This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s summer editorial intern Jordyn Centerwall. Find her on Instagram at @jordyncenterwall. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
What do The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller have in common? Aside from being wildly popular and successful books that is. They’re both Greek mythology books. Well, inspired by Greek mythology. I’m in the process of rereading The Heroes of Olympus series currently. I worried that it wouldn’t be the same to read as an adult, but as it turns out, once of Greek mythology kid, always one.
Although Rick Riordan’s books are geared toward a young adult audience, there are also plenty of authors writing adult Greek mythology books in the fiction genre. Here are a handful of just some of the available titles covering individual gods, myths, or more niche interests of Greek mythology.
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Bracken adds a Hunger Games flare to the gods of Olympus. Every seven years nine of the gods who rebelled are made mortal and hunted in the Agon. Those who wish to seize their powers for themselves—and with it their status—scour New York for these clipped gods. Lore Perseous isn’t a hunter. This year though she makes a deal with Athena as the Agon begins, even though she swore she would walk away from the hunt when it cost her her family. Will the risk of failure be worth the chance to leave the Agon behind forever?
Neon Gods by Katee Robert
This adult fantasy reimagining of Hades and Persephone is spicy. Like seriously, 18+ only. In the first book of Robert’s Dark Olympus series, Persephone flees Olympus and escapes across the River Styx to avoid being forced into a political marriage to Zeus that will likely lead to her demise. What she finds across the River is supposed to be a myth. But Hades, despite the stories she’s been told her whole life, is alive and well. He wants revenge on the other gods who spurned him and so he and Persephone strike a deal.
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
Greek mythology books have even crossed over into the realm of comics. What a time to be alive! Honestly though, I wish these whimsical books would have been around when I was growing up. Lore Olympus originally started on Webtoon and is the most popular comic on the platform. The series has since been made into physical comic books as well. The now complete series follows the relationship of Hades and Persephone with the other gods making appearances as well as their relationship, and the conflict that arises around it unfolds.
The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
If you’re a fan of Percy Jackson, this new release in the Greek mythology book genre might be for you as well. This fantasy take on all our favorite gods imagines a world where ever 100 years the gods select champions to compete in the Crucible– a vicious competition used to select the next ruler of Olympus. The story follows Lyra, who is unlucky enough to be selected by Hades as his champion, and the first one he’s ever entered into the contest.
Daughters of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews
Each time a new retelling about the female figures of Greek mythology comes out, I’m in awe of the authors telling their stories. Andrews does just this in Daughterrs of Sparta, breathing new life into the story of Helen and her sister Klytemnestra. Both become queens at a young age, married off to Agamemnon and his brother Menelaos. Not much is expected of these women, but they push their confines even throughout the Siege of Troy.
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Many of the Greek mythology books on this list bring characters that were unrepresented or lacked stories in the original mythos into the limelight. Such is the case with this book. The Penelopiad is an earlier title from the author of The Handmaid’s Tale and focuses on Penelope, Odysseus’s wife and Helen of Troy’s cousin. In Atwood’s tale, she imagines the hardships Penelope must have endured while Odysseus was surviving cyclopes and escaping Circe. What was she doing all the time that the Odyssey was taking place?
Weight by Jeanette Winterson
The myth of Atlas takes center stage in this retelling. Atlas is not one of the Greek gods, but a Titan. Specifically the Titan who led an uprising against the gods. Now, he’s punished with holding the sky up for all eternity. With one exception. Weight explores the brief period that Hercules swapped places with Atlas. In Winterson’s reimagining, Atlas uses the time away from his punishment to get answers from the gods while he helps Hercules gather the golden apples of Hespiredes for one of his 12 labours.
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Phillips reimagines the gods of Olympus in modern day living together in a flat. In a hilarious turn of events, their powers have faded and they all work day jobs. One is a DJ another a TV pyschic. Enter Alice, who gets a job as the gods’ cleaning lady not known what she’s in store for. Alice and her boyfriend Neil quickly get caught in the crossfire of these waning deities and Neil must go on a quest to right things and maybe save the world.
Percy Jackson: Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan
This article was meant to highlight other Greek mythology books other than Rick Riordan’s multiple series, but I couldn’t not highlight the newest release. Hot off the presses this week, Riordan brought the world another installment with the literature world’s favorite demigods. Percy is gearing up to face one of the biggest challenges yet: college. To get into New Rome University though he needs recommendation letters. And not just any letters. His recommendations must come from the Greek gods themselves. To win over Hecate for her invitation, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are tasked with pet sitting her three mythical pets. Disaster strikes and two of the pets escape, leaving Percy and his friends to scramble to recover Hecate’s missing pets before the goddess returns.
Do you have a favorite Greek myth that you’d like to see reimagined? Let us know in the comments down below!
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