World Myths

"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.

Lost, afraid, and hunted, “Nina” doesn’t even know her own name...Only her reluctant rescuer Jack stands between her and a growing inner darkness she fears may consume them both. As they grow closer his protective shifter instincts ignite a hot-as-sin passion they both fight, but which neither can resist. But with a mysterious contagion spreading through Fae Crossing and her unknown past threatening to unravel their budding romance, Nina struggles to confront the truth of who she might be, even as Jack struggles to balance his duty to his pack with his growing desire for make her his ...

To find the killer, she'll have to walk through fire. Ever since Elaria learned that an ember of her goddess magic still burns inside her, she's been having strange dreams of fire and blood. She decides that she needs a teacher to help her learn how to control the fire and the perfect one is found for her; a phoenix. A charismatic shapeshifter with true immortality and an exceptional control of fire. Except her lessons are put on hold when several phoenixes are murdered; their ashes taken to prevent their rising. Elaria is asked to find the killer and retrieve the ashes, but as she closes ...

At the height of mankind's greatness, a Witch decides to unleash The Darkness that humanity fought so hard to seal away centuries ago. A post-apocalyptic world where monsters from myths, legends, and lore have been released from their dark Lair. Heroes must rise to defend the remnants of humanity, discover how to fight against this rising darkness, and find glory through it all. These stories all take place in the same world full of Night Creatures, Hunters and Witches. Each story follows a monster or hero, ready to change the world around them. Dark Fantasy stories that do not always end ...

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?

Here are the incredible true stories of some of the mortals who achieved notoriety in history and folklore through horrible means. Monsters of this sort - serial killers, desperate criminals and socially mobile people with much darker double lives - are, in fact, quite real...including H. H. Holmes, the infamous Chicago serial killer; William Brodie, the Edinburgh criminal mastermind who inspired The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; and Bela Kiss, a Hungarian tinsmith with a most disturbing hobby: collecting women in gasoline drums.

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.

Sumerian history and mythology have been shrouded in mystery for thousands of years. These tales of the world's very first civilization is now being exposed to the light of day, fascinating men and women around the world. The stories of Enlil, Enkidu, and Gilgamesh are finding new audiences. People are interested in learning about a world where the people felt and experienced thoughts very differently from how we do today.

This book will explore the life and exploits of one of the most fearsome Vikings who has ever walked the earth - Ivar the Boneless. The records that talk about him are quite conflicting, as they often are with mythical and historical figures.

Eight fantastic stories, brilliantly retold, reaching from Africa to the United Kingdom. Hours of audio fun to keep children entertained while on the move! Introduce your children to a selection of folktales from around the world, written especially for children. Filled with sound effects and fun, these stories will introduce your children to a wider world of classic stories.

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.

Studies have shown that developing an “atomic habit”—just doing a few minutes a day of whatever skill or habit you want to take on—can be more than enough to engrain it into our lives. Therefore, we have transformed timeless legendary stories into 10-minute bite-size chunks long enough to entertain, enthrall, and even educate the listener, but short enough to be enjoyed quickly at bedtime or any other point in our busy modern days.

Norse Mythology is not only a relic of history but a fascinating record that exhibits humanities unending stream of creativity. This audiobook delves into the past and emerges with a legion of breath taking accounts of events, gods, heroes, creatures, worlds, and much more. Whether you are a helpless fan of Norse Mythology or one of history this book will serve you in more ways than one. As the content is sourced from translations of the Old Norse literature, this will give you an authoritative insight in to the pre-Christian society of Europe.

Aloo-ki glances up from fishing and sees her sled dogs floating off on an ice floe. She races after them and comes upon an igloo. Being a curious girl, she goes inside only to find no one home. That's because the polar bear family who lives there is out walking while their breakfast cools off. Aloo-ki eats some soup, tries on their boots, and finally crawls into the smallest bed for a nap. Meanwhile, Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear see her dogs adrift, swim out to rescue them and return home to find Aloo-ki fast asleep in Baby Bear's bed.

Think there's just one fairy tale with two children sent into the woods? Think again! Cultures all around the world have their own Hansel and Gretel stories. Visit Germany, Russia, Italy, and Japan, and find out who follows a line of ashes instead of breadcrumbs, and who escapes the witch using a handkerchief that turns into a river. Listen to the Spanish audio.

Around the world each night, parents tell stories to children as they put them to bed. Margaret Read MacDonald - a folklorist, storyteller, and children's librarian - uses bedtime tales in the daytime to end her story hours on a calm note. Here, with accompaniment on dulcimer and autoharp by musician Richard Scholtz, she includes seven of her favorites from around the world.

"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 ...

Discover the lore behind the fantastical world of Magnus Chase. Helgi - the hotel manager - created this book for each hotel guest so that he wouldn't have to answer so many questions at the front desk. It has short entries about the deities, mythical beings, and fantastic creatures from the nine Norse worlds and also contains bonus material including interviews, newspaper articles, short stories and more. The tone is humorous, complementing Rick's series.

"28 Universal Floods" is a captivating book that immerses us in a fascinating journey through the flood stories present in different mythologies, religions and stories around the world. From the Biblical tales of Noah to the legends of Matsya in Hindu mythology and Deucalion in Greek mythology, this book offers a comprehensive and insightful look at the many floods that have captured the imagination of mankind over the centuries. With careful research and gripping narration, the author immerses us in each of these 28 floods, exploring their origins, characteristics, and symbolic meanings. ...

Buried secrets. Magical lies. With a shadow’s whisper, darkness begins to rise… When June Morgan returns to her hometown of Stonebridge, she isn’t expecting it to be easy. Having denied her magic for far too long, she feels it beginning to break free, leading her to seek out the Stonebridge Witches for help. Turning to her one-time mentor, Alistair Blackthorn, June begins to seek control…only to find herself in the midst of shadowed whispers of a rising darkness that feels all too familiar. A power so consuming that claimed her parent’s lives and sent her running. A power, that ...