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Mythology

Tales' category of mythology contains some of the oldest written texts in history. The mythology books will take you on adventurous journeys through ancient worlds of brave heroes and great gods of the past. Our collection covers myth from all around the world. You can find stories about the Vikings’ Norse gods and sorceresses, but you can also dive into the legendary and heroic tales of Ancient Greece. You can also get wiser on Ancient Egypt and it’s gods and pharaohs. Finally you will find mythology books about Ancient Japan with descriptions of its traditions and customs. Get ready to be inspired by the stories of the past.
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  • Save 23%
    by Adrienne Young
    £15.49

    Set among the Californian redwoods, this is the mesmerising new novel from the internationally bestselling author of the Fable series and Spells for Forgetting

  • Save 10%
    by Elizabeth McManus
    £8.99

    Myths and legends capture the intensity of human experience - but there are gaps in the stories. Thoroughly relatable, Later, Icarus uncovers what happens beyond the headlines, in the aftermath. These are the voices of ordinary people in poetry - the legends and the forgotten - as they reveal their own truths, and experience what comes next

  • Save 14%
    by Heather Walter
    £9.49 - 13.49

  • Save 10%
    by Mark Haddon
    £8.99 - 15.49

  • Save 14%
    by Raven Kennedy
    £9.49

  • Save 21%
    by Chinaza Bado
    £13.49

  • Save 10%
    by Sav R. Miller
    £8.99

    Welcome to the Black Rose Auction, where every sin can be yours for a price. For three days, the doors to this luxe New York estate are thrown wide for anyone with a taste for the obscenely rich, the ultra-exclusive, and the once in a lifetime thrill of the forbidden: where nothing is off the table and everything-and everyone-can be had for the taking. In STOLEN VOWS by Sav R. Miller, a Rapunzel remix, a virgin is forced to marry a mafia heir determined to kill anyone who touches her-only to flee from him the day after their wedding. But he's done waiting and has the perfect trap in mind to lure her back... In IRRESISTIBLE DEVIL by Jenny Nordbak, a Rumpelstiltskin remix, a society darling is willing to make any bargain to benefit her family, but each deal draws her deeper into a dark and decadent world ruled by the dangerous man who's been pulling her strings from the start... And that's just the beginning. Accept your invitation to this exclusive auction. You never know who you might see there...

  • Save 21%
    by Isabelle Schuler
    £13.49

    Beatrice has been lied to her whole life.Beatrice Barbary has been raised to believe that while education will set her mind free, there are some questions better left unanswered.Her life is in disarray.But when her father, one of the most powerful men in Bern, is brutally murdered in their own home, she is left reeling, unprotected and vulnerable.Her future uncertain.Plunging head first into the mysteries surrounding her father and her own upbringing, Beatrice discovers The Order of St. Eve and the violent secrets they have been hiding her entire life. It's time for her to take control.Will she be able to right the wrongs of her father, or will the Order silence her first?Set in a city at breaking point, Beatrice's story tows the dangerously thin line between retribution and revenge, and the choice we must make when confronted by evil.

  • - My Voyages
    by Vito de la Vera
    £14.99

    My search for the origins of the whale culture has now taken me from the first findings on the East coast of Greenland across the Arctic Ocean and down the Bering Sea to the Aleutian Islands. Here I have found evidence that they originated in the Pacific, which brings us to Japan and the Yonaguni monument. Here it becomes evident that the Whale culture originated from hunter-gatherers, on the Eurasian Mammoth step, who have begun to hunt seals and whales in the Sea of Japan and have then crossed over to Japan from where their culture has adapted to the rich hunting waters of the Pacific during the ice age. The abundance of hunting game has led them to be very successful in the Pacific and to have the resources to develop their unique culture, where they lived on and hunted from the ice cover on the Ocean. On the journey from Japan across the Pacific we find evidence on Hawaii that causes us to take a detour to Kiritimati.There we find evidence that very specific ocean currents during the ice age created a continent of ice in the pacific during the ice age with very rich waters both to the north and south of this ice continent on which the whale culture established a civilization that must have been the real lost continent of Mu. From this continent the whale culture of Mu could cover the entire pacific in their airships based on whale skin and bone. In our continued search we come to Tahiti and New Caledonia to find the source of the specific conditions in the ocean currents that led to the formation of the ice continent of Mu and how these conditions started to collapse and led to the decline of the Whale culture in the Pacific. We thus end up following the whale culture to New Zealand, where it tries to adapt to the missing sea ice and follows the ice south towards the Antarctic before disappearing.

