World Mythology

A celestial entity sets out on an extraordinary quest to breathe life into a barren planet, weaving the foundations of existence itself. But as creation takes shape, unforeseen challenges arise, testing the limits of its power and purpose. "What a great fiction book about the cosmos! From the very first page, the story immerses you in the fascinating life of the cosmic builder, whose ability to create planetary life for the first time is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The vivid descriptions and imaginative storytelling by the author immediately draw you into this cosmic realm, making you ...

Full of tragic heroes, intoxicating love stories, and the unstoppable force of fate, there is no conflict more iconic than the Trojan War. Troy is the story of the epic battle retold by Fry with drama, humor, and vivid emotion. Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Helen, their lovers, and their mortal enemies all burn bright in Fry's compelling prose. This volume invites you to explore a captivating world with a brilliant storyteller as your guide.

The Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy may have concluded, but we haven't heard the last of our favorite peeps from the Nine Worlds. Join Hearthstone, Blitzen, Samirah, Alex, Jack, T.J., Mallory, Halfborn, and more on a hilarious and unforgettable journey through Rick Riordan's unique take on Norse mythology. While Magnus is off visiting his cousin, Annabeth, his friends find themselves in some sticky, hairy, and smelly situations as they try to outwit moronic giants, murderous creatures, and meddlesome gods. Can they stave off Ragnarok at least until Magnus gets back?

More than 2,000 years ago, the Greek city-states, led by Athens and Sparta, laid the foundation for much of modern science, the arts, politics, and law. But the influence of the Greeks did not end with the rise and fall of this classical civilization. As historian Roderick Beaton illustrates, over three millennia Greek speakers produced a series of civilizations that were rooted in southeastern Europe but again and again ranged widely across the globe.

Nothing will prepare you for the gripping finale of Luke Romyn’s epic SHADE TRILOGY. “With this author, you never get vanilla. A blind protagonist in an action thriller? You’d think it couldn’t be done, but he pulls it off as he takes us through the multiverse to battle monsters, human and otherwise.” Amazon Review for ASH. With the great enemy unveiled, Ash and Cass must find a way to save the multiverse. The dreaded Skullcrafters hide in a nightmarish world called Dusk. They invade minds and control thoughts, tapping into your fears to turn them against you. These creatures have...

In Mythologies Without End, Jerome Slater argues that US policies in the region are largely a product of mythologies that are often flatly wrong. For example, the Israelis' treatment of Palestinians after 1948 undermined its claim that it was a true democracy, and the argument that Arab states refused to negotiate with Israel for decades is simply untrue. Because of widespread acceptance of these myths in both the US and Israel, the consequences have been devastating to all of the involved parties.

Blood tells all. Vervain Lavine has been through Hell. Two Hells actually, one of which she's been barred from. Despite all that, things are going pretty well for the Godhunter. At least they were until she turned on the news. Crops across America are dying, children in Hawaii are missing, and havoc is being wrecked upon her nightclub, Moonshine. It's obviously God messing with her again but which one is it this time? There's so many gods who want her dead these days. Then one wrong word sends her tumbling into an unknown realm. A strange place filled with even stranger beings who seem to ...

One heroine, abandoned and alone. The future of humanity stands on a precipice. Only River’s brilliant mind holds the secret to its survival, but she has unknowingly concealed the answer, buried deep within a prophecy she refuses to embrace—and time is fast running out. In a world ravaged by antimicrobial resistant disease, a new power, the Rangatiratanga, the Absolute Sovereignty of New Zealand has risen to a violent and deadly prominence. A technological revolution, inspired by the brittle friction between ancient Māori folklore and quantum physics, has led to the creation of the ...

This mesmerizing book provokes readers to reflect on the foundational principles of reality, existence, and the eternal dance between light and darkness. The book contemplates the nature of existence and invites readers to ponder the forces that govern the Universe. The book's main philosophical ideas and messages revolve around the universal dualisms between mind and matter, darkness and light, God and the Devil, and good and evil. The book examines collisions and harmonies of reality, complexities of life, suffering, and paradoxes relating to the physical nature of the Universe, society, ...

