A long, long time ago, in a magical version of ancient China, an island called Aolai stood in the sea like a king in his palace. In the center of the island was Flower Fruit Mountain, and at the very top of the mountain was a large stone, as tall as six men. The stone was made pregnant by heaven and earth, and one day the wind blew over the egg and it cracked open. A little stone monkey emerged. He opened his eyes, and two beams of light shot up to heaven. The Jade Emperor on his throne saw the beams of light but he did not interfere.

The little stone monkey grew up to be Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

Written in China over 400 years ago, Journey to the West is the ultimate tale of adventure, magic, and myth, perfect for fans of action-packed video games inspired by the story. Join the mischievous Monkey King, Sun Wukong, as he battles demons, gods, and mythical creatures using incredible powers and martial arts. Alongside his companions-the Buddhist monk Sanzang, the lustful pig-man Zhu Bajie, and the disgraced celestial general Sha Wujing-they embark on a perilous quest to retrieve sacred scriptures. Filled with epic battles, transformations, and divine interventions, Journey to the West delivers the same thrilling, immersive world you've experienced in the video game, but with deeper lore and timeless lessons.

This book is not a literal translation of the 2,000-page original novel. It's a retelling of the story in contemporary language, including all key events and major characters and written in a style that makes it accessible to readers of all ages.

Jeff Pepper has written dozens of books about Chinese language and culture, and has founded and led several successful software companies including one that became publicly traded. He has a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Carnegie-Mellon University, where he taught computer programming. He holds two U.S. patents.

The authors and the publisher are not affiliated with Game Science, the publisher of the video game Black Myth: Wukong.