Recommended Books for the Study of Classical Mythology
NEW! JUST PUBLISHED!
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan. Who could tell the origin stories of the gods of Olympus better than a modern-day demigod? Percy Jackson provides an insider’s view with plenty of ‘tude in this illustrated collection. Percy Jackson explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who’s who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. “If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that.” Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume--a must for home, library, and classroom shelves--as stunning as it is entertaining.
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion by Sir James George Frazer. Frazer's work attempts to define the shared elements of religious belief to scientific thought, discussing fertility rites, human sacrifice, the dying god, the scapegoat and many other symbols and practices whose influence has extended into twentieth-century culture. Its thesis is that old religions were fertility cults that revolved around the worship of, and periodic sacrifice of, a sacred king. Frazer proposed that mankind progresses from magic through religious belief to scientific thought.
Gods and Fighting Men - The Story of the Tuatha De Danaan and of the Fianna of Ireland by Lady Augusta Gregory. The work is a collection of tales covering the Irish Mythological Cycle of the Book of Invasions with the coming of the Tuatha De Danaan, and details the later hero tales of Finn MacCumhail, the Fenian Cycle.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. A non-fiction book and seminal work of comparative mythology. Campbell discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies. Since its publication, Campbell's theory has been consciously applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists. The best known is perhaps George Lucas, who has acknowledged a debt to Campbell regarding the stories of the Star Wars films.
The Hero's Journcy by Joseph Campbell. In a monomyth, the hero begins in the ordinary world, and receives a call to enter an unknown world of strange powers and events. The hero who accepts the call to enter this strange world must face tasks and trials, either alone or with assistance. The stories of Osiris, Prometheus, Moses, Gautama Buddha, for example, follow this structure closely
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton. It retells stories of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology drawn from several classical sources. The introduction includes commentary on the major classical poets used as sources, and on how changing cultures have led to changing characterizations of the deities and their myths. It is frequently used in high schools and colleges as an introductory text to ancient mythology and belief.
Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch. Bulfinch originally published his work as three volumes: The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes, published in 1855; The Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur, published in 1858; and Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages, published in 1863. The original three volumes were later combined into a single volume titled Bulfinch's Mythology.
The Iliad and The Oyssey by Homer
The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus And the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum
The Children of Odin by Padraic Colum
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Unknown, Seamus Heaney (Translator)
The Once and Future King by T. H. White
The Norse Myths byKevin Crossley-Holland
The Epic of Gilgamesh byAnonymous, N.K. Sandars (Translator)
Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory, Stephen H.A. Shepherd (Editor)
The Juniper Tree: And Other Tales from Grimm byJacob Ludwig Karl Grimm, Lore Segal (Translator), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator), Randall Jarrell (Translator), Wilhelm Karl Grimm
American Indian Myths and Legends byRichard Erdoes (Editor), Alfonso Ortiz (Editor)
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan. Who could tell the origin stories of the gods of Olympus better than a modern-day demigod? Percy Jackson provides an insider’s view with plenty of ‘tude in this illustrated collection. Percy Jackson explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who’s who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. “If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that.” Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume--a must for home, library, and classroom shelves--as stunning as it is entertaining.
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion by Sir James George Frazer. Frazer's work attempts to define the shared elements of religious belief to scientific thought, discussing fertility rites, human sacrifice, the dying god, the scapegoat and many other symbols and practices whose influence has extended into twentieth-century culture. Its thesis is that old religions were fertility cults that revolved around the worship of, and periodic sacrifice of, a sacred king. Frazer proposed that mankind progresses from magic through religious belief to scientific thought.
