Cassia does not fear to die, but for her for a slave who has maimed her master there are worse things than death. Yet the mighty Roman Empire has its limits. Beyond her master's estate, beyond the river, far to the north stands Hadrian's Wall. And beyond the wall? Freedom. With dogs on her trail and a bounty on her head the journey seems impossible. But then Cassia meets Marcus, slick, slippery, silver-tongued, a true and perfect son of Rome. And her only hope.
'Like Spartan Helen, I caused a war. She caused hers by letting men who wanted her take her. I caused mine because I wouldn't be given, wouldn't be taken, but chose my man and my fate. The man was famous, the fate obscure; not a bad balance.' Lavinia is the daughter of the King of Latium, a victorious warrior who loves peace; she is her father's closest companion. Now of an age to wed, Lavinia's mother favours her own kinsman, King Turnus of Rutulia, handsome, heroic, everything a young girl should want. Instead, Lavinia dreams of mighty Aeneas, a man she has heard of only from a ghost of a poet, who comes to her in the gods' holy place and tells her of her future, and Aeneas' past . . . If she refuses to wed Turnus, Lavinia knows she will start a war - but her fate was set the moment the poet appeared to her in a dream and told her of the adventurer who fled fallen Troy, holding his son's hand and carrying his father on his back.
When Tiro, the confidential secretary of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events which will eventually propel his master into one of the most famous courtroom dramas in history. The stranger is a Sicilian, a victim of the island's corrupt Roman governor, Verres. The senator is Cicero, a brilliant young lawyer and spellbinding orator, determined to attain imperium supreme power in the state. This is the starting-point of Robert Harris's most accomplished novel to date. Compellingly written in Tiro's voice, it takes us inside the violent, treacherous world of Roman politics, to describe how one man clever, compassionate, devious, vulnerable fought to reach the top.
This is the first book in the Cicero trilogy.
Rome, Ad 70. One hot day in the Forum, Marcus Didius Falco, private informer, runs into sweet sixteen-year-old Sosia Camillina. She is fleeing for her life. Rescuing her is the start of a dangerous game, involving stolen imperial ingots and a dark political plot. Commissioned by mysterious, highly-placed clients for a job he knows he does not want, Falco is drawn on the long trail to Britain, where he endures physical hardship and heartache in the deadly silver mines.
Rome, AD 71. Against his better judgement, Marcus Didius Falco secretly disposes of a decayed corpse for the Emperor Vespasian, then heads for the beautiful Bay of Naples with his best friend Petronius. He conveniently forgets to mention to his companion that this will be no holiday. They have been sent to investigate the murderous members of a failed coup, now sunning themselves in luxurious villas and on fancy yachts.Nor does the idyllic seaside location help his doomed romance with Helena Justina. The deeper he probes, the more it seems Helena is inextricably connected to the elite plotters, in ways that the smitten Falco cannot bear to contemplate ...
In the heyday of the Roman Empire a small accounting error has left Marcus Didius Falco sharing a cell with a large rat. But the Empire's most hard-done-by investigator is eventually bailed out and promptly accepts a commission to help a family of freed slaves fend off a professional bribe.
AD 71. Germania Libera: dark dripping forests, inhabited by bloodthirsty barbarians and legendary wild beasts, a furious prophetess who terrorises Rome, and the ghostly spirits of slaughtered Roman legionaries. Enter Marcus Didius Falco, an Imperial agent on a special mission: to find the absconding commander of a legion whose loyalty is suspect. Easier said than done, thinks Marcus, as he makes his uneasy way down the Rhenus, trying to forget that back in sunny Rome his girlfriend Helena Justina is being hotly pursued by Titus Caesar. His mood is not improved when he discovers his only allies are a woefully inadequate bunch of recruits, their embittered centurion, a rogue dog, and its innocent young master; just the right kind of support for an agent unwillingly trying to tame the Celtic hordes.
