World Myths

To find the killer, she'll have to walk through fire. Ever since Elaria learned that an ember of her goddess magic still burns inside her, she's been having strange dreams of fire and blood. She decides that she needs a teacher to help her learn how to control the fire and the perfect one is found for her; a phoenix. A charismatic shapeshifter with true immortality and an exceptional control of fire. Except her lessons are put on hold when several phoenixes are murdered; their ashes taken to prevent their rising. Elaria is asked to find the killer and retrieve the ashes, but as she closes ...

Mildred Groves, an unusual young woman gifted and cursed with the ability to see the future, goes to work in a top-secret research facility during WWII, only to be tormented by visions of what the mission will mean for humankind.

With a writer as prolific as Neil Gaiman, what do you check out next? Or, perhaps, where do you begin? Spanning Gaiman's career to date, this collection of groundbreaking, entrancing, endlessly imaginative fiction will answer those questions. Curated by Gaiman's devoted listeners around the world, The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction includes excerpts from each of his five novels for adults - Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Anansi Boys and The Ocean at the End of the Lane - and nearly 50 of his short stories.

"28 Universal Floods" is a captivating book that immerses us in a fascinating journey through the flood stories present in different mythologies, religions and stories around the world. From the Biblical tales of Noah to the legends of Matsya in Hindu mythology and Deucalion in Greek mythology, this book offers a comprehensive and insightful look at the many floods that have captured the imagination of mankind over the centuries. With careful research and gripping narration, the author immerses us in each of these 28 floods, exploring their origins, characteristics, and symbolic meanings. ...

Eleven-year-old Josephine knows that no one is good enough for her daddy. That's why she makes a habit of scaring his new girlfriends away. She's desperate to make it onto her school's cricket team because she'll get to play her favorite sport and use the cricket matches to distract Daddy from dating. But when Coach Broomes announces that girls can't try out for the team, the frustrated Josephine cuts into a powerful silk cotton tree and accidentally summons a bigger problem into her life.

When the other gods grow tired in their attempt to create humankind, only one does not give up: the Feathered Serpent. He embarks on a dangerous journey full of fearsome foes and harsh elements, facing each trial with wisdom, bravery, and resourcefulness before confronting his final challenge at Mictlan, the underworld. In the spirit of Duncan Tonatiuh’s celebrated book The Princess and the Warrior, this pre-Columbian creation myth tells the story of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, one of the most important deities in ancient Mesoamerica.

Japanese culture has fascinated the West ever since the country’s doors opened up in the 1800s. In many ways, Japan has remained elusive, and people have travelled from all around the world to see for themselves how unique this nation remains. Another way of exploring this enigmatic culture is through its literature. The English language succeeds surprisingly well in revealing the Japanese sense of life.

Leo Braudy, a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has won accolades for revealing the complex and constantly shifting history behind seemingly unchanging ideas of fame, war, and masculinity. Continuing his interest in the history of emotion, this book explores how fear has been shaped into images of monsters and monstrosity.

For the last nine centuries, Hawaiian tradition has used the wickedness of the Maui king Hua to depict the consequences of sacrificing righteousness for superficial political gains. His reign was known for its pointless warfare, waste of resources, and corruption. Condemning his dutiful high priest to death under false pretenses, Hua and his subjects finally earn the wrath of the gods. Drought and famine decimate Maui. The lush countryside of Hana becomes a wasteland. As they flee, the curse follows. Atonement resides with the sons of the murdered priest. If they can be found.

Almost everyone is familiar with names like Thor and Loki from movies, comics and other corners of the media world today, but where do they come from? That's exactly what this book looks at. You'll dive for a while into the origins of these familiar names of Norse mythology. You'll not only get an overview of the scientific sources if you desire to further investigate more specifically than what is presented here, you'll also get a short but concise introduction to the mythological world created in a pre-Christian time.

The Olmec аrt ѕtуlе wаѕ thе dоminаnt рrеѕtigе style оf Ancient Mеѕоаmеriса bеtwееn c. 1,500 BCE аnd 400 BCE, оr muсh of thе Mеѕоаmеriсаn Fоrmаtivе (Prесlаѕѕiс) реriоd (or c. 1500-400 BCE calibrated). Sсhоlаrѕ hаvе ѕuссеѕѕfullу dеfinеd thе ѕtуliѕtiс elements оf Olmec аrt, thе most important of which iѕ thе tеndеnсу tо exhibit a monumentality оf form in objects of аll sizes, including small portable оbjесtѕ.

This is the 11th volume of stories from teacher Patrick Healy, who traveled around the world, talking with people in different places and collecting around half a thousand myths, legends, and folktales.

This is a collection of fascinating facts, insights, and stories from Greek mythology. Some you may know them well, as they have appeared in many different films and cartoons by the likes of Disney (Hercules) and Thunder Road Productions (Clash of the Titans), and others you would never have heard of before. Whether this is your first foray into Greek mythology or you are a seasoned history loving aficionado, I am sure you will find something within this book that you can’t help but fall in love with.

The world of the Australian Aborigines is so full of extraordinary force and beauty that the idea of natural miracles, or what we might call magic, can seem quite normal. So natural magic figures very strongly in their stories, and in their lives. However as people are part of nature too, selfishness, greed, jealousy; also love, courage and a sense of humour are readily described in nature just as in men and women.

In this story from India, a farmer's three lazy sons don't want to work. They sit around dreaming of making a lot of gold. When their mother tells them of gold buried in a field, they ask her how to bring the gold to the surface. Through clever suggestions, their mother explains how to thed the fields as they discover the true riches offered by hard work. Illustrated by Tom Wrenn.

The traditional retold fairy tales in this volume speak of the awesome and the marvellous, of the perilous and the exhilarating. We shall explore the traditional, age-old stories for children our ancestors have told us about Dragons. These fairy tales of awe have grown and flourished all over the globe, although as you travel futher East it’s likely that you’ll find more dragons — and also kindlier ones. For not all dragons are the same: they’re not really siblings to each other, they’re more like removed cousins. Some are imbued with fire, others with light, and others with rain ...

A flower-spouting princess, gobbling prince, emerald-winged fairy, foolish giants, fearsome ogres, and talking frog and fish are just a few of the captivating characters found in this anthology of beloved stories from 29 places around the world, from the Arctic to Africa to Asia to Australia to Europe to the Americas.

In this story, a poor boy's dream of having a drum takes him on an unlikely path. He meets several people who guide him along the way. In time, he learns to make his own magic in this world. Illustrated by Tom Wrenn.

Fate is a fickle thing. The Godhunter has managed to piss off an entire pantheon and now, the Mesopotamians are coming for her. Even worse, their leader wields an ancient artifact that can rewrite destiny. With her star still on the mend, Vervain knows this is the worst time for another war but a confrontation seems unavoidable. She must find a way to battle the God of Light before her destiny descends into darkness. For more information about Bestselling, Award-Winning, and Internationally Acclaimed Author Amy Sumida visit her website: http://www.amysumida.com/ For information on new ...

The dream is broken. The world is burning. Anise must find a new way to fight. Cast into the heart of the dream realm, Anise awakens to a world unraveling. Dragons darken the skies. Nightmares spill into the waking world. And those she once trusted have become strangers. Armed with her channeler’s magic—and guided by an unlikely ally in the god of death—Anise must weave light from shadow before Liamec falls to ruin. But dreams are tricky things. Old enemies wear new faces. Love and loyalty blur. And at the end of the path waits a sacrifice no magic can undo. In a battle where dreams ...