Popular Fantasy

The ice is coming. It was the last thing we expected, but the world is freezing. A new ice age has dawned. Billions have fled the glaciers. A cataclysmic war is coming. In orbit, a group of scientists are running the Winter Experiments, a last-ditch attempt to understand why the planet is cooling. None of the climate models they build make sense. But then they discover an anomaly, an unexplained variation in solar radiation...and something else. Close to the burning edge of the sun, they catch a fleeting glimpse of something that shouldn’t be there....

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune—and control of the OASIS itself.

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated.

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is 12, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

Final Fantasy is one of the most iconic and beloved video game series in the world. Since its inception, its titles have adopted names, themes, and stories from across global mythology, including the beliefs of the Vikings. This book embarks on a detailed exploration of how Norse lore in particular influenced the writing and design of Final Fantasy VII - arguably the most critically acclaimed of the franchise - and its wider Compilation. This work is presented as a tribute to the metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Getting sucked into a video game is not as much fun as you’d think. Sure, there are jetpacks, hover tanks, and infinite lives, but what happens when the game starts to turn on you? In this bestselling series, 12-year-old Jesse Rigsby finds out just how dangerous video games—and the people making those games—can be.

"Magic and other races really add to the magnificent story!" –Auburn, Vine Voice "Great dark fantasy!" -Vine Voice "If you love Tolkien, as I do, you will love this book." -Veronica Richards "Fantasy done right!" -Kindle Reviewer Ancient evil crawls from the dark. The great river of magic threatened. An epic struggle to prevail. Wielding the strongest magic ever known to Astura, Crystalyn faces the hooded man’s ruthless determination to annihilate a peaceful race dwelling within the vibrant beauty of an ancient vale. Ultimately, she faces a desperate choice: hunt down a former dear ...

Fifty years after the sexual revolution, we are told that we live in a time of unprecedented sexual freedom: that if anything, we are too free now. But beneath the veneer of glossy hedonism, millennial journalist Rachel Hills argues, we are controlled by a new brand of sexual convention: one that influences all of us - woman or man, straight or gay, liberal or conservative.

Comic book superheroines bend steel, travel across time and space, and wield awesome forces. These mighty females do everything that male superheroes do. But they have to work their wonders in skirts and high heels. The Supergirls asks whether their world of fantasy is that different from our own. Are the stories of Wonder Woman’s search for an identity, Batwoman and Power Girl’s battle for equality, and Manhunter’s juggling of a crime fighting career and motherhood also an alternative saga of modern American women?

Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: the game has had a profound influence on our culture, and 2014 marks the intriguing role-playing phenomenon’s 40th anniversary. Released decades before the Internet and social media, Dungeons & Dragons inspired one of the original nerd subcultures and is still revered by more than 30 million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the game are revealed by an award-winning journalist and lifelong D&D player.

This is George Dasent's classic collection of Scandinavian folklore. This is not about Norse mythology per se; so if you are looking for tales of Odin, Loki, and Freya etc., you will have to look elsewhere. Rather, this is an anthology of folk tales, similar to the Grimm Brothers', or Campbell's Popular Tales of the West Highlands. All of the usual suspects are in place, including giants, trolls, witches, evil step-siblings, magical boons and tasks, and anthropomorphic animals.

Hank Mossberg has a bad feeling about his latest job, and it’s not just the fact that he’s working for the dark fae known as Siva. Something’s brewing in the undercity; something dark and intangible, like an evil spell simmering in the shadows. Crime and violence are at an all-time high. Street gangs are growing more powerful, and drug abuse is rampant. There’s something different about Siva, too. She claims to have lost her powers. Hank’s not sure he can believe her, but the amount of money she’s offering is too much to resist. All he has to do is track down one of her clients ...

Everyone loves senior Carson Toliver, the captain and quarterback of the football team, heartthrob of South Burlington County Regional High - especially the girls. Even Jack's best friend, Weezy, has a crush on him. But Jack is surprised when Weezy tells him that Carson took her on a date and attacked her. Jack tries to convince her to report Carson, but Weezy would rather just forget it ever happened. But then Carson starts telling his own version of what happened that night, and suddenly everyone is calling her "Easy Weezy". Jack's concern turns to rage.

There is nothing more terrifying than a girl with nothing to lose. In the Skarrian Empire, societal class is determined by one factor, a factor which no one, neither emperors nor servants, can control: the Marks on their skin. Ayla Helero is a Markless orphan who refuses to accept her dismal fate of oppression and servitude. Voices whisper to her in the night, promising a chance at a better tomorrow, if only she would listen. Will she bow down and capitulate to the evil hands that bind her, or will she listen to the voices, risking everything for a chance to be free? Ayla listens. She hears...

Este audiolibro recoge los siguientes cuentos populares: “La cruz del diablo”, “El aguinaldo”, "El alfiletero de la Anjana”, “El hombre del saco”, “El laud maravilloso”, “ El príncipe Tomás”, “El puente de San Martín”, “El río Zapardiel”, “El vado del moro”, “ Hernando el halconero”, “Juan bobo”, “La brecha de Roldán”, “La campana Beneta”....

Earth faces an unprecedented threat - an alien ship headed straight for the planet. Connor Connolly holds a secret that could determine the fate of humankind. Connor has discovered that the supposed "refugee" aliens promising to share advanced technology with Earth are hiding their true intentions. As the alien ship nears, Connor must act fast to uncover the truth behind Volaris and their mysterious connection to metaband technology. The problem? Connor's own meta powers are gone. His only hope lies in a stolen alien nanosuit that grants him new abilities. Partnering with his allies ...

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American.

The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories; and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early Western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides listeners through the history of JRPGs.

The inside story of the rise, fall, and rise of FanDuel and DraftKings - two companies that began as obscure startups and, seemingly overnight, became billion dollar companies, and just as quickly found themselves the target of the FBI and Department of Justice and the center of a national scandal.