This book is set in Rome AD 72: Marcus Didius Falco returns home from a six-month mission to the German legions. But trouble is in store for him: his apartment has been wrecked by squatters and an ex-legionary friend of his colourfully heroic brother Festus is demanding money, allegedly owed him as the result of one of Festus' wild schemes. Worse still, the only client Falco can get is his mother - who wants him to clear the family name. Then just as Falco thinks things can only get better, fate takes a turn for the worse...The legionary is found viciously stabbed to death with Falco the prime suspect. Now he has only three days to prove he is not a murderer, to trace the real suspect, amass evidence and win a fortune...
Jennifer A. Nielsen, author of the NYT and USA TODAY bestselling Ascendance Trilogy, has woven an electrifying tale of greed and power, magic and destiny, and one boy's courage at the heart of it all.When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes. In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders.
NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings a new dose of adventure and thrills to ancient Rome in the second book of her magical Mark of the Thief trilogy!Nic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War -- the battle to destroy Rome from within -- is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet -- one sure to bring the empire to its knees. Worse, the Praetors believe Nic holds the key to finding this amulet, and they will stop at nothing to steal it, even if that means harming the people Nic holds most dear. When the Praetors capture Nic's mother, Nic knows he must do anything to save her. He challenges the Praetors to a chariot race. If he wins, they will release his mother. But if he loses, he must hand over a magic that will certainly bring about the end of Rome -- as well as his own life. Can Nic once again harness his magic and gather the strength to defeat his enemies? Or will he lose his mother and bear witness to Rome's destruction? Find out in this New York Times bestseller!
NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen delivers the action-packed conclusion to her magical Mark of the Thief trilogy!Trouble has a way of seeking out Nicolas Calva, and it's not likely to leave him alone any time soon. With Caesar's magic bulla, the Malice of Mars, and the possibility of a Jupiter Stone in play, all the powers of Rome are circling Nic. He'll have to maneuver his way through scheming government officials and reawakened magical beasts to save the Empire. Can he manage to keep his friends and family safe, claim his own freedom once and for all, and rescue the Empire -- before the magic gets the better of him?With twists and turns on every page, critically acclaimed author Jennifer Nielsen weaves an epic, action-packed conclusion to her extraordinary Mark of the Thief trilogy.
A Celtic warrior girl is held captive and enslaved by a rival tribe. When fever takes her only friend she knows she must escape, but she runs straight into the path of two Roman foot soldiers. Thinking they will kill a warrior instantly, the girl disguises herself as a beggar and asks to share their fire. Using her gift as a seer she discovers that one of the soldiers is not what he seems. Celtic blood courses through his veins too, but there is something else. He is a shapeshifter - a Versipellum. He shares his soul with that of the wolf. In this heartstopping quest, the girl needs to reach the leader of her dead friend's tribe, and the boy must escape the Romans before they discover his true nature. Their only chance of survival is to help each other. But what will happen when their powers are combined?
Helen of Sparta wants to be more than a princess and a pretty face--she wants to be a hero. The traditions of ancient Sparta would have Helen know her place: a beautiful princess, a loyal daughter, a perfect bride. But Helen wants adventure, and she's not looking back. Not one to count on the gods to take care of her, she sets out to see the world and seek her own fate with steely determination. Her rebellious will makes Helen dangerous enemies--such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus--but it also gains her true friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi. If she is strong enough, if she is cunning enough, if she is brave enough, Helen will find her destiny . . . but what does destiny have in store for her?
Daring heroes, breathtaking women, betrayals, love and death--the mostspectacular war story ever told: The Trojan War. When a lustful Trojan princeabducts the beautiful Queen Helen of Sparta, Helen`s husband vows to recover herno matter the cost. So begins the Trojan War. From far and wide the ancientkings of Greece bring their ships to join the massive force to pledge theirallegiance to High King Agamemnon. Featuring the greatest of the Greek heroes:Achilles, Odysseus, and Herakles, along with a cast of thousands. AGE OF BRONZE:A THOUSAND SHIPS reveals hidden secrets of the characters` pasts, serving up joyand sorrow, leading up to the brink of war, and foreshadowing the terror tocome. Age of Bronze will be included in a major international exhibitiontravelling to three German museums in 2002. The exhibit is centered on thecurrent excavations at Troy and features Age of Bronze in an exhibit devoted tomodern interpretations of Troy. Age of Bronze has been nominated for numerousEisner (The comic industry's Oscar) Awards. Rack it in your mythology andhistorical fiction sections for even more sales success.
