Norse Myths

A brilliant collection of stories based on the heroes and villains of Norse Mythology, hand-picked and collected together in this gorgeous gift treasury.

Delve into the world of gods, giants and monsters, as you sit atop Air Throne and survey the kingdom of Asgard. With magnificent colour and line-work illustrations from artists such as Charles Brock, Arthur Rackham and Helen Stratton, and a foreword from award-winning author Michael Morpurgo, this special book is a timeless gift to treasure for fans of Norse Mythology, new and old.

Inspired by over 175 years of publishing history it also contains an illustrated account of the authors and artists behind Macmillan's original story collections, first published in the 1800s and early 1900s. A sumptuous 320 page gift hardback, complete with a foiled cut-through cover, foiled edges and a ribbon marker, The Macmillan Collection of Norse Myths is a book to share and treasure.

The companion book to The Macmillan Fairy Tales Collection and The Macmillan Collection of Greek Myths.

King Winter's Birthday by Jonathan Freedland and Emily Sutton

It’s King Winter’s birthday, and he wants it to be really special. He wants all of his brothers and sisters to be there: King Summer, Queen Spring and Queen Autumn.

But the leaves and the trees whisper a warning, and as the four play magical games, something strange begins to happen outside.

The Seamaiden's Odyssey by Berlie Doherty and Tamsin Roseweil

A strange and beautiful sea-creature is brought into the marine sanctuary where Sasha works. The sea-girl is kept as an exhibit and for scientific research. But Sasha wants to know more about her – are there more of her kind? What sort of community does she come from? Does she have a family?

There is a story to be told, in exchange for a promise. It is a story of cruelty and grief, of love and longing and pride; the story of Merryn, who makes a traumatic journey from sea and to land, from defiance to finding her true self and the power of sisterhood.

This new fable is from twice Carnegie Medal-winning author, Berlie Doherty. She draws on the folklore of ocean and landscape and, in the language of our oldest tales, weaves the traditional into our modern preoccupations.

Powerful ink and silhouette illustrations by Tamsin Rosewell brighten the tale with a vibrant but classical language of visual storytelling.

Rosewell draws on the long heritage of silhouette and paper-cut work for her inspiration, and adds it to her well-known boldness with colour and structure.

Live like a Goddess by Jean Menzies

A gift for the young goddess in your life - with life lessons for living confidently, courageously and fearlessly.

Cultures around the world celebrate tales and myths of daring and brave goddesses. These legendary ladies were tenacious, smart and strong. Meet...

· Osun, the Yoruba goddess of love who refuses to be dismissed because of her gender and stands up to those who believe women are less important than men

· Rhiannon, the Welsh queen of fairies who won't let anyone make decisions for her and instead follows her heart

· Freyja, the Norse goddess of love and death who doesn't give into pressure, sets boundaries and is comfortable with being a single independent woman

From demanding respect and recognising unhealthy relationships, to standing your ground, helping others and using words instead of violence, these rich and sometimes forgotten female stories of the ancient past teach girls and young women everything they need to know, so they can be just as fierce and fearless in the future.

Girls who Slay Monsters by Ellen Ryan and Shona Shirley Macdonald

Unsung stories from ancient Irish myths re-imagined for nine to twelve-year olds.

Have you heard of Eithne the supernatural scholar or Fand the shape-shifting eco-warrior?

What about Bé Mannair, a gender-fluid spy who challenges an entire army, or Bé Binn, a giantess who gets her own back on her bullies?

From mermaids and fashionistas to athletes and farmers, meet goddesses of all shapes and sizes from Ireland’s ancient myths. Stand by their sides as they wield magic, fight monsters, and protect the powerless – and you might discover that you, too, are a force of nature.

The Macmillan Collection of Myths and Legends

A beautiful hardback treasury, containing over forty myths and legends from around the world. The perfect gift for mythology lovers of all ages. 

This glorious collection contains incredible stories from Greek and Norse mythology, such as Theseus and the Minotaur and Ragnaroek, and famous British legends including The Sword in the Stone, alongside lesser known stories. Bringing together amazing stories from across the world, there are tales of spirits from Spain, fish Gods from China, an Australian Aboriginal frog that drank up all of the water in the world, and many more. 

Fully illustrated throughout, with beautiful colour and line-work images from iconic Golden Age illustrators, including Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane and Warwick Goble. A sumptuous 352 page gift hardback, complete with a foiled cut-through cover, foiled edges and a ribbon marker, The Macmillan Collection of Myths and Legends is a book to share and treasure.

