The Princess And The Dragon And Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes

On the magical island of the Three Kingdoms, disparaged teenagers quest to save their people from dragons, duplicity and dictatorship. This is a book of fairy tales, but not of happy endings. Don’t expect to fall asleep to sweet dreams when you’re done. Content warnings: violence, abuse, kidnapping, blood, homophobia. Please consume responsibly.

For his entire life, Caleb has always been more comfortable surrounded by books and games than other people. When 1Night Stand is recommended to him, he contacts Madame Eve but is too shy to actually meet any of the women she finds for him. Together, they reach a workable solution: a simulated dating experience in a setting reminiscent of his favorite stories. After following Madame Eve’s instructions, Caleb finds himself in a vivid fantasy world, complete with a damsel in distress who needs rescuing. His objective is clear, but he must find a way around the many obstacles standing between him and Alizeira, the mysterious woman imprisoned in an underground cell. While working on his plans to save her, Caleb spends time getting to know Alizeira beyond her role as prisoner, and a mutual attraction develops between them. He is unsure whether she’s a real person playing a part like him, or if she’s simply one piece of the elaborate simulation that’s been programmed for his date. Setting her free is the first step to discovering the truth, but how many secrets is Alizeira hiding?

WORLD FANTASY AWARD WINNER • A true horde of fantasy tales sure to delight fans, scholars, and even the greediest of dragons—from bestselling authors Ann and Jeff VanderMeer Step through a shimmering portal ... a worn wardrobe door ... a schism in sky ... into a bold new age of fantasy. When worlds beyond worlds became a genre unto itself. From the swinging sixties to the strange, strange seventies, the over-the-top eighties to the gnarly nineties—and beyond, into the twenty-first century—the VanderMeers have found the stories and the writers from around the world that reinvented and revitalized the fantasy genre after World War II. The stories in this collection represent twenty-two different countries, including Russia, Argentina, Nigeria, Columbia, Pakistan, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, China, the Philippines, and the Czech Republic. Five have never before been translated into English. From Jorge Luis Borges to Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Moorcock to Angela Carter, Terry Pratchett to Stephen King, the full range and glory of the fantastic are on display in these ninety-one stories in which dragons soar, giants stomp, and human children should still think twice about venturing alone into the dark forest. Completing Ann and Jeff VanderMeer's definitive The Big Book of Classic Fantasy, this companion volume to takes the genre into the twenty-first century with ninety-one astonishing, mind-bending stories. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL

There's someone kidnapping the street kids in Twynne Rivers! DeFrantis is a young human girl living on the streets, trying to eke out a living in the sprawling city, and she has problems. First, after a botched attempt to steal a chicken, she's on the run. Second, for some reason, someone other than the City Guard is trying to hunt her down. Finally, the poor kids she was trying to feed got sold off to slavers. She has to save them, but first, she has to find them! Along the way, she gets help from strangers: Antonerri, a soldier turned heretic - Thissraelle, an elven mage girl; Granthurg, the studious giant; and Karendle, a half-dwarf wizard wannabe ....But who is the Dragon's Flame? "...Each of these characters emerges from wildly differing circumstances, and have unique perspectives and goals, which don't always neatly align with those of their companions, and in some cases can leave them wondering if they're even fighting on the right side. It's that searching and self-doubt -- all while being swept up by larger events -- that makes these players in this little drama so fascinating." - Doug Bedwell, Author of "A Counterfeit Princess" and "Robot Captain" This story is based on the setting and system of the table-top role-playing game, "A Tale of Heroes" By Mark Hansen, Brendon Hansen, and Jacob Hansen. It's a family-friendly, story-driven system designed to help families enjoy time together.Roll Dice - Build Character

Providing concise explanations of four perspectives on media analysis - semiological, psychoanalytical, sociological and Marxist - and demonstrating their application, this second edition will help students to understand crucial concepts.

How to analyze comics cognitively -- Textual traditions in comics: fables, genre, and intertextuality -- Fictionality in comics: Tom Strong, storyworlds, and the imagination -- Fictional minds in comics: 100 bullets, characterization, and ethics.

A continuation of 1994’s groundbreaking Cartoons, Giannalberto Bendazzi’s Animation: A World History is the largest, deepest, most comprehensive text of its kind, based on the idea that animation is an art form that deserves its own place in scholarship. Bendazzi delves beyond just Disney, offering readers glimpses into the animation of Russia, Africa, Latin America, and other often-neglected areas and introducing over fifty previously undiscovered artists. Full of first-hand, never before investigated, and elsewhere unavailable information, Animation: A World History encompasses the history of animation production on every continent over the span of three centuries. Volume III catches you up to speed on the state of animation from 1991 to present. Although characterized by such trends as economic globalization, the expansion of television series, emerging markets in countries like China and India, and the consolidation of elitist auteur animation, the story of contemporary animation is still open to interpretation. With an abundance of first-hand research and topics ranging from Nickelodeon and Pixar to modern Estonian animation, this book is the most complete record of modern animation on the market and is essential reading for all serious students of animation history. Key Features: Over 200 high quality head shots and film stills to add visual reference to your research Detailed information on hundreds of never-before researched animators and films Coverage of animation from more than 90 countries and every major region of the world Chronological and geographical organization for quick access to the information you’re looking for

Joy is something that comes from the inside out. It feels like a flowing grace, a feeling of goodness all around, a sense of well-being through good and bad. It is love, gratitude, faith and empowerment all wrapped together. Joy deepens our experiences. It opens us to seeing a more beautiful sunset, appreciating rather than fault finding, to believing in oneself. Here are some of the things Bonnie St. John has learned about finding joy. . . Discover the power of your own dreams and personal vision. Each day make the choice of joy over bitterness. Strengthen you self-confidence. . . shape yourself, don't let others shape you Clarify what matters most to you Allow spontaneous, surprising gifts of joy to redirect your schedule. Partner with God...the entire power of the universe is on our side. Become more helping, more healing and more accepting . None of this is easy and Bonnie admits that she's not able to live her joy every minute of every day. But she does so now more often than she used to. And, more often than she used to, she feels love from others, feels compassion in painful situations, and lives more fully and joyfully.