Tag: greek myth

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Psyche & Eros by Luna McNamara

Psyche and Eros is a stunning retelling of the classic Greek Myth about Cupid and his wife, originally a 2nd century story from Apuleius’ Metamorphoses.

Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis was one of the first mythology retellings that I had ever read, so the story of Psyche and Eros holds a special place in my heart. This new story by Luna McNamara gave me everything that I love about myths — beautiful worldbuilding, strong character development, and a love story for the ages.

In this book, Psyche is not the delicate princess of myth. She is a strong huntress and a warrior, trained by Atalanta herself. This gives her character so much more depth than before, and makes her a true SFL. Eros’ character is also given great depth through his backstory and inner struggles, which made me feel really invested in his journey. I loved the way these characters came together, and how their story represents true love.

A joyous and subversive tale of gods, monsters, and the human heart and soul, Psyche and Eros dazzles the senses while exploring notions of trust, sacrifice, and what it truly means to be a hero.

Thank you to William Morrow and Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this highly anticipated new release! I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to see more from this author!!

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Phaedra by Laura Shepperson

Phaedra by Laura Shepperson

Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Myth Retold

Laura Shepperson’s debut novel Phaedra (released as The Heroines in UK/AUS) is another new release in Greek myth retellings. The story follows Phaedra, who married Theseus after he slayed the Minotaur. This work re-examines the story from Phaedras point of view, and turns the story on its head. Ultimately, Phaedra, who is misunderstood, demands justice for the suffering and helplessness that is felt by not only herself, but for abused women everywhere.

It’s a very complex story (and controversial, as far as myths go). I won’t spoil the ending here for anyone who doesn’t know how the myth goes, but if you are interested search for Euripides’ Hippolytus myth summary.

A stark contrast between gender roles is explored within this work, showing how different expectations and beliefs were between men and women during this time in history.

IMHO the world-building left a lot to be desired, and I found the multiple POVs to be confusing at times. The challenging subject matter makes it an emotionally difficult read, in itself. Not hard, but uncomfortable to read, at times. And who am I to judge? They say good literature evokes feelings and makes you think critically…which this story definitely does. I do think this story brings a fresh twist to an old myth, and I am still excited to add this new story of Phaedra to my mythology collection 💙

⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: rape, abuse, suicide

Thank you to @alcovepress @penguinrandomhouse and @laurashepperson for gifting me this ARC💕

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Of Love And Forge BOOK TOUR

Of Love And Forge by Carly Spade

Life was good in the Neosphere District. I’d made a name for myself as a renowned supernatural bounty hunter, holding the record for most harpies slayed. But the best part about living in the future? Avoiding the other Olympian gods. Banishing a guy from Olympus because he was “imperfect” tends to make one hold a grudge. Go figure. And no other god possessed the means to time travel. But I did. Thanks to the portal hopping device I forged.

Yup. Life. Was. Grand.

Until a bounty popped up on a certain love goddess. Aphrodite and I had been friends since we were wee gods. I’d be lying to myself if I never thought our “innocent” flirting banter were real on occasion—kidding myself if I said I never wanted things to go beyond platonic. Hence, why I recently kept my distance. For my own sanity. So, of course, I made the grave mistake of taking the godsdamned bounty.

*The goddess of love…*

Since reconciling with my son Eros, after centuries of bad mojo, I’d decided it was time to clean up my act. Ride the straight and narrow. My companion service, Sans Solo, became just the ticket I needed. And it allowed me to use my powers in disguise in modern California under the name Vena Milo.

With the aid of my best friends, and fellow goddesses, the Graces, we ran a legitimate business. All was right in the world.

Until the volcano god showed up. Hephaistos. Heph—a lifelong friend who never failed to confuse me mind, body, and soul. Especially when he showed up with a magical pair of handcuffs. His audacity pissed me off, but the mere sight of him, the smell of him, made my stomach flutter. That…I couldn’t deny. And when Heph’s plan goes to Tartarus things got even dicier and we became…the hunted.

Thank you so much to @turnthepagetours for teaming up with me for this great tour!

RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2023

GENRES: NA/Adult fantasy, steampunk, romance

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Galatea by Madeline Miller

Galatea is no fairytale. It is the story of a woman held captive in her own skin, valued only for her body, trapped in a life lived only for the pleasure of another.

Galatea is a retelling of the story of Pygmalion as told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Some read the myth as a metaphor for how artists fall in love with their art; others (like Miller) are more disturbed by the mysoginist implications of the story.

But “Pygmalion’s happy ending is only happy if you accept a number of repulsive ideas: that the only good woman is one who has no self beyond pleasing a man, the fetishization of female sexual purity, the connection with ivory to perfection, the elevation of male fantasy over female reality.” (Miller, 51-52).

Galatea does not speak at all in Ovid’s version. In fact, she is not even given a name–she is only called “the woman“. She is given no freedom, no choices, no autonomy. But in Galatea, Miller gives her a voice.

With this feminist retelling, Miller reclaims the story of Galatea, exploring her life, her thoughts, her feelings, and getting to know her as more than just “the woman”.

Brutal and beautiful, short and powerful, and especially poignant in light of recent events in U.S. politics.

TRIGGER WARNING: abuse, violence, sexual assault, rape, suicide.

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A Game of Retribution

Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and the Hades x Persephone series is one of my favorite Persephone retellings — and there are some amazing ones out right now! (Lore Olympus, Neon Gods, Monsters & Muses, to name a few!)

With this series you get both sides of the story. I know, because I have read the Hades/Persephone books side by side, and though that are different they are still the same, and they match up perfectly. Persephone’s books are the “A Touch of…” titles, while Hades’s books are the “A Game of…” titles. It is an interesting way to present dual perspectives, and more in-depth than switching back and forth each chapter.

There are scenes between the two which are cute, because they are the same story, told slightly different from their perspectives. But each having their own book allows for a lot more depth to the story, scenes that reveal character arcs, and shows what the other does in their own life.

PersephoneHades
#1 A Touch of Darkness#1 A Game of Fate
#2 A Touch of Ruin#2 A Game of Retribution
#3 A Touch of Malice#3 A Game of Gods (expected 2023)
#4 A Touch of Chaos (expected 2023)

Persephone’s POV has the spark that made me fall in love with the series, but hearing Hades’ side paints the whole picture much clearer, and shows the ups and downs of effort and compromise in relationships. It’s sometimes easy to forget that everyone has their own struggles and are fighting their own hard battles inside. But, by seeing this relationship from both perspectives like this, we as readers can better understand the motives and reasoning behind each persons actions, and helps to remind us that we are all just trying our best with what we are given. Give the grace that you wish to be given.

As a classicist, I am a big fan of Greek myth retellings, and I am happy for every chance I get to read them. (See my reviews on Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill, and I, Antigone by Carlo Gébler). But the Hades x Persephone series are the perfect books for fans of Madeline Miller and Katee Robert.

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I, Antigone

As a classicist, I am a big fan of Greek myth retellings, and I am happy for every chance I get to read them. In I, Antigone, Carlo Gébler paints a beautiful picture of a world filled with Kings and Queens of the ages, and brings a new twist to one of the oldest stories in the world, the story of Thebes. If you thought you knew the whole story, think again.

Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Of the three Theban plays, Antigone is the third in order of the events depicted in the plays, but it is the first that was written. The play expands on the Theban legend that predates it, and I, Antigone is written in the same spirit for a modern audience.

Most modern myths have many versions and variations, and will pull from various sources like Ovid, Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles. I was interested to see which myths Carlo Gébler would include in Antigone’s world. I was excited to find the author took inspiration from various sources and included many gods and goddesses into the story, all while giving them a modern spin.

With this books we get many stories in one. Many myths make up the grander tale of the Greek king, Oedipus. Within the story of Oedipus, we also get the stories of Europa and the bull; their children Minos and Adamanthus; Cadmus’ search for his sister Europa, and his founding the founding of the great city Thebes; how Cadmus’ great-grandson Laius became king at Thebes, and how he brought a great curse upon his line.

Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and I, Antigone is a great read for fans of Madeline Miller and Scarlett St. Claire.

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Aridane by Jennifer Saint

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I am a huge fan of Greek myth retellings so I was really excited to get the chance to read this story. I have seen it around bookstagram and the first thing that drew me to it was the beautiful cover art, but what kept me hooked was the story. Jennifer Saint weaves a wonderful tale full of of heroes and monsters, and brings a new twist to a classic myth. If you thought you knew the whole story, think again. Beautifully written and utterly captivating, Jennifer Saint builds a magical world for the sisters Ariadne and Phaedra to grow and discover themselves.

“To me, running through the maze of my home, it looked like a butterfly. And it was a butterfly I would imagine as I emerged from the dim cocoon of the palace interior to the glorious expanse of the sun-drenched courtyard.”

Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and Ariadne is a great read for fans of Madeline Miller and Scarlett St. Claire. Most modern myths have many versions and variations, and will pull from various sources like Ovid, Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles. As a lover of Greek mythology, I was interested to see which myths Jennifer Saint would include in the world she created for Ariadne. I was excited to find the author took inspiration from various sources and included many gods and goddesses into the story, all while giving them a modern twist.

Continue reading “Aridane by Jennifer Saint”
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Lore Olympus and Color

Lore Olympus was such amazing comic! My dear friend Ciara recommended this to me, and once I got around to reading it I couldn’t put it down! I bought the last 2 episodes because I had to know what happened. 

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I also took screenshots of all my favorite scenes so I could remember them all. LOL

My favorite characters were Hera (I was surprised by how much I liked Hera!), Hermes, and Hecate as a lawyer! I had NO IDEA Hecate would be in it so much, she is one of the more elusive Greek gods that I would like to know more about. It was very cool to see her have a larger role in the story. Continue reading “Lore Olympus and Color”

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Nikita Gill

“I will take her to the library, and introduce her to every librarian because they are where Athena lives now.”

44157727. sy475 I chose this for @book_roast’s #magicalreadathon a few months back (and paired it with her other book of poems, Fierce Fairytales, another really great read!) This one really stuck out to me between the pair of books, and I have to admit I liked it much better. I am a huge lover of Greek myths so I had a good basic understanding of the tales themselves. It was very empowering to see some new interpretations of the stories, all told from the female perspective. Considering that all of the OG myth-tellers were male (Homer, Hesoid, Ovid, Virgil, Herodotus…) this book brings a breath of fresh air to the readings. I really enjoyed the short versions of these myths retold, and I loved how the book was structured―the poems were organized like the gods’ genealogy tree, which I thought was really cohesive and gave a good sense of chronology. featuring hand-drawn illustrations by the author. If you like myths and feminism, you will like Great Goddesses.

“Does the night ever tire of the darkness? Does the sea ever tire of her own depths? Do the trees ever tire of their roots?”

39088508If you enjoy Rupi Kaur you will enjoy Nikita Gill. Fierce Fiarytales offers even more stories of empowerment that have flipped once-upon-a-time upside down. The women in this daring collection of poems, stories, and hand-drawn illustrations are anything but your delicate damsel-in-distress. In the world of Nikita Gill, the princess saves herself.

Nikita Gill is a British-Indian writer and poet living in the south of England. With a huge online following, her words have entranced hearts and minds all over the world. Follow her on Instagram at @nikita_gill.
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House of Leaves, V: Digital Annotation

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

pg. 41: http://www.bounceapp.com/208967

For me, Danielewski’s work exemplifies the idea of multi-vocality and demonstrates it for readers in a variety of ways. I am most intrigued with the idea that we are “all standing on the shoulders of giants”; in other words, the idea that we reference authors of the past by reworking their texts or by embedding ancient characters and plots into modern contexts.

Many of the ideas in the book can be considered as echos of past authors. Myths are retold, ancient languages are translated, and authors are constantly referenced and cross referenced throughout the manuscript and footnotes. There is blatant evidence of Danielewski’s sources and inspirations, and it is clear that he leans heavily on works of the past. Continue reading “House of Leaves, V: Digital Annotation”

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