Gods and Fighting Men - The Story of the Tuatha De Danaan and of the Fianna of Ireland by Lady Augusta Gregory. The work is a collection of tales covering the Irish Mythological Cycle of the Book of Invasions with the coming of the Tuatha De Danaan, and details the later hero tales of Finn MacCumhail, the Fenian Cycle.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. A non-fiction book and seminal work of comparative mythology. Campbell discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies. Since its publication, Campbell's theory has been consciously applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists. The best known is perhaps George Lucas, who has acknowledged a debt to Campbell regarding the stories of the Star Wars films.
The Hero's Journcy by Joseph Campbell. In a monomyth, the hero begins in the ordinary world, and receives a call to enter an unknown world of strange powers and events. The hero who accepts the call to enter this strange world must face tasks and trials, either alone or with assistance. The stories of Osiris, Prometheus, Moses, Gautama Buddha, for example, follow this structure closely
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton. It retells stories of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology drawn from several classical sources. The introduction includes commentary on the major classical poets used as sources, and on how changing cultures have led to changing characterizations of the deities and their myths. It is frequently used in high schools and colleges as an introductory text to ancient mythology and belief.
Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch. Bulfinch originally published his work as three volumes: The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes, published in 1855; The Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur, published in 1858; and Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages, published in 1863. The original three volumes were later combined into a single volume titled Bulfinch's Mythology.
The Iliad and The Oyssey by Homer
The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus And the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum
The Children of Odin by Padraic Colum
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Unknown, Seamus Heaney (Translator)
The Once and Future King by T. H. White
The Norse Myths byKevin Crossley-Holland
The Epic of Gilgamesh byAnonymous, N.K. Sandars (Translator)
Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory, Stephen H.A. Shepherd (Editor)
The Juniper Tree: And Other Tales from Grimm byJacob Ludwig Karl Grimm, Lore Segal (Translator), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator), Randall Jarrell (Translator), Wilhelm Karl Grimm
American Indian Myths and Legends byRichard Erdoes (Editor), Alfonso Ortiz (Editor)
Contemporary Novels with Mythic Elements
Red Rising by Pierce Brown.
“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”
“I live for you,” I say sadly.
Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Check out the Red Rising website at: http://www.redrisingbook.com/index.php
UPDATE: Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. Publication date: January 6, 2015
Into This River I Drown by T. J. Klune. Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, who drowned when his truck crashed into a river. All called it an accident, but Benji thought it more. However, he is buried deep in his grief, throwing himself into taking over Big Eddie's convenience store in the small town of Roseland, Oregon. Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day by day, struggling to keep his head above water. But Roseland is no ordinary place. With ever-increasing dreams of his father's death and waking visions of feathers on the surface of a river, Benji's definition of reality is starting to bend. He thinks himself haunted, but whether by ghosts or memories, he can no longer tell. It's not until the impossible happens and a man falls from the sky and leaves the burning imprint of wings on the ground that he begins to understand that the world around him is more mysterious than he could have possibly imagined.
This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein (Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book 1) by Oppel, Kenneth (Oct 6, 2011). The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions. In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling give up on his brother, Victor, his beautiful cousin Elizabeth, and best friend Henry begin a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life.
Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn. Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and, love -- and how much he is willing to sacrifice.
Such Wicked Intent (Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book 2) by Oppel, Kenneth (Aug 21, 2012). When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again—just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother’s betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor’s twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.
Hawk of May, Kingdom of Summer and In Winter's Shadow is an Arthurian trilogy by Gillian Bradshaw. Bradshaw has also written three children's books — starting with two linked tales involving Ancient Egypt, The Dragon and the Thief and The Land of Gold. The latter features a Nubian princess who survives her parents' murder, and attempts to regain her throne with the assistance of the dragon Hathor. These two books were followed by Beyond the North Wind (1993), a novel featuring a young magician assigned by Apollo to protect a tribe of griffins from a hostile queen.
The Wolf Hunt by Gillian Bradshaw. This historical novel was based on Marie de France's Breton lai Bisclavret, and features Marie Penthive of Chalendrey, a Norman kidnapped and taken to the Duchy of Brittany. Betrayal, love, and lycanthropy is the central theme of this intriguing story that weaves one of the oldest European accounts of werewolves in literature with life during the Crusades.
