I’ve been reading/gaming and writing fantasy for over 40 years. My interest in the genre began with mythology, then spread into the now countless branches of the Tolkien tree. Along with the great quests and magic items, I was always enchanted by the non-human characters populating these magical worlds. Not just the elves, dwarves, and dragons, but the intelligent animals and mythological creatures like pegasi, minotaurs, treants, big cats, snakes, apes, eagles, gargoyles – the list is endless. Some were good, some misunderstood, and some were evil incarnate, but almost always, I found their stories the most intriguing. As a result, their stories will be a big part of my new series, The Tamm Chronicles.
Fourteen-year-old Casey Tamm lives under Thunder Peak with her adoptive father Jonas. Jonas has kept the mysteries of the mountain to himself, but when Casey discovers unicorns are real, he knows it's time to reveal those secrets. Secrets that will rattle Casey’s world and fill it with mythical creatures; hidden truths about her heritage that set the burden of getting the stranded unicorn back home upon her shoulders. Unbeknownst to the Tamms and their magical allies, the task also resurrects the merciless Nightblade. An ancient saber-toothed predator who arrived long ago with one dire purpose: to eliminate Casey. But who sent the diabolical creature? How was it defeated and what does it all have to do with her long, lost mother? There are some secrets even Jonas doesn’t know…
When I first picked up Redwall I had my doubts. Mice? Really? Now Redwall is firmly atop my recommendation list for fantasy. Brimming with quests and riddles, warring factions, lost weapons, strange new allies, and villainous foes – it is positively Tolkien in scope. Anchored by Hero’s Quest themes and propelled by great pacing, colorful locales, and richly drawn characters developing new friendships, this adventure-driven fantasy is a breezy joy to read. The series has grown to over 20 books, and in regard to imagination, flow and pacing, I consider it an inspiration for what I try to do in my own work.
5
authors picked
Redwall
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
9,
10, and
11.
What is this book about?
The first book in the beloved, bestselling Redwall saga - soon to be a major Netflix movie!
Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice, is threatened by the evil, one-eyed rat warlord Cluny the Scourge and his battle-hardened horde of predators.
Cluny is certain that Redwall will fall easily to his fearsome army but he hasn't bargained for the courage and strength of the Redwall mice and their loyal woodland friends . . .
One of TIME magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
'Not since Roald Dahl have children filled their shelves so compulsively' -…
Before television, the only way for most people to “visit” exotic locales was through a novel like The Jungle Book. Its many grand themes will always keep it relevant, but for me, it’s through the unknowable interiors of India, the character animals that “live” there and the code they live by – the living breathing Law of the Jungle, by which The Jungle Book retains its “teleportative magic” in the digital age. Thrust in the middle is the “man-cub” Mowgli who is trying to discover for himself if he can or even should live by the law too. On one side the animals who think man and animal can coexist and try to mentor him to that end, and on the other a tiger, who fears that men will eventually destroy the jungle for all of them. Relevance plus teleportative magic equals Classic.
Puffin Classics - the world's favourite stories - relaunched with exciting new covers.
The Jungle Book is a classic story of friendship between man and beast. Saved from the jaws of the evil tiger Shere Khan, young Mowgli is adopted by a wolf pack and taught the law of the jungle by lovable old Baloo the bear and Bhageera the panther. The adventures of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi the snake-fighting mongoose, little Toomai and the elephant's secret dance, and Kotick the white seal are all part of Mowgli's extraordinary journey with his animal friends.
After my daughter was born, it occurred to me that there might be unicorns in my future, a whole room full of them, and I should get ready to talk about them in a fantastical “Dad knows all” type way by reading some unicorn stories. This is the first book I chose, and after getting immersed in both the story and art, I realized how compelling a unicorn character could be in an adult book. Years later, after publishing my first novel and deciding the next one would be dedicated to her, this story rose up in the back of my mind urging me to make it a unicorn tale. And I did. Though propelled by themes way beyond the Hero’s Journey epics I usually favor, such as identity, loneliness, and the pursuit of happiness, there is plenty of magic, wonder, and dramatic action elements to please everyone.