The first in a new series for young adults, 'Chasing Odysseus' is part of S. D. Gentill's alternative telling of Homer's great Greek classics, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Gentill starts with the classic story of the siege and fall of Troy, and a single character, Agelaus the herder, to create a story about the forgotten mountain tribe, the Herdsmen of Mount Ida. Readers know that the Greeks planted their famous decoy horse outside Troy's gates as a gift, entering unseen when the Trojans wheeled the horse inside. The Greeks slip out of the horse unseen in the dead of night, taking the Trojans by complete surprise, so they have no idea of their enemy's mode of invasion. In Gentill's tale, the Greek invader, King Odysseus, keeps it that way, instead letting the Trojans think the Herdsmen - their allies - had betrayed them by guiding the Greeks inside through the maze of top-secret tunnels the Herdsmen had used to keep Troy in food through the decade-long siege. Chasing Odysseus then follows an extraordinary journey of Agelaus' four children across land and, in an enchanted boat, across the sea, all to prove their tribe's innocence and to uncover Odysseus' lie. Hero and her three brothers, Cad, Mac and Lycon, battle giants, Sirens and more, risking their lives in an amazing quest that will keep readers on the edges of their seats.
The siege of Troy has lasted almost ten years. Inside the walled city, food is scarce and death is common. From the heights of Mount Olympus, the Gods keep watch. But Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, is bored with the endless, dreary war. Aided by Eros's bow, the goddess sends two sisters down a bloody path to an awful truth: In the fury of war, love strikes the deadliest blows. Heralded by fans and critics alike, Adèle Geras breathes personality, heartbreak, and humor into this classic story.
How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favor. But Apollo has many enemies-gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
This is the first book in the Trials of Apollo series.
The escapades of the Greek gods and heroes get a fresh spin in the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a contemporary 12-year-old New Yorker who learns he's a demigod. Perseus, aka Percy Jackson, thinks he has big problems. His father left before he was born, he's been kicked out of six schools in six years, he's dyslexic, and he has ADHD. What a surprise when he finds out that that's only the tip of the iceberg: he vaporizes his pre-algebra teacher, learns his best friend is a satyr, and is almost killed by a minotaur before his mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood--where he discovers that Poseidon is his father. But that's a problem, too. Poseidon has been accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and unless Percy can return the bolt, humankind is doomed.
This is the first book in the Percy Jackson series.
When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and plans to move to an island in the Aegean Sea, Phoebe's well-plotted senior year becomes ancient history. Now, instead of enjoying a triumphant track season and planning for college with her best friends, Phoebe is trying to keep her head above water at the berexclusive Academy. If it isn't hard enough being the new kid in school, Phoebe's classmates are all descendents of the Greek gods! When you're running against teammates with superpowers, dealing with a stepsister from Hades, and nursing a crush on a boy who is quite literally a god, the drama takes on mythic proportions!
When Pegasus, the majestic winged-stallion, crashes on to her roof in the middle of a storm that blacks-out New York City, 13-year-old Emily's life becomes that of legend: epic battles with gruesome monsters, desperate chases from a corrupt governmental agency, captivating flights astride the beautiful winged-stallion, and one heroic quest to save Olympus before the Olympic flame burns out.
This is the first book in the Pegasus series.
Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.
This is the first book in the Abandon series, based on the story of Hades and Persephone.
It is 13th century B.C. and aboard the ship Argo, Medea, Jason and the Argonauts make their return journey across the Black Sea from Persia’s Colchis, in possession of the Golden Fleece.
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
This is the first book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series
When shy, awkward Helen Hamilton sees Lucas Delos for the first time she thinks two things: the first, that he is the most ridiculously beautiful boy she has seen in her life; the second, that she wants to kill him with her bare hands. With an ancient curse making them loathe one another, Lucas and Helen have to keep their distance. But sometimes love is stronger than hate, and not even the gods themselves can prevent what will happen next...
