Wizards - Magic Tales (Electronic book text)

Never-before-published stories by Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer, Garth Nix, and a magical lineup of writers. Throughout the ages, the wizard has claimed a spot in human culture-from the shadowy spiritual leaders of early man to precocious characters in blockbuster films. Gone are the cartoon images of wizened gray-haired men in pointy caps creating magic with a wave of their wands. Today's wizards are more subtle in their powers, more discerning in their ways, and-in the hands of modern fantasists-more likely than ever to capture readers' imaginations. In Neil Gaiman's ""The Witch's Headstone,"" a piece taken from his much-anticipated novel in progress, an eight-year-old boy learns the power of kindness from a long-dead sorceress. Only one woman possesses two kinds of magic-enough to unite two kingdoms-in Garth Nix's ""Holly and Iron."" Patricia A. McKillip's ""Naming Day"" gives a sorcery student a lesson in breaking the rules. And a famished dove spins a tale worthy of a meal, but perhaps not the truth, in ""A Fowl Tale"" by Eoin Colfer.