The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea by Mary Renault. The story of Theseus is retold in these two novels.
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan is a series of five novels by scheduled to be completed in 2014. It chronicles the adventures of seven demigods (half-god, half-mortal individuals), as they race time to prevent waking of the earth goddess, Gaea. The first four books are titled (in order of publication): The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, and The House of Hades.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan is a pentalogy of adventure and fiction. As a demigod, Percy Jackson goes on a quest to stop the rise of the Titan lord Kronos. The five books in the series are (in order of publication): The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Days before his release from prison, Shadows wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.
Loki byMike Vasich. God of Mischief. Father of Lies. Harbinger of Destruction. Exiled and tortured by the gods, Loki swears vengeance. He will summon the mighty Fenris Wolf and the legendary Midgard Serpent, and they will lead an army of giants and all the dead in Niflheim. Brimming with the power of the most destructive being in the Nine Worlds, he will not rest till Asgard is in ashes.
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. An epic young adult tetralogy of epic fantasy set in the fictional world of Alagaësia, the novels focus on the adventures of a teenage boy named Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, as they struggle to overthrow an evil king named Galbatorix. The books in the series include (in order of publication): Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance.
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. The books in the series are: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire.
The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. In 2009 Clare announced a new series of prequels to The Mortal Instruments set in the same universe, but in the Victorian era. The three books in the series are: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. The four books in the series are: Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence and Finale.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. The books in the series (in reading order) are: The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawntreader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle.
Lorien Legacies by James Frey and Jobie Huges. A series of young adult science fiction books written under the collective pseudonym Pittacus Lore. The books in the series are to date: I am Number Four, The Power of Six, and Number Nine. Three additional books are forthcoming.
The God Beneath the Sea by Leon Garfield. An account, based on Greek myths, of the beginning of the world and the forces that rule the universe and the destiny of man.
WebMage by Kelley McCollough. a blend of Greek mythology, contemporary fantasy, and cyberpunk -- is equal parts sorcerer and hacker extraordinaire. Prince Ravirn is the grandson of Lachesis, one of the Fates: the three immortal crones who spin, measure, and eventually cut every person's life thread. While disguised as a goth computer geek named Ravi Latcher and majoring in classics and computer science at the University of Minnesota, Ravirn is learning all he can about network security to aid the Fates, who have upgraded their magical craft to the digital world. But after supposedly checking his great-aunt Atropos's security for flaws, Ravirn uncovers a nefarious plot to eliminate chance and free choice forever. With the help of a sarcastic webgoblin named Melchior and his distant -- and beautiful -- cousin Cerice, Ravirn must find a way to save the world from a terrible fate.
The Age of Zeus by James Lovegrove. The Olympians appeared a decade ago, living incarnations of the Ancient Greek gods on a mission to bring permanent order and stability to the world. Resistance has proved futile, and now humankind is under the jackboot of divine oppression. Then former London police officer Sam Akehurst receives an invitation too tempting to turn down, the chance to join a small band of geurilla rebels armed with high-tech weapons and battlesuits. Calling themselves the Titans, they square off against the Olympians and their ferocious mythological monsters in a war of attrition which not all of them will survive!
Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn. A contemporary fantasy with a strong Greek mythology theme while blending in elements from other myths and legends. The hero designed the Trojan Horse for Odysseus and persuaded the Trojans to bring it into the city. After the war, Apollo captured him and held him enslaved for millennia. He goes free when Zeus killed most of the gods, but a chain Apollo placed around his neck prevents him from dying. He's now roaming the world in search of a way to remove it. The heroine comes home to see her dying father and learns he's the keeper of ancient secrets. Hera survived the massacre of the gods, and she wants something Evie's father is keeping. Too bad it can be released only to its rightful owner, which she's not.