This is the first book in the Starcrossed series.
What happens when you hold up a mirror to poems about Greek myths? You get a brand-new perspective on the classics! And that is just what happens in Echo Echo, the newest collection of reverso poems from Marilyn Singer. Read one way, each poem tells the story of a familiar myth; but when read in reverse, the poems reveal a new point of view! Readers will delight in uncovering the dual points of view in well-known legends, including the stories of Pandora's box, King Midas and his golden touch, Perseus and Medusa, Pygmalion, Icarus and Daedalus, Demeter and Persephone, and Echo and Narcissus. These cunning verses combine with beautiful illustrations to create a collection of fourteen reverso poems to treasure.
A glamorous cult. A mythical past. A wicked new world. A totally mesmerising pageturner! Strikes. Hunger. Riots. London is growing restless. Aura is blind to it all. The fame and glamour of the Cult of Artemis is the only home she has ever known. Life in the Sanctuary is a flurry of lavish parties, in-house shopping sprees and gossip with best friend Cally. What little Aura knows of conditions outside the exclusive grounds come from censored News channels or is learnt on procession to the Temple of Artemis. But days before Aura is due to be initiated as a Priestess of the Cult and offered the chance to be the successor to the High Priestess, she meets Aiden, the rebellious son of a keen sponsor of the Cult. His radical ideas and irresistible charm forces Aura to question everything - and everyone - she loves. Then Aura is blessed with a mysterious vision from the great goddess Artemis herself. The vision alludes to deceitful figures who pose a dangerous threat to the future of the city. Aura believes the world should hear the warning. The Cult has other ideas. They issue a press release masking the true words of the prophecy. It seems the Cult has an image to protect. Whatever they are hiding is monumental and Aura has no choice but to find out what it is.
Eden, Michigan, high school student Kate Winters strikes a bargain with Henry, Greek god of the underworld, if he'll cure her dying mother of cancer. The bargain she strikes with him is a grim one, but the full enormity of what she has undertaken--"live forever or die trying"--is not revealed until it's too late to recant.
This is the first book in the Goddess Test series.
Friendship vs. treachery in Ancient Greece, a decade before the Trojan War. Menelaos, teenage son of the assassinated High King of Greece, is skidding ever deeper into danger. Odysseus, his best friend, tries to help - but his great ideas have a tendency to backfire.
Acclaimed author Lilliam Rivera blends a touch of magical realism into a timely story about cultural identity, overcoming trauma, and the power of first love. Eury comes to the Bronx as a girl haunted. Haunted by losing everything in Hurricane Maria--and by an evil spirit, Ato. She fully expects the tragedy that befell her and her family in Puerto Rico to catch up with her in New York. Yet, for a time, she can almost set this fear aside, because there's this boy . . . Pheus is a golden-voiced, bachata-singing charmer, ready to spend the summer on the beach with his friends, serenading his on-again, off-again flame. That changes when he meets Eury. All he wants is to put a smile on her face and fight off her demons. But some dangers are too powerful for even the strongest love, and as the world threatens to tear them apart, Eury and Pheus must fight for each other and their lives.
Everything changed for Will last summer. On an ordinary sail with his brother, there was a strange accident, and Will washed ashore on the beach like a piece of driftwood, only to learn that his brother was missing-presumed drowned. But no matter how hard Will tries, he can't remember what happened on the boat, and all he has left of that night is a long scar on the side of his face. Now Will and his lifelong friend Gretchen are trying to resume normalcy in their quaint seaside hometown, which is being overrun, as usual, by wealthy summer residents. Gretchen gets a job at the local diner, and Will is kept busy at his family's farm stand. But both Will and Gretchen are restless. Gretchen's sleepwalking habit is worse than ever, and she keeps waking up closer to the water. And Will can't stop thinking about the new girl in town- Asia. Nobody knows who Asia is. But her otherworldly beauty and bewitching voice have a powerful effect on people.... When disturbing things start happening in town, including a rash of violent drownings, Will and Gretchen begin to wonder- who is Asia really? And if she isn't a beautiful summer resident but something entirely more sinister, why is she there- and what does she want from them?
