An epic tale of ancient Crete that depicts the curse of the Minotaur from its inception to conclusion, as told from the point of view of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae. Stepping back into this visceral telling of an ancient myth, Crete and the palace of Knossos become vivid with color and life. The royal family, the gods, and Ariadne and the Minotaur are born fully formed, as the goddess Athena from Zeus’ head. It begins when she’s thirteen, on the day she is given by her parents to the shrine of Dionysus, the god of wine, to become his high priestess. Dionysus hears her Call, after generations of neglect, and he comes to her on the altar, promising to bless the island’s vines and grapes, and ignites desperate emotions in powerful people, jealousy, envy, fear—along with her family’s greed, that turn a god’s wrath against them. Thus, the curse of the Minotaur is born, a deformed babe, a monster, and Ariadne’s half-brother. She is the only person who feels the slightest compassion and tenderness towards the poor creature, caring for it when no one else will. He grows into a huge beast with the mind of a child, and the temper of a god, who will only obey Ariadne. Learning the ways of her god Dionysus, and through him the ancient gods of Olympus, Ariadne becomes a powerful force, capable of controlling her beautiful and kind, yet jealous and wrathful god.

Everyone has heard of the Minotaur in the labyrinth on Crete and many know that the Greek gods would adopt the guise of a bull to seduce mortal women. But what lies behind these legends? The Power of the Bull discusses mankind's enduring obsession with bulls. The bull is an almost universal symbol throughout Indo-European cultures. Bull cults proliferated in the Middle East and in many parts of North Africa, and one cult, Mithraism, was the greatest rival to Christianity in the Roman Empire. The Cults are divergent yet have certain core elements in common. Michael Rice argues that the ancient bulls were the supreme sacrificial animal. An examination of evidence from earliest prehistory onwards reveals the bull to be a symbol of political authority, sexual potency, economic wealth and vast subterranean powers. In some areas representations of the bull have varied little from earliest times, in others it has changed vastly over centuries. This volume provides a well-illustrated and accessible analysis of the exceptionally rich artistic inheritance associated with the bull.

Created by the machinations of Ahlat, the Southern God of War, Harborhead is a nation in turmoil. A state built on conquest and blood sacrifice, it has had its warlike, expansionist tendencies and intertribal violence curtailed by the Realm's force of arms. Its armies conquered, its people enslaved and its resources stolen to enrich the Empress' coffers, Harborhead has suffered under the Realm's yoke for hundreds of years. Houses of the Bull God details the nation of Harborhead, a long-time satrapy of the Realm. Though subjugated by the Scarlet Empire, its Five Peoples yet harbor dreams of freedom - and of conquest. Now, with the Empress gone and the Great Houses busy preparing for civil war on the Blessed Isle, the opportunity to realize those dreams seems to be at hand. But the Realm isn't likely to give up such a rich territory without a fight. Inside are presented the important players on both sides of this coming conflict and the War God Ahlat and his retinue, the only ones who will profit from the impending struggle regardless of its outcome. Book jacket.

A brother and sister's search for a new life and new home . . . 5,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia during a terrible drought, Jomar and Zefa's father must send his children away to the city of Ur because he can no longer feed them. At fourteen, Jomar is old enough to apprentice with Sidah, a master goldsmith for the temple of the moongod, but there is no place for Zefa in Sidah's household. Zefa, a talented but untrained musician, is forced to play her music and sing for alms on the streets of Ur. Marjorie Cowley vividly imagines the intrigues, and harsh struggle for survival in ancient Mesopotamia.

Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, the New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, which NPR called “beautifully clever,” Bull will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters. SEE THE STORY OF THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT Minos thought he could Pull a fast one On me, Poseidon! God of the Sea! But I’m the last one On whom you Should try such a thing. The nerve of that guy. The balls. The audacity. I AM THE OCEAN! I got capacity! Depths! Darkness! Delphic power! So his sweet little plan Went big-time sour And his wife had a son Born with horns and a muzzle Who ended up In an underground puzzle. What is it with you mortals? You just can’t seem to learn: If you play with fire, babies, You’re gonna get burned.

The Old Testament is a violent, bloody book, but the more we modern Christians neglect it, the more our gospel loses its teeth. This little book will call you out, cut you up, lift you up, and set you on fire. It begins where all spiritual meat does: not at the dinner table, not in the kitchen, nor even at the market. It begins in the abattoir. The God of the Old Testament is a butcher only because the Christ of the New Testament is a chef. Real theology deals with food, with milk and honey, flesh and blood, bread, oil, and wine. It is nourishment for children, wisdom for kings, and courage for prophets. God gave us food to teach us about life and death. God gave us sacrifice to teach us about death and resurrection. We prepare food for ourselves as God prepares us for Himself. The culinary art is close to the heart of the God who is a consuming fire.

Is there a perfect being? Is everything in the universe a creation of God, the so-called Intelligent Designer? Is there a providential divinity watching over the human drama and occasionally revealing information to us supernaturally? Writing about God and religious issues can attract adverse reactions from people, and one can never be sure of the kind of reception that may ensue even if one's arguments appear to be nothing less than logical. I hope this book will imbue in you a realization that there are no logical arguments for the existence of God or any god, apart from wishy-washy propositions that say little or nothing, and that no empirical evidence has ever been offered in support. Arguments must be decided on the basis of their being factual or non-factual, persuasive or unpersuasive, logical or illogical. Reason is a far more reliable or effective tool than a mountain of faith, especially if faith means adhering blindly to one's religious teachings or dogma. Arguably, whether life is meaningful, whether there is a purpose to the universe, or whether there is a paradise waiting for us after we are buried or cremated are questions that will have to rest with each individual. Thus, if there are any truths to be found in this book, it is for you, the reader, to decide. Before he retired, Richard Woo was in international banking. Today he lives in Singapore, and is an avid reader on topics concerning science, politics, and religion. Publisher's website: http: //www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/GodOrAllahTruthOrBull.html