The Boy who Lost his Spark by Maggie O'Farrell and Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini

When Jem and his family first move to a small town, he struggles with his new life. The unhappier he grows, the stranger things become ... mischief and chaos seems to bloom everywhere. His sister Verity is sure it is the work of a "nouka", an ancient creature that lives deep down inside the hill; a creature forged from the sparks of a long-extinct volcano. Jem is adamant - there is no such thing. But it is through the magic and mayhem of this small mystical creature that Jem finally finds a sense of belonging, a sense of home. He, once more, discovers a spark of magic.

A beautiful and atmospheric long-form picture book set against a dramatic backdrop of an ancient hillside and the mysterious mood-affecting creature that lives within...

Darby O'Gill and the Good People by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh and Brian McManus

These are six brilliant and enthralling stories that, while making you both laugh and cry, also leave you desperate to know what happens next. A nineteenth-century Ireland is depicted; steeped in the supernatural, it's a place where both humans and fairies collide, both refusing to be defeated in their quest for the freedom to govern their own lives. We witness the friendship between Tipperary farmer Darby O’Gill and King Brian Connors of the Good People grow. These two, who first thought that the differences between them meant that they were forever mortal enemies, later realise that circumstances unite rather than divide them. The stories also celebrate the most powerful fairy of them all, the Banshee, who is not really the scary villain that people sometimes imagine, but rather a career-minded, kind-hearted messenger from the Otherworld. Brian McManus has made some changes to the original stories to present them to modern readers at their absolute best, while still remaining true to the spirit and intention of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh. These delightful tales of genuine Irish folklore, full of charm, wittiness, and poignancy, will appeal to children of all ages.

Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse by Sangu Mandanna

With just a flick of her pencil, Kiki can bring her drawings of Indian legends to life...but when a mysterious curse threatens her newly created kingdom and friends, how can she use her powers to save them?

Fresh from the exciting discovery that the beautiful kingdom and band of rebel kids she drew in her sketchbook exists in another world, Kiki Kallira has an unexpected visitor. One of those rebel kids has come into the real world to ask for her help---the river Kaveri that is Mysore's only source of water has suddenly vanished! With no water to drink or grow food, Kiki's kingdom is doomed.

Kiki returns to Mysore and quickly learns that drawing a new river doesn't work. In her search for answers, she stumbles upon the origin of the Kaveri: it's actually a princess from long ago who was transformed into water by a terrible curse! It's up to Kiki and her friends to restore the river without sacrificing the princess again---easier said than done! And with her mounting anxiety, enemies seeking to stop her, and a city growing weaker by the minute, Kiki's confidence falters. Will she be able to unravel the curse and save her kingdom before it's too late?

The Bird Singers by Eve Wersocki Morris

Strange things have been happening to Layah and her younger sister, Izzie, ever since their mother dragged them to a rain-soaked cottage miles from anywhere in the Lake District: there is a peculiar whistling at night, a handful of unusual feathers appear on their doorstep and there are murmurings of a shadowed woman in the forest. And their mother is behaving very oddly. Layah is mourning the loss of her dear grandmother in Poland - and can almost hear her Babcia's voice telling her the old myths and fairy tales from that magical place.

And as the holiday takes on a dark twist, Layah begins to wonder if the myths might just be real.

The Wild Swans by Jackie Morris

A girl loses her beloved brothers when they are turned into swans by her wicked stepmother. She embarks on a vital quest with one purpose: to find them and turn them back into boys again.

But the task is complicated. She must pick nettles with her bare hands and turn them to yarn, to spin and knit into shirts for each of the eleven brothers. And all the while she cannot speak, for if she does, even so much as a whisper, it will be like a knife in the heart of each swan-boy. And so she knits, silent. And where there is silence people will put words.

The Wild Swans is a beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen in Jackie Morris's enchanting retelling, complete with delicate watercolour paintings throughout this new edition. A story about love and bravery, about how to listen, and about how, when we do not listen, we hear what we wish to hear.

The Macmillan Fairy Tales Collection

A beautiful hardback treasury, containing over fifty fairy tales from around the world, introduced by award-winning author Michael Morpurgo. The perfect gift for fairy tale lovers of all ages.

This glorious collection contains much-loved favourites from Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, such as The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel, alongside lesser known fairy tales, such as the Chinese story of Bayberry, who rescues his sister, Little Red, from a devious dragon.

Bringing together amazing stories from across the world, there are tales of witches from Russia, tree ghosts from India, magical moon spirits from Japan and many more. Fully illustrated throughout, with beautiful colour and line-work images from iconic Golden Age illustrators, including Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane and Warwick Goble.

A sumptuous 480 page gift hardback, complete with a foiled cut-through cover, gold foiled edges and a ribbon marker, The Macmillan Fairy Tales Collection is a book to share and treasure.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

All magic comes at a price, but love was never part of the bargain . . .

