100 Best Greek Mythology Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)

Rick Riordan

5.0

Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, a

2

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5)

Rick Riordan

5.0

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now i

3

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)

Rick Riordan

4.9

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears at his potential new school, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.

In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood

4

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2)

Rick Riordan

4.9

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment.

In this

5

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3)

Rick Riordan

4.9

It's not everyday you find yourself in combat with a half-lion, half-human.

But when you're the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.

Oh, and guess what? The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive...

6

The Odyssey

Homer

4.8

After enduring the Trojan War, Odysseus begins the treacherous journey home to Ithaca. On the way, he faces ravenous monsters and vengeful gods. But the real battle awaits, as his kingdom is under siege by unruly suitors vying for his wife’s hand—and his son’s head. To reclaim his throne and save his family, Odysseus must rely on his wits…and help from the unpredictable gods.

Homer’s The Odyssey wa

Recommended by Caterina Fake, Ted Turner, Charlotte Higgins, and 3 others.

Ted Turner

Founder/CNN

When I got to college, I was a classics major, and that was mainly the study of Greek - and to a lesser extent Roman - history and culture, and that fascinated me: the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid by Virgil. [source]

Charlotte Higgins

It’s a very easy read, and a completely different world from The Iliad. Whereas The Iliad depicts a militaristic and war-wrecked world, The Odyssey is like a fairytale and it’s fascinatingly complex. It’s told in flashbacks, it has time that’s extended and time that’s compressed, and it’s told from different viewpoints. [source]

Janine di Giovanni

The thing I loved about Ulysses was that he’s so in love with adventure and with love. [source]

7

Circe

Madeline Miller

4.8

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 banis

Recommended by Jacqui Pretty and Jason Kottke.

Jacqui Pretty

When it comes to fiction, there are so many to choose from! Some books I've loved in the past year include Circe by Madeline Miller. [source]

Jason Kottke

Another contemporary reinterpretation of Greek mythology from the perspective of a woman. I’m 3/4s of the way through Circe right now and I might like it even more than The Odyssey. [source]

8

The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus, #3)

Rick Riordan

4.8

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can't blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon figurehead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appe

9

The Song of Achilles

Madeline Miller

4.8

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother The

Recommended by Daniel Mendelsohn and Lucy Coats.

Daniel Mendelsohn

I don’t want to know what Achilles did in bed, frankly. If you want to play with the big boys, fine, but don’t turn The Iliad into a Twilight novel. [source]

Lucy Coats

I loved the richness of the language, the descriptions. She really made me feel I was in ancient Greece — the smells, the whole environment. [source]

10

The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, #2)

Rick Riordan

4.8

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells wit

11

The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus, #4)

Rick Riordan

4.8

Hazel stands at a crossroads. She and the remaining crew of the Argo II could return home with the Athena Parthenos statue and try to stop Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter from going to war. Or they could continue their quest to find the House of Hades, where they might be able to open the Doors of Death, rescue their friends Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus, and prevent monsters from being reinca

12

Mythology

Edith Hamilton

4.7

The world-renowned classic that has enthralled and delighted millions of readers with its timeless tales of gods and heroes.

Edith Hamilton's mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek, Roman and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture-the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.

We follo

Recommended by Alan Kay.

Alan Kay

A few more books like this, and by the time I got to first grade I had been ruined for the 'single book - single truth' ideas of school and church. [source]

13

The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus, #5)

Rick Riordan

4.7

Nico had warned them. Going through the House of Hades would stir the demigods' worst memories. Their ghosts would become restless. Nico may actually become a ghost if he has to shadow-travel with Reyna and Coach Hedge one more time. But that might be better than the alternative: allowing someone else to die, as Hades foretold.

Jason's ghost is his mother, who abandoned him when he was little. He m

14

100 Provocative Statements about the Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero

Rick Riordan

4.7

In this book, we have hand-picked the most sophisticated, unanticipated, absorbing (if not at times crackpot!), original and musing book reviews of "The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero." Don't say we didn't warn you: these reviews are known to shock with their unconventionality or intimacy. Some may be startled by their biting sincerity; others may be spellbound by their unbridled fligh

15

Pure (Covenant #2)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

4.6

There is need. And then there is Fate... Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn’t exactly awesome—especially when Alexandria’s "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth’s in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom—so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with h

Recommended by Nicolás Maduro.

