
Tales from the Otherworlds
A Middle Grade Fantasy Anthology
by Antoine Bandele, K.R.S. McEntire, Jessica Cage, Kish Knight, Ken Kwame, Francesca McMahon, Ryan J. Schroeder, Zia Knight, Brittany Hester, Marie McHenry, Loup Gajigianis
Narrated by Nekia Renee Martin, John Joseph Rogers, Ali Dane, Xenia Willacey, Erica Ito, Dominique Franceschi
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Pub Date Jan 01 2023 | Archive Date Mar 22 2025
Bandele Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks
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Description
11 marvelous stories of mystical portals, magical lands, and mythical creatures.
Journey with children, fae creatures, and gods alike as they navigate the joy of friendship, the struggles of finding identity, and the unclear pathways of strange new worlds.
From bestsellers to rising voices, 11 terrifically talented authors explore the many faces of whimsy and wonder, mischief and misdoings.
The Otherworlds call to the brave, the extraordinary, and the fated. They call to you, adventurer. Will you answer?
The anthology includes:
Will of the Mischief Maker by Antoine Bandele
The Queen’s Kitchen by K.R.S. McEntire
A Trip to Sunma by Jessica Cage
The Guardian’s Twin by Kish Knight
No Way Out by Ken Kwame
The Green Man Falls by Francesca McMahon
The Beams of Faelleria by Ryan J. Schroeder
King Impulu & The Sky Pearl by Zia Knight
The Portal to Aril by Brittany Hester
Fae-Took by Marie McHenry
Magiks and the Tale of Two Kings by Loup Gajigianis
A Note From the Publisher
Hardcover: 9781951905262
Advance Praise
"The stories were interesting and the performances were on point, I discovered new authors, new worlds and new characters."
— Audible Review, Tim Cummings
"When I was a kid, I always wished there were more stories about anything that wasn’t Greek or Roman mythology. I’m so glad there are authors like these breaking out. A lot of these stories made me want to read more from the authors, and I will definitely be filling my daughters bookcase with them."
— Goodreads Review
"‘Every world has magic’
Clean reading for teens and a gentle reminder that we are stewards of this world.
Enjoyable tales of animals & fae creatures, gods & spirits, forests & woods. Each story is accompanied by an illustration.
Some tales are ‘inspired by African folklore, mythology, and history’, old skool classics & RPGs, family quilts, life experiences, nature, and reading."
— Goodreads Review
Available Editions
EDITION | Audiobook, Unabridged |
ISBN | 9798822660977 |
PRICE | $11.99 (USD) |
DURATION | 8 Hours, 45 Minutes |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

Despite this book having come out a couple of years ago the audiobook was available in NetGalley and since I was looking for more content from BIPOC authors for Februarys Black History Month it seemed like a perfect addition to my reading.. and it was.
This is a collection of fantasy based short stories from BIPOC authors for middle grade readers. I really liked the production of the audiobook as it was complete with some light sound effects and narrators who did a great job with their respective stories. I also appreciated that after the story there was a short biography of the author which is something missing in other anthologies I’ve read.
Like all collections there are going to be hits and misses but overall it is a wonderful collection that I think young readers will love. My biggest criticism was that in some of them, particularly the first story, some of the language was well above the average middle grade reader insofar as vocabulary. But don’t let that dissuade you for getting this beautiful book for your young reader to enjoy.
I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Bandele Books through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.
My rating system for Middle Grade and children’s books
⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but it has some value for young readers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! I would recommend for the age or reading level appropriate for the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs as a wide spread reading opportunity.

This book contains eleven tales by various authors. The tales contain mythical creatures in lands of magic. The stories were well written with imagery. The authors dig deep into their imaginations. Some tales were inspired by folklore, mythology and history. My favorite tale was the one with warm, delicious food coming from the basement but upon investigation the basement is empty without a kitchen or a cook.
The tales are short and diverse. They were written for middle school age children. These tales will encourage readers to use their imagination. The tales are just long enough to entice and introduce readers to fantasy fiction.
I suspect the stories are from a longer article for none of them felt complete.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
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