  • Save 10%
    by Rosalie M. Lin
    £8.99 - 14.99

  • Save 10%
    by Caro De Robertis
    £8.99 - 13.49

  • Save 10%
    by Prashanth Srivatsa
    £8.99 - 13.49

  • Save 27%
    by Chantry Westwell
    £21.99

    This exquisite book builds on ongoing trends for re-telling classical and medieval stories from the perspective of female characters. Powerful tales are presented alongside some of the most exquisite examples of art to survive from the eighth to the sixteenth centuries.

  • Save 21%
    by Yejin Suh
    £14.99

  • Save 10%
    by Laura Bates
    £8.99 - 13.49

  • Save 20%
    by Brothers Grimm
    £11.99

    Delight in the fantasy world of The Brothers Grimm with these 59 of their best-loved bedtime stories for children (and adults!) worldwide, in an elegantly designed hardcover edition. Originally collected by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, these German linguists and cultural researchers gathered legendary folklore and aimed to share the stories exactly as they heard them. The Essential Grimm's Fairy Talesfeatures all of your favorite tales, including: CinderellaRapunzelHansel and GretelSnow WhiteRumpelstiltskinLittle Red Riding HoodThe Golden GooseThis handsomely designed faux-leather and foil-embossed hardcover edition features an introduction by fantasy literature scholar Lori Campbell, a timeline of the life and times of the Brothers Grimm, and more than 100 illustrations by Arthur Rackham. This gorgeous, heirloom-quality collection is an ideal edition for classic book lovers to acquire for their home library.Essential volumes for the shelves of every classic literature lover, these deluxe classics editions include beautifully presented works from some of the most important authors in literary history. Other deluxe classics from Chartwell include Little Women, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, Frankenstein, Anne of Green Gables, The Inferno, Dracula, The Republic, The Iliad, Meditations, and Irish Fairy and Folk Tales.

  • by Editors of Chartwell Books
    £7.99

    Color over 120 pages of frightening supernatural beings with the Japanese Monsters, Myths, and Spirits Coloring Book.

  • Save 19%
    by Ian Stewart
    £28.49

    A new history of the Celts that reveals how this once-forgotten people became a pillar of modern national identity in Britain, Ireland, and FranceBefore the Greeks and Romans, the Celts ruled the ancient world. They sacked Rome, invaded Greece, and conquered much of Europe, from Ireland to Turkey. Celts registered deeply on the classical imagination for a thousand years and were variously described by writers like Caesar and Livy as unruly barbarians, fearless warriors, and gracious hosts. But then, in the early Middle Ages, they vanished. In The Celts, Ian Stewart tells the story of their rediscovery during the Renaissance and their transformation over the next few centuries into one of the most popular European ancestral peoples. The Celts shows how the idea of this ancient people was recovered by scholars, honed by intellectuals, politicians, and other thinkers of various stripes, and adopted by cultural revivalists and activists as they tried to build European nations and nationalisms during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Long-forgotten, the Celts improbably came to be seen as the ancestors of most western Europeans-and as a pillar of modern national identity in Britain, Ireland, and France. Based on new research conducted across Europe and in the United States, The Celts reveals when and how we came to call much of Europe "Celtic," why this idea mattered in the past, and why it is still matters today, as the tide of nationalism is once again on the rise.

