Monsters, mystery, and magic abound in this stunning, illustrated collection of original fairy tales from the World of Warcraft universe, as told by an all-star cast of bestselling, award-winning storytellers. The power of stories is felt and known in every corner of Azeroth. From the windswept fields of the Eastern Kingdoms to the bustling city of Gadgetzan, differences were bridged by common tales of average people overcoming incredible odds. Lessons learned from cautionary tales tempered many brave heroes and brought them safely home, while stories of adventure spurred history's most remarkable actors to greatness. Now you too can settle in, lay down your armor, and listen to the wonderous tales of adventure and peril in the Folk and Fairy Tales of Azeroth. Brimming with gorgeous artwork and twelve inspired stories crafted by fantasy's brightest authors including Garth Nix, Catherynne M. Valente, Kami Garcia, and more, this enchanting anthology brings new voices, new meaning, and new wonder to World of Warcraft.

The Old Kingdom is a place of free magic, necromancers and ancient spirits bound to elemental forces. Who will guard the living when the dead arise?

Sabriel has spent most of her young life far away from the magical realm of the Old Kingdom, and the Dead that roam it. But then a creature from across the Wall arrives at her all-girls boarding school with a message from her father, the Abhorsen - the magical protector of the realm whose task it is to bind and send back to Death those that won't stay Dead. Since the demise of the Royal Family the Dead have become stronger and more fearless, and now it seems their forces are threatening to overwhelm the Old Kingdom. Sabriel's father has been trapped in Death by a dangerous Free Magic creature. He urges her to return to her homeland, and to discover who or what is behind this uprising.

Armed with her father's binding-bells and sword, she soon finds companions in Mogget, an ancient spirit bound into the body of a cat, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage whom Sabriel frees from a long, magical imprisonment. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death - and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own destiny.

Nicholas Sayre will do anything to get across the Wall

Thoughts of Lirael and Sam haunt his dreams, and he has come to realize that his destiny lies with them, in the Old Kingdom. But here in Ancelstierre, Nick faces an obstacle that is not entirely human, with a strange power that seems to come from Nicholas himself.

With "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case," Garth Nix continues to explore the magical world of the Abhorsen Trilogy. In additional short stories that range from two widely different takes on the Merlin myth to a gritty urban version of Hansel and Gretel and a heartbreaking story of children and war, Garth Nix displays the range and versatility that has made him one of today's leading writers of fantasy for readers of all ages.

'Wise and wondrous' - Holly Black Garth Nix is on hilarious form as he spins his very own fairy tale, featuring Princess Anya, who, with her loyal dog, must embark on a terribly important (capital Q) Quest to acquire the ingredients for a reversal lip balm, the vital item needed to change a frog back to a prince . . . oh, and save her kingdom from her villainous step(step)father. Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, 2018 A brilliantly funny take on fairytales and quests for younger readers. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Georgia; color: #232323; -webkit-text-stroke: #232323} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}

Lirael is no longer a shy Second Assistant Librarian. She is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, with dead creatures to battle and Free Magic entities to bind. She's also a Remembrancer, and wielder of the Dark Mirror.

When Lirael finds Nicholas Sayre lying unconscious after being attacked by a hideous Free Magic creature, she uses her powers to save him. But Nicholas is deeply tainted with Free magic and Lirael must seek help for him at her childhood home, the Clayr's Glacier.

But even as she returns to the Clayr, a messenger is trying to reach Lirael with a dire warning from her long-dead mother, Arielle, about the Witch with No Face. But who is the Witch, and what is she planning?

Once more a great danger threatens the Old Kingdom, and it must be forestalled not only in the living world, but also in the cold, remorseless river of Death.

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn’t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.

Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.

Susan’s search for her father begins with her mother’s possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.

Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan’s. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.

