10 Best Mythology-Based Fantasy Books! Witness the Weave of Legends and Myths
Alright, fantasy nerds, gather around. For those of you who get a kick out of the old gods meddling in human affairs, the echoes of epic battles sung by ancient bards, and the timeless allure of mythological beasts...you're in for a treat! We've scoured the literary world for the best mythology-based fantasy books that perfectly blend ancient legends with modern narratives.
These aren't just any ordinary tales operating on old tropes. Nope. These stories dig deep, resurrecting myths from the world over, mixing them up in a literary cauldron to create something breathtakingly fresh and utterly captivating. Expect valiant heroes, conniving deities, and otherworldly creatures embroiled in sagas that resonate with age-old lore.
These authors have rolled up their sleeves and artfully entwined reality with fantasy, delivering narratives that will grippingly transport you into realms of myths and legends. So, dust off that reading nook this instant, my fellow mythology enthusiasts! We've got ten epic journeys you're going to want to embark upon. They're not only entertaining but filled with profound musings about the human condition that'll leave you deep in thought. Now, make yourself comfy and let's dive into this divine pantheon of sagas!
『Circe』
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, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. 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. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world. #1 New York Times Bestseller -- named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, the Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self, Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.
Author | Madeline Miller |
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Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | Little, Brown |
Release Date | Apr 10, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Song of Achilles』
“At once a scholar’s homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist….A book I could not put down.” —Ann Patchett “Mary Renault lives again!” declares Emma Donoghue, author of Room, referring to The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller’s thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War. A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.
Author | Madeline Miller |
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Price | $14.99 |
Publisher | Harper Collins |
Release Date | Mar 06, 2012 |
Source | Google Books |
『Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters』
Percy Jackson - the son of Poseidon - has had an unnervingly quiet school year. But then he discovers that the magical borders protecting Half Blood Hill, a summer camp dedicated to training young demi-gods, are failing. Unless something is done, the camp will be attacked by demons and monsters.
Author | Rick Riordan |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Puffin Books |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2013 |
Source | Google Books |
『Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book 1 The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book 1)』
Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and truant officers. One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he barely knows-a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants, and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .
Author | Rick Riordan |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Disney-Hyperion |
Release Date | Apr 04, 2017 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Blood of Olympus』
The Greek and Roman demigods must simultaneously prevent the earth mother, Gaea, from waking and stop war from breaking out at Camp Half-Blood.
Author | Rick Riordan |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | |
Release Date | Sep 24, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Red Pyramid』
Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. From the creator of the hit Percy Jackson series.
Author | Rick Riordan |
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Price | $7.99 |
Publisher | Disney Electronic Content |
Release Date | May 04, 2010 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Witch's Heart』
When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive national bestselling debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology. Angrboda’s story begins where most witches' tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love. Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely 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. With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family...or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age.
Author | Genevieve Gornichec |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Nov 30, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『A Thousand Ships』
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "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 Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences--for fans of Madeline Miller. This is the women's war, just as much as it is the men's. They have waited long enough for their turn . . . This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . . In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen. From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war. 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.
Author | Natalie Haynes |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Harper Paperbacks |
Release Date | Oct 19, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『Ariadne』
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 hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind? Hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting, Jennifer Saint's Ariadne forges a new epic, one that puts the forgotten women of Greek mythology back at the heart of the story, as they strive for a better world.
Author | Jennifer Saint |
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Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | Flatiron Books |
Release Date | May 04, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『American Gods』
Author | Neil Gaiman |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | |
Release Date | May 15, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
And there you have it, folks! Ten magical escapes, each one offering a unique spin on tales as old as time. They're the kind of books wherein gods strut and spar, demi-gods duel with destiny, and mortals get caught up in the machinations of the mythical. A lethal recipe of love, betrayal, heroism and - dare I say it - epic kerfuffles! But beyond the spectacle and the bravado, these novels tug at a deeper level. There is a sense of profound connection with our ancient past and a much-needed reminder that, despite our veneration of technology and progress, the human heart hasn't strayed very far from its primal cradle. We still thirst for myths, yearn for magic and marvel at the mysterious. Each work leaves you satiated... and yet craving more. You'll curse me for recommending these sleep thieves, but hey, who needs sleep when there's a world of myth and magic to explore, right? Happy reading, fellow book nerds!
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