During his journeys around Japan, Smith recorded ancient Japanese myths and legends in his personal diaries. The result is a fascinating collection of historical legends from all over Japan, with themes including ghosts, unrequited love, Shinto landscape, tree and ocean spirits, samurai culture and tales driven by Bushido and Buddhist ethics. Gordon Smith's writing combines a realist style with supernatural elements, resulting in an anthology of 'magic realist' tales which will bewitch and captivate listeners.

TO CONQUER ETERNAL SUMMER: A CULTIVATION TRILOGY consists of these three books which are also available as singles. Book 1- BUDDYBOY: A CULTIVATION FANTASY An elderly man passes away and finds himself in the River of Souls where he spends an incalculable expanse of time. The time he spends there is valuable beyond belief. After gathering reams of knowledge and mastering the incredible powers of cultivation, his soul transmigrates to the body of his younger self. Equipped with the experiences from his previous life, now augmented by the powers and additional knowledge he collected in the ...

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home. These shiver-inducing tales introduce listeners to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge.

On March 8, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China. Its mission was to "proceed all the way to the ends of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas" and unite the whole world in Confucian harmony. When it returned in October 1423, the emperor had fallen, leaving China in political and economic chaos. The great ships were left to rot at their moorings and the records of their journeys were destroyed. Lost in China's long isolation that followed was the knowledge that Chinese ships had reached America 70 years before Columbus.

To sing with your heart you must first learn to listen. Sirens are some of the most dangerous denizens of the Beneath. So when they start going missing, it's assumed that a supremely powerful being is behind the disappearances. But who and why? As Elaria struggles to find answers to the siren situation, even more questions arise. Questions like: what kind of magic did the witch relic leave within her? And: what should she do about the three men who have become so important to her? One is her past, one: her present, and the third wants nothing more than to be her future. Can she find the ...

In 1587, 115 men, women, and children arrived at Roanoke Island on the coast of North Carolina to establish the first English settlement in the New World. But when the new colony's leader returned to Roanoke from a resupply mission, his settlers had vanished, leaving behind only a single clue - a "secret token" etched into a tree. What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? That question has consumed historians, archeologists, and amateur sleuths for 400 years. In The Secret Token, Andrew Lawler sets out on a quest to determine the fate of the settlers.

African folktales come in many different types. Some are myths explaining the origins of things, while others are tales of heroes with supernatural abilities. Animal stories are many and varied, and they usually involve some kind of trickster who uses his wiles to get out of sticky situations and sometimes into them. There are also cautionary tales explaining why it is important to behave well and treat others with respect, while other stories have a style and shape similar to that of a fairy tale.

MYSTERY, FORBIDDEN LOVE, AND GRAND ADVENTURE. The legendary Hall of Records waits, undiscovered since ancient Egypt... Young Gavin's afflicted life has never involved deciphering illusions concealed in shadow and light, unearthing the dead, or exhuming sunken tombs in crocodile-infested waters. Yet Gavin often dreams of what could have been–if only a consuming disease didn't restrict his aspirations. Instead, fear caused him to pursue what others deemed appropriate, and he committed an unforgivable mistake. But after receiving a letter from his deceased father, Gavin needs to escape. ...

It began with a promise of love and marriage given and a pledge made between people from different dimensions sealed with dragons gold, which had to be taken back by any means possible when that pledge was broken by promises which had formed an important part of it being broken too. Mary Lockyear and Tom Threshold knew nothing of any of this the time they visited Greenaway Cottage on their sunday off, to see if the tales told about the inhabitants of the cottage that they met with elves and fairies, witches and goblins in the dead of night, which Mary believed in and Tom didn’t, were true...

"From the land beyond the Endless Sea, from the land beyond eternity, in a dream there came to me, strangers one and two and three. I saw a stone before my eyes, hot as fire, yet cold as ice, it promised me a paradise, beware the stone, beware it lies! But in my dreams I then perceived, fools and wise men all deceived, and of their senses taken leave. Then the sound of fighting filled my head, my stomach rose at the stench of the dead, armies rose and armies bled, because of the words that the stone had said. Beware the strangers when they come, beware the mother who seeks her son, Beware ...

Many of the world's travails may be traced to the displacement of mythology by the age of science. Knowledge today is often deemed useful only if it enlarges our possessions or raises our station in society. If instead the criterion were to make us happier and more virtuous, mythology would have retained its proper place in society. The Age of Fable is Thomas Bulfinch's brilliant reconstruction of the ancient myths and legends that form the backbone of Western culture.