1st Orbit Futura 1986 paperback fine condition. In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Young King Arthur, troubled by nightmares, doubts he is the rightful king of England. One rainy night, the wizard Merlin tells Arthur the story of dueling dragons and a fateful clash between good and evil, which reveals the surprising secret of the boy king's true legacy. Li Ming's arresting oil paintings breathe fire into this magical offering from Jane Yolen. "The legend comes alive on a grand scale, the dramatic narrative and well-wrought dialogue heightening the theatrical effect and inviting a fast-paced read-aloud." -- "School Library Journal"

A warrior woman and her dark twin are destined to remake the world in this "powerful" tale, the first in a trilogy by a World Fantasy Award winner ( Newsweek ). Legend foretold the child named Jenna, who was three-times orphaned before she could crawl, a fate that would leave her in the hands of women who worshipped the benevolent goddess Great Alta. In this world without men, Jenna comes of age, learning quickly the skills of close combat. But her most powerful gift lies elsewhere: a mirror sister who emerges only in the darkness--a twin named Skada--and shares the soul of the young, white-haired warrior who might well be the goddess reborn. But if Jenna is, in truth, the one whose coming is awaited, there is cause for great alarm among those who rule the Dales, for the prophecy speaks of upheaval and change, and a devastating end of all things. An incomparable world-builder and one of America's premier fantasists, the remarkable Jane Yolen begins a three-part saga as inventive, intelligent, and exciting as anything that has ever been produced in the literature of the fantastic. Brilliantly contrasting the "true" story of Jenna with the later myths, poetry, and so-called scholarship that her coming engendered, Yolen creates a culture as richly imagined as those found in the acclaimed novels of Ursula K. Le Guin. A truly magnificent work, Sister Light, Sister Dark takes fantasy fiction to wondrous places it has never gone before.

Sisters Serena and Meteora were once proud members of the high court of the Fairy Queen- until they angered her highness. Separated and banished to the mortal realm of Earth, they must find a way to survive in a strange world in which they have no power. But there is more to their new home than they first suspect-especially a danger that waits to be unleashed upon both the human and faerie worlds...

One night during the Perseid meteor shower, Arianne thinks she sees a shooting star land in the fields surrounding her family's horse farm. About a year later, one of their horses gives birth to a baby centaur. The family has enough attention already as Arianne's six-year-old brother was born with birth defects caused by an experimental drug—the last thing they need is more scrutiny. But their clients soon start growing suspicious. Just how long is it possible to keep a secret? And what will happen if the world finds out? At a time when so many novels are set in other worlds, Jane Yolen imagines what it would be like if a creature from another world came to ours in this thoughtfully written, imaginative novel, Centaur Rising . A Christy Ottaviano Book

When four-year-old Janie's father goes off to war, the rest of the family moves to the grandparents' home on the Chesapeake Bay, where Janie learns a secret of the world which helps her understand her father's long absence.

Jane Yolen’s award-winning story about an alien civilization forever changed by the incursion of human social scientists and a mysterious ancient prophecyThe year is 2132 when members of the Anthropologist’s Guild set down on the planet Henderson’s IV, or L’Lal’lor as it is known to the native population. Charged with the nonintrusive study of alien cultures, the crew discovers a society containing no love or laughter. It is, instead, centered around death—a world of aristocratic and common folk in which grieving is an art and the cornerstone of life. But the alien civilization stands on the brink of astonishing change, heralded by the discovery of Linni, the Gray Wanderer, a young woman from the countryside whose arrival has been foretold for centuries. And for Anthropologist First Class Aaron Spenser, L’Lal’lor is a place of destructive temptations, seducing him with its mysterious, sad beauty, and leading him into an unthinkable criminal act.Told from the shifting viewpoints of characters both alien and human, and through records of local lore and transcripts of court martial proceedings, Cards of Grief is a thoughtful, lyrical, and spellbinding tale of first contact. It is a true masterwork of world building from Jane Yolen, a premier crafter of speculative fiction and fantasy.

After beautiful Dove Isabeau is transformed into a winged dragon by her evil stepmother, her steadfast suitor, Prince Kemp Owain, releases her from the spell. In turn, the Prince has a spell cast upon him from which only Dove Isabeau's love can save him. Watercolor illustrations.

A foundling rediscovers the secret of his true identity with the help of the falconer who had adopted him, in the first volume of a trilogy recalling the youth of the great wizard. Reprint.

