The Sword of Angels


Book Description

Armed with a magic amulet which bestows eternal life on the wearer, a powerful knight protects the fortress of Grimhold, where the magical people of his world reside. But when his closest friend is pulled into the evil sway of the Devil's Armor, only the Sword of Angels can defeat it.




The Complete Book of Straw Craft and Corn Dollies


Book Description

Complete illustrated introduction to the age-old craft of plaiting harvest, or good luck figures from straw. 150 illustrations.




The Greenstone Grail


Book Description

A desperate mother spirits away her infant son, seemingly drawn (chased, perhaps?) to the small English village of Thornyhill. She ends up on the doorstep of old Bartlemy, a curious man who has lived on the forested land for as long as anyone can remember–and who comes to believe that the child is destined for great things. . . . While growing up under Bartlemy’s protective eye, Nathan Ward senses something else watching him, a shift of shadows in the surrounding Darkwood. Then pieces of his dreams begin to come to life. A man he saved from the ocean washes ashore on the television news. A greenish stone cup set with jewels that has haunted his visions sounds eerily like one lost by the Thorn family centuries ago–a cup that has recently made its way back into the hands of the village’s last living ancestor. Yet when Nathan learns the chalice may have come from another world, a land with bloodstained moons and a toxic sun, he knows he is destined to play a part in something beyond his most vivid imagination. But why is the cup here, and what could it possibly want with a teenage boy and a sleepy town of villagers full of tall tales? With the help of his best friend, Hazel, Nathan must figure out why he’s been chosen–and for what purpose. Even if it means traveling deeper each night into dreams, into lands, into legends that both terrify and mesmerize him. The Greenthorn Grail is the first novel of a thrilling new trilogy, tracing a boy’s journey–a quest rife with magic, wonder, and forces as dark as midnight.







Japan


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The Sword of Straw


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The Straw Sandal


Book Description

Carmen Blacker’s spirited translation of Santo Kyoden’s Mukashi-banashi inazuma byooshi (from which the title ‘The Straw Sandal’ is taken), considered by Aston to be his masterpiece, reveals a multi-layered and fascinating tale of revenge – Japanese-style, thereby providing a classic example of this popular genre within Japanese literature. Aston makes the point that the plot of this late-eighteenth-century novel, developed over twenty chapters or episodes, is so complicated that ‘it is impossible to give an adequate summary...’ But he goes on to promise several murders, a harakiri and other suicides, terrific combats, hairbreadth escapes, strange meetings and surprising recognitions. In addition, there are scenes of witchcraft and enchantment with dreams, magic terrors and ghosts who rove by night. The Straw Sandal, which contains most of the original black and white woodblock prints together with textual notes added by the translator, will surely be widely welcomed both in the world of literature as well as that of Japanese Studies.




Warriors Inc.


Book Description

This is us. We are 5 ordinary beings which have come together to quest for the missing marbles. The queens missing marbles. These marbles create harmony in the kingdom and without it we are doomed. Well.at least till we sit down for lunch the next day. This is a tale of bravery, stupidity and ligancy all caked up into one. Cake is a good thing amongst us; we all share the same excitement towards wanting to eat it most of the time. Oh, and there is a medicinal gnome, a warrior faerie, a retired wizard, an inexperienced dragon and a hungry troll. We ARE the Warriors Incorporated. Some might say we an odd bunch, but who ever said being odd would even itself out in the end. You be the judge of that.




Pearson's Magazine


Book Description




IAI the Art of Drawing the Sword


Book Description

Master the ancient samurai art of iaijutsu with this expert martial arts guide. To the Japanese, the sword is a spiritual weapon, possessed of a kind of divinity, a self reflective of the soul of its maker, owner, and user. Around its mystical powers has grown a centuries-old ritual and a fascinating, intricate discipline. This unique guide unlocks the mysteries of this ancient ritual practice, explaining the history and significance of swords in the samurai culture, and documenting the techniques of swordsmanship, as no other book in English does. IAI: The Art of Drawing the Sword is a thorough examination of the traditional Japanese martial art of iaijutsu. Included in this volume are introductions to sword care and selection; general etiquette and the training uniform and gear; proper basic sword procedure; sword techniques and drills for practice and demonstrations; kata; and sword testing; as well as the story of the Chushingura (the 47 Ronin). Generously illustrated with black and white photographs and line drawings, IAI: The Art of Drawing the Sword is a storehouse of information for both the aspiring student and the experienced swordsman.