In this second book, Guardians of the Realms; The Blood of the Fathers, the Magicians, Askah and Willow Lexus are called on to utilize all of their strengths and abilities to destroy a dark, evil entity that is spreading death, terror and chaos across all of the known realms. They and their friends are called to the Old World of their ancestors to battle a vicious, tyrant from the Realm of Ends that has driven those left alive to the brink of extinction. Once in the Old World, they face unimaginable dangers. Mystics, warlocks, and witches haunt the mountains, along with blood thirsty beasts that seem to see everything as a meal. Ghosts of the past threaten to separate Willow from Askah forever. But who is the real enemy? Mystery and terror lies around every corner. Twists and turns keep the reader on edge as the team makes their way across the devastated Old World looking for the enemy. A wicked storm tears the team apart, sending many of them to find their way back to the others after being pulled into the depths of the Old World caves. Willow hears the voices of the ancients, but are they really the ghosts of those who lived over a thousand years ago? Are they really guiding her in the right direction? And why is the Keeper of the Gates to Hell asking for their help? The battle spills over into Earth's Realm, and their old friends are again there to help them in their fight against evil. Will their losses be too much to bear this time? Is their magic going to be enough?

Introduces the first person to visit Oz from an altogether different world, Princess Planetty of Anuther Planet and Thun her Thundercolt. This book contains the original, twenty-five page, fully illustrated, short story Gludwig and the Red Hair, written by Adam Nicolai and illustrated by Ardian Hoda.

You’ve heard the story before: an orphaned boy, raised by a wise old man, comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil threatening his world. But what if that hero were destined to become the new dark lord? The Academy of Chaenbalu has stood against magic for centuries. Hidden from the world, acting from the shadows, it trains its students to detect and retrieve magic artifacts, which it jealously guards from the misuse of others. Because magic is dangerous: something that heals can also harm, and a power that aids one person may destroy another. Of the academy’s many students, only the most skilled can become avatars—warrior thieves, capable of infiltrating the most heavily guarded vaults—and only the most determined can be trusted to resist the lure of magic. More than anything, Annev de Breth wants to become one of them. But Annev carries a secret. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents’ killers. Seventeen years later, he struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When Annev is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy’s masters, he must finally decide whether to accept the truth of who he really is ... or embrace the darker truth of what he may one day become.

You see, Edward, editor and budding Grail Knight, youre part of the Merlin myth, and you have been for a long time, said Merlin enigmatically. The figure of Merlin, magician, enchanter, trickster, strategist of King Arthurs Camelot, wise old man of Celtic myth, has intrigued and enthralled readers for centuries, but who, really, was he? Did he ever actually exist? Boston editor Edward Burbage is given a unique opportunity to find out. Hes invited to Merlins home on Mertowney Mountain to interview him. The invitation includes free transportation, and Merlins mountain is not in this world, and for that matter, how on Earth could Burbage be talking to Merlin anyway? Merlin is supposed to be only a character from an old myth, isnt he? Over the course of five years, starting in 2034, Burbage conducts his interviews, and the revelations Merlin makes are astounding. He has been many mythic figures, taken on many guises, such as the Irish Cuchulainn, the Egyptian Anubis, the Navaho Monster Slayer, the Greek Herakles, the Polynesian Maui, and even a few holy men like Saint Columba of Iona and John the Evangelist of Patmos, author of Revelation. Hes worked as initiator, war-god, slayer of inimical spirits, prophet, seer, a guide to the soul in the after-life, geomancer, terraformer, a fisher up of islands, and especially a devoted field agent to the Great Mother, Herself operating under many guises such as Morrigan, Isis, Changing Woman, and Hera. But why has Edward Burbage been brought to Mertowney Mountain? Its not just so Merlin can tell his true story. Merlin has a plan for him, and hes preparing things all the time hes recounting his exploits. Edward Burbage has a key role to play in the next installment of the long life of Merlin. Hes about to step onto the world stage of myth disclosing a long withheld mystery, the secret of the Mer-Line, the truth and power behind Merlin himself.

First published in 1926, “Dreads and Drolls” is a collection of essays compiled by Welsh author and mystic Arthur Machan, many of which were taken from the publication “The Graphic”. The essays concern various historical and purportedly true tales of real characters and the strange and seemingly supernatural situations surrounding them and, often, their demises. This volume is not to be missed by lovers of the macabre and those with an interest in the unearthly and unexplained. Contents include: “The Man with the Silver Staff”, “The Adventurer of the Long-Lost Brother”, “7B Coney Court”, “The Strange Case of Emily Weston”, “The Highbury Mystery”, “The Little People”, “Madame Rachel”, “The Campden Wonder”, “The Man From Nowhere”, “Morduck the Witch”, “Doubles in Crime”, “How Clubs Began”, “Mr. Lutterloh”, etc. Arthur Machen (1863 – 1947) was a Welsh author and renowned mystic during the 1890s and early 20th century who garnered literary acclaim for his contributions to the supernatural, horror, and fantasy fiction genres. His seminal novella “The Great God Pan” (1890) has become a classic of horror fiction, with Stephen King describing it as one of the best horror stories written in the English language. Other notable fans of his gruesome tales include William Butler Yeats and Arthur Conan Doyle, and his work has been compared to that of Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

At 21, Sam Middlemas was haunted by a recurring dream: two little girls of distinct backgrounds beckoning him home. He tried to shake it off, but the dream persisted. It wasn’t until he saw his own daughter grow that he recognized her as one of the girls from his visions. Tragedy struck when his daughter’s life was cut short, turning his orderly world into chaos. Thrust into an unexpected journey spanning continents, Sam seeks answers. This gripping tale follows his quest to unravel the mystery of the dream, leading to a heart-stopping revelation.