Its about a poor 'family' that live in the city of Chicago in the early 2000s. There was Cyprian Parson, a poor musician and occult researcher from England; Justina Walker, a Charity schoolteacher currently unemployed; Simon, a 15 year-old illiterate pickpocket and handy with a switchblade; Sarah, a 14 year-old Irish orphan whose Parents died in 9/11; and Jeffrey, a 9 year-old foundling. They were poor and about to be evicted by their greedy landlords, until a stranger came by and asked for hospitality. They gave him all that they could, but the stranger gave them an old map and an apple that turned solid gold. He told them that with this map and gold apple, they can find the mythical "Island of Paradise" and find the legendary 'Tree of Life" that it will grant them all their wishes and give them a big fortune and plenty of food and luxury. The stranger then left, and the family decided to steal a ship and follow the map that lead them deep into the west, where they sailed for 40 days.
Then, they found themselves being lead by sirens into the island where they meet half-sibling demigods who rule the island and have many other people living in it. The adult humans rest in the shades eating sweet figs while the children swim in the pools and play with the strange animals. But they soon learn that the demigoddess-witch is charming humans to turn them into pigs so as to feed them to her children of mythical monsters (minotaurs and werewolves and hags and ogres and sphinxes etc). And she has also imprisoned the nature spirits (centaurs and satyrs and nymphs and giants and winged deer etc) of the island and turned the missing circus/zoo animals into human servants for entertainment and to praise her hand her brother as divinities.
The only way to leave the island is to challenge the demigoddess in mortal combat in a stony courtyard full of thorns and skulls. She is killed, but her brother escapes along with a golden apple. There is also a god-like giant shape-shifting Dove, and his mother a blue-horned Unicorn, who aids the humans and creates another world for them to live in. The world is called Neian. Cyprian and Justina marry and their child and his children become the leaders of the Neian country. And at the creation of Neian, the humans see all time periods in the upper skies and space, including the big bang. As if they were outside of time. Simon, Sarah and Jeffrey were taken back home, and carried with them gifts of precious jewels and gold, and took care of themselves, but they would return to check up on their 'ancestors'.
Its a religious fantasy I'll admit, only I won't make it too preachy or overly Christian. It has other gods like Hercules, the Green Man, Pan, Flora, Diana, Lady of the Lake, and Mother Earth and Grandfather Frost.
Then, they found themselves being lead by sirens into the island where they meet half-sibling demigods who rule the island and have many other people living in it. The adult humans rest in the shades eating sweet figs while the children swim in the pools and play with the strange animals. But they soon learn that the demigoddess-witch is charming humans to turn them into pigs so as to feed them to her children of mythical monsters (minotaurs and werewolves and hags and ogres and sphinxes etc). And she has also imprisoned the nature spirits (centaurs and satyrs and nymphs and giants and winged deer etc) of the island and turned the missing circus/zoo animals into human servants for entertainment and to praise her hand her brother as divinities.
The only way to leave the island is to challenge the demigoddess in mortal combat in a stony courtyard full of thorns and skulls. She is killed, but her brother escapes along with a golden apple. There is also a god-like giant shape-shifting Dove, and his mother a blue-horned Unicorn, who aids the humans and creates another world for them to live in. The world is called Neian. Cyprian and Justina marry and their child and his children become the leaders of the Neian country. And at the creation of Neian, the humans see all time periods in the upper skies and space, including the big bang. As if they were outside of time. Simon, Sarah and Jeffrey were taken back home, and carried with them gifts of precious jewels and gold, and took care of themselves, but they would return to check up on their 'ancestors'.
Its a religious fantasy I'll admit, only I won't make it too preachy or overly Christian. It has other gods like Hercules, the Green Man, Pan, Flora, Diana, Lady of the Lake, and Mother Earth and Grandfather Frost.