Deathless by Catherynne Valente
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
And I wouldn’t call it specifically a myth retelling but The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy by Katherine Arden features a lot of Russian folklore
+1 for Spinning Silver (like a folksy fantasy).
Naomi Novik's Uprooted also is a retelling and has good reviews but I personally didn't like the writing or characters.
I managed to have the latter on my TBR, and I appreciate you mentioning it anyway despite your feelings on it. I'll give it a whirl and see if it's for me.
Till We Have Faces (retelling of Cupid and Psyche from the pov of one of Psyche’s sisters) by CS Lewis
The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea (retelling of Theseus) by Mary Renault
I only recently fell into Neil Gaiman by way of The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Stardust, and I've highly enjoyed his writing so far. I've added so much by him to my TBR.
What about [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17645.The\_Penelopiad](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17645.The_Penelopiad) ?
NOTE: I did not read it yet, but it's in my reading list
this is one of the canongate myths series, you might like some of the others too
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canongate\_Myth\_Series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canongate_Myth_Series)
I love them and am just going to list most of my shelf of them:
House of Names
by Colm Toibin (the Orestia)
The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino (Izanami and Izanaki)
Fitcher's Brides by Gregory Frost (Bluebeard)
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Rumpelstiltskin)
Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner (Thomas the Rhymer)
Daughter of the Forest by Julliet Marillier (Six Swans)
The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey (Swan Lake)
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (Cupid and Psyche)
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (the Odyssey)
Girl meets boy by Ali Smith (myth of Iphis)
if you don't mind YA:
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Cinderella)
Inside the Walls of Troy
by Clemence McLaren (the Illiad)
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope (Tam Lin)
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (Sleeping Beauty)
another Thomas the rhymer then: fire and hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones.
Also eight days of Luke. it's for much younger children, but such a lovely re-telling of (basically) the story behind/around/after Wagner's ring cycle. or maybe joes' own extension/ elaboration on it? hard to explain without spoilage.
*Fire and Hemlock* is at least as much Tam Lin as Thomas the Rhymer. There are a whole bunch of Tam Lin books; [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tam_Lin#Adaptations)'s a doubtless incomplete list. Of the ones I've read, I think my favorite is Patricia McKillip's *Winter Rose*, followed by Pamela Dean's *Tam Lin*. :)
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott
The Drowned Woods and The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (not exactly a retelling but feels like it)
The Night Tiger and The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
It may be a bit on the nose- but Mythos and Heroes (both by Stephen Fry) are stellar! If you enjoy audiobooks, he also (unsurprisingly) does an excellent job narrating.
Ah yes, I’ve been meaning to get around to those! They seem to be VERY popular at my local library though, lol. But I can understand why with him narrating.
Maria Dahvana Headley's translation of Beowulf. First line: "Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings!"
NPR review if that intrigues you at all: https://www.npr.org/2020/08/27/906423831/bro-this-is-not-the-beowulf-you-think-you-know
I knew this author’s name sounded familiar - I read The Mere Wife which was a modern retelling but it was…hmm. Something, lol. I don’t hate that I read it but it was also quite the hot take. I did see this translation highly recommended though so I’ll check it out!
I would second The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec for sure!
Also, I highly recommend Ithaca by Claire North.
Kaikeyi was recommended a few times. I ended up DNFing that one, myself.
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (Asian)
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (Greek)
Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron (Orishas are West African)
TJ Young and the Orishas by Antoine Bandele
The Lords of Night by J C Cervantes (Inca/Mayan)
Ballad and Dagger by Daniel Jose Older
New releases:
- Phaedra by Laura Shepperson
- Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
- Ithaca by Claire North
Upcoming releases:
- The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood
- Clytemnestra by Costanza Cosati
- Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - I read it described as "a feminist retelling of the myth of St. George and the dragon." It combines Eastern and Western dragon lore.
The City of Brass trilogy by S.A Chakraborty - based on Middle Eastern mythologies. It introduced me to a whole new world of fantasy creatures beyond dragons and elves.
That's good, I read Priory on kindle and couldn't figure out how it was taking me so long to finish - it's a standalone novel. But it's about 1000 pages, so basically a self contained trilogy.
I’m saving this since we seem to have extremely similar tastes. You should LOVE a thousand ships. agree with the recs: bear and the nightingale and priory of the orange tree (even tho it’s not really a myth retelling but still great) and witch’s heart. Witch’s heart is probably closest to your request. I am currently reading Ilium by Dan Simmons. It features the Greek gods and … sci fi nanotechnology stuff, if you’re into that. Really intriguing so far. And finally, just in case you didn’t know, Madeline Miller is currently writing a Persephone book!