Archangel Academy series by Michael Griffo. There are three books in this Young Adult series: Unnatural, Unwelcome and Unafraid. The setting is a boarding school in a town called Eden in northwestern England and centers around the love story of Michael and Ronan. Michael just moved there from Nebraska and Ronan, well he's a vampire, so you know there's going to be drama. And suspense. And blood. (He is a vampire after all!) The series is filled with lots of supernatural characters with a new twist on the old vampire legend.
Fablehaven (pronounced /ˌfeɪbəlˈheɪvən/) is The New York Times' best-selling children's literature fantasy series written by Brandon Mull. The book series, which includes Fablehaven, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, and Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison. ch
Witch Eyes series by Scott Tracey. Compelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything—lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder—to seize control of Braden’s powers. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing’s son and Braden may be destined to kill him. Two additional books are in the series: Demon Eyes and Phantom Eyes.
Moonset by Scott Tracey. After the terrorist witch coven known as Moonset was destroyed fifteen years ago—during a secret war against the witch Congress—five children were left behind, saddled with a legacy of darkness. Sixteen-year-old Justin Daggett, son of a powerful Moonset warlock, has been raised alongside the other orphans by the witch Congress, who fear the children will one day continue the destruction their parents started. A deadly assault by a wraith, claiming to work for Moonset’s most dangerous disciple, Cullen Bridger, forces the five teens to be evacuated to Carrow Mill. But when dark magic wreaks havoc in their new hometown, Justin and his siblings are immediately suspected. Justin sets out to discover if someone is trying to frame the Moonset orphans . . . or if Bridger has finally come out of hiding to reclaim the legacy of Moonset. He learns there are secrets in Carrow Mill connected to Moonset’s origins, and keeping the orphans safe isn’t the only reason the Congress relocated them.
The Nightrunner Series is a multi-part fantasy series written by Lynn Flewelling. It currently contains six novels and a collection of related short stories. Nightrunner’ refers to the occupation of Seregil and Alec, the series’ two main protagonists. The word describes the assortment of jobs, including thief, spy, and whatever else the characters find they must become throughout the series. The book series uses mythopoeia, a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe the creation of mythology within a fictional world, including history, religion, language and culture. Though the books are fantasy, they may also be described as being adventure, mystery, and romance. They also contain LGBT themes. The books in order: Luck in the Shadows, Stalking Darkness, Traitor's Moon, Shadow's Return, The White Road, Casket of Souls, Shards of Time and Glimpses (shorts).
Scarlet and the White Wolf Series by Kirby Crow. Scarlet of Lysia is an honest peddler, a young merchant traveling the wild, undefended roads to support his aging parents. Liall, called the Wolf of Omara, is the handsome, world-weary chieftain of a tribe of bandits blocking a mountain road that Scarlet needs to cross. When Liall jokingly demands a carnal toll for the privilege, Scarlet refuses and an inventive battle of wills ensues, with disastrous results. Scarlet is convinced that Liall is a worthless, immoral rogue, but when the hostile countryside explodes into violence and Liall unexpectedly fights to save the lives of Scarlet's family, Scarlet is forced to admit that the Wolf is not the worst ally he could have, but what price will proud Scarlet ultimately have to pay for Liall's friendship? That's the question resolved in the first book of the series, The Pedler and the Bandit King. Their story continues in Mariner's Luck, Land of Night and the forthcoming sequel, The King of Forever.
Angels of the Deep by Kirby Crow. Becket Merriday is on the trail of a killer who is murdering young men in Irenic. One clue is being left with the mangled bodies: the arcane symbol of a snake twined around a burning tree. Beck is an atheist, but when he begins experiencing terrifying visions of the distant past, he is forced to confront his disbelief and investigate the murders from an occult angle. What he discovers is an ancient race of immortal beings hunted by an incredibly powerful adversary: the angel Mastema. Soon, Beck and his partner, Sean Logan, find themselves at the center of a deadly supernatural war.
