82 books like The Mark of Athena

I am a lover of mythology as well as fantasy, so this book was quite literally perfect for me. How the author paints a picture of the world in your head is dumbfounding.

This book made me want to swim in the lakes and dine in the halls with the gods. It is also a love story; being a hopeless romantic, I never wanted to put this book down. With fantastical creatures, aching romance, and places you could only dream of, this book was the perfect escape for me.

Okay, I’ve only read this book once, but I can tell you I’ll be reading it again. It’s that good.

It's a classic amnesia story. The hero wakes up from a coma and has no recollection of who he is. Over the course of the story, he discovers he’s a middle school science teacher. And he’s in a spaceship. Alone. And he may happen to be humanity’s only hope to survive.

Wow! Talk about a new spin on the amnesia trope. I’m rooting for Ryland Grace from the jump. No matter how crazy bad it gets, and it gets bad, our hero never loses his sense of humor. I laughed out loud many times. I loved the science, and I dug the author’s writing style.

With ever-increasing stakes, The Saltwater Heir is by far the best self-published fantasy book I’ve ever read.

The story follows a lost princess, war-torn kingdoms, and a love interest fated to die. It has the perfect balance of banter and sass, slow-burn romance, hilariously relatable sibling dynamics, and gut-wrenching plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. I laughed a lot; I sobbed even more.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy having their hearts captured in an emotional vise of stress, hope, and heartbreak.

I’ve never thrown a book across the room harder than this one. While book one of The Dark Artifices had a fabulous cliffhanger, nothing could ever compare to the utter devastation book two, Lord Of Shadows, managed.

I would recommend this Young Adult series to people who love a blend of action and romance in contemporary-fantasy, value modern representation such as trans characters and autism awareness, and readers who like to have their hearts tortured in the cruelest of ways. 

The best way to describe this book and the entire Heroes of Olympus series is fun. The world in which it takes place is fascinating, with the Greek and Roman gods. I love the characters, and this book in particular because we get to see the perspectives of two extra characters on top of the original seven ‘chosen’ heroes. Riordan builds each character into a full person, and while I don’t usually read much YA, I absolutely love this series. The female characters are particularly amazing – totally different from each other, and a real combination of strong and vulnerable. The dialogue and plot are funny and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, despite the high stakes.

On top of that, I love what Riordan does with the setting. The book travels from Greece to New York and I recognize many of the different places where it takes place… show more.

Looking for the quintessential guide to Greek mythology? This is the book I studied in high school, the first time learning the stories that have stuck with me to this day (many decades later). Hamilton’s storytelling feels authentic to the voices of the original authors without being dry. Among this collection, you’ll find creation stories (think Titans, Olympians, Zeus, and Hades), fabulous love stories (Orpheus and Eurydice, Cupid and Psyche!), heroes of the Trojan War (Odysseus and Achilles) and earlier (Hercules and Perseus), famous families (Oedipus and Antigone), and monsters (Cerberus and the Minotaur). You may not sit down and read this cover to cover, but Edith Hamilton’s Mythology is a great reference you’ll want on your shelf.

Schlitz’s latest historical novel, set in Ancient Greece, is one I read aloud to my own kids, who like many are already well versed in Greek and Roman mythology.

The story of the rebellious daughter of a noble family and an enslaved boy, it’s a haunting and beautifully rendered introduction to classical philosophy and the story of Socrates. Reading this together gave us a chance to discuss the classical world as a real place and its culture and religion in detail and depth.

Schlitz’s books are among the most literary and original out there and this one was written to stay with you for a very long time. 

The ancient world has always held a fascination for me. It must be in my genes because one of my fondest memories is my father telling me stories about the Greek gods. As a kid, I also found a book in our house that had been handed down through generations within my family entitled The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens. This book was published in 1892 but Berens is still in print, no doubt in its umpteenth edition.

My book has a leather cover, the spine frayed so that the webbing that binds the folios is exposed. The pages are mottled, yellowing. It is a treasure. Inside, the lives of the fickle, adulterous, benevolent, or malevolent deities are revealed; their bickering and flaws similar to mortals but their ability to bless, curse, and manipulate man’s fate, divine.

White Fox is another excellent example of a fictional mixed media narrative formed around a cult object of art – in this case, a film script. The author’s technique of alternating the dual narration of two sisters with excerpts from the eponymous script, White Fox, written by (and about) their missing mother, does an excellent job of mixing the real with the surreal. While the mystery at the heart of this sophomore novel is a very human one, the addition of the mysterious film script and the mythology around it bolsters a terrific atmosphere and makes for a compelling reading experience.  

Ware skips summer camp and hangs out in an abandoned church on a forgotten lot. But he stumbles upon Jolene, a nature-loving girl who is also hiding out there. Both characters have different ideas about how to co-exist (or not!), and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out.

I love stories that center around reimagining or rebuilding something old, decayed, or discarded, as this one does. I also love this book’s layers as we watch how the characters change as they transform their hidden sanctuary. This inspiring book grapples with the pain of keeping secrets and the power and hope that come when we share them with another.