New York Times bestselling author Garth Nix's exciting adult debut: a new collection including all eight stories - plus a never-before-published story - featuring Sir Hereward and his sorcerous puppet companion Mister Fitz, gathered in one magical volume for the first time ever! Sir Hereward: the only male child of an ancient society of witches. Knight, artillerist, swordsman. Mercenary for hire. Ill-starred lover. Mister Fitz: puppet, sorcerer, loremaster. Practitioner of arcane arts and wielder of sorcerous needles. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: godslayers. Agents of the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World, charged with the location and removal of listed extra-dimensional entities, more commonly known as gods. Together, they are relentless travelers in a treacherous world of magic, gunpowder, and adventure. Compiled for the first time ever, these eight magical stories - plus an all-new tale, "The Field of Fallen Foe" - featuring fabulous, quintessential Garth Nix protagonists Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz comprise a must-have adult fantasy collection for fans and those about to discover the witch knight and his puppet sorcerer for the first time. Praise for Garth Nix 'Garth Nix is one of the best world-builders in fantasy' Brandon Sanderson Reader Advisory: Though some of Garth Nix's books and stories are for children, this one is not. It is for adult readers.

'Wise and wondrous' - Holly Black Garth Nix is on hilarious form as he spins his very own fairy tale, featuring Princess Anya, who, with her loyal dog, must embark on a terribly important (capital Q) Quest to acquire the ingredients for a reversal lip balm, the vital item needed to change a frog back to a prince . . . oh, and save her kingdom from her villainous step(step)father. Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, 2018 A brilliantly funny take on fairytales and quests for younger readers. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Georgia; color: #232323; -webkit-text-stroke: #232323} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity who inhabits the ancient hot spring. Yet this time it is not from Sulis Minerva that trouble starts. It comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger. A desperate rescue is attempted by his sister the right-handed bookseller Vivien and their friend, art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage. The map takes the trio to a place separated from the world, maintained by deadly sorcery performed by an Ancient Sovereign and guarded by monstrous living statues of Portland Stone. But this is only the beginning, as the booksellers investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths and try to unravel the secrets of the murderous Lady of Stone, a serial killer of awesome powers. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal. A wintry return to the slightly alternate 1980s England of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. Praise for Garth Nix Garth Nix is one of the best world-builders in fantasy. (BRANDON SANDERSON)

One of the greatest living fantasy writers . . . I will never get enough of the Old Kingdom' ? Sarah J. Maas DISCOVER THE INTERNATIONAL SMASH HIT FANTASY SERIES FROM AWARD WINNING AUTHOR GARTH NIX In a land where the dead will not stay dead, eighteen-year-old orphan Terciel is learning to wield a mighty and terrible power: necromancy. For he is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, the latest in a ancient line of necromancers tasked with protecting the Old Kingdom and preventing the Dead from crossing over to the realm of the living. Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, where magic does not usually work, Elinor, nineteen, lives a secluded life. But when destiny intervenes, she finds herself on a path to love, danger, and an adventure into the dominion of the dead... She does not know that she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom until destiny places her on a path of magic, romance and a fight against the Dead who will not stay dead. The Old Kingdom awaits in Terciel & Elinor, the eagerly awaited prequel to Garth Nix's iconic fantasy classic Sabriel. 'One of the greatest living fantasy writers . . . I will never get enough of the Old Kingdom' - Sarah J. Maas 'There is no joy like returning to the Old Kingdom . . . Nix sets the standard for fantasy' - Leigh Bardugo 'Passionate, compelling, and teeming with the fantastic, the story of Elinor and Terciel - a prequel to Nix's beloved Old Kingdom classics - will charm new readers and thrill longtime fans.' - Cassandra Clare 'A fantasy that reads like realism. Here is a world with the same solidity and four-dimensional authority as our own, created with invention, clarity and intelligence' - Phillip Pullman

Khemri learns the minute he becomes a Prince that princes need to be hard to kill-for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.

There are also mysteries. Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and is dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle, he meets a young woman, called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself. But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces there that have very definite plans for his future.

Superhuman. Immortal.Prince in a galactic empire.There has to be a catch. . . .