Nicolás Maduro

On behalf of poetry, writing and the national spirit, we baptize the beautiful Book: "Aquello Puro" by the great writer Luis Alberto Crespo, legend of universal poetry and our homage to the 15th International Book Fair 2019. Culture … https://t.co/i99TwjklQc [source]

16

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Rick Riordan and John Rocco

4.6

A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again. But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week.

So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, i

17

The Iliad

Homer, Robert Fagles, Bernard Knox

4.6

Dating to the ninth century B.C., Homer’s timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in his superb introduction that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and re

Recommended by Ted Turner, Charlotte Higgins, Daniel Mendelsohn, and 2 others.

Ted Turner

Founder/CNN

When I got to college, I was a classics major, and that was mainly the study of Greek - and to a lesser extent Roman - history and culture, and that fascinated me: the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid by Virgil. [source]

Charlotte Higgins

I think The Iliad has much to say to politicians now – it’s completely clear-eyed about collateral damage, about problems of post-conflict and about the ghastly things that happen to women and children in war. [source]

Daniel Mendelsohn

There are always new translations of The Iliad coming out, but this one has a very specific approach, both in terms of its philosophy of translation and its approach to the text. [source]

18

Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1)

Josephine Angelini

4.6

How do you defy DESTINY?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is - no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood...

19

Dreamless (Starcrossed, #2)

Josephine Angelini

4.5

Can true love be FORGOTTEN?

As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go o

20

Half-Blood (Covenant, #1)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

4.5

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toile

21

Deity (Covenant, #3)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

4.5

History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time.

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is j

22

The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, #1)

Aimée Carter

4.5

Every girl who had taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Unde

23

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo, #1)

Rick Riordan

4.5

How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies—gods, mons

24

The Demigod Files (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

Rick Riordan

4.5

How do you handle an encounter with Medusa on the New Jersey interstate? What's the best way to take down a minotaur? Become an expert on everything in Percy's world with this must-have guide to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

25

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

4.5

Here are the gods, goddesses, and legendary figures of ancient Greece--mighty Zeus, with his fistful of thunderbolts; gray-eyed Athena, goddess of wisdom; Helios, the sun; greedy King Midas--lavishly depicted by Caldecott winners Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. In a relaxed and humorous tone, these splendid artists bring to life the myths that have inspired great European literature and art throu

26

Sentinel (Covenant, #5)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

4.5

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the

27

Goddess (Starcrossed, #3)

Josephine Angelini

4.5

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Sc

28

Apollyon (Covenant, #4)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

4.4

Fate isn't something to mess with and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking A

29

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test, #2)

Aimée Carter

4.4

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's c

30

Mythos

Stephen Fry

4.4

Stephen Fry retells the Greek myths! This glitzy, gorgeous hardcover pairs a legendary storyteller with some of the most popular legends of all time.

Recommended by Simon Kuestenmacher.

Simon Kuestenmacher

Amazing series of symbol visualises Greek mythology. I just finished @stephenfry's amazing book Mythos and could remember more characters than expected. Icon source: https://t.co/xd2ZbgqUca The book: https://t.co/svtMJRmEiF #Greece #mythology #history #booklovers https://t.co/opZxytQDCU [source]

31

The Demigod Diaries (The Heroes of Olympus)

Rick Riordan

4.4

What dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads (who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion..

32

Elixir (Covenant, #3.5)

Jennifer L. Armentrou

4.4

Aiden St. Delphi will do anything to save Alex. Even if it means doing the one thing he will never forgive himself for. Even if it means making war against the gods.

33

The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test, #3)

Aimée Carter

4.3

Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will

34

The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo, #2)

Rick Riordan

4.3

Go west. Capture Apollo before he can find the next oracle.
If you cannot bring him to me alive, kill him.

Those were the orders my old enemy Nero had given to Meg McCaffrey. But why would an ancient Roman emperor zero in on Indianapolis? And now that I have made it here (still in the embarrassing form of Lester Papadopoulos), where is Meg?

Meg, my demigod master, is a cantankerous street urchin. S

35

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes

Rick Riordan, John Rocco

4.3

Who cut off Medusa's head? Who was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus? It takes a demigod to know, and Percy Jackson can fill you in on the all the daring deeds of Perseus, Atalanta, Bellerophon, and the rest of the major Greek heroes. Told in the funny, irreverent style readers have come to expect from Percy, ( I've had some bad experiences in my time, but the heroes I'm going to tell you ab

36

Everneath (Everneath, #1)

Brodi Ashton

4.3

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend t

37

Fantasy Lover (Hunter Legends Series #1)

Sherrilyn Kenyon

4.3

Cursed into an eternity of slavery by his own brother, Julian of Macedon has spent centuries in hell, where the only respite he knows is measured in a handful of weeks whenever he’s summoned through an arcane spell. With the modern age, those summonings are becoming fewer and fewer, and he lives in fear of the day when they’ll stop for good.

