Mythology

A list of titles in our collection based on, or inspired by, world mythology (summaries/age rating of books to come later).

CHINESE MYTHOLOGY

Silver Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia, #1) by Cindy Pon

When her father is summoned to the Emperor’s palace and fails to return home, disgraced heroine Ai Ling must work together with a young stranger to overcome terrifying monsters of both the supernatural and human variety. Recommended for Gr 9 Up for some adult situations.

EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Isadora moves to California with her brother to escape the family drama that comes with being the human daughter of Egyptian gods. Recommended for Gr 8 Up for language and some innuendo.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Abandon (#1) by Meg Cabot

After surviving a near-drowning, Pierce finds herself the object of desire for John, the god of the Underworld. Grade rating pending.

All Our Pretty Songs (Metamorphoses, #1) by Sarah McCarry

Summary and grade recommendation pending.

Bull by David Elliott

Using a variety of narrators, including vengeful, snarky sea god Poseidon, Daedalus, the king's long-suffering royal engineer, as well as the tragic hero of the tale, Asterion (the Minotaur), this snarky, offbeat novel-in-verse presents an age-old myth in a new light. Recommended for Gr 8 Up for language.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (#1) by Laini Taylor

Karou is a young art student in Prague who speaks inhuman languages and has hair that is naturally tinted blue. When she tries to discover her origins, she accidentally plunges herself into a dangerous war. Recommended for Gr 9 Up, for some violence, language, adult situations.

Everneath (#1) by Brodi Ashton

After an involuntary trip to the Everneath (a.k.a. the underworld), Nikki Beckett discovers that she has only six months in the land of the living before she must return for good. She wants to spend these remaining months with her boyfriend Jack, but she finds herself drawn to Cole, the being who lured her to the Everneath in the first place. Recommended for Gr 9 Up.

The Goddess Test (#1) by Aimee Carter

In order to save her dying mother, Kate must pass seven tests set for her by Henry, a.k.a. Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Grade recommendation pending.

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson, #1) by Rick Riordan

Riordan’s magnificently comic take on Greek mythology begins when Percy Jackson, an unsuspecting teen, discovers he’s the son of the sea god Poseidon. Recommended for Gr 6 Up for some fantasy violence.

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo, #1) by Rick Riordan

In this extremely funny spin-off series by Percy Jackson author Riordan, the handsome, talented, and incredibly vain Apollo must learn to live as a mere mortal after being banished to Earth by Zeus. Recommended for Gr 6 Up for some fantasy violence. 

Love in the Time of Global Warming (#1) by Francesca Lia Block

Armed with nothing but a copy of Homer’s The Odyssey, teenage Penelope (“Pen” to her friends) searches for her family in the wake of an earthquake that devastates Los Angeles.

Recommended for Gr 10 Up for violence, language, and adult situations.

The Siren by Kiera Cass

Kahlen is a siren, and duty-bound by her mistress, the Ocean, to lure humans to their deaths. But what happens when she falls in love with one? Recommended for Gr 7 Up.

Starcrossed (#1) by Josephine Angelini

Thanks to a family feud as old as ancient Greece, Helen must fight off the urge to kill the cute new boy at school. Grade recommendation pending.

IRISH MYTHOLOGY

Tides by Betsy Cornwell

Selkies are mythical seals who shed their skins to become human on land. When someone starts stealing selkie skins, Noah Gallagher and his sister, Lo, decide to put a stop to it. Grade recommendation pending.

JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

The Name of the Blade by Zoe Marriott

Mio Yamato is destined to receive a katana (sword) on her 16^th birthday, but when she gets tired of waiting and takes it out a few days too early, she unwittingly unleashes the Nekomata, an ancient cat monster, onto her loved ones. Grade recommendation pending.

KOREAN MYTHOLOGY

Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles, #1) by Ellen Oh

Kira, a girl feared for her unnatural yellow eyes, is her city’s only hope against an army of demon invaders. Grade recommendation pending.

  

LATIN AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY

Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

In this retelling of The Odyssey, five sisters travel across the Mexico border to return the body of a drowned man to his home. Recommended for Gr 7 Up for fantasy violence.

NIGERIAN MYTHOLOGY

Akata Witch (#1) by Nnedi Okorafor

Summary and grade recommendation pending.

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase, #1) by Rick Riordan

In Boston, a homeless teen discovers that he’s both the son of a Norse god, and the only hope for preventing Ragnarok (Armageddon). Recommended for Gr 6 Up for fantasy violence.