Compass & Codex

Reed Sterling

Adventure history and adventure science — fiction stories for boys. Compass & Codex is a serialized storytelling podcast for boys ages 8–14 and the families who read with them. Every episode is a chapter of an ongoing story: fire ant scouts, Roman legions, pirates, and more — told with real biology, real history, and real stakes.  We explore the unknown, every time. Current series: - Colony in Danger (fire ant adventure fiction) - Eagle's Edge (Roman historical fiction).  New chapters every week.  Subscribe and start from Chapter 1.  Hosted by Reed Sterling.  For fans of Watership Down, Redwall, the Warriors series, Empires of the Undergrowth, and anyone who wants adventure fiction that respects the reader.

  1. Colony in Danger: CH 9 | Trapped in Beetle Territory | Fire Ant Adventure Story

    الحلقة ٢

    Colony in Danger: CH 9 | Trapped in Beetle Territory | Fire Ant Adventure Story

    Fire ants don't enter beetle territory. Cinder Marlowe just did — and now his whole team is locked in a hollow log while the beetles prepare to use them as bait at dawn. This fire ant adventure story follows Cinder, Blaze, Thistle, and Silas as they cross the border, face Rook Calder, and discover something nobody expected: the beetles are starving too. For fans of Empires of the Undergrowth and AntsCanada — Colony in Danger is built on real fire ant science. The border marking system, territorial behavior, and colony starvation dynamics in this chapter are all grounded in how fire ant colonies actually work. ▶ Start from Chapter 1 of this story: A Colony In Danger 📧 Get the Free Ant Codex Field Report: compass-codex.kit.com/ant-codex-subscribe --- Colony in Danger follows Cinder Marlowe, a fire ant scout who discovers his colony's food stores are being systematically stolen — and nobody in charge will listen. Every chapter is grounded in real fire ant science: colony structure, forager behavior, territorial marking, predator threats, and the biology of how fire ant colonies actually survive. For boys who love ants, insects, and real-world science wrapped in a story that doesn't talk down to them. New chapters weekly on Compass & Codex. Read by Reed Sterling. Never Stop Exploring Unknown Worlds. #FireAnts #AntColony #ColonyInDanger Send us Fan Mail Remember: Never stop exploring unknown worlds!

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  2. Colony in Danger: CH 10 - Ant Scouts Trapped | Can a Caterpillar Break Them Out? | Ant Audiobook Boys 8-14

    الحلقة ٧

    Colony in Danger: CH 10 - Ant Scouts Trapped | Can a Caterpillar Break Them Out? | Ant Audiobook Boys 8-14

    Four fire ant scouts are locked in a jar with no way out. A strange caterpillar arrives with a deal — and the entire wild world hangs on it. Cinder, Blaze, Thistle, and Silas are prisoners in a cracked clay jar deep inside the beetle camp. Escape comes from the last place they expect: Miri Solace, a brightly colored caterpillar who slides through the glass with a proposition. Help her collect three rare leaves — red-veined, yellow-spotted, purple-curled — from dangerous territory, and she'll buy their freedom. But in the west, where the purple leaves grow, Cinder finds something else: a fresh pill bug shell. The enemy is closer than anyone knew. Colony in Danger is a serialized fire ant adventure for boys ages 8–14 and homeschool families.   Biology is accurate. Stakes are real. For fans of Watership Down, the Warriors series, and Empires of the Undergrowth. 📖 Buy Colony in Danger Part 1 audiobook: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAEDanHPcuM 📱 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBW5Z1VJRtjtf23nnptGwRA 📧 Free Ant Codex field reports: https://compass-codex.kit.com/ant-codex-subscribe 🎧 All episodes: https://compassandcodex.buzzsprout.com/ Cinder Marlowe and his crew thought the beetle camp was as bad as things could get — until Miri Solace appeared on the glass of their jar and offered them a way out. In this Colony in Danger chapter, the scouts scatter across hostile territory to collect three types of rare leaves for Miri's cocoon, each one guarded by a different danger. When Cinder reaches the purple leaf patch, he finds a molted pill bug shell — the enemy has been here recently. This homeschool audiobook episode explores real caterpillar metamorphosis, territorial insect behavior, and how butterfly larvae use chemical mimicry to survive. Who is Miri Solace, really — and what does a caterpillar want from a fire ant scout? Would you have taken her deal? Send us Fan Mail Remember: Never stop exploring unknown worlds!

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  3. Treasure Island: CH 2 | Black Dog Arrives — Then Blind Pew Brings the Black Spot | Pirate Adventure Boys 8-14

    الحلقة ٨

    Treasure Island: CH 2 | Black Dog Arrives — Then Blind Pew Brings the Black Spot | Pirate Adventure Boys 8-14

    The pirates have found Billy Bones — and now everything Jim Hawkins knew about his quiet life at the inn is over. A thin, knife-like man named Black Dog arrives at the Admiral Benbow asking for Billy. The visit ends in a cutlass fight, a stroke, and Billy collapsed on his bedroom floor. That same evening, a blind man named Pew taps through the fog toward the inn and presses a black spot into Billy's palm — a pirate's death sentence. Billy dies on the spot. Jim and his mother take only what Billy owes them from his sea chest. But at the very bottom of that chest, Jim finds an oilskin packet sealed with black wax — and the pirates ransacking the inn are looking for exactly that. Treasure Island is Robert Louis Stevenson's classic pirate adventure, adapted for a new generation of boys 8–14.  Narrated by Reed Sterling. For fans of pirate stories, sea adventures, and classic literature brought to life. 🎧 All Compass & Codex episodes: https://compassandcodex.buzzsprout.com/ 📱 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBW5Z1VJRtjtf23nnptGwRA In this Treasure Island chapter, the threat Billy Bones spent weeks fearing finally arrives — twice in one day. The confrontation with Black Dog establishes what kind of man Billy was and what kind of world Jim has stumbled into. Blind Pew's arrival through the evening fog is one of the most terrifying scenes in classic adventure literature, rendered here in full detail. Jim escapes into the night with a small oilskin packet pressed against his chest — one that pirates are willing to tear apart an inn to find. This pirate audiobook for boys stays faithful to Stevenson's original while making every scene land at full intensity. New chapters weekly! Send us Fan Mail Remember: Never stop exploring unknown worlds!

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حول

Adventure history and adventure science — fiction stories for boys. Compass & Codex is a serialized storytelling podcast for boys ages 8–14 and the families who read with them. Every episode is a chapter of an ongoing story: fire ant scouts, Roman legions, pirates, and more — told with real biology, real history, and real stakes.  We explore the unknown, every time. Current series: - Colony in Danger (fire ant adventure fiction) - Eagle's Edge (Roman historical fiction).  New chapters every week.  Subscribe and start from Chapter 1.  Hosted by Reed Sterling.  For fans of Watership Down, Redwall, the Warriors series, Empires of the Undergrowth, and anyone who wants adventure fiction that respects the reader.