Bird of a Thousand Stories - (Once There Was) by Kiyash Monsef

About the Book

Sixteen-year-old Iranian American Marjan travels around the world to search for and rescue a mythical bird, whose fate could determine the future of the world.

Book Synopsis

In this "breathless...entrancing" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) companion to the New York Times bestselling Once There Was that's perfect for fans of Impossible Creatures, Marjan travels around the globe in search of a mythical bird in terrible danger, whose fate could determine the future of the world.

Marjan Dastani is successfully leading a double life. Only a few people know that when she's not in school, she travels the world taking care of mythical beasts, sent on missions by a shadowy organization known as The Fells.

In an adventure that takes her across continents and connects her with the wildest of mythic beasts around the globe, Marjan must track down the fabled Bird of a Thousand Stories before someone with more nefarious plans finds it. But the more closely she connects with the world's mythical creatures, the more danger she's in of losing her friendships--and all that tethers her to the life she's known.

Review Quotes

★ "Breathless adventures in richly imagined settings--an entrancing sequel."--Kirkus Review, STARRED REVIEW

"An empowering message of how all things are connected, and a healthy dose of folklore and mythology."--Booklist

"The Bird of a Thousand Stories shimmers with the fantastic but is rooted in all too real emotions and so much heart. Monsef creates worlds and creatures you long to revisit again and again. This book left me stunned and forever enchanted."

--Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

About the Author

Kiyash Monsef is an Emmy Award-nominated producer and director; a writer of short stories, videos, comic books, and games; and a designer of innovative conversational and voice interface experiences. He's the author of Once There Was, which was a finalist for the Morris Award, and Bird of a Thousand Stories.