Unemployed after graduation, Kenneth McNary seeks inspiration on the Appalachian Trail. He never suspected that it would find him first. Ken is transported to a fairytale world by a god-like sentience and is tasked with uniting the world's denizens for a coming war-a war with eternal consequences for every soul consumed by the Enemy. While grappling with metaphysics and the dangers of his strange surroundings, Ken learns that the few humans inhabiting the realm are meek slaves to near-immortal beings who have lost their magic. Complicating this situation is a mysterious new race of magic wielders and the reappearance of subterranean, flesh-eating creatures long thought extinct. To survive the perils and embrace his destiny in a land hostile to humanity, Ken must discover the Fire within. But he faces two problems: he is a novice pitted against masters, and the magic may kill him before the masters do!

"Mothers Under Fire: Mothering in Conflict Areas" examines the experiences of women mothering in conflict areas. The aim of this collection is to engage with the nature and meaning of motherhood and mothering during times of war and/or in zones experiencing the threat of war. The essays in the collection reflect diverse disciplinary perspectives through which scholars and field practitioners reveal how conflict shapes mothering practices. One of the unique contributions of the collection is that it highlights not only the particular difficulties mothers face in various geographic locations where conflict has been prevalent, but also the ways in which mothers display agency to challenge and negotiate the circumstances that oppress them. The collection raises awareness of the needs of women and children in areas affected by military and/or political violence worldwide, and provides a basis for developing multiple policy frameworks aimed at improving existing systems of support in local contexts. --Kristen P. Williams, Clark University

Born to be a sacrificial Weatherell girl like her mother, Anya Astraea instead sets out in search of vengeance against the mountain deity who claimed the life of her twin sister.

“These molten poems radiate with the ferocity of desire, and in them Erdrich does not spin verse so much as tell tales—of betrayal and revenge, of hunting and being hunted.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune A passionate book of poetry from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louise Erdrich. In this important collection, Erdrich has selected the best poems from her two previous books of poetry, Jacklight and Baptism of Desire, and added 19 new poems. In an entirely unique fashion, Original Fire unfolds the themes and introduces the characters of some of Erdrich’s most acclaimed fiction. The beloved storyteller Nanapush, most recently seen in The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, appears in these poems as the questing rascal Potchikoo. And a series of poems called “The Butcher’s Wife”—dating from 1984—contains, in embryo, the story of her novel, The Master Butchers Singing Club.

The Nosferu draw nearer to achieving their dark ends in the fantastic Realm of Weir, with Earth soon to follow. War looms across the ill-prepared Realm, threatening the eternal soul of every creature. Human Kenneth McNary has been transported to Weir by the First Mother, tasked with uniting the Elder Race, and much more. Now, the Realm’s magic continues to dwindle and Ken is hunted relentlessly by the monstrous R’Kesh. To fulfill his charge, Ken has been gifted with armor and the ability to wield Elder magic, but both threaten to consume him. With such burdens, can he reconcile his star-crossed love for the half-immortal Dalia? Can a mere human shift the balance of power among Gods in The Splintering Realm, or will the newly minted wizard fall before his enemies?

No detailed description available for "Popular Beliefs and Folklore Tradition in Siberia".

Presents detailed coverage of the deities, legendary heroes and heroines, important animals, objects, and places that make up the mythic lore of the many peoples of North America.