Urban fantasy

A comprehensive and entertaining collection of urban legends from around the world, with a history and analysis of the origin of each tale, compiled by a leading authority in the field.A rich and unique collection of folktales and urban legends from around the world. Each story comes with an accompanying brief note to provide context. Including new tales reflecting new concerns; old tales repurposed for new audiences and new ways of telling. The collection illustrates that these stories are now alive across many new media. This is the first such popular book to bring together stories with both traditional and digital media origins and to examine how the phenomenon of social media has affected both the spread of urban legends and their very nature.Features the uniquely modern manifestation of folk mythology and legend, now made ubiquitous by the internet; the conspiracy theory.Includes urban legends such as: The Pickled Hand, The Babysitter, The Sandman.Includes conspiracy theories such as: Wild Fires, Fifteen Minute Cities and Organ Theft.40% of the stories originate in North America, 30% in Europe, 20% in Asia, 10% in Africa and elsewhereThe book also shows how stories spread and change from the country of origin to become global.

First they took Daniel's freedom. Then they took his life. And when that wasn't enough, they went after his heart. Thorn, Narivous' queen, has ways of managing her undead-through vicious tactics and evil means. Her threats are never empty. Her follow-through, severe. So when she deploys one of her most menacing methods against Daniel "Death" Thatcher, all in an effort to gain the upper hand, she expects total subservience. Only it backfires.Thorn hasn't forced Daniel into compliance-she's triggered him into disobedience. A dangerous predicament since his powers are greater than her own. And although Daniel can't undo what has been done, he can make it better. And that starts with a plan. A plan he carefully keeps hidden away.Until a rebel group calling themselves the Unrests throws Thorn's city into a state of turmoil. They are sabotaging recruits, undercutting her laws, and are seeking to dismantle her powerful hold. But they need more, and have their eyes set on one. The most powerful Velore ever made. The one strong enough to overtake the city and daring enough to destroy a queen. Because their insurrection relies on Daniel. And the violence his powers promise.

The Cookie Shop. No one knows how or where it came from. No one sees or experiences the same thing. All anyone knows is you must visit every five years. And if the door opens, you must go in.

There are creatures lurking in our world. Obscure creatures long relegated to myth and legend. They have been sighted by a lucky-or unlucky-few, some have even been photographed, but their existence remains unproven and unrecognized by the scientific community.These creatures, long thought gone, have somehow survived; creatures from our nightmares haunting the dark places. They swim in our lakes and bays, they soar the night skies, they hunt in the woods. Some are from our past, and some from other worlds, and others have always been with us-watching us, fearing us, hunting us.These are the cryptids, and Systema Paradoxa tells their tales.***Ben Keep and Annetta Maikels have lived a quiet life since their first encounter with the unexplained, but when a copy of Natura Occulta falls into their hands-detailing strange phenomena that purportedly happened in their own backyard-they can't resist investigating further.But perhaps they should have...Not only does the secret they pursue come with a body count, but some involved want to add Ben and Annetta to that number. Caught between two inexplicable forces, their only hope to reclaim their lives is to solve the mystery.

Fate has once again torn my world apart, leaving me shattered.For years, I've lived with a cold void, clueless about my life before joining my childhood pack.Just as the secrets of my past were about to be unveiled, tragedy struck.The one person who held the key to unlocking my memories was taken from me, and with them, my fated mate, Bodey-leaving me exposed and fractured.But in this darkness, an unexpected truth emerges.The very act that was meant to weaken me has instead awakened a fierce strength.A primal wolf, hidden deep within, surges forward, driven by a relentless desire to rescue Bodey and protect my people.My resolve is unyielding-I will do whatever it takes to reclaim my mate and keep my people safe.Even if it means walking into the jaws of danger.The battle lines are drawn, and I'm ready to fight everyone that's screwed me over.Get this steamy and suspenseful forced proximity, touch her and unalive, broody male, fated mates, royal wolf shifter romance today!

