Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you're only seventeen?Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire...But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most. . .including herself.A lush and vivid story that is steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. The Star-Touched Queen is a novel that no reader will soon forget.

    Yet, few people realize the significance of the similarities and contrasts between the religions of the pre-Christian people of north-western Europe. The Celts and Germans and Scandinavians had much in common in their religious practices and beliefs, and this is the first serious attempt that has been made to compare them. There are striking resemblances in their ideas about battle-goddesses and protective spirits, holy places, sacrificial rituals, divination and ideas about the Other World; and Myths and symbols in pagan Europe poses questions like: do such parallels go back to early times or are they owing to late Viking contact?

    WHAT are the dangers of getting directions from a fairy tale frog? WHERE do archangels go to kick back and relax? HOW can a garden gnome mend a broken heart? WHO is the last person you’d expect to visit you at Christmas? WHY shouldn’t you let Satan organise your funeral? Find out the answers to these and other pressing questions in this collection of short stories from the authors of the Clovenhoof series.

    The second volume, reprinted here, focuses on Arthurian legends, and covers such notables as Sir Gawain, Launcelot, Richard the Lion-Hearted, Tristan and Isolde, Robin Hood, and much more.

    The source of their power has been hidden around the world in the form of 39 Clues. But the Cahills have shadow enemies, the Vespers, and they’re closer than the Cahills know. Will the power of the 39 Clues be used for good…or for the darkest evil?Seven stories reveal their never-before-told secrets of the Cahill family. Follow the Cahills from the chilling attack that caused Grace Cahill to launch an all-out hunt for the 39 Clues, to the rise of Vesper One and the first step in his terrifying plan for world domination. The Cahills are counting on you to keep their secrets. Remember: Trust no one.

    With the help of David Tushingham, he has adapted Salman Rushdie's classic children's novel, Haroun and the Sea of Stories for the stage. Set in an exotic eastern landscape peopled by magicians and fantastic talking animals, Rushdie's novel inhabits the same imaginative space as Gulliver's Travels, Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. Haroun sets out on an adventure to restore the poisoned source of the sea of stories. On the way he encounters many foes, intent on draining the sea of all its storytelling powers.

    There, housed in royal splendor, its awesome powers will be freely available to Arthur's suffering people, becoming the symbol of Arthur's reborn realm. But mysteriously, the Grail disappears. Missing as well is one of Arthur's most trusted men, who has not only taken the Grail but kidnapped Arthur's queen, Guinevere. A desperate search ensues, and a diabolical plot is uncovered, masterminded by none other than the evil Morgian, Queen of Air and Darkness.-- The epic tale of the legendary King Arthur, his lady love guinevere, stalwart advisor Merlin and loyal companion Sir Galahad has entertained and delighted people around the world for generations.

    A collection of folk tales from the southern Appalachians that center on a single character, the irrepressible Jack.

    The 33 Scandinavian folk tales take the imagination of the reader from rags to riches, from skulduggery to heroism, via witches' curses, beautiful princesses, giants, quests, billy goats and the occasional wicked troll, to a happy ending.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    It includes hundreds of whimiscal superstitions as well as folk cures, charms, and chants practiced by the early settlers of Appalachia.

    But she does enjoy Newfoundland's rustic charms and the closeness she feels there to her favourite grandmother, now dead. Maeve's grandmother was the author of a fantastic book about the secret world of Annwn and Maeve is delighted to discover her grandmother's diary and a beautiful Celtic brooch that was stored with it.Then something strange begins to happen, something that convinces Maeve she is leaving Newfoundland, and in no ordinary fashion. Before long, Maeve finds herself in the Hidden World, a place she is sure her grandmother has visited too, a place that is alive with magic and danger. As she struggles to help her new-found friends in Annwn and unravel the mystery of her grandmother's time there, she finds herself immersed in a world of legend, where Celtic myths, tales of the sea and the secrets of Avalon come together in a fantastic and horrifying way.

    Katharine Pyle's masterly retelling of well-loved folk tales from around the world.The Meester Stoorworm - A Story from ScotlandJean Malin and the Bull Man - A Louisiana TaleThe Widow’s Son - A Scandinavian TaleThe Wise Girl - A Serbian StoryThe History of Ali Cogia - From the Arabian NightsOh! - A Cossack StoryThe Talking Eggs - A Story from LouisianaThe Frog Princess - A Russian StoryThe Magic Turban, the Magic Sword and the Magic Carpet - A Persian StoryThe Three Silver Citrons - A Persian StoryThe Magic Pipe - A Norse TaleThe Triumph of Truth - A Hindu StoryLife’s Secret - A Story of BengalDame Pridgett and the Fairies

     When a surprise visit from Lorenzo sets off a downward spiral of events, Jade’s ripped from the confines of Edge’s home and plunged into the madness of the Triad. Confused by the turn of events, Jade is only sure of four things: My name is Jade Kinsley. I’m 20 years old. I’m an Enforcer for the Triad. And I have a debt to settle with Original Coven. Will Jade be able to break through the spell her Grandfather put on her and remember who she is, or will she become just another piece in Lorenzo’s game?

    These were among the earliest versions of some of our most familiar fairy tales ("Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Puss in Boots," and "Tom Thumb") and are still among the few classic re-tellings of these perennial stories.In addition to the five well-known tales listed above, Perrault tells three others that are sure to delight any child or adult: "The Fairies," a short and very simple tale of two sisters, one sweet and one spiteful; "Ricky of the Tuft," a very unusual story of a brilliant but ugly prince and a beautiful but stupid princess; and "Blue Beard," a suspense story perhaps more famous as a classic thriller than as a fairy tale. The witty verse morals that Perrault included in the original edition (often omitted in later reprintings) are retained here in verse translations.This edition also includes 34 extraordinary full-page engravings by Gustave Doré that show clearly why this artist became the foremost illustrator of his time. These illustrations have long been considered the ideal accompaniment to Perrault's fairy tales. In many cases they created the pictorial image that we associate with the stories.Along with the collections of Andersen, Lang, and the Brothers Grimm, this volume is among the great books of European fairy tales. These stories have been enjoyed by generation after generation of children in many countries, and are here, with magnificent Doré illustrations, waiting to be enjoyed again.