19 Must-Read Books About Greek Mythology and Other Folklore

Jennifer Saint’s 2021 novel about King Minos’ daughter Ariadne tells the story of the princess of Crete through her eyes. Despite her bold choice to turn on her half-brother, the minotaur (yes, really), the patriarchy is alive and well in Ariadne’s world, and her story is a tragic one. Saint received a Goodreads Choice Award for her efforts, illustrating that women’s stories matter, even when they’re not particularly uplifting.

Madeline Miller more or less put mythology books back on the map, and one of her smash hits is 2018's Circe, which went straight to No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Before Miller's take on the literary figure, Circe, a Greek sorceress, was often portrayed as a villain for turning Odysseus’s men into pigs. But what if they deserved it? Such is the premise of Miller’s modernized retelling, which gives Circe the voice she’s been missing for eons. The author later described her as "one of the characters that I felt had been most neglected and that I was frustrated that there wasn’t more about was this goddess." Mission accomplished.

We’re all familiar with Helen of Troy (she did supposedly spark one of the greatest wars in Greek mythology, after all), but what about her sister Clytemnestra? She gets her due in this 2023 masterpiece with a backstory that explains why she would go on to murder her husband, Agamemnon, in Aeschylus's The Oresteia. (After reading this, you might decide he had it coming. Sorry not sorry!)

Greek mythology enthusiasts will recognize the tale of Orpheus, a legendary Greek musician, and his doting nymph wife Eurydice in the relationship of Aida and Ehsan (albeit with the gender roles swapped), who have reconnected after a decade apart. Just like the Greek myth, however, which sees the lovers torn apart by a lack of faith on the part of Orpheus, these two are bound for heartbreak when Ehsan is unable to follow Aida on tour without succumbing to jealousy.

You can think of this one as “Greek Gods meet Summer House.” The Mount Olympus gang’s all here, from Artemis, who’s been reduced to walking dogs for a living, to Apollo, who’s found his calling as a television medium. Even worse? The remaining powers they have left are fading fast, resulting in serious tension, and eventually, an all-out war of wills between Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Apollo, god of archery and music. Oh, and humanity just so happens to hang in the balance of their squabble.

Rather than going back in time to give voice to an ancient Greek figure, author Mark Prins uses the myths of yore—particularly, Apollo’s obsession with Daphne after being struck by Eros’s arrow—as a tale of caution for its protagonist, Tessa Templeton (a mythological expert, natch), and her lovestruck professor.

All Greek sorceress Medea, the star of Rosie Hewlett’s 2024 novel, wants is a little reprieve from the persecution she faces under her father King Aeetes’ throne—it’s not her fault she’s got powers. But when Jason (of Jason and the Argonauts fame) shows up ready to make some waves (and steal her dad’s favorite fleece), she’ll have to make some big decisions about her loyalty—with some big consequences.

What if Medusa and Perseus weren’t opponents, but two star-crossed lovers? You know, a regular Romeo and Juliet, only with winged sandals and snakes for hair? Well, maybe they were: That’s the alternate mythological reality Jessie Burton proposes here. By the end of her novel, you’ll be wondering if the "vengeful" gorgon wasn’t justified in wanting to turn everyone to stone.

Like many of the authors on this list, Natalie Haynes also chose to give voice to the fictional women of a bygone era in this book. However, instead of focusing on one, she empowered many. Her resulting novel, Pandora’s Jar, transforms the classic myths of the Trojan War, the Royal House of Thebes, Jason and the Argonauts, and Heracles into modern-day stories with current cultural references and female protagonists that brighten the page. Given Haynes’ background as a professional comedian, it also happens to be quite funny.

The first of a three-part series centered on the women of Troy, The Silence of the Girls is about Briseis, a former Greek queen who becomes a prize of war in Homer’s famed The Iliad. Thanks to Barker, however, her story gets a new life—one with insight into how Briseis might have felt at having her fate decided by the egos of two glorified male figures, Achilles and Agamemnon, who are fighting to make her their “own.”

Madeline Miller brought the mythology-fantasy subgenre into the fold with 2011’s The Song of Achilles, which went on to sell over two million copies. Not only does it revisit the tale of Achilles and Patroclus, two well-known heroes of the Trojan War, but it also examines the intricacies of their much-lauded relationship, which Miller interprets as romantic. The result? A deeply humanized look at two famous Greek figures who’ve been historically reduced to their battlefield glories.

Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series offers a spicy modern take on the Greek gods and goddesses. Instead of an immortal palace in the clouds, Olympus is a city-state where cutthroat elites compete for wealth and power. Combine this unique world with the love story of Hades and Persephone, and you have the dark thrill ride of Neon Gods.

Mother of Rome harkens back to the founding of Rome, but if you guessed that the myth’s traditional players of twin brothers Romulus and Remus have been kicked out of the spotlight, you’d be entirely correct. This is about their mother, Rhea, and the life she lived before giving birth. Author Lauren J.A. Bear left a message for fans about the novel on her Goodreads account, writing, “Writing Rhea’s story took out at least three of my nine lives, but I’m so proud of what it became. She is *my* Roman Empire.”

As the third (and most highly reviewed) book in Elisabeth Storrs’ Tales of Ancient Rome series, Call to Juno offers the perspectives of four different characters throughout Roman mythology during the war between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii. The book follows a sex worker, a heartsick tribune, a goddess, and a servant—and all are unforgettable.

Greece and Rome aren’t the only regions with mythology. Genevieve Gornichec chose to focus her story on the Norse figures of Angrboda, Odin, and Loki. Following the famed magical giantess as she escapes her punishment from the vengeful Odin for refusing to show him the future and begins a family with Loki in a new and imaginative way, The Witch’s Heart might be our gateway to a whole new collection of cultural myths.

Odin, Loki, Heimdall, and Thor—Norse gods abound in Joanne Harris’ tale of mythical adventure. It follows a young girl named Maddy who is taken under Odin’s wing to learn all about magic before heading out on a quest that will lead her to encounters with goblins, shapeshifters, Loki, and all kinds of other enchantments. It’s also refreshingly free of any romance—can’t a girl explore the world (er, like, nine of them) without going and falling in love?