Grace Alexander doesn’t believe in much of anything. But

38

The Son of Sobek (Percy Jackson & Kane Chronicles Crossover, #1)

Rick Riorda

4.3

In this audio e-book short story narrated by Rick Riordan, Carter Kane is investigating rumored sightings of a monster on Long Island when he runs into something else: a mysterious boy named Percy Jackson. And their meeting isn't exactly friendly. . . . Includes a sneak peek chapter from HOUSE OF HADES, Book Four in the Heroes of Olympus series.

39

The Silence of the Girls

Pat Barker

4.3

The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, which continues to wage bloody war over a stolen woman—Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman—Briseis—watches and waits for the war's outcome. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes A

Recommended by Olly Murphy (Wycombe Abbey).

Olly Murphy (Wycombe Abbey)

This book allows you to realise that one of the key issues with the classics—one of the things that we’re always fighting against—is the lack of information we have about women. [source]

40

The Return (Titan, #1)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

4.3

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off...

It's been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody--which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem

41

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Boxed Set

Rick Riordan and John Rocco

4.3

5 Book Paperback Boxed Set (new covers with poster)
The Lightning Thief
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian

42

The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo, #3)

Rick Riordan

4.2

The formerly glorious god Apollo, cast down to earth in punishment by Zeus, is now an awkward mortal teenager named Lester Papadopoulos. In order to regain his place on Mount Olympus, Lester must restore five Oracles that have gone dark. But he has to achieve this impossible task without having any godly powers and while being duty-bound to a confounding young daughter of Demeter named Meg. Thanks

43

Abandon (Abandon, #1)

Meg Cabot

4.2

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feel

44

Persephone (Daughters of Zeus, #1)

Kaitlin Bevis

4.2

Daughters of Zeus, Book One

One day Persephone is an ordinary high school junior working at her mom’s flower shop in Athens, Georgia. The next she’s fighting off Boreas, the brutal god of Winter, and learning that she’s a bonafide goddess—a rare daughter of the now-dead Zeus. Her goddess mom whisks her off to the Underworld to hide until Spring.

There she finds herself under the protection of handso

45

Everbound (Everneath, #2)

Brodi Ashton

4.2

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal ba

46

The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test, #2.5)

Aimée Carter

4.2

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness....

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a tota

47

The Penelopiad

Margaret Atwood

4.2

Now that all the others have run out of air, it’s my turn to do a little story-making.

In Homer’s account in The Odyssey, Penelope—wife of Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy—is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes off to fight in the Trojan War after the abduction of Helen, Penelop

Recommended by Emily Wilson.

Emily Wilson

I really love the Penelopiad. It’s wonderful at bringing out some of what I already hinted was important in my work of a translator: teasing out the multiple perspectives, multiple voices, in this poem. I also love how it juxtaposes different styles and different voices. It has both ballad-like verse and prose intermixed, which is not what the Odyssey does, but I think it speaks to something which is in the Odyssey, about the mixture of different modes, different ways of seeing things. [source]

48

Underworld (Abandon, #2)

Meg Cabo

4.2

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed ar

49

The Staff of Serapis (Percy Jackson & Kane Chronicles Crossover #2)

Rick Riorda

4.2

In this adventure, Annabeth encounters more oddities in the subway than usual, including a two-headed monster and a younger blond girl who reminds her a little of herself. This is the story fans have asked for, in which Annabeth Chase teams up with Sadie Kane. The demigod daughter of Athena and the young magician from Brooklyn House take on a larger-than-life foe from the ancient world. Perhaps ev

50

Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #1)

Sherrilyn Kenyon

4.2

See how it all began…

Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power?
That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it.
Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmar

51

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1-3)

Rick Riordan

4.2

Humans and half-bloods agree—Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series fit for heroes! Relive the adventure from the beginning with this boxed set of the first three books with glorious new cover art by John Rocco.

The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she tak

52

Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls, #1)

Tera Lynn Childs

4.2

Three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates.

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it's also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight

53

Cruel Beauty

Rosamund Hodge

4.2

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to

54

Acheron (Dark-Hunter #14)

Sherrilyn Kenyon

4.2

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron endured a lifetime of hatred. His human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Brought back against his will, he became the sole defender of mankind.

Only it was never that simple…

For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he never wants revealed.

