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.

‘The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends’ by Arie Kaplan takes readers on an enlightening journey through the rich tapestry of global mythology. Kaplan masterfully bridges the gap between ancient tales and modern pop culture, demonstrating the lasting impact of myths on contemporary life. With vibrant illustrations and intriguing insights, this book is an engaging resource for anyone interested in the roots of today’s stories.

Accuracy: ★★★★☆

Kaplan’s exploration of mythology is well-researched, providing accurate depictions of myths from various cultures. While some sections could benefit from more depth, the book effectively covers a broad spectrum of legends, ensuring that readers gain a solid understanding of their historical and cultural significance.

Perspective: ★★★★☆

Kaplan offers a fresh perspective by linking ancient myths to modern cultural phenomena. The comparisons between figures like Superman and Achilles or Frankenstein and Prometheus are particularly compelling, offering readers new ways to see familiar characters and narratives.

Relevance: ★★★★☆

In a world where pop culture frequently draws from ancient stories, this book feels especially relevant. Kaplan’s insights into how mythology influences everything from brands like Nike to blockbuster movies enrich readers’ appreciation of the myths that shape our cultural landscape.

Engagement: ★★★★☆

The book’s lively illustrations and accessible writing style make it highly engaging. Kaplan’s knack for finding surprising connections between ancient myths and everyday life keeps readers intrigued, though some might find the breadth of content occasionally overwhelming.

Readability: ★★★★☆

With its clear structure and conversational tone, the book is easy to navigate. Kaplan ensures complex mythological concepts are broken down into digestible segments, making it an enjoyable read for both mythology novices and enthusiasts.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆

Readers who appreciate mythology or pop culture will find ‘The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends’ a delightful read. Kaplan’s enthusiasm for the subject shines through, making the exploration of ancient stories both entertaining and informative.


‘The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends’ is a captivating guide that highlights the enduring power of mythology in shaping modern culture. Arie Kaplan’s ability to draw connections between the past and present makes this book a must-read for anyone curious about the stories that continue to influence our world today.

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!

Not really what I was expecting, but it was good for what it was. I was expecting more mention of cryptids and the paranormal. There was only a small section with that. It was really just a thorough overview of Greek and Norse myths alike. I did enjoy that they mentioned Tolkien's dragons though. I also wish the art style had been shown more. It was a lot of symbols here and there but not a lot of full page illustrations. Not really a book for me, but it was good for what it was!

This book is very educational and entertaining at the same time. I really enjoyed the artist renderings with the different sections.

Love this and would recommend! The layout, Illustrations, and typography make this such an eye catching book. I found it really interesting to read and full of information that I'd never know.

This book is well done. It is a well researched, well structured primer of major, and not so major, world myths. The writing style is conversational rather than academic, making an accessible entrée into the world of myth and legend. It’s well laid out. Beginning with creation, following with the gods who came out of those creation myths, and then the heroes that followed, providing a general map of the steps of the origin story of almost any culture.

This book also strives to point out the similarities in stories being told at different times in all corners of the world. Another great touch point for the modern reader is interludes explaining the ways in which these stories remain part of the cultural consciousness today, either in festival, or comic book, or even candy.

I almost gave this book 5 stars. There are a few things that I wish had been different. While giving examples from a huge portion of the world, it would have been nice to have seen some Polynesian representation, and more Native American representation than just a mention of Sasquatch.

Additionally, following the section on heroes, we dive into their villains. While the book does a good job of contextualizing some villains who in a modern context, probably wouldn’t be considered such (Medusa), I don’t agree with a section called “straight-up villains”, where the author states that there isn’t nuance to be found in their motivations or stories (Hades).

This doesn’t mesh with the fact that in other places, the author says there may be stories lost to history and we likely don’t have full context.

Villains are followed by a section on monsters, not even mythical beings more generally. If anything, this section felt out of place, not particularly relevant, and like it could have been the beginnings of a completely different book.

I also think it could’ve been more interesting to give more time to the current place and interpretation of myths in culture today, rather than the asides used throughout each section.

Despite some disagreements, this is still a really good book, written in such a way as to be just as accessible and engaging for a child as for an adult.