Shadows
- 384 pages
- 14 hours of reading
"Magic is illegal in Newworld, so Maggie struggles to explain the strange shadows--that only she can see--that seem to accompany her new stepfather everywhere"--
Robin McKinley's narrative imagination is deeply rooted in a childhood marked by frequent moves and a profound connection to books. She crafts immersive fantasy worlds often infused with folklore and fairy tale elements, characterized by lyrical prose and insightful character studies. Her work frequently centers on female protagonists, exploring their development and resilience within both conventional and unconventional roles.







"Magic is illegal in Newworld, so Maggie struggles to explain the strange shadows--that only she can see--that seem to accompany her new stepfather everywhere"--
A gorgeously written fantasy about the friendship between a princess and her Pegasus. Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication. But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations. "New York Times" bestselling Robin McKinley weaves an unforgettable tale of unbreakable friendship, mythical creatures and courtly drama destined to become a classic.
"This collection of beautifully crafted tales will find a warm welcome from fans of either author, as well as from fantasy readers in general." - School Library Journal This collection tells five tales of creatures who live and die by fire, tales of the present day and the prehistoric past. There is a confrontation in a haunted graveyard, of the Firespace where only dragons can survive, of a boy who is claimed by Fire, of a young man who chases the fireworm through dark tunnels of dream, and the long history of the Phoenix. With characters and storylines as enigmatic as fire itself, these five enthralling tales by master storytellers Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson are sure to intrigue and delight.
A captivating tale, from bestselling and award-winning author, that reveals the healing power of duty and honour, love and honey. Mirasol is a beekeeper, a honey-gatherer, with an ability to speak to the "earthlines"—the sentient parts of Willowlands, where she lives. The concerns of Master, Chalice, and Circle, who govern Willowlands, have nothing to do with her-until the current Master and Chalice die in a fire and leave no heirs to take their places. The Master's closest relative has been a priest of Fire for the past seven years; he is not quite human anymore. And then the Circle comes to Marisol and tells her that she is the new Chalice, and it will be up to her to bind the land and its people with a Master, the touch of whose hand can burn human flesh to the bone. . . .
Jake lives at the Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon Studies in Smokehill National Park. There are five million acres of the Smokehill wilderness, and the endangered dragons rarely show themselves. Jake's never seen one except at a distance. But then, on his first overnight solo in the park, he meets a dragon - and she is dying. More than that, she has just given birth, and one of the babies is still alive. . . .
The New York Times bestselling author of Sunshine and Hero and the Crown presents a beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When their father’s business fails, a young woman named Beauty and her two sisters leave their fine house in the city and move to a tiny cottage far away from everything they’ve ever known. The neglected cottage is engulfed by the long thorny stems of some unknown plant. Beauty patiently tends to them, and when, the following summer, the mysterious flowers are the most beautiful things the sisters have ever seen, an old woman tells Beauty: “Roses are for love. Not silly sweethearts’ love but the love that makes you and keeps you whole…There’s an old folk-tale that there aren’t many roses around any more because they need more love than people have to give them to make them flower…” When Beauty takes her father’s place in the terrifying beast’s palace, she discovers that his beloved rose garden is dying; and because she needs something to do to distract her from missing her family, because she loves roses—and because she pities the Beast—she determines to bring it back to life…
From Newbery Medal–winning author Robin McKinley, this beloved story illuminates an unlikely love story—Beauty and the Beast. This fortieth-anniversary edition features a striking new package for the award-winning novel. Publishers Weekly called Beauty “A splendid story.” Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in appearance, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with a tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must travel to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father insists that he will not let her go, but she responds, “Cannot a Beast be tamed?” Newbery Medalist Robin McKinley’s beloved and acclaimed novel has been delighting readers for more than forty years. ALA Booklist called Beauty “A captivating novel.” “A reader feels as though it’s all unfolding for the very first time.”—The Guardian An ALA Notable Book for Children A Best Book for Young Adults
Six fabulous tales - vividly imagined and powerfully told.A long-told story of the sea people and their song - and a golden eye, glittering in a pool at the edge of a desert .A ferocious serpent, its body as think as the trunk of a huge tree - and the immense, unknowable Kraken, dark beyond black, cold beyond ice, waking on the ocean floor .
Sunshine is kidnapped by a vampire - Far from finding that he wants to kill her, however, she begins to realise that he needs her help.
A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
When the family business collapses, Beauty and her two sisters leave the city for a new life in the country. Their father accepts hospitality from the elusive, magical Beast and promises to send one of his daughters to the Beast's castle with no guarantee she will be seen again.