There is magic in the grand old tales that have survived through centuries of time. Even the names of the books have a ring that sets the blood pounding - THE VOLSUNG SAGA, THE SHAH-NAMAH, THE MABINOGIAN. From all over the world, from all periods of ancient time, the great myths and heroic tales thunder down through the ages. Each country, each region has its legends. Somewhere, sometime, somehow, some often unknown scribe has set the tales down in permanent form. In this volume, Lin Carter has gathered together samplings from this richest of all sources of adult fantasy and although their original names may sometimes be anonymous, there surely has never been such a pride of taletellers together at one time as we have in DRAGONS, ELVES AND HEROES.

In this comprehensive study, Williamson traces the literary history of the fantasy genre from the eighteenth century to its coalescence following the success of Tolkien's work in the 1960s. While some studies have engaged with related material, there has been no extended study specifically exploring the roots of this now beloved genre.

A collection of essays on the Deresthai culture with accompanying extracts from the Dragon Court archives comprising the official history of the Dragon peoples.

Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes looks at fantasy film, television, and participative culture as evidence of our ongoing need for a mythic vision—for stories larger than ourselves into which we write ourselves and through which we can become the heroes of our own story. Why do we tell and retell the same stories over and over when we know they can’t possibly be true? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not because pop culture has run out of good ideas. Rather, it is precisely because these stories are so fantastic, some resonating so deeply that we elevate them to the status of religion. Illuminating everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dungeons and Dragons, and from Drunken Master to Mad Max, Douglas E. Cowan offers a modern manifesto for why and how mythology remains a vital force today.

Drazeryn a rogue from the streets who works as a stable boy finds himself embroiled into the life of a rogues network of spies, assassins and enforcers who force him to enter their ranks and become a deadly assassin. During the course of it all he finds love and many allies. The allies he finds are mostly of a nefarious sort. As he contemplates the meaning of everything he finds himself with few answers. Later on when the city takes on a new form he must ally with many people that normally a rogue would never deign to notice. Meeting the son of the high councillor, a Knight of the Pure Heart, A Battleguard, a whimsical bard and the love of his life take him to new heights and conclusions of the meaning of love and life. The companions find an evil rogues guild, called the Kadamari, which is much too disruptive for their liking. The idea of rogues fighting rogues is not an uncommon concept. The Pavakans fighting the Kadamari has been happening for a very long time in The City of Ages. Will the rogues destroy themselves or destroy the city trying to eradicate one another?

One hope... One dragon... A world of darkness. High adventure and action awaits Lukhanus a sixteen year old dragon and his mentor-friend Bar, a knoll pack leader who has sworn to protect their ancestral territory. A world of racism and elitism dominate their land, can this naïve hatchling overcome the biases that plagues his race? Can the six common races of the continent Lemuria put aside their indifference to unite and defeat the undead plague or will the black flame of death devour all that Lukhanus has come to love and hold dear? On the dangerous journey to find the forsaken Oracle, Lukhanus and his companions discover that it envisions both hope and despair. As was foretold by the mysterious Oracle, Evil is within the heart of all creatures; will this evil consume Lukhanus as he fights to save Lemuria and the inhabitants that dwell within its boarders?

Runner-up of the Katherine Briggs Folklore Award 2017 Winner of the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Myth & Fantasy Studies 2019 This book examines the creative uses of “Celtic” myth in contemporary fantasy written for children or young adults from the 1960s to the 2000s. Its scope ranges from classic children’s fantasies such as Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain and Alan Garner’s The Owl Service, to some of the most recent, award-winning fantasy authors of the last decade, such as Kate Thompson (The New Policeman) and Catherine Fisher (Darkhenge). The book focuses on the ways these fantasy works have appropriated and adapted Irish and Welsh medieval literature in order to highlight different perceptions of “Celticity.” The term “Celtic” itself is interrogated in light of recent debates in Celtic studies, in order to explore a fictional representation of a national past that is often romanticized and political.

Aberforth, home world to dragons and people is at war. Dragons are fighting each other and the human race is in danger of extinction. Einarr is born in a dragon’s companion line. Due to an ancient magical ritual performed by Zavat, a powerful dragon, Einarr is chosen to help bring about the end of the war and issue peace back to Aberforth. This will be no easy task for Einarr since the war will last throughout his lifetime. As a child, Einarr develops a hatred for all dragons after witnessing their cruelty in battle, yet he accepts Zavat’s request to help find a solution to the dragons’ disagreements. Together, Einarr and Zavat make a formidable team who learn to work together and along the way Einarr realizes that there are good and evil dragons, just like there are good and evil people.