Most Premier League fans are happy to cheer from the stands, but one fan?armed with some serious RPG talent?is taking his football pride onto the pitch. Not too long ago, Max Best was stuck in a dead-end job, trudging from one day to the next and mourning the fact that his burning love of football was getting buried in a landslide of cold statistics and intangible tactics. Then, after saving an old man from a mugging, he was ?cursed? with the ability to instantly ascertain a footie player's attributes on sight and use that knowledge to upgrade his own skills. Now he's making a name for himself as an amateur team manager, but it's not enough for him to ditch his dud of a job. Soon Max realizes there's only one logical next step to levelling up to his dream of being a top-tier manager: become a player himself. But first a great many things have to fall into place. From healing up his injured ankle to evaluating his real strengths as an athlete to continuing his scouting and dealing with his own client list, he's got a lot on his plate?to put it mildly. Turns out there's a massive difference between knowing how the game is played and actually playing it. If Max really wants his dream to come true, he'll have to put in the work . . .

A young man named Tom Daniels is kidnapped by a local family and is dropped on Loughby Island in an attempt to 'clean up their streets'.When the family that dropped Tom off is slaughtered by a werewolf-like creature, he soon finds himself banding together with a small group of the island's residents in a fight for their lives against an otherworldly monster.

She loves death.He is Death.Thanatos took a fifty-year vacation from his duties as Death, psychopomp of the Underworld.Returning to Halcyon, he meets Lira, a professor of Thanatology with the ability to see souls . . .and him.Intrigued, he finds himself obsessed with learning about the woman who studies, and sees, death.As he finds himself growing closer to the woman who has him fascinated for the first time in centuries, a devastating problem arises in both the mortal world and the Underworld.People are no longer dying.Thanatos and Lira now have a choice to make: each other or death itself.

When he woke up face to face with the God of War, Seth knew there had been a terrible mistake. Ares summoned twenty champions to compete in deadly trials to win his favor. The winner is going to be blessed by a God, everyone else will be crossing the river Styx. Seth wants out, but the Red Knight has entered him against his will. In a contest where a wizard is the underdog, Seth is going to need every shred of cunning he has to stay alive. Half-Blood's Debt is a gripping adventure packed with action, magic and mythological mayhem.

His dark crown will be mine.My mother was imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. She was locked away in darkness, never to see light again. I was born into that darkness, that perpetual night. I learned to survive without sunlight and to thrive on the scraps that were thrown to me.All because someone didn't want me to claim my birthright.Now I'm free. And I'm coming for what's mine.I'll go deep into the nightmares of an empire built on blood and bones to find the man whose name my mother couldn't utter.A beast who stole my place among supernaturals.I'll do whatever it takes to slice his empire apart, piece by little piece.Even if it means making a deal with a man whose thirst for vengeance exceeds my own. A broken king. The darkest of them all.In return for his power, he wants more from me than I can give.He wants my heart.Content information: Wolf of Ashes is a dark paranormal romance, the first in the Dark Magic Shifters series. Recommended reading age is 18+ for sex scenes, mature themes, violence, and language. Ends on a cliffhanger.Tropes include: supernatural mafia, enemies to lovers, secret identity, fated mates, wolf shifters, dragon shifters, and Norse mythology.

Zwei Gestaltwandler und eine uralte Macht, die ihre Welt bedrohtDie packende Shapeshifter-Romantasy für magische LesestundenErst ein unerfreulicher Zusammenstoß mit dem Gestaltwandler Levi zwingt Kat dazu, sich wieder mit ihren Träumen und Wünschen auseinanderzusetzen, die sie nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag vernachlässigt hat. Auch wenn die Katzen-Gestaltwandlerin Hunde nicht ausstehen kann, will sie sich auf das Abenteuer einlassen, zu dem Levi und seine Freunde sie mitnehmen wollen. Noch ahnt keiner von ihnen, dass diese Reise sie an ihre Grenzen führen wird, denn auf dem Weg lauert eine uralte Macht, die Gestaltwandler abgrundtief hasst. Kat und ihre neuen Freunde müssen alles riskieren, um zu verhindern, dass die Jäger sich erneut aus den Schatten erheben …Dies ist eine überarbeitete Neuauflage des Romans Dark Hearts - Spiegel der Seele.Erste Leser:innenstimmen„Spannende Romantasy für Fans von Asuka Lionera und Helen Harper."„Perfekte Mischung aus Fantasy und Romance. Wer Shapeshifter mag, liegt hier Gold richtig!"„Liebevoll gezeichnete Protagonistin, die chaotisch in der Welt der Magie und Liebe umhertaumelt. Sehr kurzweilig."„Die große Liebe und eine alte Legende. Der Gestaltwandler-Roman löst ein, was er verspricht."

