World Myths

In this ancient Mexican folktale, the Aztec Sky god and Wind god attempt to fix silence on Earth by bringing music to the world. They set out to the Sun palace, where legions of musicians play for the almighty Sun. Unfortunately, this hot-headed ruler won’t give up his musicians without a fight!

Two brothers, Heung Bu and Nol Bu, lived as neighbors. One spring day when the brothers were out planting, Heung Bu finds a wounded swallow. He nurses it back to health and is rewarded with a single pumpkinseed. Heung Bu plants the seed and is rewarded for his kindness. Nol Bu, jealous of his brother’s good fortune, seeks out a wounded swallow of his own. Will he be rewarded like his brother?

A flower-spouting princess, gobbling prince, emerald-winged fairy, foolish giants, fearsome ogres, and talking frog and fish are just a few of the captivating characters found in this anthology of beloved stories from 29 places around the world, from the Arctic to Africa to Asia to Australia to Europe to the Americas.

"The world is in great peril," the Pope said. "Of being destroyed!" Jules Verne and Alexander Dumas stood in stunned silence at the words spoken by the Pope. If true, it could mean the end of the world . If not true, it could mean the end of their world. A mission is described which is so important and so dangerous that only these two brave young men were chosen to take it. But to be honest, can two authors, even if smart and brave, be enough to stop the destruction of the world? As they embark on their mission, they are joined by a third party. An international pirate. A man dedicated to ...

"What is your favorite story?" is the question children across the country often ask professional storyteller Pleasant DeSpain. As he attempts to answer, his list grows longer and longer, until he confesses he likes them all. An untiring researcher of oral traditions, DeSpain is known for his concise versions of world folktales specifically crafted for retelling.

Listen at your own risk. The Godhunter has been given a warning; a prophecy of a coming apocalypse in the God Realm. Her family and friends have gathered to help her stop it, but then Gods begin to disappear, and Vervain suspects that it might all be connected. A new nightclub may also be involved; run by a group of ancient gods, humans and Gods alike have been flocking to it. As Vervain searches for the missing, she's pulled deeper into a sexy, shadowy world of illusion and enchantment where music is the most powerful magic of all.From the Author: Check out her other Bestselling series: ...

The wind has stopped, just stopped, all across the world. As panic begins to build one boy, storm-born Hurricane Smith, is especially affected. After all, the wind has always been his friend, always had his back. Hurricane's despair only increases when his mother's breathing problem lands her in the hospital. That night, alone in their apartment, a strange man appears to him, with an even stranger message: “I am Zephron Windlord, and I need your help to rescue the wind.”

Sometimes Death is a blessing. Death was once something for the Godhunter to fight, but now she knows him intimately. She knows that the Angel of Death can be beautiful, charming, and irresistible. Sometimes Death is a blessing, and at other times he can be a curse, but Azrael is always loyal and always loved. Until he resigned, that is. Then the Angelic Host was sent after him. But there is more to their actions than simple retribution. Someone is manipulating the Host, and if Vervain wants to save her husband, she must first discover the secrets of Heaven, Hell, and the heart of Death ...

Isaac and Yara’s search in London for answers about Prince Teris’s disappearance comes to a halt when two powerful faeries abduct Yara through a portal. Isaac must venture to the magic-starved faerie realm, where danger lurks in every corner, and allies are hard to find. From dangerous man-eating trees to sparse deserts with voices that call out in the night, Isaac faces challenges beyond his wildest imagination. Yet, his determination to rescue Yara fuels his every step.

Humans are dangerous. That's the lesson faeries are taught as soon as their flower petals unfurl. It's the first thing Aerewyn remembers the priestesses telling her as a young girl. Why then, when she stumbles upon a human boy in the woods, does she find him so intriguing? His blue eyes don't shine with malice. His smile doesn't menace. And when she later discovers he's been knocked unconscious in a storm, injured and alone in the forest, the only thing he seems in danger of is dying. So she saves his life - a single act that will change the fate of both their worlds.

Medusa's Daughter: Odyssey of Vengeance is a thrilling mythological adventure that follows Seraphina, the immortal daughter of Medusa and Poseidon. Born during her mother's tragic death at the hands of Perseus, Seraphina is raised by Medusa's loyal handmaidens, Ismene and Ophelia. Centuries later, as an art restorer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seraphina's life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her divine heritage and the truth about her father's role in her mother's curse. Driven by a desire for justice, Seraphina embarks on a perilous quest to locate Poseidon's powerful ...

Leo Braudy, a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has won accolades for revealing the complex and constantly shifting history behind seemingly unchanging ideas of fame, war, and masculinity. Continuing his interest in the history of emotion, this book explores how fear has been shaped into images of monsters and monstrosity.

When a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, she brings only disappointment. Left exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis. Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason's band of Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place in the legends in a world made for men?

When the other gods grow tired in their attempt to create humankind, only one does not give up: the Feathered Serpent. He embarks on a dangerous journey full of fearsome foes and harsh elements, facing each trial with wisdom, bravery, and resourcefulness before confronting his final challenge at Mictlan, the underworld. In the spirit of Duncan Tonatiuh’s celebrated book The Princess and the Warrior, this pre-Columbian creation myth tells the story of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, one of the most important deities in ancient Mesoamerica.

Think there's just one fairy tale with a girl who meets danger in disguise? Think again! Cultures all around the world have their own Little Red Riding Hood stories.

Unearth the truths behind Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—master Middle Eastern geopolitics without the frustration of biased sources! Are you tired of sifting through unreliable news to make sense of Middle Eastern conflicts? Struggling to find objective, well-researched material about Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis? If so, you're not alone. Many military professionals, law enforcement, and socially curious individuals share this challenge.

With Straits, celebrated historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto subjects the surviving sources to the most meticulous scrutiny ever, providing a timely and engrossing biography of the real Ferdinand Magellan. The truth that Fernández-Armesto uncovers about Magellan's life, his character, and the events of his ill-fated voyage offers up a stranger, darker, and even more compelling narrative than the fictional version that has been celebrated for half a millennium.

Kai and Kishi share the same futon, the same face, and the same talent for pearl diving. But Kishi is the obedient daughter, while Kai tries to push the rules, and sometimes they fight. Still, when Kishi is stolen and killed by the legendary Ghost Whale, nothing will stop Kai from searching for her, deep in the ocean, hoping for a way to bring her back to life. But such a rescue is beyond the power of an ordinary mortal. Kai strikes a deal with the gods: she’ll steal a magic pearl in exchange for her sister’s soul.

Award-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber journeys across Europe exploring Europe's epic poems, from the Odyssey to Beowulf, the Song of Roland to the Nibelungenlied, and their impact on European identity in these turbulent times. These are the stories that made Europe. Journeying from Turkey to Iceland, award-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber takes us on a fascinating adventure through our continent's most enduring epic poems to learn how they were shaped by their times and how they have since shaped us.

It took a while for the vital myth-shattering ideas of Galileo, Bruno, and Copernicus to spread. We find ourselves in a similar situation. Whether homo sapiens ultimately self-destroys in another tribalistic world war, Socialist revolution, environmental disaster, or CovidMania-like self-mutilating economic lockdowns, it will all come down to whether the ideas of the ‘The Austrian School of Economics’ reach leaders in time. If you know where to look you can easily see how the vital wisdom of ‘The Austrians’ is spreading. Via his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, former US ...