European Fantasy

In The Wisdom of the Shire, Noble Smith sheds light on the life-changing ideas tucked away inside the classic works of J. R. R. Tolkien and his most beloved creation—the stouthearted Hobbits. Drawing on The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and other tales of Middle-earth, Smith shows how a snug hobbit-hole is actually just a state of mind and how even the smallest person can have the valor of a Rider of Rohan.

In the sequel to the Nebula finalist The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, Mary Jekyll and the rest of the daughters of mad scientists from literature embark on a madcap adventure across Europe to rescue another monstrous girl and stop the Alchemical Society’s nefarious plans once...

A mercenary captain and his legendary swordsmen battle an unstoppable enemy! Gustav von Altenburg and his elite mercenaries, the Greatswords, are called to defend a town in the shadow of the Harz Mountains. But upon arrival they find the town ravaged by disease and fear, with neighboring villages crumbling under relentless bandit raids launched from a nearby ruined castle. But a greater threat looms. A ruthless army of Landsknecht mercenaries is sweeping through the region, looting and burning everything in their path—and now they march toward the town. Gustav must rally every man able to...

A migrant fleet, a million strong, sets sail from Calcutta. Its destination: Europe. As the fleet advances, the continent is submerged under a torrent of words. Will the old nations of Europe resist the migrants or welcome them? Honor their past or embrace the radiant future? Open fire or open their hearts? Enthusiasm, delusion, cowardice. And, finally, panic. The migrants make landfall...

This book is considered a prophetical novel foretelling the advent of nuclear weapons. A constant theme in Wells’ work, such as his 1901 nonfiction book Anticipations, was the role of energy and technological advance as a determinant of human progress. The novel opens with this: "The story of mankind is the history of the attainment of external power. Man is the tool-using, fire-making animal...."

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel", "Hansel and Gretel", and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style.

Two fierce armies collide in the finale of the Under the Northern Sky trilogy, a thrilling and savagely visceral epic fantasy from Leo Carew, an author who "will remind readers of George R. R. Martin, David Gemmell, or . . . Joe Abercrombie." (Booklist) Albion continues to be divided by revolt...

A young lord faces off against an ingenious general in an epic fantasy that's "twisty in its political maneuverings, gritty in its battle descriptions, and rich with a sense of heroism and glory." (Publishers Weekly) Beyond the Black River, among the forests and mountains of the north, lives an...

Vampirina is excited to run for Class President! She has all kinds of event ideas like a Haunted House fundraiser and a Poltergeist Pizza night. But can she scare up enough votes to win?

In a world where magic is forgotten, monsters lurk in the dark woods, and honorable soldiers are few, this utterly gripping epic fantasy tells the story of an out-of-practice wizard and a hot-headed sargent who are thrust into the heart of a mystery that threatens to unravel their kingdom's...

This program features multicast narration. When Among Crows is swift and striking, drawing from the deep well of Slavic folklore and asking if redemption and atonement can be found in embracing what we most fear. We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword. Pain is Dymitr’s calling...

Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as The Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar.

Quote from Albert Einstein: 'If you want your children to be smart, read them Fairy Tales. If you want them to be smarter, read them more Fairy Tales. Once upon a time... hundred's of years ago... many fairy tales were published throughout Germany and Europe... most notably by the Brother's Grimm, whose stories like Snow White, and Cinderella, are well known all over the world. However, many other authors also published their fascinating Fairy Tales during that time, with many of their stories never reaching the USA...they have remained buried on book shelves in old castles amid the fog of ...

“A dark and endlessly enchanting fairy tale ... I adored every page.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid The Maiden and Her Monster is a gorgeous, atmospheric debut fantasy rooted in history, folklore, and sapphic romance—perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Ava Reid, Hannah...

A Tale of Alchemy, Ancestry, and Ash In a forgotten village nestled deep within the Carpathian mountains, where fog clings to the trees and the past refuses to die, a wandering healer arrives bearing nothing but tinctures, haunted dreams, and a vow to never look back. But some bloodlines don’t stay buried. What begins as a quiet attempt to start over becomes a descent into ancestral secrets, soul-forged rituals, and an impossible bond with a blacksmith who shouldn’t be alive. When silver-laced curses bleed into bone and monsters wear familiar faces, Marina must decide if love can ...

The descendants of Kaleva, the ancient giant, still rule old Kvenland but events are about to happen that will change the family dynamic, sending the sons of Thorri Snaersson on a mission of rescue for one of their own. As they scour the mainland and the islands surrounding Norway and Denmark as far as Orkney, they will conquer all the towns and villages in their path. The search ends with a surprise and a compromise with unexpected rewards and unspeakable tragedies. J.A. takes the dry narrative of the ancient sagas and brings it to life, one unforgettable character at a time.

Magic and myth inhabit these chapters in figures both familiar and strange. Giant trolls and talking animals are everywhere. The winds take human form. A one-eyed old woman might seem reminiscent of the Norse god Odin. We meet sly aunts, resourceful princesses, and devious robbers. These stories, set in Norway's majestic landscape of towering mountains and dense forests, are filled with humor, mischief, and sometimes surprisingly cruel twists of fate. All are rendered in the deceptively simple narrative style perfected by Asbjørnsen and Moe.

A fierce and merciless demon has been unleashed on the world, spreading destruction and bloodshed in both the human and the elven realms. Northlander Jarl Mandred witnesses the ruthless attack on his men, and he seeks vengeance with the help of the elf queen, Emerelle.

Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a poet, novelist, and literary critic. He created the enchanting world of fairyland inhabited by characters like the snow-queen, the mermaid's son, ogres, dwarfs, monsters, magicians, and giants. The Pink Fairy Book contains 41 tales from Africa, Japan, Scandinavia, and Europe. They range from familiar stories like "The Snow-Queen" and "The Fir-Tree" to the obscure tales of the Tanuki. This collection contains stories like "The Cats' Elopement", The "Princess in the Chest", "Snowflake", and more....

Theodora Goss's first major short story collection showcases such stories as "The Rose in Twelve Petals," "The Rapid Advance of Sorrow," "Lily, With Clouds," "In the Forest of Forgetting," "Sleeping With Bears," and many more.