Trouble's brewing in both worlds. Friends or enemies - it'll take everyone the Dragon Tasker knows to stop it...Jean-Michel and Gabriel are in our world of Gaia, investigating who is responsible for opening dangerous portals between worlds. As they investigate the corruption around them, they also explore their own connections and emotions.Meanwhile, Jean-Michel's best friend, Devon Weylyn, must travel back to his world of Ordia to help the family and pack he left behind. Pack Weylyn is in dire straits, but to help means relying on people he thought were enemies.Tightly regulated portals connect these sister worlds. Not many beings have the power to create unnatural portals nor the desire to create such unstable doorways. Who is taking the risk, and could this be tied to the wars and struggles of the Ordian Packlands? Who would benefit? Who might pay?Will the secrets uncovered in both worlds drive our heroes together or rip them apart?¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿Packs & Portals is Book Two of The Dragon Tasker Series. It's a wild urban fantasy and paranormal romance that introduces you to the lives of a chorus of paranormal characters connected to a dejected dragon and an introverted human trying to solve a mystery concerning portals between worlds, while their friends are fighting to protect their pack in one of those other worlds...

For two years, the god patiently gathered much of his followers only to mercilessly eliminate them last year for a gruesome display of power. At Camp, demigods face a dilemma: quarantine due to the mortal threat of SARS-CoV-2 or actively engage in a defensive battle against the god. The medical division is on high alert, while the infantry hunts the lord, their numbers drastically reduced compared to December 1944. To stay means witnessing the lord's ruthless rule; to fight risks leaving the ones who could've fought another war at a dreary cost.

Beneath the soul of a chef, lies the heart of a witch. Zelda Hawkins came to Manhattan to make sandwiches, not spells-but when a mysterious vampire offers free rent on her family's old restaurant in exchange for repairing a magical mirror, Zelda's plans are flipped like a hot grilled cheese. With the help of a ridiculous rescue poodle, a mind-reading fire witch, a smoldering ex-boyfriend, and a hot Brooklyn hipster helping with the renovation, Zelda must use the magic she inherited from her grandmother to enter a world of witches, vampires, and fae, where masks and mirrors are only the beginning... and the stakes are higher than New York prices.

Das Leben von Ben Rösner ändert sich abrupt, als er in seiner Pfandleihe einen unheimlichen Adventskalender erhält. Durch Zufall findet er heraus, dass der Kalender ein magisches Portal öffnen kann, das ins eisige Niflheim führt - die Unterwelt der nordischen Götter. Ben wagt sich in dieses sagenumwobene Reich und lernt in einem Dorf die bezaubernde Leonie kennen und lieben.Doch er spürt, dass über Niflheim eine dunkle Macht herrscht. Ben beschließt, die verbotenen Bereiche dieser Welt zu erforschen. Er stößt dabei auf ein uraltes Wesen, das für die Götter einen Turm aus Menschenknochen baut.Ben versucht, Leonie und alle anderen Dorfbewohner zu beschützen. Aber dadurch bricht für ihn ein wahrer Albtraum los. Denn die Götter von Niflheim sind böse und haben längst begonnen, Ben mit ihren dunklen Mächten zu verseuchen. Damit auch er schon bald für sie einen Knochenturm errichten kann ...

Through an enchanted Mirror, lies the Forest of Emeralds. Saving the fae realm was never going to be a walk in Central Park. But when a mysterious fire erupts at the restaurant, and Zelda's newly transformed ex-boyfriend manages to get himself into even more trouble, it's about to get more complicated than a seven-layer sandwich. With the help of Jester the mini poodle, Poppy the fire witch, a charming fae prince, and an unlikely crew of vampires-and maybe even nutty Aunt Belinda visiting from Florida-Zelda must follow a trail of mysterious magic through otherworldly dimensions and bring the fae realm back to life once and for all.