Deep in the forest, young Merlin falls into the hands of the wodewose -- wild folk who are actually a family of the unwanted. Although he is at home among the clan, the boy must follow his visions and confront the magic that is his destiny.

In Here There Be Dragons, dragons appear in every guise--ghastly, ghoulish, gentle, gargantuan--always endowed with the author's ingenious touches. Each piece is introduced with the fascinating, and often revealing, story of its making and is illustrated with the intricate, moody pencil drawings of David Wilgus.

World Fantasy Award for Best Novel ALA Best Books for Young Adults Book Two of the Great Alta Saga Jenna was the White Queen. Skada was the Dark Queen. She is bound to Jenna—the other half of Jenna’s self. Drawn out of a mirror by a rite of magic, a “dark sister” is confined to the dark. She vanishes in daylight. It is in this other world the dark sisters wait for moonlight or lamplight to call them forth again. This is their story: of myths turned real, ordinary people turned heroes, a land turned inside out by the coming of White Jenna.

A collection of 8 stories by fantasy authors based on the legend of Robin Hood, from an account of Robin's birth to the story behind an early meeting of young Robin and Marian, to a modern-day fable of Robin Hood and the Internet.

Poor Henry. It's not enough that his mother has sent him away from home to learn magic. It's not enough that everyone at his new school calls him Thornmallow because he's "prickly on the outside, squishy within." It's not enough that the only talent he shows at Wizard's Hall is an ability to make messes of even the simplest spells. Now, when Wizard's Hall is threatened by a cruel sorcerer's fearsome beast, it is up to Henry--er, Thornmallow--to figure out how to save not only his new friends but also the entire school for wizards.

A rock 'n' roll band to die for.... When fourteen year old Callie McCallan scores a backstage pass to interview the lead singer of the famous band Brass Rat, she's thrilled. Peter Gringras is so cool. When he plays his flute, it's as if he has some kind of hypnotic power. But there is something strange about him, something Callie can't quite put her finger on. Then, on Halloween night, Callie's little brother Nicky disappears, along with all the other children in town. It's crazy, but Callie thinks she knows where the children have gone--and who took them. To prove it, and to rescue Nicky and the other children, Callie must journey to a mythical world filled with fantastical creatures. A world from which there may be no return....

In this collection of stories and poems about witches, wizards, and warlocks, readers will encounter Baba Yaga, Merlin, the witch from Hansel and Gretel, a Native American shape-shifter, and others. Here There Be Witches is beautifully illustrated by David Wilgus, and each piece is prefaced by an author's note from the ever-popular Jane Yolen. "An intriguing and entertaining compilation that will appeal to young adolescent readers with an interest in the scary and supernatural."-- Booklist

Son of the Dragon Thirteen-year-old Artos is not as good as swordsplay, romance, or any other knightly accomplishment as his foster brothers Cai, Bedvere, and Lancot. An orphan raised by the kindly Sir Ector, he doesn't even know the identity for his parents. But one day, Artos stumbles into the cave of an old and lonely dragon who offers to teach him the game of wisdom. Artos accepts, and becomes the Pendragon--the son of the dragon, the dragon's boy. And with the dragon's guidance, Artos sets out on a journey to a remarkable destiny--one that he never dreamed could be his own.

Welcome to Scotland, where magic runs through the land like the stripes in the colorful Scottish tartans. Everyone and everything here, it seems, has some wizardry--old folks at rest homes, dusty old card games, even cowardly dogs. The only ones without magic are American twins Jennifer and Peter, and they're the ones who need it most.

Features the Nebula Award-winning novella "Lost Girls." In these modern myths and tales for the young and the young at hear, Jane Yolen transforms the impossible into the familiar and real. Among the outlandish wonders are an Alice grown tough in Wonderland, a dear--but dead--mother's homecoming, a bridge that longs for a goat-eating troll, and a mutiny among Peter Pan's troops.

An unforgettable take on a favorite fairy tale by multi-award-winning author Jane Yolen Summer's life in the mountains of West Virginia feels like a fairy tale--her parents dote on her, and she's about to get a new baby brother. But when the baby dies soon after he's born, taking their mother with him, Summer's life turns grim. Things get even worse when her father marries a woman who brings poisons and magical mirrors into Summer's world. Stepmama puts up a pretty face and Summer's father is under her spell, but Summer suspects she's up to no good--and is afraid she is powerless to stop her.