The look he was giving her. Serilda had never been looked at like that before . . . The intensity.

The heat. The raw astonishment. He was going to kiss her.

Cursed by the god of lies, a miller's daughter has developed a talent for storytelling - but are all of her tales as false as they appear?

When one of Serilda's stories draws the attention of the devastating Erlking, she finds herself swept away into a world of enchantment, where ghouls prowl the earth, and ravens track her every move. The king locks Serilda in a castle dungeon and orders her to spin straw into gold, or be killed for lying. In despair, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious young man to her aid. And he agrees to help her, for a price. But love wasn't meant to be part of the bargain.

A compulsive read, and as bewitchingly good as you'd expect from a YA bestselling author. You will stay up all night reading this.

Banshee Rising by Riley Cain

‘YOU’RE SUCH A FREAK, CAITLYN MCCABE!’

She sees ghosts. Everywhere. All the time.

It’s a pain.

Caitlyn never asked to see floating nuns, dark highwaymen and phantom warriors. She did not ask to have different-coloured eyes or be attracted to haunted ‘Magic Man’ Danny from school. But her gift is undeniable, forcing Caitlyn to share her life with a host of quirky spirits as she tries to navigate a ‘normal’ day of bullies, boys and Gran’s bad cooking.

And then Professor Sackimum Brody steps into her life and nothing will be the same again. Mortal yet mysterious, the Professor seems to know far more about Caitlyn and her lost parents than he reveals, even as he guides her to understanding the secret of her gift. When at last he offers a glimpse into a deeper realm, one where an ancient evil is stirring, Caitlyn is plunged towards an impossible truth and a threat to her worlds.

To defeat what is rising from Ireland’s haunted heart, Caitlyn McCabe must face an adventure that is, literally, life and death.

Rumaysa by Radiya Hafiza

 

This funny and empowering story weaves together three classic fairytales into one new adventure with an unusual structural twist: Rumaysa is a Muslim girl who lets her hijab down from a tall tower in order to escape. Set in a magical version of South Asia, Rumaysa explores enchanted forests and dragon lairs, teaming up with Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara along the way to create a strong sense of sisterhood.

Ulster Fairytales & Legends by Nicola & Peter Heaney and Conor Busuttil

Where did the Red Hand, the famous symbol of Ulster, originate? It's the hand of Heremon, a chief so keen to be first to lay claim to the land that he cut his own hand off the threw it from a ship!

Not all legends from Ulster are so gory, of course, and in this collection we meet The Great Brown Bull, The Horsemen of Aileach, Paiste, The Great Black Pig, Maeve MacQuillan, Fintan, Febor and Fia and, of course, Colmcille and the Book of Movilla.

Evocatively illustrated by Conor Busuttil, this collection of myths from Ireland's northern province will enthrall readers young and old.

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

From Jennifer Donnelly, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Stepsister, comes a fairytale retelling that'll forever change the way you think about strength, power, and the real meaning of "happily ever after."

Once upon a time, a girl named Sophie rode into the forest with the queen's huntsman. Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman took out his knife . . . and took Sophie's heart.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule -- a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she'd heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong . . .

With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can't extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength.

Savage her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan: author interview

A dark, feminist retelling of The Children of Lir told in Sullivan's hypnotic prose.

A retelling of the favourite Irish fairytale The Children of Lir. Aife marries Lir, a king with four children by his previous wife. Jealous of his affection for his children, the witch Aife turns them into swans for 900 years. Retold through the voice of Aife, Savage Her Reply is unsettling and dark, feminist and fierce, yet nuanced in its exploration of the guilt of a complex character. 

Voiced in Sullivan's trademark rich, lyrical prose as developed in Tangleweed and Brine - the multiple award-winner which established Sullivan as the queen of witchy YA. Another dark & witchy feminist fairytale from the author of Tangleweed and Brine.

The Cauldron of Life by Caroline Logan

Join the journey; discover your destiny.

Harris has been captured by the Faerie Queen and Ailsa must journey once again into the heart of Eilanmòr to rescue him.

But Ailsa is struggling with her newfound magic and the revelations about her real identity. Is the Faerie Queen Ailsa’s mother? Is everything she believed about her past a lie?

Meanwhile, a war is brewing between Heaven and Hell, with the world as the battleground. The lines between good and evil are blurring, and Ailsa must decide where she stands.

Twelve by Andrea Blythe

Twelve is a poetic retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Bewitching and beguiling, this short series of linked poems takes the reader to the underground realm and back, following the stories of twelve princesses and their life after the magic shoes.