All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. Then a messenger from the Emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan's paralysed father cannot go, and her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword and joins the army as a man. Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling, the royal duke's son, to whom she feels a dangerous attraction. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan's life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion . . . before it's too late. Inspired by wuxia martial-arts dramas as well as the centuries-old story of Mulan, The Magnolia Sword is a thrilling, romantic and sharp-edged novel that lives up to its beloved heroine.
In ancient China a slave girl who is told she is not worthy of a name witnesses the brutal carving up and pickling of a dragon. When the remaining dragon is threatened, the girl takes a chance and rescues him, fleeing her brutal master.The pair are free, but a long way from safety. They must travel across China, evading a ruthless dragon hunter and protecting a mystic stone, the dragon stone. This is a story of incredible beauty, with a delightful mix of fantasy and history.
This is the first book in the Dragonkeeper series.
Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society. But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.
When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure. The quest led them to a host of truly memorable characters, multiple wonders, incredible adventures--and strange coincidences which were really not coincidences at all. And it involved them in an ancient crime that still perturbed the serenity of Heaven. Simply and charmingly told, this is a wry tale, a sly tale, and a story of wisdom delightfully askew. Once read, its marvels and beauty will not easily fade from the mind.
Set in ancient China, DREAMING OF ZHOU GONG is a beautiful story of Hudan, one of the mysterious Wu who lives on the sacred mountain of Li Shan. The Wu have been living in isolation for decades while the Shang Emperor and his enchantress have ruled the land. It has been a terrible time for the common people and the noble Ji brothers are keen to bring the emperor′s arrogant bloodthirsty reign to an end. They believe an ancient prophecy has predicted the fall of the Shang emperor and they are keen to enact it, but first they must journey to the mountain and seek out the Wu. When the Ji brothers join forces with the beautiful, enigmatic Hudan and her equally mysterious tiger sister, they begin a powerful journey of love and adventure. But the Shang emperor is not their greatest threat. There is a dark curse that has plagued the rulers of the land for generations. And the mysterious Sons of the Sky who visit Hudan in her dreams have a plan to destroy it. Can Hudan trust them?
This is the first book in the Timekeepers series.
Kallisto loves her horses. She is an excellent horsewoman, as she has been taught all her equestrian skills by her nomad mother. Set in Ferghana, Central Asia, in 102 BC, this is a thrilling tale that weaves in real events.
Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Sixteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.
What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it's too late?
Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother in this Chinese retelling.
The Empty Potis Demi's beloved picture book about an honest schoolboy A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom. The Emperor loved flowers too. When it was time to choose an heir, he gave a flower seed to each child in the kingdom. "Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!" Ping plants his seed and tends it every day. But month after month passes, and nothing grows. When spring comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot. Demi's exquisite art and beautifully simple text show how Ping's embarrassing failure is turned triumphant in this satisfying tale of honesty rewarded.
When a poor boy in China receives a magical paintbrush, everything he paints turns to life. But the wicked emperor wants to capture the boy when he hears the news. The story will excite readers as the ruler gets his just reward when the boy creates a masterpiece that spells his doom.
A powerful novel about three young women caught in the stories of their own times. In the last years of the Viking Era, priestess Astrid takes on the task of recording the True Things. A skáldmær learning to write royal sagas and a member of one of the last remaining temples to the Goddess Nerthus, Astrid knows she must protect her secrets from the bishops of the Roman Church and from Norway's kings - a task that becomes harder when she falls in love. Orphaned Mercy is taken from the Glasgow Poorhouse by a man with ill intentions. When she realises the true horror of his evil plans, she escapes to London. She is fortunate to meet Ann Radcliffe, a successful yet reclusive author of Gothic horror novels. Mercy joins Ann's household and is taught storytelling. But even though she's finally found a home, she longs to discover her true identity. Mia is given the ancient book Systir Saga at the funeral of her cousin. With her best friend, Cait, she travels from the Blue Mountains to the UK on a quest to decipher the runes and learn more about her mysterious heritage. They journey to an ancient rock mound on a windswept island in the Orkneys. There, Mia seeks to unearth the secrets of the Systir Saga.