“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”
“I live for you,” I say sadly.
Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Check out the Red Rising website at: http://www.redrisingbook.com/index.php
UPDATE: Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. Publication date: January 6, 2015
Into This River I Drown by T. J. Klune. Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, who drowned when his truck crashed into a river. All called it an accident, but Benji thought it more. However, he is buried deep in his grief, throwing himself into taking over Big Eddie's convenience store in the small town of Roseland, Oregon. Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day by day, struggling to keep his head above water. But Roseland is no ordinary place. With ever-increasing dreams of his father's death and waking visions of feathers on the surface of a river, Benji's definition of reality is starting to bend. He thinks himself haunted, but whether by ghosts or memories, he can no longer tell. It's not until the impossible happens and a man falls from the sky and leaves the burning imprint of wings on the ground that he begins to understand that the world around him is more mysterious than he could have possibly imagined.
This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein (Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book 1) by Oppel, Kenneth (Oct 6, 2011). The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions. In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling give up on his brother, Victor, his beautiful cousin Elizabeth, and best friend Henry begin a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life.
Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn. Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and, love -- and how much he is willing to sacrifice.
Such Wicked Intent (Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book 2) by Oppel, Kenneth (Aug 21, 2012). When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again—just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother’s betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor’s twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.
Hawk of May, Kingdom of Summer and In Winter's Shadow is an Arthurian trilogy by Gillian Bradshaw. Bradshaw has also written three children's books — starting with two linked tales involving Ancient Egypt, The Dragon and the Thief and The Land of Gold. The latter features a Nubian princess who survives her parents' murder, and attempts to regain her throne with the assistance of the dragon Hathor. These two books were followed by Beyond the North Wind (1993), a novel featuring a young magician assigned by Apollo to protect a tribe of griffins from a hostile queen.
The Wolf Hunt by Gillian Bradshaw. This historical novel was based on Marie de France's Breton lai Bisclavret, and features Marie Penthive of Chalendrey, a Norman kidnapped and taken to the Duchy of Brittany. Betrayal, love, and lycanthropy is the central theme of this intriguing story that weaves one of the oldest European accounts of werewolves in literature with life during the Crusades.
The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea by Mary Renault. The story of Theseus is retold in these two novels.
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan is a series of five novels by scheduled to be completed in 2014. It chronicles the adventures of seven demigods (half-god, half-mortal individuals), as they race time to prevent waking of the earth goddess, Gaea. The first four books are titled (in order of publication): The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, and The House of Hades.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan is a pentalogy of adventure and fiction. As a demigod, Percy Jackson goes on a quest to stop the rise of the Titan lord Kronos. The five books in the series are (in order of publication): The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Days before his release from prison, Shadows wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.
Loki byMike Vasich. God of Mischief. Father of Lies. Harbinger of Destruction. Exiled and tortured by the gods, Loki swears vengeance. He will summon the mighty Fenris Wolf and the legendary Midgard Serpent, and they will lead an army of giants and all the dead in Niflheim. Brimming with the power of the most destructive being in the Nine Worlds, he will not rest till Asgard is in ashes.
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. An epic young adult tetralogy of epic fantasy set in the fictional world of Alagaësia, the novels focus on the adventures of a teenage boy named Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, as they struggle to overthrow an evil king named Galbatorix. The books in the series include (in order of publication): Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance.
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. The books in the series are: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire.
The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. In 2009 Clare announced a new series of prequels to The Mortal Instruments set in the same universe, but in the Victorian era. The three books in the series are: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. The four books in the series are: Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence and Finale.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. The books in the series (in reading order) are: The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawntreader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle.
Lorien Legacies by James Frey and Jobie Huges. A series of young adult science fiction books written under the collective pseudonym Pittacus Lore. The books in the series are to date: I am Number Four, The Power of Six, and Number Nine. Three additional books are forthcoming.
