The mystical forest is a place few humans venture, but young Anya must brave it when her brother falls ill and can only be cured by a rare herb found in its most dangerous areas. When Anya falls victim to a faerie trap, she is unexpectedly rescued by a handsome centaur named Cole. Mutual attraction leads to a forbidden lust between the two, and Anya quickly succumbs to Cole’s powerful desire. But what future could two creatures of such different worlds have? Excerpt: She took a weary step forward. The centaur tensed but didn't move an inch when she reached up and took his face gently in her hands. “You saved my life. I owe you my assistance.” For the first time since she'd seen him, his face relaxed and all of the anger that distorted his features melted away to reveal the caring man behind the warrior. His yellow eyes burned into her, making her painfully aware of how badly her clothes had been shredded. “What's your name?” she asked. “Cole.” His voice had taken on that deliciously low timbre again. Cole, she mused. The name fit him well. “I'm Anya. Will you let me help you, Cole?” The struggle behind his eyes was clear. She could see that part of him wanted to turn and run back into the forest, risk the infection and leave her to her own devices. But then there was that other part. The part that wanted to take her up on her offer. And from the way his eyes raked over her body, he may have had other wants as well. Wordlessly, he folded his long horse legs beneath him. Laying down, he was still eye level with her. He turned his head slightly, giving her access to the wounds and she wasted no time in digging through her bag, which had somehow, miraculously stayed on during her attack. She pulled out some bandages and a salve that she always kept on hand, then scooped gracious amounts of it over his cheek. “You'll always have the scars,” she said, brushing his hair back with gentle hands. “But this will keep them from being as bad as they could be.”

His throne as lord king of the centaurs of Crystal Valley has been usurped, and Thunderhoof finds himself hunted by the very one who stole his throne and discredited his name. Along the way, he finds companionship in the form of a dwarf who is the lone survivor of a vicious attack on his village. Together, the two strive to elude the centaurs pursuers while attempting to clear his name and return him to his throne. There is one major complicationhis enemy is his own brother Granitemane, who has an agenda of his own for keeping the throne and doing away with Thunderhoof. The reader is tasked with making the choices that move the plot forward. These decisions will have consequences since some of them will put Thunderhoof in deadly danger while others will lead him closer to recovering his throne. The way will not be easy.

This structural analysis of myth, first published in 1985, focuses on social and political problems of Indo-European mythology. Dr Jarich Oosten tells how the ancient Indo-European gods competed for supreme power and the exclusive possession of the sacred potion of wisdom and immortality. In examining the social code of the wars of the gods, he reveals that there are remarkably consistent patterns in time and space: paternal relatives, equals at first, prove unable to share power, magic goods, etc; while some gods retain their divine status as an exclusive prerogative, their brothers or paternal cousins are transformed into demons; relatives by marriage, however, who are unequal at first, succeed in sharing power and magic goods, and thus become equal partners in the pantheon. Dr Oosten describes how the ancient mythological cycles were broken down and transformed into heroic sagas and epics, and shows how many traditionally related themes – the severed head, the magic cauldron – were preserved. Gradually the political problems of kingship came to overshadow the social problems of kinship, as in the development of the myths of King Arthur. Dr Oosten argues that the social code remains basically the same, and his analysis of this code gives a fascinating perspective on the development of Indo-European mythology from the oldest written sources to the comparatively recent faitytales.

Alphabetically listed entries identify and explain the characters, events, important places, and other aspects of Greek and Roman mythology.

Lovelorn Loveworn Love Lost Perplexed Prince Dolph, Xanth's precocious shapeshifter, should be in love but isn't. Nonetheless, he must chose between two fiancées -- Nada the uninterested and Electra the uninteresting -- or all three of them will suffer the most dire consequences. Luckily a convenient catastrophe has popped up to distract Dolph form his dilemma -- the foal-napping of young Che Centaur by goblins. And the only one who knows where Che is is a nice but remarkably naive elflike gir named Jenny from the World of Two Moons. If anyone can save the missing centaur...she sure can't.

For some, rebirth is not a reward. Centuries ago the gods demanded Ashayna Stonemantle sacrifice her demon-tainted lover. She did, and then ended her own life, but it didn't fulfill her obligations to the gods. Reborn into a new body, Ashayna has no awareness of her former life until her sentient magic manipulates her into seeking out Sorntar, Crown Prince of the Phoenix. The majestic and charismatic Sorntar reveals that she is host to a Larnkin-a spirit creature of vast power. If she can trust the word of a man who is part avian, he is host to her Larnkin's other half. When their Larnkins awaken early and force them into an unbreakable bond, Ashayna and Sorntar are accused of being corrupted by an ancient evil. To prove their innocence, they must discover what happened in the past to pit bondmate against bondmate. As the search for the truth draws them closer together, Ashayna realizes she's falling in love with Sorntar. But before she can tell him, his tainted Larnkin enslaves him. The gods demand she kill her beloved, as she did once before, but she will not do it, even if it's the only thing that will keep her soul safe from his darkness.

Fun math puzzles based on the Twelve Labors of Hercules How might Hercules, the most famous of the Greek heroes, have used mathematics to complete his astonishing Twelve Labors? From conquering the Nemean Lion and cleaning out the Augean Stables, to capturing the Erymanthean Boar and entering the Underworld to defeat the three-headed dog Cerberus, Hercules and his legend are the inspiration for this book of fun and original math puzzles. While Hercules relied on superhuman strength to accomplish the Twelve Labors, Mythematics shows how math could have helped during his quest. How does Hercules defeat the Lernean Hydra and stop its heads from multiplying? Can Hercules clean the Augean Stables in a day? What is the probability that the Cretan Bull will attack the citizens of Marathon? How does Hercules deal with the terrifying Kraken? Michael Huber's inventive math problems are accompanied by short descriptions of the Twelve Labors, taken from the writings of Apollodorus, who chronicled the life of Hercules two thousand years ago. Tasks are approached from a mathematical modeling viewpoint, requiring varying levels of knowledge, from basic logic and geometry to differential and integral calculus. Mythematics provides helpful hints and complete solutions, and the appendixes include a brief history of the Hercules tale, a review of mathematics and equations, and a guide to the various disciplines of math used throughout the book. An engaging combination of ancient mythology and modern mathematics, Mythematics will enlighten and delight mathematics and classics enthusiasts alike.