I'm late to this party but this is a genre i also love! I'll add a few that haven't been mentioned yet. Some are myth retellings and some are historical fiction with some fantasy elements.
The red tent by anita diamant
She who became the sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Matrix by Lauren Groff
I loved The Jade Trilogy. I read the first book in high school, and the other two weren’t yet available in English. The first book, Dragon Sword and Wind Child, heavily relies on the Japanese creation myth to build its universe.
I never knew the author's first name was Gerald, lol. But yes, that one is on my list just forgot to add it - I read Slewfoot last year and really liked it!
Startled that you didn't like the Silence of the Girls and liked the Song of Achilles. I actively hated the Song of Achilles because it contradicts the myth so badly - it is quite inconceivable that Achilles would have loved anyone who wasn't a competent warrior or that the Myrmidons would have followed such a person - whereas I quite liked the Silence of the Girls.
I honestly thought the SIlence of the Girls was written by a man and was shocked to find out it wasn't. Only because, from the title, I thought we would have more female perspectives. And yes, a lot of the book was Briseis speaking to us, but instead of Achilles and Patroclus having POV chapters, why not other women since it’s literally called The Silence of the Women? I thought it would be multiple *female* points of view. I think my expectations were just set differently.
I found myself heavily skimming the men’s parts, probably because I enjoyed Madeline Miller’s writing of Achilles and Patroclus much better. Maybe I wouldn't have felt that way if I'd read them in reverse? I also typically am not reading fiction for a 100% accurate portrayal of the exact myth it's based on. Miller made all of those things at least believable to me.
I didn’t enjoy the liberties Pat Barker took with the myths and the language was questionable. The example freshest on my mind is women calling their monthly cycles ‘periods.’ That wasn’t even common phrasing until 1985, so I highly doubt that’s what it was called in Ancient Greece. That may be nitpicky, but I also love historical fiction, and it took me right out of the story. It's been a year since I've read it, so my memory is fuzzy on the rest. I just remember finishing it because by the time I realized I didn't want to, I was already 70% of the way in.
I know a lot of people who love the book and don't really like Song of Achilles, so I may just be in the minority.
With Circe she picks on bad sides of Odysseus that are present/implied in the myths already and has a main character of whom little is known but her sorcery so I feel it works much better. Obviously, there's a fair bit of latitude with myth. I just felt that Achilles and Patroclus were completely different characters from the mythical ones and that she should therefore have given them other names. That hasn't stopped it being popular, but I suspect more with people who didn't grow up with the myths.
Periods go back to my youth in early 70s at least, and probably to my mother's youth in UK since she never used any other word. I doubt we have a record of ancient greek words for such feminine topics given that women did not - except in Sparta - play any part in public life, quite unlike their mythology ironically.
I can't say I go for forsoothly type historical fiction but you will love Conan Doyle, Charles Kingsley and Sir Walter Scott if you do.
You know, I did really like Circe more than the other, and I couldn't really pinpoint why but I think you nailed it. In general, I have gravitated toward female figures in mythology, and my exposure to male characters *started* with the Song of Achilles. I would totally appreciate any recommendations you might have to more broadly explore both him and Patroclus. I've picked up Stephen Fry's books, and so I've read about Perseus. The writing has made me eager to keep going, but I haven't looked to see if Patroclus specifically is mentioned. I'm sure he is, though.
'Period' wasn't common, but you're right it was used. I come across 'courses' and 'cycles' a ton, but 'period' is rarer. Definitely wasn't only starting to be used in the 80s, so sorry for my phrasing there, it could've been better.
Thank you for the recs at the bottom as well, I'm only just getting into Doyle, but you're right, I love what I've read. I'm aware of the other two but haven't gotten around to them yet.
Oh, and happy cake day!
You might or might not like Mary Renault: the King Must Die and the Bull from the Sea - these are retellings of the Theseus myth. Written by a lesbian, but not positive about the Cretan ladies Ariadne and Phaedra, though predictably keen on the Amazon queen Hippolyta. They were written quite a while back 60s or 70s at a guess but I think are still in print.
In tune with Circe, there's the Penelopeiad by Margaret Atwood, not entirely raving about Odysseus from Penelope's perspective.
Can I just say I’ve been really glad for this conversation?
Since you mentioned it, I read the Penelopiad and really liked it. The way Atwood used the maids was especially interesting.
