Author | Julia Golding |
---|---|
Cover artist | David Wyatt |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Series | Companions Quartet |
Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | 2006 |
Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
Pages | 401 pp (first edition, paperback) |
ISBN | 0-19-275460-2 |
OCLC | 68260678 |
Followed by | The Gorgon's Gaze |
Secret of the Sirens is a fantasy novel by British writer Julia Golding. [1] It is the first book of the Companions Quartet . The other three books in the quartet are The Gorgon's Gaze , Mines of the Minotaur , and The Chimera's Curse . [2]
The novel takes place in the southern regions of Great Britain in the fictional seaside town of Hescombe. Connie Lionheart is 11 years old, and her parents have left her with her Aunt Evelyn. Connie is able to communicate with animals and sense their actual being. She discovers that creatures considered to be mythical actually exist, and there is a secret society which protects them from humans called Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures. Connie realizes that her aunt is a member of the society. The society is under threat by Kullervo, a powerful evil force, who is gathering an army of creatures that want to reclaim their place on earth and exist. These creature want to eradicate humans and create a new world for themselves. Connie is a companion to mythical creatures, and she and her friends in the society, including Col Clamworthy, protect them, fight Kullervo, and prevent ocean pollution by an oil company. [3]
Secret of the Sirens was on the "Children's Choices for 2008" list by the International Reading Association and Children's Book Council. [4] Kirkus Reviews describes it as "easily accessible...for readers who enjoy mythical creatures." [1] Publishers Weekly calls the book an "entertaining read." [5] It has been criticized for "shallow" characters and "trite dialogue." [6]
A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence. Commonalities between dragons' traits are often a hybridization of feline, reptilian, mammalian, and avian features. Some scholars believe large extinct or migrating crocodiles bear the closest resemblance, especially when encountered in forested or swampy areas, and are most likely the template of modern Asian dragon imagery.
A sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle.
An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent followers, there are four categories of elementals, which are gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders. These correspond to the four Empedoclean elements of antiquity: earth, water, air, and fire, respectively. Terms employed for beings associated with alchemical elements vary by source and gloss.
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the Harry Potter series and connected media originally created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends encounter many of these creatures on their adventures in Hogwarts, the Forbidden Forest, or other locations throughout the Wizarding World. In addition, students learn to take care of creatures such as hippogriffs and unicorns in the Care of Magical Creatures class at Hogwarts. Rowling has also written Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a guide to the magical beasts found in the series, and based on the fictional textbook of the same name written by Newt Scamander and used by students at Hogwarts.
The peryton is a mythological hybrid animal combining the physical features of a stag and a bird. The peryton was first named by Jorge Luis Borges in his 1957 Book of Imaginary Beings, using the fictional device of a supposedly long-lost medieval manuscript.
Hero System Bestiary is a compilation of creatures designed for use with Hero System role-playing game rules. It is presented in the form of a bestiary and was published in 2002 for the 5th edition of the Hero System. The cover is made of thick paper and illustrated in color, while the interior consists of 239 pages illustrated in black and white. An earlier edition of The Hero System Bestiary was published in 1992 for the prior edition of the Hero System.
American Dragon: Jake Long, or simply American Dragon, is an American animated television series. It was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, created by Jeff Goode and co-developed by Eddie Guzelian and Matt Negrete. It premiered on Disney Channel on January 21, 2005, and ended on September 1, 2007. Fifty-two episodes were produced.
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giants are a collection of very large humanoid creatures based on giants of legend, or in third edition, a "creature type".
Voyage of the Basset is an illustrated children's book published in 1996. It was written and illustrated by James C. Christensen in collaboration with Renwick St. James and Alan Dean Foster. It is about a widowed Victorian era professor, Algernon Aisling, his two daughters, Miranda and Cassandra, and their adventure on a ship called the Basset.
Chimera, originally found in Greek mythology, is a monstrous fire-breathing creature composed of the parts of multiple animals. The term, and often the general concept, has since been adopted by various works of popular culture, and chimeras of differing description can be found in contemporary works of fantasy and science fiction.
Mythic humanoids are legendary, folkloric, or mythological creatures that are part human, or that resemble humans through appearance or character. Each culture has different mythical creatures that come from many different origins, and many of these creatures are humanoids. They are often able to talk and in many stories they guide the hero on their journey.
The Gorgon's Gaze is a fantasy novel by British writer Julia Golding. It is the second book of the Companions Quartet, and it continues the story from the previous book, Secret of the Sirens. The rest of the quartet includes Mines of the Minotaur and The Chimera's Curse.
The Chimera's Curse is a children's fantasy novel by British writer Julia Golding, first published in 2007. It is the fourth and final book of the Companions Quartet. The rest of the quartet includes The Gorgon's Gaze, Mines of the Minotaur, and Secret of the Sirens. A sequel for the Companion's Quartet called Water Thief was published in 2011.
Companions Quartet is a book series by Julia Golding, a British author who is also the author of the Cat Royal series. The majority of the series takes place in the fictional town of Hescombe in England.