Genre Guide – Mythological Retellings

Readers who like historical fiction may also enjoy Mythological Retellings. Check out this list!


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Ariadne

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 hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby or eAudio on Hoopla. 


Black Leopard, Red Wolf

In the stunning first novel in Marlon James’s Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby. 


Circe

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby or as an eAudio on Hoopla. 


Clytemnestra

A blazing novel set in the world of Ancient Greece, this is a thrilling tale of power and prophecies, of hatred, love, and of an unforgettable Queen who fiercely dealt out death to those who wronged her. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby or as an eBook or eAudio on Hoopla. 


The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

In this retelling of the Korean legend The Tale of Shim Cheong, sixteen-year-old Mina is swept away to the spirit realm, where, assisted by a motley crew of demons, gods, and lesser spirits, she sets out to awaken the sleeping sea god and save her homeland and family from deadly storms. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby or eAudio on Hoopla. 


Home Fire

Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother’s death, she’s accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can’t stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who’s disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. You can also check out this title as eBook or as eAudio on Libby.


Kaikeyi

A reimagining of the ancient Hindu epic the Ramayana, told from the perspective of one of its antagonists, Kaikeyi. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and in eAudio on Libby. 


The Shadow of Perseus

This is 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, Medusa; and his wife, Andromeda—but whose viewpoints reveal a man who is not, in fact, a hero at all. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby. 


Stone Blind

Delving into the origins of this mythic tale, Haynes revitalizes and reconstructs Medusa’s story with her passion and fierce wit, offering a timely retelling of this classic myth that speaks to us today. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby or as an eBook or eAudio on Hoopla. 


A Thousand Ships

A woman’s epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby or as an eBook or eAudio on Hoopla. 


Trail of Lightning

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine. You can also check out this title as eBook on Libby.


The Witch's Heart

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 deep and abiding love. Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who she is keen to raise at the hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life – and possibly all of existence – is in danger. You can also check out this title as an eBook or eAudio on Libby.