7 Greek Mythology Retellings To Quell Your PJO Hunger

Descended from the Fates, Io has the unique ability to sense and manipulate others’ life-threads, which she uses to investigate a series of murders throughout her city.

To solve a case, she teams up with the Mob Queen’s right hand, Edei, only to find that there is a rare thread binding their fates together.

Kika Hatzopoulou’s twist on the Moirai reads as a noir-style mystery with a unique magic system and world building. It has romance and high stakes that kept me saying, “Just one more chapter!”

Can I ever nottalk about Kalynn Bayron’s books? (The answer is no.)

This Poison Heartfollows Bri, who finds herself entangled in the secrets of a mysterious estate left to her by her estranged aunt. There, she uncovers a garden full of the world’s deadliest plants, which could be protecting something far more sinister.

With a heavy focus on Medea’s lore, Bayron truly explores Black Girl Magic in this sapphic and haunting tale. I loved learning about the lesser-known myths through this retelling and how Bri’s abilities intertwine with Medea’s mythology.

I first discovered Nikita Gill’s poetry in 2017, and quickly fell in love with the captivating way she portrays grief, love, and growth in just a few words. When I heard she was coming out with a novel in verse I was ecstatic, especially because it is based on Greek mythology.

Just as with her other poetry, Gill’s words are quickly captivating and emotional (she had me crying about thirty pages in) as she explores the life of the goddess Hekate and what it means to be a child of war. Prevalent in today’s landscape, the retelling embraces girlhood, grief, and rage.

Known best for her phenomenal works of Circe and Song of Achilles, I wanted to highlight Madeline Miller’s less-talked-about short story, Galatea.

In this story, Galatea reflects on her life with an abusive husband and considers the cost of her independence. Inspired by the story of Pygmalion from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Miller weaves a feminist take on what it means to be created in a man’s idea of beauty.

Her prose feels like a beloved classic with its poignancy and simplicity, and it made every page of the short read memorable.

Following the lesser-known Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale, who were cursed alongside Medusa, Lauren J.A. Bear tells a tale of sisterhood, grief, and growth.

This retelling explores the violence of a man’s affection and gives voice to the women left behind in the Greek mythos. As popular media concentrates on Medusa’s death, Bear focuses instead on her life and the bond she shares with her sisters.

Bear’s writing is profound and moving, and she gives us characters who are realistic and nuanced. 

Given the nature of the Medusa myth, I do advise you to check the content warnings before picking up this book.

For a romantic but less spicy story, Luna McNamara has an eloquent and moving take on the Cupid and Psyche story!

In this retelling, the God of desire finds himself cursed to long for a mortal woman who may never look upon his face. Set against the backdrop of the brewing Trojan War, Psyche and Eros must face the divine will trying to tear them apart.

With more steam than spice, McNamara focuses greatly on romantic tension and characterization with beautiful, fairytale-like prose.

If you are in the market for a spicy retelling, this Hades x Persephone story is for you!

In a contemporary setting, Persephone disguises herself as a mortal to live an everyday life. When she finds herself entangled with the God of the Underworld, she must prove herself as the Goddess of Spring or potentially lose her freedom.

St. Clair is well-known for her dark and spicy romances, and this is certainly a fun one for the dark romance readers!

With some classic enemies to lovers, and a broody love interest, this series is absolutely bingeable if you’re needing a sexy fix. With four books in the series, there is also a spin-off series from Hades’ perspective!