Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was well researched and structured good. Interesting topics and information. The graphics were a nice touch.

Thank you NetGalley

**Review of *The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends* by Arie Kaplan**

*The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends* by Arie Kaplan is a fascinating and engaging exploration of the myths, legends, and timeless tales that have shaped human culture for millennia. Whether you're a mythology aficionado, a fan of pop culture, or simply curious about the origins of the stories that still captivate our imaginations today, this book is a treasure trove of insight.

Kaplan brilliantly weaves together the ancient with the modern, demonstrating how myths from all corners of the globe have influenced everything from literature to music, television, and even product branding. The book is not just a collection of stories, but an in-depth look at how mythology has seeped into our everyday lives in ways we might not even realize. For example, did you know that the name "Nike" comes from the Greek goddess of victory, or that the planets in our solar system are named after Roman gods? These surprising and often delightful connections make the book incredibly fun and accessible to readers of all ages.

One of the standout features of this work is its broad scope. Kaplan doesn’t limit himself to just the well-known Greek and Roman pantheons, but delves into the rich mythologies of cultures from around the world. From the Yoruba water goddess Oshun’s influence on Beyoncé's imagery to the Norse gods' connection to Marvel’s Thor, Loki, and Odin, the book connects dots that many readers may never have considered before. Each chapter feels like an exciting journey across continents and through time, exploring mythologies from West Africa, Egypt, India, China, Japan, and beyond. The depth of research is impressive, making this a highly informative reference book while also being an enjoyable read.

The format is highly engaging, with colorful illustrations and graphics that bring the ancient myths to life. Kaplan’s writing is lively and conversational, making it easy for readers to absorb complex ideas about mythology and its lasting impact. The unexpected correlations between mythology and contemporary pop culture are often eye-opening—did you ever think of Superman as a modern-day Hercules, or see Frankenstein’s monster as a reincarnation of Prometheus? Kaplan makes these connections seamless, bringing new layers of understanding to well-loved stories and characters.

In addition to the main content, the book includes fascinating sidebars and sections that break down specific legendary creatures (such as unicorns and the Tooth Fairy), explore the origins of iconic symbols (like Stonehenge), and highlight influential mythic masters like Neil Gaiman and George Lucas, who have expertly woven mythological elements into their own creations. These insights add an extra layer of depth and are sure to delight both casual readers and die-hard fans of modern mythological reinterpretations.

For those who love learning how ancient stories continue to shape contemporary narratives, *The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends* is a must-read. It enriches the reader’s understanding of both world mythology and pop culture by drawing fascinating parallels between the two. With its detailed exploration of mythology’s impact on modern storytelling, this book provides a fresh perspective on well-known works like *The Hunger Games* and *Percy Jackson*, revealing their deeper mythological roots.

In conclusion, Arie Kaplan’s *The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends* is a masterful blend of history, culture, and pop culture that will appeal to mythology enthusiasts, pop culture fans, and anyone interested in exploring the connections that link us across time and geography. With its engaging writing, eye-catching illustrations, and thought-provoking insights, it’s an essential addition to any bookshelf, offering an exciting way to dive into the world of myth and legend.

I loved this book, it was right up my alley! I've always loved mythology and this is such a fun and entertaining guide to how our everyday lives have been influenced by myths and legends. Highly recommend this one!

A really informative book that is also very easy to read. One that took me a while to get through as I felt it was a dip in an ls out kind of book. I liked the mix of the older myths that we all know and some newer ones.

The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends is a colorful, illustrated guide to myths and legends from all cultures and parts of the world. It defines mythology and details certain key myths.

This is a great primer for many myths and legends around the globe. While the entries may not cover the subects in depth, they do give you enough information to pique your interest so you can get out there and research more.

Myths and legends are everywhere, in our language, vocabulary and science. Our language is rife with examples. Thursday from Thor, the Norse god of thunder; January from Janus, the Roman god of time who was two-faced, with one face looking forward, the other backward. There are examples like narcissistic mirroring Narcissus who was obsessed with himself.

Unlike other books of its kind, this one doesn’t limit itself to myths of European origin, but covers those of Egypt, Nigeria, Benin, South America, Persia, Angola, Japan and India, among others.

India is represented by the Buddha, as mentioned in the Jataka Tales, and our very own Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, among other references.

The pages are beautifully designed with coloured illustrations strewn throughout. Painters like Francis Bacon who painted myths are mentioned alongside Salvador Dali and Indian artist Sakti Burman who creates paintings and sculptures about classical art from Hindu mythology.

After a long introduction, we read about different Creation myths, why they exist and their significance. The author points out similarities and differences between various creation myths. The Creation myths covered here include the four versions of the Egyptian Creation myths, besides those of Benin, Greece, Nigeria and Japan. The Creation myth of the Nordic region explains the presence of the snow and frost. The section also includes the DC Comics Creation Myth and that of the Marvel universe.

The chapter on gods and deities includes gods of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Inca and Norse mythology. The chapter on heroic mythical characters include characters like Mwindo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, King Arthur and Merlin of England, Scheherazade of Persia, Heracles of Greece, Robin Hood of England, Rama and Sita of India, Ahura Mazda from ancient Persia, Mulan of China, Perseus of Greece, Kintaro of Japan and Li Chi of China.