  • Save 21%
    by A S Webb
    £14.99

  • by Liesl West
    £14.99

    She's a killer in disguise. He's determined to make her his queen.As a deep sea death-dealer, Enna Valomir's life is simple: kill the siren, deliver the body, collect the reward. There's just one problem. Enna owes a mermaid her life, and in the cutthroat waters of the Abyss, that's a lifelong blood oath of service.When the mermaid orders her to kill the Abyssal Princess, Enna is pulled into an impersonation scheme with no choice but to infiltrate a gaudy surface court and help the mermaid win the heart-and throne-of its unwitting future king.But Prince Soren isn't interested in courting the so-called Abyssal Princess, or any power-hungry princess, for that matter. He's finally met his match in her fierce and mysterious handmaid, and he'll be damned if he can't have Enna for his queen instead.Breaking a blood oath means death, but Enna falls for Soren anyway. Now she must watch him descend into a ruin of her own making, or warn him of the ruse-and die.Part of the Sirens of Adria dark fantasy romance series, Of Song and Scepter is a standalone little mermaid retelling for readers who like their fairytales morally grey.

  • Save 14%
    by John Langan
    £9.49 - 11.99

  • Save 14%
     
    £9.49

    Gorgeous Collector's Edition. The Polynesian triangle covers Easter Island, Hawaii, New Zealand and the many isles in between. Their legends are based on the creation of land, sea, valleys and volcanic outcrops scattered across the long stretches of the Pacific. The beautiful myths of the Polynesians are brought together in this new collection.

  • Save 14%
     
    £9.49

    Gorgeous Collector's Edition. Populated by gods, High Kings, wilful Queens, noble warriors, fairies, goblins and wizards the Celtic myths are unsurpassed in their variety and power. This new book is a dazzling collection of the most gripping Celtic tales, vividly retold, gathering together the legends and sagas of this ancient culture.

  • Save 10%
    by Judy I. Lin
    £8.99 - 14.99

  • Save 23%
     
    £15.49

    Featuring the full Flame Tree treatment, with new stories from open submissions alongside the classic stories and fascinating background, this gorgeous new book reveals the origins, narratives and perceptions of Circe, the most renowned witch of Greek myth, offering new perspectives and a deeper dive into the inner life of this enigmatic character.

  • Save 23%
     
    £15.49

    Featuring the full Flame Tree treatment, with new stories from open submissions alongside the classic stories and fascinating background, this gorgeous new book reveals the origins, development and relevance of the wily, clever and complex figure of the trickster god Anansi.

  • Save 23%
     
    £15.49

    A witch, a healer, Morgana le Fay has deep roots in Celtic mythology and offers a fascinating canvas for the many writers in this new book. Created through open submissions and supported by an extensive introduction examining the origins of Morgana le Fay, is a wonderful new book in the best tradition of Flame Tree's collectable hardcover editions.

  • Save 23%
     
    £15.49

    Featuring the full Flame Tree treatment, with new stories from open submissions alongside the classic stories and fascinating background, this gorgeous new book reveals the man behind the myth of Achilles, the great warrior of the Trojan War in Ancient times, whose exploits and famously weak heel have been subjected to the norms of epic literature.

  • Save 17%
    by Martin Shaw
    £9.99

    'A modern-day bard.' Madeline Miller, author of Circe and The Song of Achilles'Shaw has so much wisdom and knowledge about the old stories, it emanates from his pores.' John Densmore, The Doors'Through feral tales and poetic exegesis, Martin Shaw makes you re-see the world, as a place of adventure and of initiation, as perfect home and as perfectly other. What a gift.' David Keenan, author of Xstabeth'I can still remember the first time I heard Martin Shaw tell a story. The tale that emerged was like a living thing, bounding around, throwing itself at us there listening. I had never heard anything like it before.' Paul Kingsnorth, Booker shortlisted author of The WakeToday, as we are confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our lives - identity, technology, love, seduction, politics - celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole - three ancient myths that serve as metaphors for our world today. Assailed by the seductive promises of social media and shadowed by a pandemic that brought loneliness to an all-time high, Martin argues that we are losing our sense of direction, our sense of self. He invites us to use these stories to help find 'a commons for the imagination, a place to breathe deeper, feel steadier and become acquainted with rapture.' Smoke Hole is a passionate call to arms and an invitation to use these stories to face the complexities of contemporary life, from fake news to parenthood, climate crises, addictive technology and more. Available now as a podcast! Subscribe to Smoke Hole Sessions to hear amazing conversations between Martin Shaw and some of our most admired writers, actors, comedians, musicians and more, including Sir Mark Rylance and Tommy Tiernan (Derry Girls).