You'd think being a Prince in a vast intergalactic empire would be about as good as it gets. Particularly when Princes are faster, smarter, and stronger than normal humans--not to mention being mostly immortal. But it isn't as great as it sounds. For one thing, Princes are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Khemri discovers that the moment he is proclaimed a Prince.

He also discovers mysteries within the hidden workings of the Empire. Dispatched on a secret mission, Khemri comes across the ruins of a space battle. In the midst of it, he meets a young woman called Raine, who will challenge his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself. But even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces there that have very definite plans for Khemri's future. . . .

If you're lucky, you live to fight another day.

In a futuristic urban wasteland, evil Overlords have decreed that no human shall live a day past their fourteenth birthday. On that Sad Birthday, the children of the Dorms are taken to the Meat Factory, where they will be made into creatures whose sole purpose is to kill.

The mysterious Shade--once a man, but now more like the machines he fights--recruits the few teenagers who escape into a secret resistance force. With luck, cunning, and skill, four of Shade's children come closer than any to discovering the source of the Overlords' power--and the key to their downfall. But the closer they get, the more ruthless Shade seems to become. . . .

New York Times bestselling author Garth Nix's exciting adult debut: a new collection including all eight stories - plus a never-before-published story - featuring Sir Hereward and his sorcerous puppet companion Mister Fitz, gathered in one magical volume for the first time ever! Sir Hereward: the only male child of an ancient society of witches. Knight, artillerist, swordsman. Mercenary for hire. Ill-starred lover. Mister Fitz: puppet, sorcerer, loremaster. Practitioner of arcane arts and wielder of sorcerous needles. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: godslayers. Agents of the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World, charged with the location and removal of listed extra-dimensional entities, more commonly known as gods. Together, they are relentless travelers in a treacherous world of magic, gunpowder, and adventure. Compiled for the first time ever, these eight magical stories - plus an all-new tale, "The Field of Fallen Foe" - featuring fabulous, quintessential Garth Nix protagonists Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz comprise a must-have adult fantasy collection for fans and those about to discover the witch knight and his puppet sorcerer for the first time. Praise for Garth Nix 'Garth Nix is one of the best world-builders in fantasy' Brandon Sanderson Reader Advisory: Though some of Garth Nix's books and stories are for children, this one is not. It is for adult readers.

Besieged on all sides, Lirael, Sameth and the Disreputable Dog are in for the fight of their lives. Chlorr of the Mask, under the control of the enormously powerful Necromancer Hedge, is determined to free Orannis the Destroyer - the greatest and most powerful Free Magic creature in the history of the Old Kingdom.

Only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and only just beginning to understand her powers as a Remembrancer, has any chance of stopping the Destroyer - although she has no idea how. To make matters worse, Sameth's best friend, Nick, seems to be helping the Destroyer, and there has been no word from the Abhorsen Sabriel or King Touchstone for days.

With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the rather mixed help of her companions, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer. The Old Kingdom - and the world - is depending on her...

Brilliantly funny adventure, featuring magic, dragons and knights. For Fans of Shrek.

Odo (seventh child of the village miller) and Eleanor (always looking for adventure) stumble upon a sword in a dried-up river outside their village. Eleanor (strong and able) tries to extract the sword but is unable to, and it is Odo who is surprisingly successful. It is even more surprising that the sword,once pulled out, starts to talk. And rather annoying when the talking sword turns out to be rather grumpy, stubborn, and, at times, catastrophically wrong.

Odo and Eleanor have unearthed Biter, a famous knightly sword from earlier times. By finding Biter, Odo instantly becomes a knight -- a role he is exquisitely unsuited for. Eleanor, however, is desperate to become and would be the perfect knight -- but she's not the one with the sword.

Finding Biter is only the start - reluctant knight, reluctant squire, and determined sword must go on a quest to save their kingdom from threats in both human and dragon form, in this new very funny fantasy triumph from Garth Nix and Sean Williams.