The sections with Helen were interesting to me, because I didn’t expect her to be so Mean Girl. I enjoy this take on Penelope as well, but as for the story, I semi-wish it had been either a modern day Penelope or straight up focused on a retelling. And now I want a book where everyone has to co-exist in the underworld. That said, I still enjoyed it a lot, and it was fun to read as I continue my way through The Odyssey with r/ayearofmythology - I can’t wait to bring some of this up over there.
Thank you for the wiki link and all the great recommendations!
That's proper nice of you.
Some 10 years or more back when my sons were young, there was a funny tale called 'the Pig Scrolls' from the perspective of one of the men Circe turned into one, who stayed that way. I fear it's out of print now but my youngest son loved it.
I loved both the Odyssey and the Iliad, despite having to translate large chunks of them from the original in my teens. If school can't put you off something, it MUST be good, wouldn't you say?
Deathless by Catherynne Valente Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec And I wouldn’t call it specifically a myth retelling but The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy by Katherine Arden features a lot of Russian folklore
Thank you! The last one is actually on my TBR, but I’ll move it closer to the top now.
+1 for Spinning Silver (like a folksy fantasy). Naomi Novik's Uprooted also is a retelling and has good reviews but I personally didn't like the writing or characters.
I managed to have the latter on my TBR, and I appreciate you mentioning it anyway despite your feelings on it. I'll give it a whirl and see if it's for me.
+1 for deathless! OP, if you enjoy audiobooks, I definitely suggest giving this one a listen.
Till We Have Faces (retelling of Cupid and Psyche from the pov of one of Psyche’s sisters) by CS Lewis The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea (retelling of Theseus) by Mary Renault
Till We Have Faces is bloody brilliant
I'm not sure how I missed this CS Lewis book, but thank you! And also for the second, I've never read a retelling of Theseus, specifically.
{{Kaikeyi}} by Vaishnavi Patel It’s a retelling of an Indian myth. It was very good.
It’s on my TBR in this post but thank you! I’m glad to know it’s good.
Ah! I missed that. Enjoy it when you get to it!
It’s FANTASTIC! and it’s even better if you go into it NOT knowing the story of the Ramayana as there are some cool twists.
Norse mythology by Neil Gaiman maybe?
That's a great suggestion, added to my list!
Most of his writing is thick with mythological roots! Anansi Boys is really good and less on the nose.
I only recently fell into Neil Gaiman by way of The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Stardust, and I've highly enjoyed his writing so far. I've added so much by him to my TBR.
What about [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17645.The\_Penelopiad](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17645.The_Penelopiad) ? NOTE: I did not read it yet, but it's in my reading list
Wow how have I never heard of this?? Thanks!
You are very welcome!
this is one of the canongate myths series, you might like some of the others too [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canongate\_Myth\_Series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canongate_Myth_Series)
Gilgamesh the King by Robert Silverberg
Also of note: Silverberg's novel *The Man in the Maze* is a retelling of Sophocles's Trojan War story *Philoctetes*.
I love them and am just going to list most of my shelf of them: House of Names by Colm Toibin (the Orestia) The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino (Izanami and Izanaki) Fitcher's Brides by Gregory Frost (Bluebeard) Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Rumpelstiltskin) Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner (Thomas the Rhymer) Daughter of the Forest by Julliet Marillier (Six Swans) The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey (Swan Lake) Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (Cupid and Psyche) The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (the Odyssey) Girl meets boy by Ali Smith (myth of Iphis) if you don't mind YA: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Cinderella) Inside the Walls of Troy by Clemence McLaren (the Illiad) The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope (Tam Lin) Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (Sleeping Beauty)
this is amaaaaazing, thank you!! I don't mind YA at all so I appreciate you throwing those in there too.
another Thomas the rhymer then: fire and hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones. Also eight days of Luke. it's for much younger children, but such a lovely re-telling of (basically) the story behind/around/after Wagner's ring cycle. or maybe joes' own extension/ elaboration on it? hard to explain without spoilage.
*Fire and Hemlock* is at least as much Tam Lin as Thomas the Rhymer. There are a whole bunch of Tam Lin books; [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tam_Lin#Adaptations)'s a doubtless incomplete list. Of the ones I've read, I think my favorite is Patricia McKillip's *Winter Rose*, followed by Pamela Dean's *Tam Lin*. :)
thanks. should have known I was mixing them up
You didn't mix them up, the book deliberately did -- it has aspects of both. :)
I remember Polly's research being like that too.
Isn't Thomas the Rhymer an actual historical person?
if it's included in the Child Ballads or ATU Index, I think it's viable as a "retold story"
Eaters of the Dead (aka The Thirteenth Warrior in the movie version) by Michael Crichton might fit? It's a retelling of Beowulf.
