'Beasts of a Little Land is a stunning achievement’ TLS 'Spectacular' Lisa See, author of The Island of Sea Women 'I loved it' Brandon Hobson, author of The Removed 'Unforgettable' Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, author of The Mountains Sing An epic story of love and war, set during the turbulent decades of Korea's fight for independence It is 1917, and Korea is under Japanese occupation; the country is yet to be divided into north and south. With the threat of famine looming, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver's courtesan school in cosmopolitan Pyongyang, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social class. But the city's days as a haven are numbered. Jade flees to Seoul where she forms a deep friendship with an orphan boy called JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets. As Jade becomes a sought-after performer with unexpected romantic prospects, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence. Soon, Jade must decide between following her own ambitions or risking everyone for the one she loves. From the perfumed chambers of the courtesan school to the glamorous cafés of a modernising Seoul, the unforgettable characters of Beasts of a Little Land unveil a world where friends become enemies and enemies become saviours, where heroes are persecuted and beasts take many shapes.

A preeminent medievalist presents a wonderful catalog of real and fanciful beasts, including the manticore, griffin, phoenix, amphivius, jaculus, and many other exotic animals. White's witty, erudite commentary on scientific and historical aspects enhances this survey of proto-zoology on which science is based and pre-scientific perceptions of the earth's creatures. 128 black-and-white illustrations.

The four heroes of Erdas are fugitives on the run in this fifth installment of the series.

Psykoria is on the brink of civil war. King Breetor sails out to eliminate the source of the unrest, but his ship is caught in a great storm. He is swept to an unknown land filled with legendary beasts. If he can’t find a way off this island, what will become of his homeland and his beloved Queen Aurandria? There is unrest among the nobility in Psykoria. Determined to end it, King Breetor sails out to eliminate the noble causing the most trouble. However, a ferocious storm drags him into uncharted seas. Stranded on an island filled with beasts of legend, Breetor must find a way home not just to escape this dangerous place, but return to his beloved. He fears for her safety, knowing that without its king, Psykoria would be in chaos. His ship has been destroyed. After the rest of his crew fall to the island’s predators, his only way home might be to find the land’s most dangerous beasts: the dragons. But it was a dragon which destroyed his vessel and his shipmates. If they don’t want outsiders coming to their land, would they help Breetor find a way home, or kill him like they did his crew? The Land of the Beasts is a brilliantly thought out and set up tale which any fans of dragons and creatures of legends will love. Get The Land of the Beasts now and explore the legendary island yourself. Interview with author Q: Tell us about the type of stories you write? A: I write YA epic fantasy or YA high fantasy novels and comics set in my Blade or Flame world. The world I’ve created is filled with magical creatures, a dragon rider, magic weaponry, and all sorts of things expected in a YA epic fantasy, all in a single young adult medieval world. The stories are often filled with dynamic action, ranging from sword combat, magic battles, and epic duels between magical creatures often written in more depth than a typical YA fantasy dragon story. However, I always try to ensure that each character has a good reason to be motivated with whatever they’re fighting for. Q: The Land of the Beasts contains a wide variety of magical creatures. Where did you get ideas for such a setting? At the core of the story, or most YA high fantasy and YA epic fantasy stories involving magical creatures for that matter, is the dragon. I always liked the idea of dragons coming from a land devoid of mass human population, only to be seen sparsely. As for the other magical creatures, such as griffins, hydras and manticores, I felt other creatures needed to dwell on this land, and realised such a place would make a great setting for a fable reminiscent of the tales of old. Q: Your Blade or Flame world is has been credited for including (in meaningful ways), almost every creature of legend in existence in some way or form. Why include so many magical creatures in a single YA high fantasy world? Don’t such fables and legends already come from a single world; ours? What if all legends and fables told in our history were true? What if every dragon rider, and all other magical creatures did exist? Wouldn’t that make our world similar to the one I’ve created? What better setting could there be for a youth fantasy or YA high fantasy? Q: Lastly, how does The Land of the Beasts differ from your YA epic fantasy tales? The Land of the Beasts is written to better resemble the type of fable you’d expect to hear in an old tavern or similar setting. It lacks the heavy character development seen in Champion’s Rising, or the ideological theme present in The Dragons’ Will. However, it features far more exploration, and better describes the magical creatures that exist in the youth fantasy world I’ve created, and adds a whole depth of background behind the dragons glimpsed in the aforementioned works. Perhaps more-so than the others, this reads like a fable of legend telling the journey of how a king became a legend.

A celebration of the visual contributions of the bestiary--one of the most popular types of illuminated books during the Middle Ages--and an exploration of its lasting legacy. Brimming with lively animals both real and fantastic, the bestiary was one of the great illuminated manuscript traditions of the Middle Ages. Encompassing imaginary creatures such as the unicorn, siren, and griffin; exotic beasts including the tiger, elephant, and ape; as well as animals native to Europe like the beaver, dog, and hedgehog, the bestiary is a vibrant testimony to the medieval understanding of animals and their role in the world. So iconic were the stories and images of the bestiary that its beasts essentially escaped from the pages, appearing in a wide variety of manuscripts and other objects, including tapestries, ivories, metalwork, and sculpture. With over 270 color illustrations and contributions by twenty-five leading scholars, this gorgeous volume explores the bestiary and its widespread influence on medieval art and culture as well as on modern and contemporary artists like Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst. Published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center May 14 to August 18, 2019.

Winner of the Sierra Club's 2021 Rachel Carson Award One of Chicago Tribune's Ten Best Books of 2021 Named a Top Ten Best Science Book of 2021 by Booklist and Smithsonian Magazine "At once thoughtful and thought-provoking,” Beloved Beasts tells the story of the modern conservation movement through the lives and ideas of the people who built it, making “a crucial addition to the literature of our troubled time" (Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction). In the late nineteenth century, humans came at long last to a devastating realization: their rapidly industrializing and globalizing societies were driving scores of animal species to extinction. In Beloved Beasts, acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis traces the history of the movement to protect and conserve other forms of life. From early battles to save charismatic species such as the American bison and bald eagle to today’s global effort to defend life on a larger scale, Nijhuis’s “spirited and engaging” account documents “the changes of heart that changed history” (Dan Cryer, Boston Globe). With “urgency, passion, and wit” (Michael Berry, Christian Science Monitor), she describes the vital role of scientists and activists such as Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson, reveals the origins of vital organizations like the Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund, explores current efforts to protect species such as the whooping crane and the black rhinoceros, and confronts the darker side of modern conservation, long shadowed by racism and colonialism. As the destruction of other species continues and the effects of climate change wreak havoc on our world, Beloved Beasts charts the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species including our own.

Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of Devil in the White City, delivers a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power. The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Nazi Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.

With some convinced the Greencloaks are to blame for recent destruction, Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan find themselves on trial and later on the run when a Greencloak attacks the council of world leaders from within its ranks.

A lavishly illustrated companion to The Bedside Book of Birds explores the relationships between predators and prey, drawing on mythology, nature writings, and other sources to provide coverage of both real and fictional creatures.

Follow our narrating dragonfly as he leads you through the prehistoric terrain filled with creatures roaming the earth! Fly across the Jurassic and Cretaceous period exploring the colors, landscape, and habitat of your favorite dinosaurs.