By Ben Robinson
It seems that recently, there has been a significant returning trend in mythology and folklore books, so I thought it was only right to jump on the bandwagon! As an adult, it is easy to get bogged down in the modern world, but perhaps these books can offer an escape from the everyday… happy reading!
Madeline Miller – ‘Circe’
Circe is perhaps one of the more impressive modern reimaginings of the fantasy genre. Miller transforms a minor witch from ‘The Odyssey’ into a fully realised character, one who is underestimated and quietly powerful. Circe is a myth retold as a story of self-making, where immortality becomes a burden, and the complexities of power are deeply explored. This book’s magic lies not in spectacle and grandeur, but in its heroicism… which is rooted in something far more human.
Naomi Novik – ‘Spinning Silver’
In what feels like a new angle for this genre, drawing from Eastern European folklore, Novik spins a fairy tale that feels ancient yet eerily modern. Gold has become both literal currency and metaphor throughout history, measuring debt, ambition, and worth. With multiple female narrators, Spinning Silver turns myth into a story about power, labour, and the cost of bargaining with forces that do not play fair. This book is truly one of a kind in this genre, and reading it allows you to delve into a new part of medieval history that has rarely been covered before.
Natalie Haynes – ‘A Thousand Ships’
The Trojan War has been told the same way time and time again throughout history. However, Haynes retells the Trojan War not through its heroes, but through the women left behind, women that history has seemingly forgotten… taken captive or erased entirely. It draws a primary focus on the idea that the voice or perspective from which history is told always matters. The result is a collective of voices that reframes one of Western literature’s foundational legends in a story that brings a greater depth for any mythology fan. I highly recommend this book for both those new to the genre, and already established readers.
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