy.' - Morpheus Tales
£7.59
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. A Different Kingdom
Book SynopsisA different kingdom of wolves, woods and stranger, darker, creatures lies in wait for Michael Fay in the woods at the bottom of his family's farm. Michael Fay is a normal boy, living with his grandparents on their family farm in rural Ireland. In the woods there are wolves; and other things, dangerous things. He doesn't tell his family, not even his Aunt Rose, his closest friend. And then, as Michael wanders through the trees, he finds himself in the Other Place. There are strange people, and monsters, and a girl called Cat. When the wolves follow him from the Other Place to his family s doorstep, Michael must choose between locking the doors and looking away or following Cat on an adventure that may take an entire lifetime in the Other Place.Table of ContentsPaul Kearney was born in Northern Ireland. He studied Old Norse, Middle English and Anglo Saxon at Oxford University, and subsequently lived for several years in both Denmark and the United States. His first novel was published at the age of 25 in 1992. He has been a professional writer ever since. He lives in County Down, in a croft with a boat by the door.
£7.59
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. The Red Hand: A Guy of Gisburne Novel
Book SynopsisEngland, 1193. Guy of Gisburne, knight and agent to Prince John, is all that stands between England and anarchy, fighting a shadow battle to protect the kingdom from those who would destroy it.Returning to England after foiling a plot to destroy Jerusalem, Guy of Gisburne is arrested and hauled to the Tower of London; John, England’s regent in the absence of its monstrous King, needs his knight once more. A killer has broken into the Prince’s most secure castle in the north and left a message, drawn on the skin of one of his victims: dies irae venit – ‘Judgement Day is coming’ – signed with a bloody handprint. Is the threat genuine? Who, or what, is the Red Hand? Someone is killing John’s most loyal supporters, and the obvious culprit – the most dangerous man in the Kingdom, Hood himself – has an alibi even Guy can’t deny.Trade Review'Historical Fantasy has never been such fun! This novel, [is] set during the Robin Hood era of Prince John's rule, Guy of Gisbourne is a knight enlisted to capture the skull of John the Baptist from the French King Philip. Magnificent, action-packed fantasy. This is a fast-paced book that never lets up from its opening pages. The Historical world is rich and chaos-filled, and the brutal sword-fighting and action are an integral part of the story as Guy struggles across to Marseilles and back. Exceptional story, great characters, rich and varied settings, and simply irresistible writing. What more can you ask for from a historical fantasy.' - Morpheus Tales on Hunter of Sherwood: Knight of Shadows
£7.59
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. Hood: A Guy of Gisburne Novel
Book SynopsisThe vendetta with Robin Hood has cost too much: blood shed, lives lost, friendships severed.Guy of Gisburne, knight and agent of the crown, has had enough, and wishes to enjoy a little quiet on his own land. But Hood grows ever more troublesome, and if the barons of the North will not convince Guy to resume the hunt – nor even the rightful King Richard, returned from long imprisonment – then perhaps the simple plea of a missing daughter's father, and a promise to restore a good man's name, will. Hood has gathered an army: the insidious Friar Took, the giant John Lyttel, the cutthroat Scarlet Will, the brilliant and unhinged Alan O'Doyle, among others. Guy will need an army of his own: the redoubtable de Rosseley, the deadly Lady Melisande, the resourceful Asif ibn Salah, even Guy's former enemy, the ferocious Tancred... and his old friend and squire, Galfrid.The stage is set: Sherwood, long a home to both men. The final confrontation begins...
£8.54
The Mercier Press Ltd Irish Fairy Tales
Book SynopsisIn writing these fascinating stories, Edmund Leamy turned to the Gaelic past to give the Irish people something which would implant in them a love for the beauty and dignity of their country’s traditions. The charming and poetic tales in this book include 'Princess Finola and the Dwarf', 'The Fairy Tree of Dooros', 'The House in the Lake', 'The Little White Cat', 'The Golden Spears' and 'The Enchanted Cave'.Table of ContentsPrincess Finola and the Dwarf The House in the Lake The Little White Cat The Golden Spears The Fairy Tree of Dooros The Enchanted Cave The Huntsman’s Son
£8.54
Benediction Classics Laxdala Saga - The Laxdale Saga - with Map and
Book Synopsis
£23.74
Benediction Classics The Heroes of Asgard
£9.93
Benediction Classics Irish Fairy Tales (Fully Illustrated)
£10.90
Benediction Classics The Saga of the Volsungs
£11.87
Benediction Classics The Prose Edda
Book SynopsisThe Edda is our richest treasure trove of Norse mythology. Complete and unabridged.The Edda is our richest treasure trove of Norse mythology--starting with a creation myth, passing through the struggle of the gods, giants, dwarves, and elves for survival and supremacy, and ending in the Ragnarok, a final all-engulfing battle wherein the world itself is destroyed. Norse mythology has captured many imaginations, and inspired epics including Wagner''s The Ring and J. R. R. Tolkien''s Lord of the Rings.The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri''s Edda and, historically, simply as Edda, was written in Old Norse in Iceland during the thirteenth century. In 1220, Snorri Sturluson, a respected poet, parliamentarian, and a visitor to the royal court of Norway, decided to compile the myths and poetic conventions of Norse mythology before they vanished under the influence of Christianity and the verse forms of Europe. The result is the Prose Edda, a unique glimpse of early Norse mythology.Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), poet, historian, the most powerful chieftain in Iceland and "Lawspeaker" of the Icelandic Parliament, The Althing is a significant figure in Icelandic history. His extensive writings beyond the Prose Edda provide insight into Scandinavian history and are among the earliest records of the discovery of Vinland (North America).This unabridged edition includes introduction, notes and an extensive list of alternative names
£16.99
Poetry Wales Press Tip of My Tongue: New Stories from the Mabibogion
Book Synopsis
£12.63
Poetry Wales Press Four Dervishes
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Fantom Films Limited The Moon Stallion
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Poolbeg Press Ltd The Spectacular Library of Magical Things: 2022
Book Synopsis
£9.97