Now his survival,

55

Antigoddess (Goddess War, #1)

Kendare Blake

4.2

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both n

56

Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2)

FRY STEPHEN

4.2

There are Heroes - and then there are Greek Heroes.

Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.

In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard t

57

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)

Gena Showalter

4.2

His powers—Inhuman...

His passion—Beyond immortal...

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms t

58

The Goddess Hunt (Goddess Test, #1.5)

Aimée Carte

4.2

A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld...until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades' wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is det

59

Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy, #1)

Anna Banks

4.1

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

T

60

Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy, #1)

Jennifer Estep

4.1

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy; a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then,

Cover unavailable

61

Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning, #2)

P. C. Cast

4.1

Lina's trendy bakery in Tulsa is proving to be less than lucrative, and she must come up with a plan. When she stumbles upon an Italian Goddess cookbook, Lina can't help but think she's found the answer to her problem—even if it means invoking a goddess to save her business.

Soon enough, Lina finds herself face-to-face with Demeter, who has a plan of her own. She proposes that Lina exchange souls w

62

Darkness Becomes Her (Gods & Monsters, #1)

Kelly Keaton

4.1

Ari can't help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can't be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they

63

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2)

Gena Showalter

4.1

She has tempted many men...but never found her equal. Until now.

Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of Anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death—a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.

But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya

64

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld #4)

Gena Showalter

4.1

New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter returns with her long-awaited next installment of the Lords of the Underworld series...

He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world's about to be rocked.

Bound by the demon of Doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his onl

65

Dance with the Devil (Dark-Hunter #3)

Sherrilyn Kenyon

4.1

Zarek’s Point of View:

Dark-Hunter: A soulless guardian who stands between mankind and those who would see mankind destroyed. Yeah, right. The only part of that Code of Honor I got was eternity and solitude.

Insanity: A condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don’t suffer from my insanity-I enjoy every minute of it.

Trust: I can’t trust anyone…not even myself. The only t

66

Metamorphoses

Ovid, David Raeburn, Denis Feeney

4.1

Prized through the ages for its splendor and its savage, sophisticated wit, The Metamorphoses is a masterpiece of Western culture--the first attempt to link all the Greek myths, before and after Homer, in a cohesive whole, to the Roman myths of Ovid's day. Horace Gregory, in this modern translation, turns his poetic gifts toward a deft reconstruction of Ovid's ancient themes, using contemporary id

67

Awaken (Abandon, #3)

Meg Cabot

4.1

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, the dark reimagining of the Persephone myth comes to a thrilling conclusion.

Death has her in his clutches. She doesn't want him to let her go. Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she'd be forced to live forever in the one place she's always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, tho

68

The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, #1)

Rick Riordan

4.1

Since his mother's death six years ago, Carter Kane has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe with his father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. But while Carter's been homeschooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. Sadie has just what Carter wants—school friends and a chance at a "normal" life. But Carter has just what Sadie lon

69

The Power (Titan, #2)

Jennifer L. Armentrou

4.1

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.

Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josi

70

Till We Have Faces

C. S. Lewis

4.1

In this timeless tale of two mortal princesses- one beautiful and one unattractive- C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche's embittered and ugly older sister, who posessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual's frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love himself, setting the tro

71

Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4.5)

Rick Riordan

4.1

The goddess Persephone has summoned Percy, Thalia, and Nico to the Underworld in order to retrieve Hades' powerful sword before it falls into the wrong hands. Flip the book over for lots more ancient Greek fun with Terry Deary's 'Groovy Greeks' - it's history with the nasty bits left in!"

72

Unleash the Storm (Steel & Stone, #5)

Annette Marie

4.1

Piper thought she could handle the Sahar, the most powerful magical weapon in existence. She thought she could protect her loved ones and stop a war. She thought she could make a difference.

She was wrong, and her mistakes were paid for in blood.

Leaving her world—and her failures—behind, she retreats to the Underworld with Ash and the other draconians. They forge deep into long abandoned mountains,

73

Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths

Bernard Evslin

4.1

Having sold millions of copies in print, Bernard Evslin's classic retelling of the Greek myths captures the excitement and enchantment of the stories that have influenced many of today's popular films and novels. Easy to understand and fun to read for both adults and children, it is no wonder this book has been taught in schools all over the world. Evslin introduces readers to the wondrous and ter

74

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)

Gena Showalter

4.1

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods. Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the war

75

Daimon (Covenant, #0.5)

Jennifer L. Armentrou

4.1

"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee!' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life."

