Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year.

Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings, Melkor, called Morgoth, the Black Enemy, of a Silmaril.

In this book Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded; but that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes a rollicking, riveting tale set in the Cosmere universe―a standalone adventure perfect for fans of The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea.

Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

It is 1655, and King Dahon of the South African Hiandi tribe is a powerful leader with one fl aw: an insatiable lust for power. Obsessed with his hunger for control, Dahon has been wiping out entire civilizations for years. Now, as he begins sacrifi cing his own people in order to appease his animal gods, the curse of an old woman changes his family's destiny for generations to come.

As Dahon is cursed, his mind and body both transformed into a creature called a Vandara, he pays a million times for the lives he has destroyed. Worse, his sons are cursed as well, guided by an instinct to kill the king and carry on the curse. The Vandara kings would rule for centuries.

In present-day Atlantic City, Eddrin Mather is the new king who has reigned since defeating his father and brothers. With his aging process slowed by the curse, Eddrin, who once used his demonic form to battle the mob, now uses his gifts to assist the police as a detective and bounty hunter who works in the shadows to capture criminals. But as the curse becomes stronger and shredded bodies begin showing up around town, Eddrin fears the worst: another Vandara king may be ready to reign.

In this fantasy tale, a modern-day ruler must use all of his powers to fight for what he believes should be his-to be the only Vandara king forever.

This novel is the first of many works of literature that takes the great Zulu leader, king, and emperor as its subject. The story is well-known, partly due to Mofolo but also to the works of literature by Badian, Senghor, and Mazisi Kunene. O.R. Dathorne has said, "The historical Chaka is only the impetus for Mofolo's psychological study of the nature of repudiation." Mofolo presents it as a study of human passion, of an uncontrolled and then uncontrollable ambition leading to the moral destruction of the character and the inevitable punishment.

On New Year's Day, a dog finds a bone in the Hollywood Hills--and unearths a murder committed more than twenty years earlier. It's a cold case, but for Detective Harry Bosch, it stirs up memories of his childhood as an orphan. He can't let it go. As the investigation takes Bosch deeper into the past, a beautiful rookie cop brings him alive in the present. No official warning can break them apart--or prepare Bosch for the explosions when the case takes a few hard turns. Suddenly all of L.A. is in an uproar, and Bosch, fighting to keep control, is driven to the brink of an unimaginable decision.

Malcolm George Galbraith is a large, somewhat clumsy, Scotsman. He's being forced to leave the woman he loves behind and needs to explain why. So he leaves her a handwritten note on the kitchen table (well, more a 300-page letter than a note). In it, Malcolm decides to start from the beginning and tell the whole story of his long life, something he's never dared do before. Because Malcolm isn't what he seems: he's had other names and lived in other places. A lot of other places. As it gathers pace, Malcolm's story combines tragedy, comedy, mystery, a touch of leprosy, several murders, a massacre, a ritual sacrifice, an insane tyrant, two great romances, a landslide, a fire, and a talking fish.

From the Magical Unicorn Society's Department of Unicorns, Myths and Monsters comes this all-new collection of stories dedicated to the amazing mythical creatures - good and bad - that exist alongside unicorns. Introduced by department head and intrepid explorer, May Shaw, there are tales of fearsome, fire-breathing dragons, phoenixes rising from the ashes, mysterious kraken that lurk in the deep, imps, sprites and werewolves in mythical forests, as well as the eight unicorn families and those who have encountered unicorns throughout history. Each of the eight stories is accompanied by striking, full-colour artwork that shows the powers of the specific mythical creature in more detail, as well as an epic illustration of a key moment from the text. Perfect for fans of the previous bestselling titles in the Magical Unicorn Society series, but can also be read alone.

Though the Olmecs (1250-200 bc) were the first civilization in Mexico, the Aztecs (1325-1521) -Mesoamerica's last imperial civilization and the most significant of the militaristic post-Classic period - are probably who first come to mind when we think of great empires of that region. Like other Mesoamerican cultures, Aztec gods and myths reflected a natural philosophy where ideas concerning life and death were linked symbolically to the earth, sky and sea in a grand cosmic scheme. Their religion was dominated by the tribal war god Huitzilopochtli, the rain/fertility god Tlaloc and the supreme deity Tezcatlipoca, the Lord of the Smoking Mirror. This fascinating collection explores the history, culture, gods, calendar, myths and tales of this people, from migration legends to the origin myth of the Five Suns. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and myth, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic.

The Rookery, city of secrets, lies and magic, is facing destruction. But does Alice have the power to save her new home? And will she give her life to save its secrets? When Alice discovered this alternate London, her life changed forever. She discovered she was seeing Nightjars - miraculous birds that guard our souls. But her newfound magic has a dark side. So in an effort to protect her friends, Alice is training to wield her rare abilities under House Mielikki - the House of Life. Yet something isn't right. And after a series of attacks leaves her reeling, it's clear someone wants her to fail. Alice must plunge into a world of seductive magic and unimaginable perils to uncover the conspiracy. And when she discovers why the Rookery itself is at risk, she realizes the price she must pay to save it. The Rookery is the dazzling, magical sequel to The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt. Praise for The Nightjar: 'The wildly imaginative Hewitt is a writer to watch' - Publishers Weekly starred review 'An unusual and exciting story . . . the plot explodes off the page' - TheBookbag 'A magical adventure full of danger, betrayal, and devotion' - Booklist

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Following her bestselling, critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker continues her extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest myths. 'Myth for a MeToo age. Pat Barker returns to Homer in this gory but unexpectedly uplifting novel' Sunday Times Troy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it. The women of Troy. Helen - poor Helen. All that beauty, all that grace - and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over. Cassandra, who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies. They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them. Stubborn Amina, with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy, determined to avenge the slaughter of her king. Hecuba, howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore, as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades. As if she could wake the dead. And Briseis, carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles. Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men. Once again faced with the chance to shape history. Masterful and enduringly resonant, ambitious and intimate, The Women of Troy continues Pat Barker's extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest classical myths, following on from the critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls. 'Readers turn to Barker's novels for their plain truths and clear-eyed sense of our history and creation stories. But the sombre clarity of her writing is offset by a luminous wisdom' Sunday Times 'The Women Of Troy's immediate beauty is its accessibility and Barker's precise, elegant writing' Metro 'Barker has always looked on the world with the combination of a cold eye and a sympathetic understanding. Her characterisation is sharp, her sympathy deep' ipaper

The Shah Nameh (The Book of Kings), The Rubaiyat, The Divan, and The Gulistan (The Flower Garden) are amongst the greatest works of Persia, containing some of the most beautiful, rich and diverse language in the literary world. They rival Dante's Divine Comedy, India's Mahabharata, Sumeria's Epic of Gilgamesh and China's Dream of Red Mansions in their cultural impact, bringing to life the tales, myths and philosophy of ancient and high-medieval Persia. A fabulous concoction of verse and prose, these classical Persian texts offer stories of creation, love, conquest and the simple joy of life. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

"Wonderfull" tells the story of the sleepy East Coast town of Garfax -- which has become the stuff of legends to outsiders -- and reveals how this village's unlikely past catches up to its inevitable future.

This book (hardcover) is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS. It contains classical literature works from over two thousand years. Most of these titles have been out of print and off the bookstore shelves for decades. The book series is intended to preserve the cultural legacy and to promote the timeless works of classical literature. Readers of a TREDITION CLASSICS book support the mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion. With this series, tredition intends to make thousands of international literature classics available in printed format again - worldwide.