7 Titanic Books Inspired by Greek Mythology

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker is an epic retelling of the Iliad, with a strong focus on the harrowing experiences of women through the Trojan War. The story is primarily told through the first-person POV of Briseis—the wife of Mynes given to Achilles, who following a dispute yields her to Agamemnon while she’s pregnant with Achilles’s child. 

Barker doesn’t shy away from depicting the brutal horrors of war and the misogynistic culture that viewed women not as people but as status objects to be traded among the victors, weaving them all into a vividly gripping narrative that will encourage you to look at the Homeric epics differently.    

Odysseus certainly cuts an interesting figure in the Greek corpus of champions. Unlike other heroes and adventurers marked by their bravery, nobility and sacrificial natures, Odysseus delighted in being more of a trickster, relying on his wits and cunning to get by. In Athena’s Champion, David Hair and Cath Mayo craft a compelling backstory for his motivations—he’s chosen by none other than Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and is soon embroiled in the pantheon’s power games. 

When Helen of Sparta is kidnapped, it falls upon Odysseus to journey into the underworld and save her. Hair and Mayo not only spin exciting alternative versions of the myths, but also provide convincing explanations to many aspects of the Greek pantheon. If you’re looking for a fun and thrilling prequel that sets the stage for the Iliad and the Odyssey, you should check out Athena’s Champion. 

This upcoming novella, which I was lucky to read as an eARC, is a gorgeously poetic meditation on fatherhood and masculinity, told through the unreliable narrative of Daedalus—master inventor, architect and creator of the labyrinth that imprisoned the Minotaur, and father of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with his man-made wings. Sullivan carefully blends elements from Greek myth with his own embellishments, filling in the gaps and richly exploring the emotions of guilt and grief that drive Daedalus to seek out his only son in the underworld, even as ghosts and gods conspire against him. Though it’s a deceptively short read, Daedalus Is Dead encourages the reader to sit with its haunting revelations. 

Kendare Blake’s Goddess War series presents the Greek deities with a new challenge—they’re on the verge of losing their immortality. The final book, Ungodly picks up on the cliffhanger ending of Mortal Gods and ties up loose ends, all the while detailing an epic adventure starring Athena, Hermes, Cassandra and other well-known characters. After her assault on Olympus goes awry, Athena is trapped in the underworld while Hermes is topside, running out of time. Now new alliances need to be forged as the gods prepare to go up against the Fates. Fast-paced, action-packed and full of unexpected twists, Blake’s spin on Greek mythology is certainly refreshing and exhilarating. 

Another short but rather unforgettable read, Atwood’s The Penelopiad focuses on Penelope, the shrewd and practical wife of the trickster hero Odysseus. While Odysseus was off fighting in the Trojan War and having several sea-faring adventures afterward, Penelope was left alone to manage the kingdom of Ithaca, raise their son Telemachus and fend off the suitors vying for her hand. This poignant novella makes use of various storytelling devices, highlighting the inequalities of a patriarchal society even as it bestows Penelope with agency as she reminiscences about her life—from childhood to marriage to Odysseus’s eventual return—from the underworld.  

If you enjoyed the YA paranormal romance series House of Night, you might also like Kristin Cast’s The Escaped—another paranormal romance series that blends Greek mythology with murder mystery and detective narratives. The plot follows Alek (the untested warrior son of the Furies) and Eva (a descendant of the Oracle) with zero clues about her ancestry. With the police hot on their heels, the two must work together and figure out the limits of their powers before it is too late. Although it takes a while for the story to get started, Amber Smoke makes for a quick, light and indulgent read, packed with sizzling chemistry and melodrama.  

In the original myths, Heracles murders his wife and children in a fit of madness. The only way he can restore his reputation and cleanse himself of sin is by serving King Eurystheus—who directs him to perform twelve impossible labors. His success establishes his valor, strength and tenacity, spreading his renown among gods and mortals alike. Glyn Iliffe’s grand retelling reimagines the story of Heracles, placing it in the larger context of the power games between the deities, while also humanizing the main character. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, Son of Zeus is perfect for any reader looking for a page-turning and in-depth character study of the legendary champion.