Dark Myths

“13 Black Cats” — They took my cats. Now I’ll take their lives. They say black cats bring bad luck. In this forgotten village buried under frost and fear, it’s a belief that kills. Spot was the thirteenth. Slaughtered, discarded, and devoured by the things that roam the night. Like the twelve before him, his only crime was being mine. My name is Morana. These cats were my family, my only solace in a cruel, superstitious world. The villagers called them omens. I called them love. Now I call for revenge. Told through the eyes of a grieving and vengeful woman, 13 Black Cats is a dark...

She thinks she can do anything because she's the Evil Queen. And my stepmother. The only thing she truly loves is her Demon Mirror. But the more she gazes into that thing, the crazier she becomes. But I am no longer a child. I won't allow the Evil Queen to poison my heart and my home. Although my skin is white as snow, my soul is far from pure. I will make Cinderella suffer for her sins.

The assault on the city of Shadowfen has taken its toll. With so many lives lost, the people have begun to rebel while the king desperately searches for answers. How did this happen? Who is to blame for so much bloodshed? Someone must be held accountable. But while the king is doing everything he can to calm his people, barely able to hold his kingdom together by a thread, a deadly force has risen in the north. Unseen, unnoticed, it silently threatens the world of Ayrith from the shadows. Now Viola and her friends must make a choice. Do they defend the humans from this latest threat, or ...

Emerging from the shadows of the Forest Grimm, Clara and Axel return to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest's border. But when the trees themselves begin luring villagers into the forest, it becomes clear that the darkness they battled was merely a whisper of the true horror lurking there. Burdened by unsettling visions and bound by a love as perilous as the cursed woods that call to them, Clara and Axel must once again enter the forest to unearth the sinister secret at its heart.

Blood is on his hands... ...or so everyone keeps telling him. Michael has no memory of the night that cast him into the shadows with cries of 'Murderer'. His adoptive sister, Isabella, does him the greatest of favors: throws him onto the streets. On the run with a price on his head, he searches for the truth, for safety, and for his head to stay firmly attached to his neck. Dark medieval times now carry his fate. His first steps lead him down the precarious path to an assassin by the name of Julianna. It appears she has a mission of her own. One that leads Michael back to where it all began...

Cash Cassidy goes against her husband’s wishes and departs Wales for South America to seek El Dorado, the famed lost city of gold. When she’s pursued by authorities, robbed of a critical item, and abandoned by the smugglers who were her guides, it’s up to Cash to find her way to safety to El Dorado. Meanwhile, Cash’s husband is desperate to find her—he’ll do anything to save her from a terrible fate. Cash travels undercover on the odyssey of a lifetime through jungles, across mountains, and even across borders. After she meets a man who reveals more clues about the whereabouts ...

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it. But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus's love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride.

The Brotherhood never leaves business unfinished. Let the hunt begin… With the help of her new friends, Sillavana once again manages to escape the Brotherhood’s grasp. But safety is an illusion, and she’d better not get too comfortable. One evening when she and Renwin stop to rest for the night, they run into an old acquaintance at the local inn. However, it turns out their old friend is not exactly who she claimed to be. Is there anyone she can still trust? High up in the mountains, Jemaex has made his choice and travels to meet Thaola at the agreed-upon location. This might be his ...

Twelve-year-old Maya is the only one in her South Side Chicago neighborhood who witnesses weird occurrences like were-hyenas stalking the streets at night and a scary man made of shadows plaguing her dreams. Her friends try to find an explanation - perhaps a ghost uprising or a lunchroom experiment gone awry. But to Maya, it sounds like something from one of Papa’s stories or her favorite comics.

When Imsun Carr became a sorceress, she unknowingly sacrificed an important piece of herself. Legend claims that the mythological waters of Aetudale can restore what has been lost, and despite the doubts and ridicule of others, Imsun embarks on a journey to find them. Along the way, she meets Sienna Tian, a victim of the savage and power-hungry country of Cegoven. They took her husband, ravaged her home, and forced her to flee for her life with her young son, Andor. All Sienna wants is to be reunited with her family and keep them safe, but she harbors a deadly secret. Imsun takes on the ...