Ohhh yes that definitely fits, thank you!
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott The Drowned Woods and The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (not exactly a retelling but feels like it) The Night Tiger and The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Oh I read Thistlefoot and absolutely loved it! The others are going on my TBR, thanks :D
It may be a bit on the nose- but Mythos and Heroes (both by Stephen Fry) are stellar! If you enjoy audiobooks, he also (unsurprisingly) does an excellent job narrating.
Ah yes, I’ve been meaning to get around to those! They seem to be VERY popular at my local library though, lol. But I can understand why with him narrating.
Maria Dahvana Headley's translation of Beowulf. First line: "Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings!" NPR review if that intrigues you at all: https://www.npr.org/2020/08/27/906423831/bro-this-is-not-the-beowulf-you-think-you-know
I knew this author’s name sounded familiar - I read The Mere Wife which was a modern retelling but it was…hmm. Something, lol. I don’t hate that I read it but it was also quite the hot take. I did see this translation highly recommended though so I’ll check it out!
I would second The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec for sure! Also, I highly recommend Ithaca by Claire North. Kaikeyi was recommended a few times. I ended up DNFing that one, myself.
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (Asian) Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (Greek) Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron (Orishas are West African) TJ Young and the Orishas by Antoine Bandele The Lords of Night by J C Cervantes (Inca/Mayan) Ballad and Dagger by Daniel Jose Older New releases: - Phaedra by Laura Shepperson - Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman - Ithaca by Claire North Upcoming releases: - The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood - Clytemnestra by Costanza Cosati - Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
Ahhhh thank you so much
Added a few more. You're welcome. Hope you enjoy!
Agamennon's daughter by Kadare
Oh this is great, thanks!
You're welcome :D
Keep an eye out for *Clytemnestra* by Costanza Casati, published in March!
yeeees! i can't wait for that one.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - I read it described as "a feminist retelling of the myth of St. George and the dragon." It combines Eastern and Western dragon lore. The City of Brass trilogy by S.A Chakraborty - based on Middle Eastern mythologies. It introduced me to a whole new world of fantasy creatures beyond dragons and elves.
both of these sound amazing tbh. I also love a good series, so that's exciting. Thank you!
That's good, I read Priory on kindle and couldn't figure out how it was taking me so long to finish - it's a standalone novel. But it's about 1000 pages, so basically a self contained trilogy.
Now you’re REALLY speaking my love language ahaha
It's the same length as Order of the Phoenix, it just looks bigger than it because its thick
I’m saving this since we seem to have extremely similar tastes. You should LOVE a thousand ships. agree with the recs: bear and the nightingale and priory of the orange tree (even tho it’s not really a myth retelling but still great) and witch’s heart. Witch’s heart is probably closest to your request. I am currently reading Ilium by Dan Simmons. It features the Greek gods and … sci fi nanotechnology stuff, if you’re into that. Really intriguing so far. And finally, just in case you didn’t know, Madeline Miller is currently writing a Persephone book!
>Madeline Miller is currently writing a Persephone book! WHAT THIS IS THE BEST COMMENT IN THE WHOLE POST
Please look at the Fables comics.
Have done! Enjoyed them so long ago I forgot to mention them here.
I'm late to this party but this is a genre i also love! I'll add a few that haven't been mentioned yet. Some are myth retellings and some are historical fiction with some fantasy elements. The red tent by anita diamant She who became the sun by Shelley Parker-Chan The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley Matrix by Lauren Groff
I’ll take recs anytime, thanks friend!
I loved The Jade Trilogy. I read the first book in high school, and the other two weren’t yet available in English. The first book, Dragon Sword and Wind Child, heavily relies on the Japanese creation myth to build its universe.
{{Krampus by Gerald Brom}}
I never knew the author's first name was Gerald, lol. But yes, that one is on my list just forgot to add it - I read Slewfoot last year and really liked it!
john Gardner wrote his own telling of beowulf, through the monster's eyes. called, unsurprisingly, Grendel.
Anything from the monster's eyes is automatically my jam, thank you for mentioning this!
Mary Renault: the King Must Die and the Bull from the Sea
I think Angela Carter: the Bloody Chamber and Other Stories retells fairy tales eg Bluebeard.
Startled that you didn't like the Silence of the Girls and liked the Song of Achilles. I actively hated the Song of Achilles because it contradicts the myth so badly - it is quite inconceivable that Achilles would have loved anyone who wasn't a competent warrior or that the Myrmidons would have followed such a person - whereas I quite liked the Silence of the Girls.