The God Beneath the Sea by Leon Garfield. An account, based on Greek myths, of the beginning of the world and the forces that rule the universe and the destiny of man.
WebMage by Kelley McCollough. a blend of Greek mythology, contemporary fantasy, and cyberpunk -- is equal parts sorcerer and hacker extraordinaire. Prince Ravirn is the grandson of Lachesis, one of the Fates: the three immortal crones who spin, measure, and eventually cut every person's life thread. While disguised as a goth computer geek named Ravi Latcher and majoring in classics and computer science at the University of Minnesota, Ravirn is learning all he can about network security to aid the Fates, who have upgraded their magical craft to the digital world. But after supposedly checking his great-aunt Atropos's security for flaws, Ravirn uncovers a nefarious plot to eliminate chance and free choice forever. With the help of a sarcastic webgoblin named Melchior and his distant -- and beautiful -- cousin Cerice, Ravirn must find a way to save the world from a terrible fate.
The Age of Zeus by James Lovegrove. The Olympians appeared a decade ago, living incarnations of the Ancient Greek gods on a mission to bring permanent order and stability to the world. Resistance has proved futile, and now humankind is under the jackboot of divine oppression. Then former London police officer Sam Akehurst receives an invitation too tempting to turn down, the chance to join a small band of geurilla rebels armed with high-tech weapons and battlesuits. Calling themselves the Titans, they square off against the Olympians and their ferocious mythological monsters in a war of attrition which not all of them will survive!
Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn. A contemporary fantasy with a strong Greek mythology theme while blending in elements from other myths and legends. The hero designed the Trojan Horse for Odysseus and persuaded the Trojans to bring it into the city. After the war, Apollo captured him and held him enslaved for millennia. He goes free when Zeus killed most of the gods, but a chain Apollo placed around his neck prevents him from dying. He's now roaming the world in search of a way to remove it. The heroine comes home to see her dying father and learns he's the keeper of ancient secrets. Hera survived the massacre of the gods, and she wants something Evie's father is keeping. Too bad it can be released only to its rightful owner, which she's not.
Archangel Academy series by Michael Griffo. There are three books in this Young Adult series: Unnatural, Unwelcome and Unafraid. The setting is a boarding school in a town called Eden in northwestern England and centers around the love story of Michael and Ronan. Michael just moved there from Nebraska and Ronan, well he's a vampire, so you know there's going to be drama. And suspense. And blood. (He is a vampire after all!) The series is filled with lots of supernatural characters with a new twist on the old vampire legend.
Fablehaven (pronounced /ˌfeɪbəlˈheɪvən/) is The New York Times' best-selling children's literature fantasy series written by Brandon Mull. The book series, which includes Fablehaven, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, and Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison. ch
Witch Eyes series by Scott Tracey. Compelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything—lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder—to seize control of Braden’s powers. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing’s son and Braden may be destined to kill him. Two additional books are in the series: Demon Eyes and Phantom Eyes.
Moonset by Scott Tracey. After the terrorist witch coven known as Moonset was destroyed fifteen years ago—during a secret war against the witch Congress—five children were left behind, saddled with a legacy of darkness. Sixteen-year-old Justin Daggett, son of a powerful Moonset warlock, has been raised alongside the other orphans by the witch Congress, who fear the children will one day continue the destruction their parents started. A deadly assault by a wraith, claiming to work for Moonset’s most dangerous disciple, Cullen Bridger, forces the five teens to be evacuated to Carrow Mill. But when dark magic wreaks havoc in their new hometown, Justin and his siblings are immediately suspected. Justin sets out to discover if someone is trying to frame the Moonset orphans . . . or if Bridger has finally come out of hiding to reclaim the legacy of Moonset. He learns there are secrets in Carrow Mill connected to Moonset’s origins, and keeping the orphans safe isn’t the only reason the Congress relocated them.
