Mythology-Inspired Reads for Adults

Retellings, reimagining, or fictionalized stories of mythology and legends from various cultures.

Updated September 25, 2023
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Herc a novel
Rogerson, Phoenicia
Paper Book
A queer revisionist retelling of the story of Hercules, for fans of The Song of Achilles, A Thousand Ships and Ariadne. This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures... everyone's favorite hero, right?
The women of Troy : a novel
Barker, Pat
Paper Book
A daring and timely feminist retelling of The Iliad from the perspective of the women of Troy who endured it--an extraordinary follow up to The Silence of the Girls from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Regeneration Trilogy and "one of contemporary literature's most thoughtful...
Kaikeyi : a novel
Patel, Vaishnavi
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "MYTHIC RETELLING AT ITS BEST." (R. F. Kuang, author of Yellowface) * A 2023 IGNYTE AWARD FINALIST * A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB PICK "With a graceful, measured elegance" (New York Times), this...
Atalanta
Saint, Jennifer
Paper Book
From the beloved, bestselling author of Elektra and Ariadne, a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta, a fierce huntress raised by bears and the only woman in the world's most famous band of heroes, the Argonauts Princess, Warrior, Lover, Hero ...
Stone blind : a novel
Haynes, Natalie
Paper Book
Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 "Haynes is master of her trade . . . She succeeds in breathing warm life into some of our oldest stories."--Telegraph (UK) The national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships and Pandora's Jar returns with a fresh and stunningly...
A thousand ships : a novel
Haynes, Natalie
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER An NPR Best Book of the Year "Gorgeous.... With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War."--Madeline Miller, author of Circe Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for...
Elektra
Saint, Jennifer
Paper Book
A spellbinding reimagining of the story of Elektra, one of Greek mythology's most infamous heroines, from Jennifer Saint, the author of the beloved international bestseller, Ariadne. Three women, tangled in an ancient curse. When Clytemnestra marries...
Olympus bound
Brodsky, Jordanna Max
Paper Book
To save her father Zeus, king of the Gods, Selene must leave her adopted Manhattan home and travel to Mount Olympus to defeat the cult that seeks to destroy the Greek pantheon in the concluding volume of this modern day "lively re-imaging of classical mythology." (Deborah Harkness)
Ithaca
North, Claire
Paper Book
From the multi-award-winning author Claire North comes a daring reimagining that breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It's time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . . "North...
Clytemnestra : a novel
Casati, Costanza
Paper Book
"Fans of Circe and Elektra should pick up this powerful Greek myth retelling." --Cosmopolitan For fans of Madeline Miller, a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious villainess of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen. As for...
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Tan, Sue Lynn
Paper Book
The acclaimed national and international bestseller "Epic, romantic, and enthralling from start to finish."--Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series "An all-consuming work of literary fantasy that is breathtaking both for its beauty and its...
Daughters of Sparta : a novel
Heywood, Claire
Paper Book
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER! For millennia, men have told the legend of the woman whose face launched a thousand ships--but now it's time to hear her side of the story. Daughters of Sparta is a tale of secrets, love, and tragedy from the women behind mythology's most devastating...
The shadow of Perseus : a novel
Heywood, Claire
Paper Book
Nationally bestselling author of Daughters of Sparta Claire Heywood returns with an imaginative and female-centered reinterpretation of the myth of the great hero Perseus, told through the voices of three women who are sidelined in the traditional version--his mother, Danae; his trophy,...
Psyche and Eros : a novel
McNamara, Luna
Paper Book
 "A pure delight . . . Romantic, poignant, and spellbinding."-- REBECCA ROSS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals "Fiercely feminist and deeply romantic, Psyche and Eros has the allure of an old fable and the epic quality of ancient myth, tinged with a provocative,...
Lore Olympus. Volume one
Smythe, Rachel (Comics artist)
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love--witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel...
The song of Achilles
Miller, Madeline.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller "At once a scholar's homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art....A book I could not put down." --Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the...
Neon gods
Robert, Katee
Paper Book
He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell...he was, quite simply, mine. *A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that's as sinful as it is sweet.* Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the...
Wrath goddess sing
Deane, Maya
Paper Book
"Deane's tour de force debut ...brings the familiar story to fresh, vivid, and unforgettable new life." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Drawing on ancient texts and modern archeology to reveal the trans woman's story hidden underneath the well-known myths of The...
A touch of malice
St. Clair, Scarlett
Ebook
Phaedra : a novel
Shepperson, Laura
Paper Book
Debut novelist Laura Shepperson offers a powerful feminist retelling of Phaedra and her unyielding quest for justice, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes. Phaedra has been cast to the side all her life: daughter of an adulteress, sister of a monster, and now...
Ariadne
Saint, Jennifer
Paper Book
A mesmerizing debut novel for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe. Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid's stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present...
Wings once cursed & bound
Drake, Piper J.
Paper Book
For fans of Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City comes a bold and captivating Thai contemporary fantasy by bestselling author Piper J. Drake. My wings unbound, I am the Thai bird princess, the kinnaree, and no matter the cost, I will be free. Peeraphan Rahttana lives her life in Seattle,...
Gods of jade and shadow
Moreno-Garcia, Silvia
Paper Book
The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark, one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore. "A spellbinding fairy tale rooted in Mexican mythology . . . Gods of Jade and Shadow is a magical...
Galatea : a short story
Miller, Madeline
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER An enchanting short story from Madeline Miller that boldly reimagines the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion, now in hardcover for the first time **A small hardcover edition featuring a new afterword by Madeline Miller** In ancient Greece, a skilled marble...
The witch's heart
Gornichec, Genevieve
Paper Book
Angrboda's story begins where most witch's tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to give him knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into a remote forest. There she is found by a man Loki, and her initial distrust grows into a...
Norse mythology
Gaiman, Neil
Paper Book
Introducing an instant classic--master storytellerNeil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of thegreat Norse myths. Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a...
Circe : a novel
Miller, Madeline
Paper Book
This #1 New York Times bestseller is a "bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story" that brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey (Alexandra Alter, TheNew York Times). In the house of Helios,...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.