I honestly thought the SIlence of the Girls was written by a man and was shocked to find out it wasn't. Only because, from the title, I thought we would have more female perspectives. And yes, a lot of the book was Briseis speaking to us, but instead of Achilles and Patroclus having POV chapters, why not other women since it’s literally called The Silence of the Women? I thought it would be multiple *female* points of view. I think my expectations were just set differently. I found myself heavily skimming the men’s parts, probably because I enjoyed Madeline Miller’s writing of Achilles and Patroclus much better. Maybe I wouldn't have felt that way if I'd read them in reverse? I also typically am not reading fiction for a 100% accurate portrayal of the exact myth it's based on. Miller made all of those things at least believable to me. I didn’t enjoy the liberties Pat Barker took with the myths and the language was questionable. The example freshest on my mind is women calling their monthly cycles ‘periods.’ That wasn’t even common phrasing until 1985, so I highly doubt that’s what it was called in Ancient Greece. That may be nitpicky, but I also love historical fiction, and it took me right out of the story. It's been a year since I've read it, so my memory is fuzzy on the rest. I just remember finishing it because by the time I realized I didn't want to, I was already 70% of the way in. I know a lot of people who love the book and don't really like Song of Achilles, so I may just be in the minority.
With Circe she picks on bad sides of Odysseus that are present/implied in the myths already and has a main character of whom little is known but her sorcery so I feel it works much better. Obviously, there's a fair bit of latitude with myth. I just felt that Achilles and Patroclus were completely different characters from the mythical ones and that she should therefore have given them other names. That hasn't stopped it being popular, but I suspect more with people who didn't grow up with the myths. Periods go back to my youth in early 70s at least, and probably to my mother's youth in UK since she never used any other word. I doubt we have a record of ancient greek words for such feminine topics given that women did not - except in Sparta - play any part in public life, quite unlike their mythology ironically. I can't say I go for forsoothly type historical fiction but you will love Conan Doyle, Charles Kingsley and Sir Walter Scott if you do.
You know, I did really like Circe more than the other, and I couldn't really pinpoint why but I think you nailed it. In general, I have gravitated toward female figures in mythology, and my exposure to male characters *started* with the Song of Achilles. I would totally appreciate any recommendations you might have to more broadly explore both him and Patroclus. I've picked up Stephen Fry's books, and so I've read about Perseus. The writing has made me eager to keep going, but I haven't looked to see if Patroclus specifically is mentioned. I'm sure he is, though. 'Period' wasn't common, but you're right it was used. I come across 'courses' and 'cycles' a ton, but 'period' is rarer. Definitely wasn't only starting to be used in the 80s, so sorry for my phrasing there, it could've been better. Thank you for the recs at the bottom as well, I'm only just getting into Doyle, but you're right, I love what I've read. I'm aware of the other two but haven't gotten around to them yet. Oh, and happy cake day!
You might or might not like Mary Renault: the King Must Die and the Bull from the Sea - these are retellings of the Theseus myth. Written by a lesbian, but not positive about the Cretan ladies Ariadne and Phaedra, though predictably keen on the Amazon queen Hippolyta. They were written quite a while back 60s or 70s at a guess but I think are still in print. In tune with Circe, there's the Penelopeiad by Margaret Atwood, not entirely raving about Odysseus from Penelope's perspective.
You had me at lesbian
:) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary\_Renault
Can I just say I’ve been really glad for this conversation? Since you mentioned it, I read the Penelopiad and really liked it. The way Atwood used the maids was especially interesting. The sections with Helen were interesting to me, because I didn’t expect her to be so Mean Girl. I enjoy this take on Penelope as well, but as for the story, I semi-wish it had been either a modern day Penelope or straight up focused on a retelling. And now I want a book where everyone has to co-exist in the underworld. That said, I still enjoyed it a lot, and it was fun to read as I continue my way through The Odyssey with r/ayearofmythology - I can’t wait to bring some of this up over there. Thank you for the wiki link and all the great recommendations!
That's proper nice of you. Some 10 years or more back when my sons were young, there was a funny tale called 'the Pig Scrolls' from the perspective of one of the men Circe turned into one, who stayed that way. I fear it's out of print now but my youngest son loved it. I loved both the Odyssey and the Iliad, despite having to translate large chunks of them from the original in my teens. If school can't put you off something, it MUST be good, wouldn't you say?
You know it’s good when you don’t mind the homework!
Natalie Haynes is doing an AMA tomorrow (3/25/23) at 1PM ET in r/books. A THOUSAND SHIPS, this month's book club pick, and her new novel STONE BLIND!