Mythology
Mythology is the foundation of many of today's stories, take for example the stories of King Arthur and Merlin, a well-known story that goes back to the celtic mythologies. It has fascinated many writers all around the world and with good reason. Myths take you on fascinating and sometimes even magical journeys and into the ancient worlds of the past. The mythologies build on folklore and you can learn a lot about the ancient lifestyles by reading mythology books. The themes in mythologies are often built around honor and bravery, but the tales also have their own universal moral message. 

Norse mythology books
In the Nordic countries we have a long and proud history of folk tales and some of them can be traced all the way back to the Middle Ages and even before that, to what we describe as the Norse period, where all the Scandinavian countries were connected as one and not divided into nations. The North was instead formed by many smaller societies, who lived comparatively insulated and connected to nature. Such a life could be hard and created fertile soil for folklore and the belief in supernatural creatures, which are found in many folk tales. Most of the tales were part of an oral tradition and were often handed down through many generations. The mythology tales were first written down and converted into mythology books many years after they were told for the first time. 
We cannot mention the Norse period without the Vikings. Vikings are known all over the world for their strength, ships and sometimes brutal conquests, but the Vikings were defined by so much more than that. They had for example a vivid and intriguing tradition for mythology. To the Vikings they were so much more than myths, it was their religion. The Norse religion referred to as Asatru consists of multiple gods, goddresses, brave heroes and volvas, which were strong female sorcerers and fortune tellers. If you want to find your way to get started in Nordic mythology you can find a good description and overview in Penguin Book of Norse myths - Gods of the Vikings

Greek mythology books
Some of the greatest and most famous myths are found in Ancient Greece. You might have heard about the gods Zeus and Prometheus, the goddesses Athena and Aphrodite, and the heroes Hercules and Achilles? They are just a few of the unique figures of Ancient Greek mythology. They are found in some of the greatest classics of world literature; the Iliad and the Odyssey written by Homer. At Tales you can get them as mythology books in their traditional verse form, but we would also recommend you to take a look at Stephen Fry’s interpretations of the classical tales. Fry takes the timeless classics into modern times by rewriting the mythologies in a modern, easy understandable english, but he still keeps the essence of the Ancient mythologies. You can find Stephen Fry’s Heroes and Mythos in our selection of mythological books. 

Egyptian mythology books
Another world of mythologies is found in Ancient Egypt. Here we come across Ancient gods and goddesses with faces formed as animals. One of the central gods in Egyptian mythology is the sun god Ra. Ra was the incarnation of the sun, which was the foundation of life. In Egyptian mythology we also find mummies. Mummies were the deceased faraos, who were embalmed and covered in gaze to restore them for the afterlife. The god Osiris would then help them on their way through the afterlife. The mummies were placed in their own pyramid, who would show the greatness of the faraos for the times to come. The pyramids still stand in Egypt and show the history of the past. Among our egyptian mythology books you find the book Egyptian Mythology, which has collected all the fascinating tales of Ancient Egypt and all its gods, goddesses and legendary creatures. 

Japanese mythology books 
You can also find japanese mythology books in Tales’ selection. The japanese myths are little known to people, but contain many amazing stories. You can for example find the story behind the samurais, an Ancient collection of warriors in the japanese armies. A samurai had to live up to certain virtues in order to keep his status. A samurai should both be loyal and have a high level of endurance, modesty, and honor. You could learn a lot about a country from its mythology, because it is the foundation of the country’s culture, although a lot of changes have found place since then. If you aren’t familiar with japanese mythology, we recommend you to read the Handbook of Japanese Mythology among our collection of japanese mythology books. 

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