Monkey King and the World of Myths
Part of the collectionMonkey King and the World of Myths→An ongoing graphic-novel series in which the Monkey King battles his way through world mythologies — bright, funny, action-packed and brilliant for comic-loving reluctant readers.
- Books2
- Arcs1
- Span2024–2025
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
Maple Lam's ongoing graphic-novel series follows the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, as he works through a series of divine missions to earn his place among the gods. Each book drops him — and his three-headed puppy Cerberus — into a different world mythology, where he must best a monster and, more often than not, untangle a misunderstanding between people who have stopped trusting each other. The first mission lands in Greek myth; the second in the folklore of ancient Japan. Lam pairs colourful, action-packed comic art with quick, jokey pacing and a real affection for the legends she borrows from, making the series a superb hook for reluctant readers and a warm introduction to myths from around the globe.
An ongoing graphic-novel series in which the Monkey King battles his way through world mythologies — bright, funny, action-packed and brilliant for comic-loving reluctant readers.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Exciting
- Adventurous
Best read in publication order — each book is a fresh mission in a new mythology, but the Monkey King's godhood quest and his bond with Cerberus carry across.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- INarrative arcBooks 1–2 · 2024–2025Low sensitivity
The godhood missions
The Monkey King works through his divine missions, one mythology at a time.
The opening run of the series establishes its winning formula: each mission carries the Monkey King into a new mythology, where a monster is only ever half the problem. In Greek myth he pet-sits and potty-trains a three-headed Cerberus and threads a Minotaur's maze; in the folklore of ancient Japan he lands in a city where humans and banished beasts have split into warring camps, and must unmask the lie stoking the war before it tears the place apart. Across both books Lam keeps the comedy physical and the pacing brisk while quietly building the Monkey King's quest for godhood and his friendship with Cerberus. Accessible, funny and genuinely curious about the myths it plays in.
Book 1Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Monster and the MazeHachette Children's Group · MMXXIVMonkey King and the World of Myths: The Monster and the MazeBook 2Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Battle of the BeastsHachette Children's Group · MMXXVMonkey King and the World of Myths: The Battle of the Beasts
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–9
- Independent · 7–10
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Very high
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
About the author