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he's never met - a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die ..
This is the first book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series.
Before the days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity . . . except for Amora. Asgard's resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit--someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him. But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard's most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. Without the only person who has ever looked at his magic as a gift instead of a threat, Loki slips further into anguish and the shadow of his universally adored brother, Thor. When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of mysterious murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate. As he descends upon nineteenth-century London, Loki embarks on a journey that leads him to more than just a murder suspect, putting him on a path to discover the source of his power--and who he's meant to be.
Freya is dreading the start of her fourteenth year. This marks the official end of her childhood and when she takes up the full duties of a Valkyrie - an angel of death and collector of souls from humanity's battlefields. But Freya is unlike any other Valkyrie. She doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of the legends before her. As she observes humanity from her norse home on Asgard, she tries to understand what it is to be human: to share in the simple pleasures of friendship with girls her own age and laugh with boys, without the fear of causing their death with one touch. Little does she know that her dreams will soon be realized: on her first battlefield mission, Freya reaps the soul of a soldier with unfinished business that will send her to the human world on a deadly quest.
This is the first book in the Valkyrie series.
In Skandia, there is only one way to become a warrior. Boys are chosen for teams called brotherbands and must endure three months of gruelling training in seamanship, weapons and battle tactics. It's brotherband against brotherband, fighting it out in a series of challenges. There can be only one winner. When Hal Mikkelson finds himself the unwilling leader of a brotherband made up of outcasts, he must step up to the challenge. The Heron brotherband might not have the strength and numbers of the other two teams, but with inventiveness, ingenuity and courage on their side, they might just surprise everyone.
This is the first book in the Brotherband series.
Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield--her brother, fighting with the enemy--the brother she watched die five years ago. Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family. She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother's friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she's spent her life hating.
This is the story of a Scottish wolfhound called Snarf and his owner, Hekja, whose simple but happy lives change unrecognisably when their village is raided by Vikings. As a puppy, Snarf is fortuitously rescued by a young girl called Hekja when he is badly injured. Both are then captured by raiding Vikings and transported to 'Vinland' with Freydis Ericsdottir, half-sister of Leif Ericson (who is usually credited with 'discovering' America. Both Freydis and Leif are the children of Eric the Red, who founded the Greenland colony.) This page-turning story is set against an historical backdrop and the book is both fascinating and historically informative.
Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old - when in actuality, he's twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he's hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power - plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish - to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.
This is the first book in the Iron Druid Chronicles series.
On holiday in Cornwall, Simon, Jane and Barney Drew discover an ancient map in the attic of the Grey House, where they are staying with their mysterious Great-Uncle Merry. They know immediately that it is special. But it is much more than just a map.
This book is the first in the Dark is Rising Series.
When Isabel's Yorkshire village is devastated by the Black Death, it seems that the world is ending in horror and fear. But for the survivors of the terrible plague, a new and freer society will rise from the destruction of the feudal system that enslaved the family. This is a powerful historical novel from one of today's most exciting young writers.
The legends tell of a treacherous king and a fortune in gold that was taken from him. Centuries later, a medieval scholar has discovered the location of a mysterious object said to be the key to recovering the lost treasure.~Now the scholar has disappeared. His only hope of survival is the ingenuity of his two younger brothers, one an eccentric cleric and the other a gifted minstrel. As they follow their brother's trail through caverns, castles, forests and mountains, one fact becomes clear: someone else is looking for the key and wants to find it first at any cost.
When Belle meets Luke, son of an alchemist and Scribe to the famous poet Chaucer, she is determined to travel with him to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. She hopes for a miracle: that her father will walk again. She also hopes to atone for her own part in his accident. It is a time of unrest across the country and the young King Richard II is just hanging on to his throne. A malign character on the pilgrimage suspects Chaucer of treason and slowly winds Belle into a political intrigue. At the same time, the impulsive Belle is drawn towards both Luke and to Walter, the wealthy son of a Knight. But Walter himself is in love with Luke...As the uprising against the King starts to draw pace and the web of intrigue around Belle and Chaucer tightens, Belle and her friends must risk everything to save their country and themselves...
