This lush retelling of a classic Russian folktale tells the story of Alexi, a young huntsman who leaves home and finds the Golden Mare. She pledges eternal loyalty to him in exchange for sparing her life. With the mare's help, Alexi becomes the Tsar's best huntsman, and when the Tsar presents Alexi with several impossible tasks, the Golden Mare helps him succeed. Full-color illustrations.
Chris d'Lacey's wonderful storytelling takes us on a journey with familiar characters - in an unfamiliar place. Evil Aunts, intriguing firebirds and a dangerous universe await in another action-packed, compelling story.
In Mercedes Lackey's Firebird, Ilya, son of a Russian prince, is largely ignored by his father and tormented by his larger, older brothers. His only friends are three old people: a priest, a magician, and a woman who toils in the palace dairy. From them Ilya learns faith, a smattering of magic, and the power of love--all of which he will need desperately, for his life is about to be turned upside-down. The prince's magnificent cherry orchard is visited at midnight by the legendary Firebird, whose wings are made of flame. Ilya's brothers' attempts to capture the magical creature fail. When Ilya tries to catch the Firebird, he sees her as a beautiful woman and earns a magical gift: the speech of animals. Banished, the young man journeys through a fantastical Russia full of magical mazes, enchanted creatures, and untold dangers. As happens in the best fairy tales, Ilya falls in love with an enchanted princess, but to win her freedom will be no easy task. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter Sea and The Vanished Days When a woman brings a small wooden carving into the art dealership, claiming it once belonged to a Russian Empress, Nicola Marter’s boss believes it is worthless. But Nicola has an unwanted, if rare, psychic gift. Holding 'The Firebird' in her hands, she knows this woman is telling the truth. Compelled to uncover its true history, Nicola must put her own past behind her. She contacts an old flame who can access the past in a way no one else can. Together they can find the real story of 'The Firebird'… Following history from Scotland, to Belgium and to St Petersburg, The Firebird is a sweeping story of love, sacrifice, courage and redemption. A journey that spans centuries and lifetimes to connect the past with the future. Praise for Susanna Kearsley ‘Sometimes an author catches lightning in a bottle, and Susanna Kearsley has done just that’ New York Journal of Books ‘A deeply engaging romance and a compelling historical novel’ Bernard Cornwell, author of The Last Kingdom ‘Kearsley is nothing less than a magician weaving together the past and the present in yet another marvellous, genre-bending, romantic, mysterious and utterly unputdownable novel’ M J Rose, author of Seduction ‘Will stay with you long after you put it down. Her deft touch with historical intrigue is matched only by her delivery of a contemporary heroine who is as unique as she is memorable’ Deanna Raybourn, author of The Dark Enquiry ‘Fascinating, immersive and twisty – twists not only of plot, but of character and time’ Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series
The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series Enter the Grishaverse with Book Three of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. Soldier. Summoner. Saint.The nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives. As her allies and enemies race toward war, only Alina stands between her country and a rising tide of darkness that could destroy the world. To win this fight, she must seize a legend's power--but claiming the firebird may be her ruin. A New York Times Bestselling Series A USA Today Bestseller This title has Common Core connections. Praise for the Grishaverse "A master of fantasy." --The Huffington Post "Utterly, extremely bewitching." --The Guardian "The best magic universe since Harry Potter." --Bustle "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 "This is a great choice for teenage fans of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien." --RT Book Reviews 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 King of Scars The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
Debut author Arnée Flores spins an exciting and original tale about hope in even the darkest of places, perfect for fans of Shannon Hale. The Kingdom of Lyrica was once warm and thriving, kept safe by the Firebird, whose feather and song was a blessing of peace and prosperity. But the Firebird disappeared, and Lyrica is now terrorized by the evil Spectress who wields her powers from within a volcano. All that remains is a mysterious message scrawled on the castle wall in the Queen's own hand: Wind. Woman. Thief. Young Prewitt has only known time without the Firebird, a life of constant cold, as his village is afraid to tempt the volcano monsters with even the feeblest fire. But he has heard whispers that the kingdom's princess survived the attack . . . and he is certain that if he can find her, together they can save Lyrica. Princess Calliope has no memories beyond living on her barge on the underground lake. But as she nears her twelfth birthday, she is certain there is more to life than the walls of a cave. When Prewitt finds her, he realizes that she is the missing princess: the only hope for Lyrica. Determined to decipher the meaning of her mother's strange message and find the Firebird, Calliope and Prewitt set off on a quest that puts them in more danger than either of them ever anticipated.
“Absolutely unforgettable.” —Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series “A beautifully told story about justice, sisterhood, and warrior women.” —Shea Ernshaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep “Epic in the truest sense.” —Quill and Quire An Ember in the Ashes meets Three Dark Crowns in this lush debut fantasy novel about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join a secret group of warriors that ride phoenixes into battle. I had a sister, once… In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart. I promised her the throne would not come between us. Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks. But it is a fact of life that one must kill or be killed. Rule or be ruled. Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all. Sometimes the title of queen is given. Sometimes it must be taken. Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love’s incredible power to save—or to destroy. Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister’s hands.
A gorgeous series for girls aged 4-7 - perfect for fans of 'Pearlie in the Park' and 'Magic Ballerina'. Bella Dancerella loves to dance! She even dances with her animal friends in her very own barnyard ballets. But Bella dreams of being a real ballerina - a beautiful ballerina dancing on the stage! To discover a whole lot more about Bella, visit her website www.belladancerella.com.au Ages 5-7
Focusing on the work of University of Montana professor Richard Hutto, this book tells the story of how dozens of species of birds use the burn areas of wildfires. At least 15 bird species prefer burned forests to all other habitats.--