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards… an

76

Olympians Boxed Set

George O'Connor

4.1

By Zeus, it's Athena, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Aphrodite!

This sturdy boxed set includes paperback editions of the first six Olympians books by multiple New York Times–bestselling author/illustrator George O'Connor.

Holy Hera, it's got a free poster!

Collectors will adore this package, with lots of new artwork and the complete Olympians family tree on the free poster. Plus, the boxed set is also

77

Nobody's Princess (Nobody's Princess, #1)

Esther Friesner

4.1

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also in

78

Oh. My. Gods. (Oh. My. Gods., #1)

Tera Lynn Childs

4.1

A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.

When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uber exclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods

79

The Heroes of Olympus Paperback Boxed Set (10th Anniversary Edition)

Rick Riordan

4.1

All five books in the Heroes of Olympus saga--in a paperback boxed set of heroic proportions. From The Lost Hero to the Blood of Olympus, this collection of Rick Riordan's mega-bestselling series will be a go-to gift for readers who have finished the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books. The hefty package also includes a free poster of the Prophecy of Seven. The accessible and dramatic cover and

80

Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1)

Sophocles, Elizabeth Osborne, J.E. Thomas

4.1

"...what man wins more happiness than just its shape and the ruin when that shape collapses?"

Sophocles' Oedipus Rex has never been surpassed for the raw and terrible power with which its hero struggles to answer the eternal question, "Who am I?" The play, a story of a king who acting entirely in ignorance kills his father and marries his mother, unfolds with shattering power; we are helplessly car

81

Kiss of the Night (Dark-Hunter, #4)

Sherrilyn Kenyon

4.0

What do you get when you have an immortal Viking warrior no one can remember five minutes after he leaves their presence, and a demon on the run for her life who is being pursued by one seriously pissed-off demigod?

That would be my life.

It started out simple enough. One night I went to save a woman in trouble. The next thing I knew, the doorway to hell had opened and out stepped Daimons- soul-suck

82

Seize the Night (Dark-Hunter, #6)

sherrilyn kenyon

4.0

Dark-Hunter: an immortal warrior who has traded his soul to Artemis for one moment of vengeance on his enemies. In return, they swear to spend eternity protecting mankind from the daimons and vampires that prey on them. Valerius isn't a popular Dark-Hunter - he's a Roman, which means that the largely Greek Hunters have a major grudge against him and his civilization for superceding them. To make t

83

A Beautiful Evil (Gods & Monsters, #2)

Kelly Keaton

4.0

Myth and mayhem inhabit a richly reimagined New Orleans in this sequel to Darkness Becomes Her.

After the epic graveyard battle at the end of Darkness Becomes Her, Ari and her friends know what they’re up against: Ari is facing the Medusa curse and is haunted by the image of what she will become. To make matters worse, the heinous goddess Athena has kidnapped young Violet and is threatening to dest

84

The Crown of Ptolemy (Percy Jackson & Kane Chronicles Crossover #3)

Rick Riorda

4.0

In their first encounter, demigod Percy Jackson and magician Carter Kane had to battle a giant crocodile on Long Island. A month later, Annabeth Chase ran into Carter's sister, Sadie, on the A train to Rockaway, where the pair fought a god named Serapis. Now trouble is brewing again, this time on Governor's Island. An ancient Egyptian magician named Setne has come back from the dead and is experim

85

Night Play (Dark-Hunter #5, Were-Hunter #1)

Sherrilyn Kenyon

4.0

Bride McTierney has had it with men. They're cheap, self-centered, and never love her for who she is. But though she prides herself on being independent, deep down she still yearns for a knight in shining armor.

She just never expected her knight in shining armor to have a shiny coat of fur...

Deadly and tortured, Vane Kattalakis isn't what he seems. Most women lament that their boyfriends are dogs.

86

Marked (Eternal Guardians, #1)

Elisabeth Naughton

4.0

THERON — Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He's the leader of the Eternal Guardians, an elite group of warriors that defend the mortal realm.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn't exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was loo

87

Night Embrace (Dark-Hunter, #2)

Sherrilyn Kenyo

4.0

“Night Embrace” spins the story of Talon, an ancient Celtic warrior who killed the son of the god Camulus.

