Adapted for the stage, the story of Arthur facing monsters conjured by Merlin, in his quest to become King, is perfect for schools and family audiences. The King is dead and the Green Kingdom is in turmoil as is seeks a new heir. Only the all-powerful wizard Merlin knows that the future lies in the hands of the young boy Arthur. Taken away from the only home he has ever known, Arthur slumbers in Merlin’s mystical Cave of Dreams. Here, his past and future are revealed in a glorious vision that will transform his life and lead him on a magical adventure. Can Arthur outwit the giants and slay the dragons that stand in his way? Will he pull the sword from the stone and claim his rightful kingdom? CHARLES WAY: Charles began writing plays in 1978 when he joined Leeds Playhouse TIE team. He has written over 40 plays, many of them for young people. His plays 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'The Search for Odysseus' were both nominated as Best Children's Play by the Writer's Guild with 'A Spell of Cold Weather' winning the award in 1996. His play about the percussionist Evelyn Glennie, 'Playing from the heart' was nominated as Best Children's Show by the TMA. Other plays include: 'The Flood', 'One Snowy Night' [Chichester Festival Theatre], and 'The Night Before Christmas ' [Polka Theatre]. Charles' plays for adults include adaptations of Bruce Chatwin's 'On the Black Hill' and Halldor Laxness' 'Independent People'. In Wales, he has long associations with Gwent Theatre, The Sherman Theatre and Hijinx Theatre, for whom he has written 'In the Bleak Midwinter', and 'Ill Met by Moonlight.' He was recently commissioned by the National Theatre to write 'Alice in the News', which children all over Britain have performed. Other new plays include: 'Still Life ' [Plymouth Theatre Royal], and 'The Long Way Home', for New Perspectives Theatre/CIAO Festival. In 2004, Charles won the Arts Council's Children's Award for his play 'Red Red Shoes' [Unicorn Theatre/The Place] and 'Merlin and the Cave of Dreams' [Imagination Stage] was nominated in USA for a Helen Hayes award for the outstanding new play of 2004 . Charles has written many plays for radio, and a TV poem for BBC2, 'No Borders', set on the Welsh borders, where he lives and has spent most of his creative life.

Haunted by the past, chased by the present. Fulfilling his destiny may take more than Merlin can give - with Arthur missing and enemies closing in, can Merlin summon the courage to face his worst enemy yet? Arthur is now eighteen, and Merlin, tired of hiding and running from his enemies, wants nothing more than to spend his days with his family and train Arthur for his rightful place as king. But when Arthur goes missing, a desperate Merlin must abandon all other quests to find him before a shadowy pursuer catches Arthur first. Having everything to fight for, and almost nothing to fight with, Merlin and Arthur must rally Britain's warriors against three overwhelming enemies: Saxenow hordes in the south, Picti raiders in the north, and a chilling new enemy that has arisen in the west. At the same time, Mórganabrings Merlin's deepest fear to life and sets a horde of werewolves loose to destroy Britain. But when the secret purpose of this nightmare is finally revealed, will Merlin and Arthur find a way to survive--without unleashing an even greater evil? The thrilling conclusion to The Merlin's Spiral trilogy, Merlin's Nightmare includes: Christian, faith-based retelling of the Arthurian legend map, character guide, and recap of Merlin's Blade and Merlin's Shadow rich historical detail perfect for young fans of Stephen Lawhead Don't miss the other titles in The Merlin Spiral trilogy: Merlin's Blade (Book 1) and Merlin's Shadow (Book 2)

Cervantes's great novel Don Quixote is a diptych, the first part of which was published in 1605 and the second in 1615. Focusing almost entirely on the novel's second part, Henry W. Sullivan is the first critic to offer a systematic account of Don Quixote's passage from madness to sanity. Sullivan argues that Part II of the novel is a salvation epic, within which the Cave of Montesinos episode is the single most important pivot in the Knight's confrontation with his own emotional difficulties. In this carefully researched and challenging study, Sullivan shows that chapters 22-24 (the Cave of Montesinos episode) represent an entrance into Purgatory, while chapter 55 is the exit from this realm. The Knight and his Squire are made to suffer excruciating torments in the chapters in between, experiencing a Purgatory in this life. This original reading of the book is coupled with an explanation that this Purgatory is &"grotesque&" since Don Quixote's and Sancho's sins are venial and can thus be cleansed by theological means against a background of comedy. By combining these two aspects, Sullivan exposes both the deeply agonizing and the comic aspects of the text. In addition, the combination of theological interpretation and Lacanian analysis to show Don Quixote's salvation/cure in this life results in a truly comprehensive vision of the Knight's progress. Sullivan also summarizes, in five different streams of critical tradition, the accumulated reception history of the Cave of Montesinos incident, drawing on scholarly writings from the nineteenth century to the present.

As Frank and Mara think things have settled in Green Valley, young Anita, living on an island with her father, Professor Joe Mylack, discovers what she believes are dinosaur eggs. Anita’s world is about to change as the truth is that the eggs are dragon eggs and are about to hatch. In today's world, dragons are about to become a reality, but that’s only the beginning of what the world is about to discover is happening.

This book deals with all aspects of the Merlin legend, from its origins to its expression in medieval and modern literature, film, and popular culture. Following an extended introduction and a full bibliography, the volume offers nearly twenty essays--some newly commissioned for this volume, others selected from the most important scholarly and critical studies of Merlin and his role. Two of the reprinted essays are translated into English for the first time.