London, 1321: in a small shop in Paternoster Row, three people are drawn together around the creation of a magnificent book, an illuminated manuscript of prayers, a book of hours. Even though the commission seems to answer the aspirations of each one of them, their own desires and ambitions threaten its completion. As each struggles to see the book come into being, it will change everything they have understood about their place in the world.
Before she was Maid Marian, she was Matty. . . . Matty has been raised to dance well, embroider exquisitely, and marry nobly. But when Matty's mother is murdered before her very eyes and her father, a nobleman, is reduced to poverty, Matty's life changes. As the daughter of Nottingham's most famous falconer, she finds a new destiny in the hawks her father keeps. She begins to understand their thoughts and even speak their language. The beautiful merlin Marigold becomes Matty's closest winged companion and her fiercest ally. It is a treacherous time in England. The sheriff of Nottingham is rising to power, and a true king has been kidnapped. Determined to fight, Matty's friend Fynn becomes Robin Hood. As Maid Marian, Matty joins Fynn and his Merry Men, famously robbing from the rich to give to the poor. You thought that you knew the legend, but this is the untold story.
Hope, considered to be the "slow one" of three children in a family of traveling actors in sixteenth-century Europe, discovers that she has a gift for healing the sick--a gift that is not for sale, despite her sister's plans.
Fifteen-year-old Melkorka, an Irish princess, is kidnapped by Russian slave traders and not only learns how to survive but to challenge some of the brutality of her captors, who are fascinated by her apparent muteness and the possibility that she is
Jousts, kidnappings, duels to the death, a mysterious Black Knight and the gallant outlaw Robin of Locksley all add zest to this timeless tale of medieval romance and adventure. **One of the BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World** Read this timeless tale of medieval romance and adventure. It is the dark days of King Richard the Lion Heart''s reign, when the beloved king is fighting in far-off lands, leaving his corrupt brother John in charge of his kingdom. Tensions between Saxon and Norman lords erupt in bouts of bloodshed or foul play; good men are banished, forced to turn outlaw and serve the true king in secrecy and disguise. In this dangerous world, the brave Wilfred of Ivanhoe must grapple with the claims of family, crown, truth and justice if he is ever to win the hand of his true love, the beautiful Lady Rowena.
He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and in so doing became an undying symbol of virtue. But most important, Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men offer young readers more than enough adventure and thrills to keep them turning the pages. Who could resist the arrows flying, danger lurking, and medieval intrigue?
Set in the UK in a village in the Middle Ages, it starts out with Harry (a simpleton) losing control of an ox due to a bee buzzing inside his shirt, and the ox kicks a young girl Tilly who is seriously injured. Harry is looking after the ox while its owner, Jeffrey, is having a romp in the woods with the beautiful Gwenifer. Jeffrey and Gwenifer have made Harry promise not to tell anyone what they are up to - and Harry adores Gwenifer and sticks to his word. The Steward of Lord Roderick's Manor, Shem, presides in a Court hearing when Tilly's father tries to get compensation for his daughter's injuries. His mother, rumoured to be a witch, is a blind old crone who wants to take the long and perilous pilgrimage to Ransomwood to drink the tears of the statue of the Blessed Lady, hoping to restore her sight. Shem is unable to accompany his mother as his wife is unwell, but he comes up with a cunning plan in the Court - that Harry and Gwenifer go with his mother to Ransomwood, and if her sight is restored then Harry will not hang them when he returns. And so begins their adventure.