Listen and relive exciting tales from Highlights, now on audio! Learn about a boy at a Spanish market who knocks over a stand of avocados down a hill and makes guacamole and about a jungle that is full of terror at the thought that a monster could be lurking in the shadows, along with other stories.

Gold thread promises Charlotte Miller a chance to save her family's beloved woolen mill. It promises a future for her sister, jobs for her townsfolk, security against her grasping uncle - maybe even true love. But to get the thread, Charlotte must strike a bargain with its maker, the mysterious Jack Spinner. This is an award-winning and wholly original retelling of "Rumplestiltskin".

With Finch’s help, Alice escaped the Hinterland and her reclusive grandmother’s dark legacy. Now, she and the rest of the dregs of the fairy tale world have washed up in New York City, where Alice is trying to make a new, unmagical life. But something is stalking the Hinterland’s survivors - and she suspects their deaths may have a darker purpose. Meanwhile, in the winking out world of the Hinterland, Finch seeks his own adventure, and - if he can find it - a way back home....

Princess Ying Yue believed in love...once upon a time. Yet when she’s chosen to wed the crown prince, Ying’s dreams of a fairy tale marriage quickly fall apart. Her husband-to-be is cold and indifferent, confining Ying to her room for reasons he won’t explain. Worse still are the rumors that swirl around the imperial palace: whispers of seven other royal brides who, after their own weddings, mysteriously disappeared. Left alone with only her own reflection for company, Ying begins to see things. Strange things.

As the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo been through so much, from the premature deaths of his mother and sister, to being outed against his will, to losing his friend Jason during the trials of Apollo. But there is a ray of sunshine in his life—literally: his boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo. Together the two demigods can overcome any obstacle or foe. At least, that's been the case so far. Now Nico is being plagued by a voice calling out to him from Tartarus, the lowest part of the Underworld.

Whether you are an adult with fond memories of spooky tales by the campfire light, or a young camper looking to be the spooky storyteller among your friends and family, Tales in the Dark is ideal for you. Fifth graders and up will have a thrilling read. Grab your snuggly blanket and a flashlight, pull the blanket over your head, and read this book by flashlight. Don’t forget to practice telling the stories so that you will be the best storyteller with your friends. "Tales in the Dark is a great read for children and adults. Break out your flashlight, make some s'mores. put your flashlight...

Now we are all pawns in a war against the gods… The four of us (Skarde, Fyrcat, Torsten, and I) all have one common goal: to find the goddess Freya and convince her to join us against Odin to end the forever Winter that’s overcome the earth. But along the way, we encounter more and more hostile enemies—the forces of Odin sent to deter us on our mission. Not only that, but we’re also suffering internal battles as we all struggle to understand whom we can trust and whom we can’t. Will the ice of the forever Winter eventually overtake us, or will we be successful in our mission ...

Is the Gate Keeper some sort of demon? The people of this new land seem to think so. For years they have been tormented by a being with abilities eerily similar to Eric's. So how is this foreigner who washed up on their shores any different? Why should they trust him or his companions? The Gate Keeper must prove himself once again. Left with no choice, he must transform before their very eyes to show them the truth. In the eyes of the Gods and in those of the people he serves, he must be...reborn. This book is intended for mature audiences. The Legend of the Gate Keeper Series Reading Order...

In a realm cloaked in darkness, a colossal castle looms, swallowing a once-sacred mountain whole. Within its shadows, an absent king reigns over a fractured kingdom. Amidst this desolation, a man finds himself at the lowest echelons, surrounded by ruins and despair. Driven by an insatiable desire for redemption and revenge, he grapples with a fateful choice: to end an age by taking the king's life or to embark on an enigmatic quest for the elusive Thunderbolt—the key to his true identity.

A woman forged by fire. A girl the curse has chosen. A Soldier with a secret. An ancient enemy. A world on the brink of mayhem. Welcome to Brodanna. Only magic or your skill with a blade might save you. Katanya Leshi is one of the most powerful Wielders left in the Kingdom of Brodanna. She spent her life becoming a weapon, as deadly with her magic as she is with a blade. After vowing never to return to Kara's Guild, only a debt to an old friend can bring her back and into the path of Mara Lars. Mara only ever wanted to be a story teller, she never thought she’d wind up the centre in a ...