Experience one of the most enduring classics of the twentieth century and the book that The Atlantic has called “one of the best fantasy novels ever.”
The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone...
...so she ventured out from the safety of the enchanted forest on a quest for others of her kind. Joined along the way by the bumbling magician Schmendrick and the indomitable Molly Grue, the unicorn learns all about the joys and sorrows of life and love before meeting her destiny in the castle of a…
When you’re in the mood for pure adventure-driven fantasy with a noble, troubled hero beleaguered on all sides, this is the one to pick up. Going back to when I first read about Theseus in grammar school and all the way through my Dungeons & Dragons years, I have always thought that minotaurs were cool and full of untapped potential. Herein lies the tale that proves I was right. It will evolve your feeling about minotaurs from mindless beasts in the labyrinth to courageous knights of quality and mettle. Don’t worry about the massive scope of the Dragon Lance Chronicles, this one can be read on its own.
The fourth in a series of recovers of classic Dragonlance novel tales.
This attractive new re-release of Kaz the Minotaur showcases a new look for the Heroes series. The title character was introduced by the author in The Legend of Huma, the first novel in this series. Each title in the series will reflect the new series design and feature entirely new cover art.
Wonderful, fast-paced urban fantasy set in Dublin, Ireland. Gargoyles are former avenging angels who now watch over churches – that hook was simply irresistible to me. When some artifacts go missing from his cathedral, it’s up to the gargoyle Padraig and an elderly Knight of Malta (whose modern-day steed is a Rolls Royce) to find the sinister culprit and set things aright. The charming descriptions of Dublin, along with the witty banter of the heroes and the interesting nuggets of Celtic lore made me wish Kurtz had written a whole series of Gargoyle books. Sadly, she did not. Trigger assurance: the religious aspects are carefully handled so as to enhance the atmosphere of the story, not to insult or preach. St. Patrick’s Gargoyle is 200 of the fastest pages I have ever read.
When vandals break into St. Patrick's Cathedral, a gargoyle named Paddy takes to the streets of Dublin in search of revenge-but nothing could have prepared him for the evil that descends when he finds it.
"[Kurtz] wraps plenty of Dublin sights, fascinating bits of Catholic history, much ecumenical Christian goodwill, a cast of endearing characters, amusing dialogue and just enough thrills into a charming package of a tale." (Booklist, starred review)
Creative expression has been one of my most cherished values since childhood. I've always had a creative hobby of some kind since I was a kid. Not sure how that happened – my parents were tolerant of my interests at best. I made my day job career in the arts, fostering the creativity of community members and supporting the work of artists. Art (in the general sense of all forms of creative expression) is, to me, a defining characteristic of humanity, it makes life worth living, and the way it’s devalued under Capitalism both saddens and inspires me as a creator myself. I’m a writer of speculative fiction and I write about creative people.
Hunted by those who want to study his gravity powers, Jes makes his way to the best place for a mixed-species fugitive to blend in: the pleasure moon where everyone just wants to be lost in the party. It doesn’t take long for him to catch the attention of the crime boss who owns the resort-casino where he lands a circus job, and when the boss gets wind of the bounty on Jes’ head, he makes an offer: do anything and everything asked of him or face vivisection.
With no other options, Jes fulfills the requests: espionage, torture, demolition. But when the boss sets the circus up to take the fall for his about-to-get-busted narcotics operation, Jes and his friends decide to bring the mobster down. And if Jes can also avoid going back to being the prize subject of a scientist who can’t wait to dissect him? Even better.
Hunted by those who want to study his gravity powers, Jes makes his way to the best place for a mixed-species fugitive to blend in: the pleasure moon where everyone just wants to be lost in the party. It doesn't take long for him to catch the attention of the crime boss who owns the resort-casino where he lands a circus job, and when the boss gets wind of the bounty on Jes' head, he makes an offer: do anything and everything asked of him or face vivisection.
With no other options, Jes fulfills the requests: espionage, torture, demolition. But…
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them.
Browse their picks for the best books about
Minotaur,
Dublin,
and
unicorns.
