The world is broken… A dark Goddess rises. A mortal maiden must stop her. COBWEB FOREST (Cobweb Bride Trilogy, Book Three) is the third and final book of the intricate epic fantasy flavored by Renaissance history and the romantic myth of Persephone, about death’s ultimatum to the world. Percy Ayren, ordinary girl from the small village of Oarclaven, and now Death’s Champion, has delivered the Cobweb Bride to Lord Death—or so she thinks! But nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Percy and Beltain Chidair, the valiant and honorable Black Knight, discover that even more is at stake than anyone could have imagined, when ancient gods enter the fray. It is now a season of winter darkness. Gods rise and walk the earth in unrelieved desire, and the Longest Night is without end… Meanwhile, landmarks continue to disappear throughout the realm. The cruel Sovereign’s dead armies of the Trovadii clad in the colors of pomegranate and blood march north… As the mad Duke Hoarfrost continues to lay siege to the city of Letheburg, it is up to Claere Liguon, the Emperor’s dead daughter and the passionate Vlau Fiomarre who killed her, to take a stand against the enemy. But Percy still has a difficult task to do, the greatest task of all… For in the end the Cobweb Bride awaits, together with the final answer. At last all the occult mysteries are revealed in this stunning conclusion to the Cobweb Bride trilogy. Keywords: Epic fantasy historical romance Renaissance undead death zombies medieval knights chivalry royal emperor imperial court politics warfare swords battle minstrel snow girl old man winter jack frost witch witches gods goddesses god goddess Ancient Greek Hades Persephone Hecate crossroads underworld Lethe River Styx myth legend origin true love desire spiders cobwebs history Europe

This is a detailed account of the theatre history of Shakespeare's Macbeth from 1607 to the present day. The shortest of the tragedies, Macbeth is compressed, complex and ambiguous and has been variously interpreted. The Introduction describes major productions and performers including David Garrick, Sarah Siddons, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry and Laurence Olivier. Sarah Siddons, the greatest Lady Macbeth, portrayed her as a ruthlessly ambitious woman who dominated her husband. Irving, on the other hand, saw Macbeth as 'a bloody-minded villain', unlike his wife, played by Ellen Terry, who was gentle and devoted. Ian McKellen and Judi Dench, in the most successful production of the last century, were united in their ambition and pursuit of evil. A detailed commentary alongside the New Cambridge Shakespeare text of the play describes how specific episodes and passages have been interpreted in the theatre.

In a world where no one can die, she alone can kill... COBWEB EMPIRE (Cobweb Bride Trilogy, Book Two) is the second book of the intricate epic fantasy flavored by Renaissance history and the romantic myth of Persephone, about death's ultimatum to the world. Now that she's Death's Champion, what will Percy do? In a world where all death and dying has ceased, and only one person can kill, everyone can only expect a miracle. But what if it's just the tip of the iceberg? Percy Ayren must make her way south, despite all odds, to the place where the death shadow of the Cobweb Bride calls her. With the help of her companions and the invincible black knight, Lord Beltain Chidair whose enigmatic presence disturbs her in a way she cannot explain, Percy must continue her quest, while the mortal world falls apart around them.... Meanwhile, the Marquis Vlau Fiomarre faces the truth of his impossible feelings for Claere Liguon, the Emperor's daughter. He had cruelly taken her life, and now he must serve her until his last dying breath -- it is no longer a matter of honor but secret passion. And now, the world itself is changing.... A new dark witch rises, and she will make your heart freeze with her beauty and power.... Empires clash, kings and emperors and gods vie for supremacy, the living and the dead are at war, while love stories play out in amazing directions, and new mind-blowing mysteries are born. Experience the stunning continuation of the epic story in Cobweb Empire.

Contains the following complete novels: - Cobweb Bride (Book One) - Cobweb Empire (Book Two) - Cobweb Forest (Book Three) Praise for Cobweb Bride ". . . Nazarian writes clean and true prose . . ." —Publishers Weekly "Set in an alternate Renaissance Europe, this series opener by Russian-born Nazarian combines the stylistic manner of a folktale with the trappings of an epic fantasy, one driven by compassion rather than heroics. . . . Fans of period fantasy and those who like stories that feel like fairy tales should appreciate this skillful novel by the twice Nebula Award-nominated author of Dreams of the Compass Rose and The Duke in His Castle." —Library Journal "I really enjoyed the rich, complex and highly unusual storytelling in the Cobweb Bride. Nazarian does an excellent job of painting the Renaissance world of her alternate reality and bringing in interesting twists of fantasy to the story. . . . Everything about this story that was fresh and new. I loved the premise it was built on and I loved the story itself. The characters are rich, multi-dimensional, and so easy to get to know and identify with. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy when it comes out and in finding out more about what happens to the characters that still have a mission to carry out and how the story eventually resolves by the end of the trilogy. I recommend this book to readers of YA, lovers of fantasy, alternate-history, and alternate-reality. It was a terrific read." —Tracy M. Riva, Midwest Book Review "Cobweb Bride is astonishing and captivating; a lush fantasy of imagery and magical realism. The visuals are illustrated by the author's lyrical and metaphoric writing. Every chapter and scene revels in this mortal coil, surrounded by an expansive collage of characters immersed in a plot as rich and decadent as a Verdi opera. . . . The vibrancy of Ms. Nazarian's writing is sheer kaleidoscopic visualization. The folkloric-fable twists and turns recount shavings from the mythos of Hades and Persephone without boring you with a full-blown serving of predictability. The romance is as subtle as it is grim, with glimmers of hope taking us further to our doom—perhaps. . . . The overall tone is introspective, hauntingly quiet with elements of horror-fantasy that are as provocative as the works of Tanith Lee and Storm Constantine." —Patrice, Romantic Historical Reviews, a 5-Star Top Pick Many are called... She alone can save the world and become Death's bride. COBWEB BRIDE is a history-flavored fantasy novel with romantic elements of the Persephone myth, about Death's ultimatum to the world.

World-Wide Shakespeares brings together an international team of leading scholars in order to explore the appropriation of Shakespeare's plays in film and performance around the world.