The Telling Pool's richly atmospheric tale draws on Arthurian legend and pagan belief, following the fate of young Rhodri Falcon and his crusader father as they become entangled in the war of a king and the machinations of a seductive sorceress who literally steals men's hearts. Its up to Rhodri to defeat the sorceress and save his father before all is forever lost. As Rhodri discovers the evils of war fought in the name of religion with enemies who will stop at nothing to defeat him, he must dig deep within to discover the hero who will save his father and lead himself toward the man he will become. Expertly told, The Telling Pool transports young readers to the days of the Crusades, magic sorcery and the land where legends were formed. In the best-selling tradition of his previous books, Clement-Davies introduces readers a new character, Rhodri Falcon, who will forge ahead, determined to find good and in a land of evil.
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he presents his fashioning of the primeval Norse myths into a novel, which begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds, delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants, and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly recreating the characters--the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendencey to let passion ignite their actions--and making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.--
Discover the world's greatest myths and legends - from Greek mythology to Norse mythology - in this comprehensive guide. What did Japanese mythology say about the beginning of the Universe? How did Oedipus become the classic tragic hero in Greek mythology? Who brought about the origin of death in Maori mythology? Combining vivid retellings of famous legends with over 1,000 illustrations of characters, famous artworks, and artefacts, Myths and Legends makes it easier than ever before to understand the stories that are central to every culture. Delve into the well-known tales of the ancient Greeks, which hold the key to such phrases as "Achilles' heel", as well as the lesser-known but richly colourful myths of Africa and the Americas. Explore global ideas such as fate and fortune, and the Underworld, and find out about the key characters - heroes, tricksters, and gods - that make up each myth system. Filled with the cultural and religious meanings behind each legend, and the influence they have had both in their own time and in today's world, this book is a must-have for all mythology enthusiasts.
Summary: The Greek myths are the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. In Stephen Fry's hands the stories of the titans and gods become a brilliantly entertaining account of ribaldry and revelry, warfare and worship, debauchery, love affairs and life lessons, slayings and suicides, triumphs and tragedies. You'll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia's revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis. Thoroughly spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry's Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age - in all their rich and deeply human relevance. (WorldCat)
Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera.Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best.
The story of Troy speaks to all of us - the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against the city of Troy, to which they will lay siege for ten whole years. It is a terrible war with casualties on all sides as well as strained relations between allies, whose consequences become tragedies. In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.
This highly readable and well-illustrated compilation includes fascinating Chinese myths about gods, stars, water, fire, plus tales about the goddess of mercy, the guardian of the gate of heaven, and many other legends.
Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Sixteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.
From Herodotus to The Mummy, Western civilization has long been fascinated with the exotic myths and legends of Ancient Egypt but they have often been misunderstood. Here acclaimed Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley guides us through 3000 years of changing stories and, in retelling them, shows us what they mean. Gathered from pyramid friezes, archaological finds and contemporary documents, these vivid and strange stories explain everything from why the Nile flooded every year to their beliefs about what exactly happened after death and shed fascinating light on what life was like for both rich and poor. Lavishly illustrated with colour pictures, maps and family trees, helpful glossaries explaining all the major gods and timelines of the Pharoahs and most importantly packed with unforgettable stories, this book offers the perfect introduction to Egyptian history and civilization.
Take a step into the fascinating realm of gods and goddesses, mythical warriors, and legendary kings and queens. Explore the creation stories of world's great cultures, let yourself be gripped by the classic hero narratives like the legend of King Arthur or the adventures of the Monkey King, or shed a tear over heart-rending tragedies such as the devastating tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. The Mythology Book retells and explains more than 80 classic stories. They include myths that have formed the foundations of many of the world's great religions and inspired artists from Homer and Virgil to Richard Wagner and James Joyce. Delve into each story to discover the meanings behind the myths, getting to the heart of the significance to the cultures they originated in. Divided into seven major sections, The Mythology Book examines myths from every continent and every significant period in history, from ancient Egypt to the Celts, and from the Maya of Mexico and Central America to Aboriginal Australians and the Maori of New Zealand. An eye-catching visual approach includes graphics and feature boxes that summarize the sources, settings, and key characters, set out the main plot points, and place the stories in historical context.
Diverse myths and legends from around the world, from Iceland to Poland to Japan, retold in easy-to-read glorious full-colour comic book form by a stunning Australian artist with an international reputation.
