In the span of one day, Judian goes from the burden of farm chores to a crushing responsibility for the lives of his family. With his father and brother gone to war, he must keep the others safe and evade the enemy. If only he can trust the guides which appear, seemingly unbidden, he may succeed. Yet, he has so much to learn, and so little time. He struggles to keep to the fringes of the conflict, but the magic he discovers draws him deeper, toward the truth of the war. Mages from a distant land are driving the enemy forces. To what end? Follow Judian as he comes of age in a world of portents and spellcasting. Though life as a farm boy left him longing for more adventure, he must be careful with his wishes during the fateful year he becomes a man.

    If only he had known then what that choice would mean. Thirteen years later, Keegan, no longer a boy, learns that his younger sister survived the massacre and sets off to be reunited with her. When Keegan accidentally interrupts a plot against a princess, his simple trip turns into a complicated struggle for survival. A mysterious elder appears, full of wit and riddle. Mythical monsters shed their fictional skin and hungrily pursue Keegan and his dragon. Haunting nightmares begin to tear at his mind. As he continues on his quest to be reunited with his sister, Keegan is only just beginning to understand what it means to be... The Dragon’s Son

    Will she succeed, or will she crumble? Will there be any of her boys around to help her? Only time will tell in Volume Five of Spearwood Academy.

    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.

    They have settled in the city of Goldenspine and allowed the rest of the world to forget them. At 16 years old, Daxon knew he was too old to be chosen to be a dragonrider. On his way home one night he was surprised when a wild dragon's egg was left in his care by the largest dragon he had ever seen. Agreeing to raise and protect the as yet unhatched egg, his hopes to become a dragonrider once more blossom, but again, fate intervenes. When the young dragon hatches, Daxon's world is turned upside down and thrown into chaos. After learning of a mysterious orb and the possibility that it might hold all the dragonrider's dragons in thrall, he is determined to not let the same fate befall his young charge. He must find a way to protect the hatchling from the fate of the other dragons and a way off of Daegonlot before it's too late.

    Rowling or secretly want to be Harry Dresden, Jinx Hamilton may be the witch for you. She's new to magic, with one option: learn fast. For the first time in a single ebook collection, enter the world of Briar Hollow, North Carolina, with the first six books of The Jinx Hamilton Mysteries. Set in a fictional town near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Jinx, a former waitress, inherits a store -- and more -- from her eccentric Aunt Fiona. The series begins with a sweet “cozy” note in the first novel Witch at Heart, but evolves into a full-blown paranormal urban fantasy. From shapeshifting werecats and ancient Fae to baseball playing ghosts and paramilitary fairy troops, the Jinx Hamilton books have it all. Listen to what readers have to say about Jinx and her world: “Absolutely terrific! The characters are great, the story is griping and you never want to end.” “The Jinx Hamilton Mysteries, are full of surprise, fantasy, and feeling.” “From the first book, right on through, you feel like you can become friends with each character.” “Plot twists and new characters keep her work fresh and exciting. Lots of humor and romance. Love the series. Want MORE!!!!” “The story has progressed -- we have a full bodied urban fantasy with a well thought out world, well developed characters of all descriptions, and a great and complex story line.” “Great storyline and dialogue, lots of action and drama. The author has great imagination and insight into human behavior.” If you’re ready for magic, adventure, humor, family, and friendship, come with us to Briar Hollow and beyond in this special boxed ebook collection!

    

    Determined to do exactly what she sets her mind to, she explores the mountains and valleys around her home with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a keen eye that misses nothing. When her mother dies, Emmaline, Emmy for short, is thrust into the mystical, spiritual world of her mother’s native peoples, the Tsalagi, better known as the Cherokee. Given the power of observation and shape shifting by her immortal g-great-grandfather Two Feathers, who is the keeper of the Sacred Fire’s Ashes, Emmy is told that she must carry on her mother’s duties and is charged with the task of becoming the family “Ka no he ha Ka no Ge sdi,” the Storyteller. She is supposed to remember and pass down her family’s history and tell about their ancestors. As Emmy grows older and matures, her explorations become more advanced. She discovers a hidden path that takes her beyond an ancient willow tree to a layer of the world that at first seems much like her own, but she soon discovers that it is quite different… When she stays longer than allowed a mortal, she discovers that her grandfather can travel between space and time and communicate with all peoples between the layers of her world. Emmy’s Journey is a voyage through time and into the mysterious spiritual and mystical realms of the Cherokees and a world that most never knows exists.