The chapter on Tricksters, Villains and Misunderstood Miscreants includes Loki from Norse mythology, Legba from ancient Dahomey, Eshu from Yoruba mythology, Papa Legba from the Haitian/Voudou mythology, Anansi the spider from West Africa, Set, the Egyptian god of chaos, Thanatos from Greek mythology, the Minotaur from Greek mythology, Medusa from Greek mythology and Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legend.

The chapter on Monsters includes Dragons from Chinese, Norse and Scandinavian mythology, vampires and bloodsuckers, and demons such as Ravana from Hindu mythology.

Blurbs on Mythic Masters cover those who have worked to preserve stories and folklore through art, film, music and literature. Filmmaker Taika Waititi, Terry Gilliam and George Lucas, authors Zora Neale Hurston and Neil Gaiman, singer Beyonce Knowles and comic book artist Jack Kirby.

Blurbs on Legendary Lore include the Tooth Fairy, Leprechaun, Santa Claus, Stonehenge, Unicorns, the Sphinx and Mermaids.

The author provides a list of references to books and articles for those interested in reading more on this subject. The book was not Eurocentric in nature, and I appreciated that. So many cannot see beyond European mythology. The style is engaging with a touch of humour.

The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends is a remarkable work that captivates readers with both its content and its stunning illustrations. Each image, rich in detail and vibrant colors, brings the fascinating tales of myths and legends from around the world to life. The seamless blend of visuals and text creates an immersive and enjoyable reading experience. This book brilliantly celebrates the diversity of cultures and the universal imagination, offering a unique aesthetic experience. A must-have for mythology enthusiasts, it combines knowledge and visual delight in a format that is both educational and artistic.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun read about the various myths around the world. It’s interesting to read how some animals, such as dragons, are good in some cultures and evil in others.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This has lots of info and context about the myths. Fun illustrations and some diversity but mostly focused on Greek mythology.

In this unique exploration of world mythology, discover how ancient tales across cultures have influenced today’s pop culture, from Beyoncé to Game of Thrones.

Thank you Quarto Publishing for making this book available as a Read Now book on Netgalley! I enjoyed reading this book. This book was fun to read. I liked reading about the different myths. This book makes me want to read more mythology books.

A very cool grouping of different myths and legends from around the world. Lots of expansions on stories I already knew so I enjoyed that.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

FINALLY! A book that holds all the well-known, and less spoken about, legends and myths. I no longer have to get copies of each countries' myths and legends when I can find it all here, 10/10!

I love myths and legends so I was excited to see a new book that covered not just the usual Greek and Roman but a wide range of the worlds myths and legends including links to the present day. The writing is also engaging and easy to follow making this a great resource for younger and older readers alike.

The tone is informative but casual so you learn things without feeling you are being lectured. I enjoyed that an array of cultures are covered and explored within the book. I’ve already preordered to add to my collection and know I will likely be gifting this to friends and family as well.

As always thank you to Wellfleet Press and Netgalley for my copy. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.

I found The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends to be a fun and easy read that I've been dipping in and out of over the past weeks. It presents lots of information in a conversational tone, which was very accessible but also very informative. Kaplan also uses a lot of pop culture references, showing how so many of our stories (e.g. Superman) and creative artists (e.g. Beyonce) are influenced by and take inspiration from myths.

Perhaps my favourite thing about this book, is that it is not solely focused on the usual British/Greek/Roman myths. Sure, we have the obligatory mentions of King Arthur and Mount Olympus, but the author also takes us to Japan, Nigeria, South America and India to name just a few of the destinations covered in quite a bit of detail.

I did find the structure of the book wasn't 100% intuitive as some myths are visited more than once from different perspectives and there is a tiny bit of repetition in places, for example, when covering creation myths and their common factors. That said, I still enjoyed reading and think it's a fantastic introduction to myths and legends.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyway who is interested in some light but informative reading that is easy to dip in and out of.

I feel like this book is a bit confused about what it wants to be. It covers a lot of different myths but doesn't seem to have a direction.

This was such a fun read overall to see what myths and legends are true and which ones have been disproven. The text and layout was very striking and very well set out which made it easy to follow.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

An encyclopedia with a sense of humor always helps me retain the information it hold. I enjoyed reading the comparisons of the beginings and learned about tons of mythical characters I've heard in passing, but did not know their backroom.

Very interesting book

What an accessible Mythology book! A must-read for any kids with an interest towards lore, legends and myths. I really enjoyed that the author discussed the differences between myths and religious bases. It was great how the book didn't focus on their histories and instead drew links towards popular modern moments of popularity within pop culture and how this may have changed or adapted stories and how we would have lost some stories to time. Definitely room to flesh out on variety of cultures but otherwise a really enjoyable, well laid out book! Thank you to Quarto and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a cool read! I was not too sure what to expect but the premise of the book sounded very interesting, which led me to request it on NetGalley. The author really dives deep into the stories behind popular myths and legends, as well as what makes a myth and legend in the first place. I liked the way the book was organized by the author and the way he explained these concepts. I think a lot of people will like this book and find it entertaining just as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!