From sorcerous bridges that link worlds to the simple traditions of country folk; from the mysterious natures of twins to the dangerous powers of obligation and contract. Laden with perils for both the adventurous and the unsuspecting, magic is ultimately a contradiction: endlessly powerful but never without consequence, and rigidly defined by rules of its own making. Award-winning Jonathan Strahan brings together some of the most exciting and popular writers working in fantasy today to dig into that contradiction, and present you with the strange, the daunting, the mathematical, the unpredictable, the deceptive and above all the fearsome world of magic. Includes stories by Garth Nix, K J Parker, Tony Ballantyne, James Bradley, Isobelle Carmody, Frances Hardinge, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Ellen Klages, Justina Robson, Christopher Rowe, Robert Shearman, Karin Tidbeck, Genevieve Valentine and Kaaron Warren.

How do you encompass all the worlds of the imagination? Within fantasy’s scope lies every possible impossibility, from dragons to spirits, from magic to gods, and from the unliving to the undying. In Fearsome Journeys, master anthologist Jonathan Strahan sets out on a quest to find the very limits of the unlimited, collecting twelve brand new stories by some of the most popular and exciting names in epic fantasy from around the world. With original fiction from Scott Lynch, Saladin Ahmed, Trudi Canavan, K J Parker, Kate Elliott, Jeffrey Ford, Robert V S Redick, Ellen Klages, Glen Cook, Elizabeth Bear, Ellen Kushner, Ysabeau S. Wilce and Daniel Abraham, Fearsome Journeys explores the whole range of the fantastic.

The four mystical elements of air, fire, water, and earth come together in a magical anthology of romance, fantasy, and enchantment, featuring a quartet of novellas by four popular authors--Sharon Shinn, Rebecca York, Carol Berg, and Jean Johnson. Original.

...IN THE NEW CONDITIONS APPEARING OF NEW WIZARDS IS NEAR TO IMPOSSIBLE AND THEIR TRAINING MUST TO BE EXTREMELY BRUTAL...THE FUGITIVES CREATE A MILITARY, MERCILESS CIVILIZATION OF THE CASTLES IN WHICH THE FUTURE WIZARDS MUST DISCOVER AND DEVELOP THEIR GOLDEN MAGIC OF SURVIVING OR TO DIE IN THE ATTEMPT. ONE OF THE PROMISING TALENTS IS PUT UNDER THE IMMENSE PRESSURE OF ORDEALS WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD IS THE ENEMY. THERE IS NO PLACE TO RUN AND NO PLACE TO HIDE. THE ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVING IS TO CREATE OWN EMPIRE.

From the mega-bestselling author of Dragons Love Tacos and the mega-bestselling illustrator of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, comes this hilarious new picture book about an irresistible chicken who unexpectedly finds herself on an epic journey during Ancient Times. Gladys the chicken must be magic. After all, for everyone who encounters her, a wish is granted. The Shepherd Boy wishes to be beautiful, the Brave Swordsman wishes to join the Royal Guard, the Purple Pooh-bah wishes for his only daughter to be happy, and the Learned Princess wishes to escape the palace. And one by one, each of these wishes comes true. But . . . is Gladys really magic? Or is everyone making their own fortune? Either way, it adds up to one heck of an adventure for a chicken named Gladys. Blending a classic storybook feel with a thoroughly modern sense of humor, this side-splitting read aloud is perfect for anyone who wishes to see magic in the world—even if they are only looking at a chicken.

When four children stumble upon the magic of the lost dark obsidian gemstone in the grounds of an old haunted castle their adventure has only just begun. To their amazement the magical gemstone mysteriously gifts them with extraordinary supernatural & magical powers. Upon opening the vortex of the magical dark obsidian gemstone on midnight of Halloween into the magical realm of Mere Leander, the children befriend forgetful wizards Meldrick and Albright, dragons, unicorns, elves and all manner of supernatural creatures. With the help of the wizards ancient magical manuscript 'The Legends of Mere Leander' they search for the last remaining magical entities before the dark wizard Delverasteon and his phantom familiar, the changeling Seith discover them and use their magic to destroy the enchanted magical realm of Mere Leander and beyond...

A comprehensive guide to Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE, featuring insightful and in depth Commentary and Analysis, a complete, newly translated Libretto with German/English translation side-by side, and over 30 music highlight examples.

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. But the Very Nearly Honourable League of Pirates rejects Hilary's application because she's a girl, and her father ships her off to Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies instead. Expected to wear woollen dresses (petticoats not provided) and enthusiastically throw herself into activities such as Viennese Waltzing for the Eager Novice, Miss Pimm's is every bit as horrid as Hilary feared. However, a true pirate never lets dire circumstances stand in her way, and after a mostly dreadful first week, Hilary escapes and applies for a job with a freelance pirate known as the Terror of the Southlands. He offers her a place on his misfit crew, on one condition: she must find the famous treasure that's rumoured to contain most of the kingdom's lost magic. Hilary soon finds herself caught up in a dangerous quest, and on the run from her school governess and the most villainous pirate on the high seas!

A deadly enemy, from beyond the gates of Nowhere, is breaking through the formidable spells that bind it. The key to its destruction lies buried deep within the mind of James Cadwallader, the son of a human family, especially chosen to be entrusted with the secret wisdom of their ancestors. The threat is growing ever stronger. His father is ill, his little sister in danger, and the menace creeps ever closer. Their last remaining hope is to unleash the forgotten magic James holds, a magic both powerful and wild, only to be used in a time of dire need. That time has come. But James needs help. He can only release it with the aid of the dragon, but first, they must search for the guardian, the one who must give the dragon his true name, and they are running out of time.

Some people in Maywell, New Jersey, commute to New York. Some are working on a lab project that will change the world—if it is allowed to succeed. And some people are witches. Amanda Walker is not a witch—yet. She's an artist, looking for work—unaware that someone has a desperate need for her, a dark plan that may require Amanda to enter death itself. If she is allowed to live long enough to make the choice. Amanda's tale is far stranger than she knows. It is ancient beyond memory. In times of great change it must be relived, in all its fear and hope, its wisdom and its passion. One of those times is now.