Follow Selene as she uncovers a secret world of gods and monsters, where her destiny is altered and her life is forever changed.As she fights for survival against the curse that threatens to send her to the darkest depths of the underworld, Selene must unravel the threads of fate and harness her newfound powers to save herself and those she loves.With a gripping romantic subplot and a backdrop of Greek mythology, "Into Olympus" is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy.But be warned - this book is not for the faint of heart.Can Selene overcome these obstacles and emerge victorious, or will she succumb to the darkness lurking within? Find out in the first installment of this gripping series!

After one screw up too many, Esmeralda Barnes is shipped off to Seattle to start her first semester of college while living under the strict guardianship of her great aunt. She's prepared to serve her time in simmering silence when she meets Charlie Campbell, the only person worth talking to at the tiny community college she's being forced to attend. His efforts to scare her away don't work, not even when he lefts it slip that he has a psychic twin sister who helps their uncle-a police detective-solve murders. As the former member of a gang, Esmer's confident she's tough enough to take anything he throws at her in stride.Then she has a near death experience. And Charlie is the first person on the scene. It turns out, his sister isn't psychic but she does have a special connection to Death. She and Charlie both.So maybe this friendship will take a little more work than Esmer originally thought. But hey, it's better than the gang. Even after being pulled into a string of grisly murder investigations, running with people possessing supernatural abilities, and dealing with the very real presence of a minor goddess, Esmer's pretty sure hanging with Charlie is better than being back with the gang. Yep, pretty damn sure.

Book 1 in the Rift Walker trilogy.

Wie bekämpft man am besten Monster? Mit anderen Monstern. Das ist die Idee, die hinter der Spezialeinheit Freak Force steht. Diese Eingreiftruppe setzt sich aus nichtmenschlichen Wesen wie Vampiren und Ogern zusammen und gibt diesen sogenannten Abnormalen die Möglichkeit, den für sie vorgesehenen Ghettos zu entkommen, indem sie die Menschheit vor übernatürlichen Bedrohungen beschützen. Doch der Dienst in der Freak Force ist alles andere als ungefährlich.Der Werwolf Nathan und die Halbdämonin Sarah haben mit der Freak Force einen Sieg über die Diener der Alten Götter errungen. Der Mount Grace wurde geschliffen und Tusara, Königin der Bestien und Mutter der Monster, die in ihm hauste, wurde zusammen mit ihrer grauenvollen Brut zerstört. Doch der Preis, der dafür gezahlt werden musste, war hoch: Nathans und Sarahs Einheit musste sich direkt gegen die Befehle ihrer menschlichen Vorgesetzten stellen und sie hat auf dem Gipfel des Mount Grace ihren Anführer verloren. Während die Zukunft der Einheit sowie die des gesamten Freak Force-Programms somit in der Schwebe hängt, planen die Kräfte der Alten Götter weiterhin die Unterwerfung des gesamten Planeten. Ihr jüngster Plan sieht vor, etwas auf die Erde zu bringen, das selbst die Gefahr, welche von der Mutter der Monster ausging, bei Weitem in den Schatten stellen würde: Die Götter schicken nicht länger lediglich ihre Diener in diesen Kampf ...

The hunt for a serial killer leads a vampire agent to uncover a terrifying conspiracy in this dark urban fantasy by the author of the Hellequin Chronicles.Vampires and humans live side by side thanks to an uneasy peace maintained by the Assembly. As an Arbiter for the powerful organization, Miles Watson is authorized to act as judge, jury, and executioner for anyone-living or undead-who breaks the law. But now Miles is up against a threat more sinister than anything he's seen in his centuries as a vampire.A criminal network in London is offering wealthy humans the chance to become vampires without the Assembly's consent. When the process goes disastrously wrong, the Boss wants to eliminate any trace of the fiasco. But a rogue enforcer refuses to play along, and trouble quickly escalates out of anyone's control.As Miles sets off searching for the illegal vampires, he finds himself on the trail of a monstrous serial killer. The twisty investigation takes him from London's deadly underworld to the rural backwaters of the Pacific Northwest-where an even more devious criminal enterprise threatens all of vampire-kind . . .Known for his terrifying tales of urban fantasy, author Steve McHugh goes even deeper into the shadows with this noirish vampire thriller, which masterfully combines suspenseful plotting and intricate world-building.