Here is our Sunday morning video of a Tribute to John William Waterhouse, courtesy of joshje777. Enjoy! Check back next Sunday for the next in the series.
Once upon a time, there was a prince...
In the tiny ancient Russian tsardom of Khorlov, strange doings are afoot. When Tsarevitch Ivan Khorlov's three sisters marry into magic, he sets out across the wide white world to see what fate has in store for him... and meets the mysterious Mar'ya Morevna, the most beautiful princess in all the Russias, whose castle holds a terrible secret that will change both their lives beyond recall.
For the sorcerous Mar'ya is the jailer of the awful being known only as Koshchey the Undying. When Koshchey breaks his bonds and spirits Ivan's true love away to the ends of the Earth, naturally Ivan has no choice but to follow... though he knows his enemy cannot be stopped by any merely mortal force. Prince Ivan must find his way to his beloved, and save her, with nothing to help him but his wits, his kind heart, and a little bit of magic.
But between them lies a wilderness full of unknown dangers. And his way to Mar'ya Morevna is barred by one of the worst horrors of legend -- one that waits hungrily just for him in a hut that stands on chicken legs...
In the dark winter of 1235 the Teutonic Knights are plotting a crusade against Russia. Their secret weapon is the foul witch Baba Yaga, out for revenge against her old enemy, Ivan, Prince of Khorlov.
In his second spectacular fantasy adventure in the lands of Old Russia, Prince Ivan finds himself battling against civil war at home, foreign invaders, the dreadful powers of the Inquisition, and the soured magic of an evil old woman.
But Ivan is not without allies. And the forces arrayed against him soon discover that they may have miscalculated when they find themselves up against not only Ivan and the forces of Khorlov, but a cranky sorceress-wife who may or may not be pregnant, a fabulous and deadly bird with its own agenda... and Volk Volkhovitch, the opposite of a werewolf.
Witty, thrilling, played out agianst the backcloth of a brilliantly realized medieval world, Peter Morwood's Firebird seamlessly weaves together Russian myth with real history to conjure up an unputdownable tale.
In the middle of the thirteenth century, the private quarrels of Russia's brawling little kingdoms are savagely interrupted by the ruthless advance of the Tatars. One by one the city-states fall to the irresistible force of the Golden Horde. Those tsardoms that resist are stamped out of existence and their inhabitants slaughtered. Only those that submit are spared, but each conquered Prince must travel to the great tent-city of Sarai and surrender his crown to the Khan. At last the choice comes to the little tsardom of Khorlov: bow down, or be destroyed!
Ivan Khorlovskiy, once Prince, now Tsar, needs all his cunning -- and all his patience -- to restrain his proud, hotheaded warriors from defying the mightiest army the world has ever seen, and bringing destruction on all his people. When the Khan commands him to Sarai with Khorlov's Great Crown, that command includes three treasures as priceless -- and as dangerous: Ivan's wife Mar'ya Morevna the sorceress, and their two small children. But once within the walls they find themselves facing a peril more terrible than even their captors: the dark pagan gods of Russia, starved of worship -- and of sacrifice -- for half a thousand years...
by A. C. Gogolski from a SurLaLune reader who highly recommended it. I hadn't heard of it yet, but thought it sounded like a great post for Indie Saturday. Which I keep forgetting to do, but I am making up a schedule to remind myself in the new year. The book draws inspiration from Rapunzel which always is of interest to me. From the reviews, it also appears to pull in some Arthurian legend so for fans of both, this may be a treat.Rapunzel escaped the witch and went on to marry her prince – everyone knows that story. But that's not the end of it. 100 years have passed since the days of long hair and secret trysts. During that time, Rapunzel has become a queen and a sorceress, learning magic words from the witch who held her captive. Now the girl once called Rapunzel is known as Lady Zel: Witch of the Weald, and mistress of the doorless tower. But her power is fading, and an evil presence threatens the kingdom she once ruled. With little hope, Lady Zel searches for someone to whom she can pass on her Words of Power before they die with her. And so it is that she discovers Nell Shoemaker, a 13-year old urchin girl who has an uncanny connection with the natural world. To Nell the sorceress gives the gift of the Wealding Word; but there is no time to explain how to use it. Left to discover the wonders of the Word on her own, Nell quickly finds her world transformed into a fairy tale where she can speak with animals and bewitch plants. But a shadow lurks in every fairy tale… Nell's uncontrolled use of the Wealding Word soon attracts the attention of a demonic creature known as a Malady. It isn’t long before the demon’s dark influence begins to ruin Nell's life. Beset by accidents and deadly creatures from which not even Lady Zel can save her, Nell flees into the ‘weald’. But in a world where evil witches siphon the life from children, runaway urchins make for easy prey. Caught in a power struggle between sorceresses, kings, and sinister forces, Nell's only hope for survival is to master the secrets of the Wealding Word.