    Orphaned as a baby, the only thing she has from her past is her unusual name. Now, at seventeen, she's willing to give it up if it means she can disappear. What she doesn't know is that, in the West, eleven have been sent to find her, and when they do, her whole world will change. They are the Star Riders, those chosen by Adonai to protect the worlds from the forces of darkness. All alone, they search for the one prophesied to be at their side at the end of days. A special child with unknown powers who will change everything.

    

    Adalyn’s life as a cook in the king's kitchen, will soon end, when the spirits of the past reach out to her, warning that things are not all as they seem, in the Kingdom of Peiruin. Having long since rid itself of magic, the world has not seen a human with magical power, in five hundred years. Overwhelmed that her life may be forfeit, if her newfound abilities are discovered, Adalyn must find the strength to rise to the challenge of being the only worldwalker. On her quest to hone her magic, Adalyn enlists the help of the secret race of dwarves and elves and discovers she may be the key to saving them all -- or bringing the kingdom a war that’s long overdue.Write toAa

    That is, until I met my phoenix.”Ana de Navalles has almost nothing, aside from her friends. Having always been a child of the slums, her fortunes change when she’s admitted to Galfour’s Point, the prestigious and almost-mythical academy, and the only place in the world where you can train to become a dragon rider.Just before she is set to leave, her friend Cien is murdered before her by a mob-affiliated criminal with surprising strength. But Ana does not cower. With dark magic seemingly on the rise, her hunger to make something of herself – and thirst for revenge – is revived.After mere days at the academy, Ana is beginning to feel like the odd one out. A poor slum-dweller in a school of snobbish rich kids, all eyes are on her, and if she can’t pass her entrance exams, she’ll be kicked out without so much of a glance at a dragon.So when she discovers a young phoenix, newly hatched, and quickly establishes a bond with the precocious and unpredictable creature, Ana’s suddenly the talk of the academy. If, that is, she can convince the school authorities to let them stay.As Ana and her friends – some new and some old – prepare to investigate Cien’s murder, nefarious forces within the academy, and outside in the wider world conspire against them. Can Ana and Fyrenza – her newly named phoenix - rise from the ashes, and shine bright upon a cruel world?This novel contains violence. This is a young adult fantasy novel. If you love epic phoenix-tamer fantasy, life-risking adventure, and loyal friendships, Phoenix Whisperer is for you.

    Before he can start his journey his mother gives him his inheritance consisting of two magic rings imbued with the power of earth. Through his travels he is caught up in the schemes of the earth realm and has to become a soldier in the king’s army to prevent his sister from enduring a life of imprisonment. The story is action packed from front to back. It’s full of magic, love, intrigue, and a struggle to keep one’s family and friends out of harm’s way.

    In desperation, his master arranged for him to study at Heart's Eye University, a former school of magic that has become a university, a place where magicians and mundanes can work to combine their talents and forge the future together.But all is not well at Heart's Eye. The magical and mundane apprentices resent and fear each other, the teaching staff is unsure how to shape the university and, outside, powerful forces are gathering to snuff out the future before it can take shape. As Adam starts his new apprenticeship, and stumbles across a secret that could reshape the world, he finds himself drawn into a deadly plot that could destroy the university ..... And leave Lady Emily's legacy in flaming ruins.

    Illustrator and writer's Carolyn Marie Castagna's first shared short story.A small icicle hanging from a roof peers inside a window at a small reading room, and learns about magical human qualities, and the importance of the one most special human feeling.