Pinocchio can't believe the Moonlit Court is his home! With royal banquets, a regal wardrobe, and a whole new set of rules, Pinocchio has a lot to adjust to in his new life as prester alongside Princess Lazuli. But before they can get comfortable in their thrones, a fancy dinner at the palace is interrupted by an unwelcome guest-a monster! And this isn't just any monster; it's a manticore, a beast that was imprisoned centuries earlier. Desperate to locate the prison and make sure none of its other monsters were able to escape, Lazuli, Pinocchio, and their Celestial Brigade set out to save Abaton from these ancient beings. Their journey requires intelligence, strength, and a dash of the magic only presters control. But when Pinocchio tries to use his powers, they have an unintended effect: he is turning back into a wooden automa. And if he's not careful, he may lose his human form forever. The second book in the Out of Abaton series continues John Claude Bemis's reimagining of Pinocchio in an action-packed adventure that celebrates friendship, tolerance, and the power of being yourself. Praise for The Wooden Prince "Wow! John Claude Bemis hides new magic in old stories." -- Tom Angleberger, New York Times best-selling author of the Origami Yoda series

Jess is a beautiful young artist whose prophetic dreams led her to Ramsey, a teenage boy with an angel trapped inside him. Together, they stopped a demon intent on bringing about the apocalypse—but a gate was opened, and more demons have made their way into the world. The demons need to inhabit human bodies to survive, and therein lies their weakness. Ramsey and Jess travel from town to town finding and slaying the demon hybrids. Ramsey thinks that in time they can kill every demon that made it through the gate, but Jess knows it’s not that simple. The hybrids are preparing for the coming of the one who will lead them. The one known as Soulbreaker, the Lord of Bones. The gate is still open…and he is coming.

"Previously published as Medusa's gaze and vampire's bite by Scribner"--Title page verso.

As monster theory highlights, monsters are cultural symbols, guarding the borders that society creates to protect its values and norms. Adolescence is the time when one explores and aims at crossing borders to learn the rules of the culture that one will fit into as an adult. Exploring the roles of monsters in coming-of-age narratives and the need to confront and understand the monstrous, this work explores recent developments in the presentation of monsters--such as the vampire, the zombie, and the man-made monster--in maturation narratives, then moves on to discuss monsters inhabiting the psychic landscapes of child characters. Finally, it touches on monsters in science fiction, in which facing the monstrous is a variation of the New World narrative. Discussions of novels by M. R. Carey, Suzanne Collins, Neil Gaiman, Theodora Goss, Daryl Gregory, Sarah Maria Griffin, Seanan McGuire, Stephenie Meyer, Patrick Ness, and Jon Skovron are complemented by analysis of television series, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Westworld.

In the woods, Robby could sense their presence. The Monsters, with their pale faces and glowing white eyes, watching him. What are they doing here? And what do they want? Come join Robby on his epic adventure! Meet his courageous friends and dark villains in this thrilling fantasy of good versus evil.

The Oxford Handbook of Monsters in Classical Myth presents forty chapters about the unique and terrifying creatures from myths of the long-ago Near East and Mediterranean world, featuring authoritative contributions by many of the top international experts on ancient monsters and the monstrous. The first part provides original studies of individual monsters such as the Chimaera, Cerberus, the Hydra, and the Minotaur, and of monster groups such as dragons, centaurs, sirens, and Cyclopes. This section also explores their encounters with the major heroes of classical myth, including Perseus, Jason, Heracles, and Odysseus. The second part examines monsters of ancient folklore and ethnography, encompassing the restless dead, blood-drinking lamiae, exotic hybrid animals, the so-called dog-headed men, and many other unexpected creatures and peoples. The third part covers various interpretations of these creatures from multiple perspectives, including psychoanalysis, colonialism, and disability studies, with monster theory itself evident across the entire volume. The final part discusses reception of these ancient monsters across time and space--from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance to modern times, from Persia to Scandinavia, the Caribbean, and Latin America-and concludes with chapters considering the use and adaptation of ancient monsters in children's literature, science fiction, fantasy, and modern scientific disciplines. This Handbook is the first large-scale, inclusive guide to monsters in antiquity, their places in literature and art across the millennia, and their influence on later literature and thought.

One of Booklist's 101 Best Romance Series of the Last 10 Years from a highly imaginative, award-winning author A unique combination of historical and fantasy romance, The Lord of Illusion is an adventurous romance. Readers of Karen Monin, Jennifer Armentrout, Kresley Cole, and Diane Duval will be engrossed by Kathryne Kennedy's use of magic, violence and romance to paint a picture of an alternative history of England. Lord Drystan Hawkes dreams of fighting for England's freedom from the endless evils of the Elven Lords. But first he must find the beautiful girl who holds the secret to his quest. Enslaved for years in a realm of illusion, Camille Ashton has learned to trust no one. But she's truly spellbound when she meets Drystan, and somehow when they are together, she can see what's true. Together, Drystan and Camille must solve the mystery to open the portal and gain England's freedom from Elven rule. What readers and reviewers are saying about The Lord of Illusion: "A wonderful tale as the heroic protagonists are prepared to die for their noble cause while each is willing to sacrifice themselves for the other." "An enchanting story about love, passion and magic." "...an epic adventure." "The world sings with vivid imagery and fantastic magic, and all the previous characters join forces in a thrilling final fight for humankind."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review "While this novel remains true to romance-genre mores, Kennedy infuses it with unexpected plot twists that will keep fantasy readers enthralled, too."—Booklist, STARRED Review "Superb writing and a fast-moving plot combined with magical passion make this a real page-turner!"—Publishers Weekly "An enchanting world with characters that live and breathe between the pages... The Lord of Illusion is sensory nirvana."—Long and Short Reviews "Exquisitely imagined... Startling magic and vivid illusion... An action-packed adventure that will appeal to both romance and fantasy fans..."—Library Journal "Kennedy's world-building is unparalleled in the fantasy genre and her plotting is amazing. This is a book any romantic fantasy fan would be thrilled to read."—Debbie's Book Bag "Few authors grab the imagination and the heart so deeply."—Merrimon Book Reviews "As darkly imaginative as Tolkien, as richly romantic as Heyer, Kennedy carves a new genre in romantic fiction."—Erin Quinn, author of Haunting Warrior "[Kennedy] has created characters that live and breathe between the pages; a talent which is, in my opinion, a hallmark of skilled storytelling."—Fresh Fiction "Simply delightful... imaginative, historically vigorous, and ripe for further adventures."—Publishers Weekly