Camulus cursed Talon, decreeing death for everyone he loved. Now a Dark-Hunter in modern-day New Orleans, Talon meets Sunshine, who is key to ending his curse once and for all. Not to mention helping him to save New Orleans from an ancient god bent on total destruction…

88

The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Graphic Novels, #1)

Rick Riordan, Robert Venditti, Attila Futaki, Jose Villarrubia

4.0

You've read the book. You've seen the movie. Now submerge yourself in the thrilling, stunning, and action-packed graphic novel.
Mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking out of the pages of twelve-year-old Percy Jackson's textbooks and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now

89

The Aeneid

Virgil, Robert Fitzgerald

4.0

The Aeneid is an epic poem written by Virgil in the 1st century BC. It's hero is Aeneas, a Trojan who travels from Troy to Italy to eventually found Rome. Some argue that The Aeneid is Virgil's answer to Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, combining two genres of the day - travel and war - into one poem. Take that, Homer!

No civilization is without a bit of revisionist history: so it was that Virgil picked

Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg, Ryan Holiday, Ted Turner, and 2 others.

Mark Zuckerberg

Founder/Facebook

Oh, it’s not a favorite book or anything like that, I just added it because I liked it. I don’t think there’s any real significance to the fact that it’s listed there and other books aren’t. But there are definitely books—like the Aeneid—that I enjoyed reading a lot more. [source]

Ryan Holiday

Author

I made an effort to read some classical poets and playwrights this year. The Aneiad was far and away the most quotable, readable and memorable of all of them. There’s no other way to put: the story is AMAZING. Better than the Odyssey, better than Juvenal’s Satires. Inspiring, beautiful, exciting, and eminently readable, I loved this. I took more notes on it that I have on anything I’ve read in a long time. [source]

Ted Turner

Founder/CNN

When I got to college, I was a classics major, and that was mainly the study of Greek - and to a lesser extent Roman - history and culture, and that fascinated me: the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid by Virgil. [source]

90

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld #5)

Gena Showalter

4.0

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting—and falling for—Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

With an

91

Norse Mythology

Neil Gaiman

4.0

Introducing an instant classic—master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic

92

The Greek Myths

Robert Graves

4.0

Combines in a single volume the complete text of the definitive two-volume classic, citing all the ancient myths. For a full appreciation of literature or visual art, knowledge of the Greek myths is crucial. In this much-loved collection, poet and scholar Robert Graves retells the immortal stories of the Greek myths. Demeter mourning her daughter Persephone, Icarus flying too close to the sun, The

Recommended by Lucy Coats.

Lucy Coats

As far as I know, every single myth and every single variation, every single little nugget of Greek myth that isn’t necessarily even complete, is in there. [source]

93

Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy, #2)

Jennifer Estep

4.0

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I’m getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gorgeous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the

94

A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #1)

Amanda Bouchet

4.0

KINGDOMS WILL RISE AND FALL FOR HER...
BUT NOT IF SHE CAN HELP IT

Catalia "Cat" Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods-and her homicidal mother-have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever

95

Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter, #11)

Sherrilyn Kenyon

4.0

As an ancient Sumerian god, Sin was one of the most powerful among his pantheon. . . Until the night Artemis brutally stole his godhood and left him for dead. For millennia, this ex-god turned Dark-Hunter has dreamed only of regaining his powers and seeking revenge on Artemis. If only life were that simple.

Unfortunately he has bigger fish--or in Sin's case--demons, to fry. The lethal gallu that

96

Antigone (The Theban Plays, #3)

Sophocles

4.0

The curse placed on Oedipus lingers and haunts a younger generation in this new and brilliant translation of Sophocles' classic drama. The daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone is an unconventional heroine who pits her beliefs against the King of Thebes in a bloody test of wills that leaves few unharmed. Emotions fly as she challenges the king for the right to bury her own brother. Determined

Cover unavailable

97

The Tyrant's Tomb (The Trials of Apollo, #4)

Rick Riordan

4.0

In his penultimate adventure, a devastated but determined Apollo travels to Camp Jupiter, where he must learn what it is to be a hero, or die trying.

It's not easy being Apollo, especially when you've been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedie

98

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy, #4)

Jennifer Estep

4.0

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d hav

99

The Dark Wife

Sarah Diemer

4.0

Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the truth. Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want--except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful eyes of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: choice. Zeus calls H

100

Sweet Shadows (Medusa Girls, #2)

Tera Lynn Childs

4.0

Triplets narrate, teen descendants of Medusa. Warring factions among the gods of Olympus are coming; creatures of the Abyss are pushing into San Francisco; boys in their lives hide dangerous secrets.

Tough Gretchen has fought monsters the longest, trains newfound sisters. Perfectionist Greer keeps her social calendar, faints from visions. Compromising Grace worries about missing brother Thane.