Heaven's first rule to becoming a guardian angel: Earn your wings. Seriously. Harder than I anticipated. Being the Southern ghost that I am, I've followed all the rules strictly by the book. Well, almost. Some things don't count. Like kissing the lead sword-fighting instructor behind headquarters for the Council of Noble Purposes. And now, because someone snitched, I'm being dispatched on a solo mission to close a demonic portal opened by a bunch of trouble-making teenagers fooling around with a spirit board. An innocent Christmas party trick gone bad. Sure, it sounds harmless, but Saint Peter isn't laughing. Santa's unlikely sidekick, Krampus is loose and stirring up big trouble in Whiskey Creek, Georgia. With the countdown to Christmas ticking away, my only authorized equipment is one winged horse and a slick new pair of white leather chaps and bullwhip. Yay! Tis the season to be jolly. Now, where's my sleigh?
Colin Edward Penrose, a knight from fifteenth-century Glastonbury, England, must solve the riddle of his family's curse and marry a woman out of time—or lose his ancestral home. With a matchmaker's help, he meets a woman to whom he feels an instant attraction, but he knows the curse makes falling in love dangerous for her. Madeline Murphy, defense attorney in a prestigious law firm, needs a date for her family's Christmas Eve party. In desperation, she turns to a matchmaker for her knight in shining armor. The man supplied exceeds her wildest fantasy but vanishes without a trace. A year later she needs a date for her mother's wedding, and she asks the same matchmaker. One problem: In order to find her mystery man, she must travel through time.
When Jolene Claiborne learns her mother has a ticket on Heaven's long, black train, she's hell-bent on stopping the Grim Reaper from murdering her mother. Even a stern warning, from her ghost pal, Scarlett Cantrell, about dire consequences should she interfere with Heaven's plans fails to halt Jolene's impulsive rush toward disaster. And when an uninvited demon takes up residence in the facial room, a string of near fatal accidents seem posed to remove her mother from among the living. Desperate, Jolene seeks help from above, but instead finds herself face to face with Hell's version of the Terminator with a tempting proposition—Jolene's soul in exchange for her mother's life. Will Jolene accept the offer and spend eternity in Hell? Or will her mother catch the train for the Golden City in the sky? And if Jolene makes the ultimate sacrifice will this be the end of Dixieland Salon?
Packed with action, intrigue, trickery, and love, A Child's Introduction to Norse Mythology acquaints kids with the original North Germanic and Scandinavian folklore behind characters like Thor and Loki, plus other gods, goddesses, giants, dwarves, and more. The newest book in the best-selling, award-winning A Child's Introduction series explores the popular and captivating world of Norse mythology. Organized into two parts, part one introduces characters like Odin, the leader of the Norse gods; Thor and his mighty hammer Mjollner; Frigg, weaver of the destinies of humans and gods; frost and fire giants; cunning dwarves like Brokk and Eitri; and many more. Part two tells the stories of the suspenseful myths themselves including The Creation of the Cosmos, The Aesir-Vanir War, Loki Bound, Thor's Hammer and many more. Full of charming and witty illustrations from Meredith Hamilton, a Norse name pronunciation guide, and a removable Norse Family Tree, A Child's Introduction to Norse Mythology is the perfect way for kids to learn the historic stories behind today's popular mythical characters.
See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now! Trace the roots of Grisha power and discover this deliciously atmospheric, fully-illustrated collection of Grishaverse fairy tales filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love. Enter the Grishaverse... Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price. Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, the tales in The Language of Thorns will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse. This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, each of them lavishly illustrated and culminating in stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves. This title has Common Core connections. A New York Times Bestseller "Lushly designed and wonderfully rendered ... Bardugo doesn’t twist familiar tales so much as rip them open." —Booklist, starred review "Strong writing, compelling stories, and gorgeous illustrations make this collection a must-have." —School Library Journal, starred review "Beautiful imagery conceived from precise, beautiful prose; beautiful cover image and interior illustrations that creep across each page toward a beautiful consummation; beautiful lands inhabited by beautiful hearts." —VOYA, starred review "Elegantly crafted...stylishly intricate illustrations...all fans of the darker side of folktales and folktale-like stories will find the stories satisfyingly full of pain, danger, and vengeance." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review "Gorgeously otherworldly...Any lover of retellings or original fairy tales will enjoy." —Kirkus Reviews “Gorgeous, cruel and almost wistful windows onto the dreamscapes and hard lessons of [Bardugo’s] alternate universe ... fairy tales with all the darkness intact.” —NPR Book Review "Those who seem innocent are shown to be guilty, one-dimensional characters become more complicated, and mothers who once were absent are given presence and power.” —Mashable "This new collection will intrigue, awe, frighten, and inspire both stalwart fans and new readers looking for a heady spoonful of fantasy.” —Hypable "This nightmare-inducing collection is short but powerful, each tale as brilliant and absorbing as the one before... brilliant storytelling” —Romantic Times "Marvelous tales, as full of twists and delights and strangeness as anything found in the Grimm Brothers. Leigh Bardugo is a master." —Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble Read all the books in the Grishaverse! The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (previously published as The Grisha Trilogy) Shadow and Bone Siege and Storm Ruin and Rising The Six of Crows Duology Six of Crows Crooked Kingdom The King of Scars Duology King of Scars Rule of Wolves The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic The Lives of Saints Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel Praise for the Grishaverse “A master of fantasy.” —The Huffington Post “Utterly, extremely bewitching.” —The Guardian “This is what fantasy is for.” —The New York Times Book Review “A world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp.” —NPR “The darker it gets for the good guys, the better.” —Entertainment Weekly “Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down.” —USA Today “There’s a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo’s original epic fantasy that sets it apart.” —Vanity Fair “Unlike anything I’ve ever read.” —Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent “Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!” —Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series
For thousands of years, Chinese storytellers have delighted listeners with stories about the value of virtues like honesty, respect, courage and self-reliance. Chinese Folktales collects nineteen of these fantastic tales, some of them dating back to the third century BCE, and retells them in contemporary English for a modern audience. This updated edition--previously titled Chinese Fables--offers the same great stories in a smaller, easier to handle format at a lower price. Each of these stories offers a nugget of ancient folk wisdom and glimpses of traditional Chinese culture and lore. All of the tales express the foibles and wisdom of human experience with great humor and affection. Although the lessons are universal, the wit and flavor are uniquely Chinese. Beautifully illustrated by a master Chinese artist using a patchwork of ancient tones and textures, with a deft touch of humor, this book will give great joy to children and adults alike. Chinese children's stories include: The Practical Bride Stealing the Bell Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy Cooking the Duck Scaring the Tigers The Dragon Slayer The previously published edition, Chinese Fables, won: *The Aesop Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature* *The Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award for Fables, Folklore & Fairytales* *The Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year Award*
"I lived in a haunted apartment." Zack Davisson opens this definitive work on Japan's ghosts, or yurei, with a personal tale about the spirit world. Eerie red marks on the apartment's ceiling kept Zack and his wife on edge. The landlord warned them not to open a door in the apartment that led to nowhere. "Our Japanese visitors had no problem putting a name to it . . . they would sense the vibes of the place, look around a bit and inevitably say 'Ahhh . . . yurei ga deteru.' There is a yurei here." Combining his lifelong interest in Japanese tradition and his personal experiences with these vengeful spirits, Davisson launches an investigation into the origin, popularization, and continued existence of yurei in Japan. Juxtaposing historical documents and legends against contemporary yurei-based horror films such as The Ring, Davisson explores the persistence of this paranormal phenomenon in modern day Japan and its continued spread throughout the West. Zack Davisson is a translator, writer, and scholar of Japanese folklore and ghosts. He is the translator of Mizuki Shigeru's Showa 1926–1939: A History of Japan and a translator and contributor to Kitaro. He also worked as a researcher and on-screen talent for National Geographic's TV special Japan: Lost Souls of Okinawa. He writes extensively about Japanese ghost stories at his website, hyakumonogatari.com.
This enchantingly illustrated natural history of magick, compiled in the 1920s by the globetrotting naturalist Professor Conrad Gessner for his grandson, is now unveiled for readers of today. Featuring a gold foil–embossed cloth cover, a ribbon marker and sprayed gold edges, this gorgeous volume is filled with intriguing sketches and precise notes detailing the secret world of magic, a natural force hidden all around us. Inside, you will discover the history of magic and its dazzling array of practices around the globe. Delight in this hidden world as you learn about these and more topics: Different types of magic (Explore divination, tarot reading, astrology, numerology, alchemy, and more.) Powerful plants (Peppermint is fantastic for cleansing, and also known to ward off vampires.) Wand trees (Apple tree wands are helpful in matters of love and fertility while beech is best for scholars using wordy spells.) Familiars (Choose the perfect magical companion. If you love to gossip, you might choose a ferret as your familiar or, for improved thinking, an owl.) The most magical of days (Discover the power and stories of Imbolc, the solstices, All Hallows’ Eve, and more.) Magical scripts (Learn about the secret languages used through history for communicating with the spirit world.) With this precious scrapbook as your guide, tap into the powerful energies that will help you harness your own magic.
Hear the tales of Gods, monsters, magic, and more! Warriors, poets, scholars, and visionaries—from the depths of time the ancient Celts have fascinated us. Their rich heritage lives on today. But who were they? From the Druids and fairies to King Arthur and Celtic Christianity, there is much to be learned about these natives of the British and Irish islands. Their stories are fantastic and stirring, and through them, you'll gain a glimpse into what life was like during the Iron Age. These legends, first told through song as people gathered around the fire more than 2,000 years ago, are now here for you to explore. Experience the wonder and wisdom of these mysterious people with The Book of Celtic Myths.
