For this week’s blog post, I wanted to share with you some of my most anticipated Greek Mythology retellings being published in 2023!
The Heroines by Laura Shepperson (9th of February)
Laura Shepperson’s debut novel The Heroines (Phaedra in the US) has been on my radar for quite a while now. Phaedra is one of my favourite characters from Greek Myth, so I’m really interested to see how the author deals with this topic, and brings new eyes to the stories of women within Greek Myth.
‘In Athens, crowds flock to witness the most shocking trial of the ancient world. The royal family is mired in scandal. Phaedra, young bride of King Theseus, has accused her stepson, Hippolytus of rape.
He’s a prince, a talented horseman, a promising noble with his whole life ahead of him. She’s a young and neglected wife, the youngest in a long line of Cretan women with less than savoury reputations.
The men of Athens must determine the truth. Who is guilty, and who is innocent?
But the women know truth is a slippery thing. After all, this is the age of heroes and the age of monsters. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has gone unheard.
Until now.’
The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood (21st of February)
This upcoming release has been everywhere on my social media channels, so it is one I’ve been aware of for quite a while now. It seems like we’ve been waiting for The Shadow of Perseus for so long, but it is almost release day!
‘Danae: Banished from her homeland thanks to a prophecy foretelling that her unborn child will one day cause the death of her father, the king of Argos, Danae finds herself stranded, pregnant, and alone in a remote fishing village. It's a harsh new world for a young woman who grew up as a coddled princess, and forging a new life for herself and for her young son Perseus will be the hardest thing she's ever done.
Medusa: As a member of a reclusive band of women who live deep in the woods, known as the Gorgons, Medusa has eschewed all contact with the outside world. That is, until the day she finds an injured boy named Perseus in the forest.
Andromeda: When a harsh sandstorm threatens to destroy her nomadic desert tribe's way of life, Andromeda knows that a sacrifice will be required to appease the gods and end the storm. But when a forceful young Perseus interferes, Andromeda's life is set on an entirely new path.
As Perseus becomes increasingly obsessed with the promise of his own destiny, his heroic journey casts a shadow of violence and destruction across all three women's lives. But even as he tries to silence them, the women may find that reclaiming their voices is their only hope for lifting themselves into a better future.’
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (2nd of March)
Clytemnestra is another upcoming release that I have seen everywhere! All of the early reviews I have seen for this one have been incredible, so I have very high hopes for Clytemnestra.
‘As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best…
You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.
But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.
Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods' hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did.
If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself.’
Lies We Sing To The Sea by Sarah Underwood (7th of March)
This is an upcoming YA retelling, which I haven’t seen quite as many of in recent months. I have been reading less YA fantasy novels over the last few months, as I’ve been concentrating on my Uni research TBR, so I’m looking forward to picking up another YA fantasy soon!
‘Each spring, Ithaca condemns twelve maidens to the noose. This is the price vengeful Poseidon demands for the lives of Queen Penelope’s twelve maids, hanged and cast into the depths centuries ago.
But when that fate comes for Leto, death is not what she thought it would be. Instead, she wakes on a mysterious island and meets a girl with green eyes and the power to command the sea. A girl named Melantho, who says one more death can stop a thousand.
The prince of Ithaca must die—or the tides of fate will drown them all.’
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint (13th of April)
I read Ariadne by Jennifer Saint in 2022, and I am really looking forward to reading Atalanta. This is another upcoming release which I have seen everywhere on social media, and I have high hopes for this one too!
‘When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.
Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?
Full of joy, passion, and adventure, Atalanta is the story of a woman who refuses to be contained. Jennifer Saint places Atalanta in the pantheon of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, where she belongs.’
Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John (1st of May)
This is another one with amazing early reviews. I’m not someone who usually gravitates towards books with a focus on romance, but I would really like to pick this one up. Who knows, maybe it will encourage me to read more romance-heavy novels!
‘Their love transcends every boundary. Can it cheat death?
Orphia dreams of something more than the warrior crafts she's been forced to learn. Hidden away on a far-flung island, her blood sings with poetry and her words can move flowers to bloom and forests to grow ... but her father, the sun god Apollo, has forbidden her this art.
A chance meeting with a young shield-maker, Eurydicius, gives her the courage to use her voice. After wielding all her gifts to defeat one final champion, Orphia draws the scrutiny of the gods. Performing her poetry, she wins the protection of the goddesses of the arts: the powerful Muses, who welcome her to their sanctuary on Mount Parnassus. Orphia learns to hone her talents, crafting words of magic infused with history, love and tragedy.
When Eurydicius joins her, Orphia struggles with her desire for fame and her budding love. As her bond with the gentle shield-maker grows, she joins the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Facing dragons, sirens and ruthless warriors on the voyage, Orphia earns unparalleled fame, but she longs to return to Eurydicius.
Yet she has a darker journey to make - one which will see her fight for her love with all the power of her poetry.’
The Sun & The Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro (2nd of May)
Okay, I still have to catch up on Rick Riordan’s backlist, but I am so excited that there is a new book in this world coming out in 2023! Middle-grade fantasy holds a special place in my heart, and I cannot wait for this upcoming release in May!
‘Percy Jackson fans, rejoice! Nico and Will have a book of their own!
As the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo has been through so much, from the premature deaths of his mother and sister, to being outed against his will, to losing his friend Jason during the trials of Apollo. But there is a ray of sunshine in his life–literally: his boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo. Together the two demigods can overcome any obstacle or foe. At least, that’s been the case so far . . .
Now Nico is being plagued by a voice calling out to him from Tartarus, the lowest part of the Underworld. He thinks he knows who it is: a reformed Titan named Bob whom Percy and Annabeth had to leave behind when they escaped Hades’s realm. Nico’s dreams and Rachel Dare’s latest prophecy leave little doubt in Nico’s mind that Bob is in some kind of trouble. Nico has to go on this quest, whether Mr. D and Chiron like it or not. And of course Will insists on coming with. But can a being made of light survive in the darkest part of the world? and what does the prophecy mean that Nico will have to “leave something of equal value behind?”’
That’s all for today! I hope you enjoyed this list, part two will be coming soon!