The Nightrunner Series is a multi-part fantasy series written by Lynn Flewelling. It currently contains six novels and a collection of related short stories. Nightrunner’ refers to the occupation of Seregil and Alec, the series’ two main protagonists. The word describes the assortment of jobs, including thief, spy, and whatever else the characters find they must become throughout the series. The book series uses mythopoeia, a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe the creation of mythology within a fictional world, including history, religion, language and culture. Though the books are fantasy, they may also be described as being adventure, mystery, and romance. They also contain LGBT themes. The books in order: Luck in the Shadows, Stalking Darkness, Traitor's Moon, Shadow's Return, The White Road, Casket of Souls, Shards of Time and Glimpses (shorts).
Scarlet and the White Wolf Series by Kirby Crow. Scarlet of Lysia is an honest peddler, a young merchant traveling the wild, undefended roads to support his aging parents. Liall, called the Wolf of Omara, is the handsome, world-weary chieftain of a tribe of bandits blocking a mountain road that Scarlet needs to cross. When Liall jokingly demands a carnal toll for the privilege, Scarlet refuses and an inventive battle of wills ensues, with disastrous results. Scarlet is convinced that Liall is a worthless, immoral rogue, but when the hostile countryside explodes into violence and Liall unexpectedly fights to save the lives of Scarlet's family, Scarlet is forced to admit that the Wolf is not the worst ally he could have, but what price will proud Scarlet ultimately have to pay for Liall's friendship? That's the question resolved in the first book of the series, The Pedler and the Bandit King. Their story continues in Mariner's Luck, Land of Night and the forthcoming sequel, The King of Forever.
Angels of the Deep by Kirby Crow. Becket Merriday is on the trail of a killer who is murdering young men in Irenic. One clue is being left with the mangled bodies: the arcane symbol of a snake twined around a burning tree. Beck is an atheist, but when he begins experiencing terrifying visions of the distant past, he is forced to confront his disbelief and investigate the murders from an occult angle. What he discovers is an ancient race of immortal beings hunted by an incredibly powerful adversary: the angel Mastema. Soon, Beck and his partner, Sean Logan, find themselves at the center of a deadly supernatural war.
Urban Legends & Folklore
Encyclopedia of Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvan. We all know those stories that are too bizarre to be true—roasted babies, vanishing hitchhikers, scuba divers in trees—but have you heard about the ice man or the bullet baby? This comprehensive and compellingly readable reference work will answer all your urban legend questions, offering alphabetical entries on every aspect of the subject, including descriptions of hundreds of individual legends and their variations, legend themes, and scholarly approaches to the genre. Other entries discuss the relationship of urban legends to literature, film, comic books, music, and many other areas of popular culture. Brunvan is also the author of
The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings.
Vintage by Steve Berman. In a small New Jersey town, a lonely teen walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road. Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet, lead him to face youthful dreams and childish fears. With a cast of offbeat friends, antiques, and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend of dark humor, chills and love.
The Veil series by Christopher Golden. In this enthralling series one man is drawn into a realm just across the veil from our own, where every captivating myth and fairy tale is true, the vanished exist -- and every fear is founded. There are currently three books in the series: The Myth Hunters, The Borderkind, and The Lost Ones.
The Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday. When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Then Abbey learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her - one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity. The three books in the series are titled The Hollow, The Haunted and The Hidden.
The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings.
Vintage by Steve Berman. In a small New Jersey town, a lonely teen walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road. Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet, lead him to face youthful dreams and childish fears. With a cast of offbeat friends, antiques, and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend of dark humor, chills and love.
The Veil series by Christopher Golden. In this enthralling series one man is drawn into a realm just across the veil from our own, where every captivating myth and fairy tale is true, the vanished exist -- and every fear is founded. There are currently three books in the series: The Myth Hunters, The Borderkind, and The Lost Ones.
The Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday. When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Then Abbey learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her - one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity. The three books in the series are titled The Hollow, The Haunted and The Hidden.