Best Mythic & Folklore Fantasy Books to Start With

The Greek myths are the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. In Stephen Fry's hands the stories of the titans and gods become a brilliantly entertaining account of ribaldry and revelry, warfare and worship, debauchery, love affairs and life lessons, slayings and suicides, triumphs and tragedies. You'll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia's revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis. Thoroughly spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry's Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age - in all their rich and deeply human relevance.

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. When she discovers she possesses the power of witchcraft, she is exiled to a deserted island.

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

In the brilliant third installment of his bestselling Mythos series, legendary author and actor Stephen Fry retells the tale of the Trojan War with his trademark wit and vibrance. Full of tragic heroes, intoxicating love stories, and the unstoppable force of fate, there is no conflict more iconic than the Trojan War. Troy is the story of the epic battle retold by Fry with drama, humor, and vivid emotion. Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Helen, their lovers, and their mortal enemies all burn bright in Fry's compelling prose. Illustrated throughout with classical art inspired by the myths, this fresh take on an ancient tale invites you to explore a captivating world with a virtuoso storyteller as your guide. BELOVED AUTHOR: Stephen Fry is an icon whose signature wit and mellifluous style makes this retelling utterly unique. Fans will love hearing his interpretation, whether they are familiar with the original Greek myths or not. STUNNING SERIES ADDITION: Mythos and Heroes, the first two installments in the Greek mythology trilogy, were international bestsellers. Now fans can update their set and read the thrilling third book. GORGEOUS GIFT: With a vibrant contemporary design, full-color artwork throughout, and shimmering metallic highlights on the jacket, this book makes a superb present. READERS LOVE IT: Stephen Fry's Greek Myths series' nearly 5-star rating and rave reviews make each of the three volumes a winner. “Stephen Fry is our modern-day Homer,” one reviewer declares, while another observes that “you really feel as if you're there as the events take place.” Buzzfeed says, “It's a quick-witted retelling so beginners and experts can both get something from it.” Perfect for: Readers of Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles, Edith Hamilton's Mythology, and Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology People who enjoy reading timeless stories, from fairy tales to Viking mythology to legends of Greek gods Fans of classic literature and poetry about ancient Greece

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men their bond blossoms into something deeper—despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess, and a war on the horizon.

Shadow is a man who serves his prison time by picking up work where he can find it. After his release, he meets a mysterious man who calls himself Wednesday, and a storm is coming—one that will battle for the very soul of America.

**The mesmerising retelling from the woman at the heart of one of Ancient Greece's most famous myths.** 'I absolutely adored this book and am encouraging everyone I know to buy a copy.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW 'The last few pages will easily become tear soaked. I loved every minute of this book' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW 'A lyrical, insightful re-telling' - Daily Mail 'If you like Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne [. . .] Saint makes it a page-turner' - Glamour 'Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour.' - Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN 'ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.' - Stylist Ariadne, Princess of Crete and daughter of the fearsome King Minos, grows up hearing stories of gods and heroes. But beneath the golden palace something else stirs, the hoofbeats and bellows echoing from the Labyrinth below. Every year its captive, the Minotaur - Ariadne's brother - demands blood. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne sees in him her chance to escape. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that drawing the attention of the mercurial gods may cost her everything. In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to risk everything for love ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition? ARIADNE gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this exceptional debut novel is perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS. 'With her wonderfully executed debut that reimagines the classic tale of Theseus, Adriane and the Minotaur, Jennifer Saint joins the likes of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker in forg

Young Tristran Thorn promises his heart's desire—the beautiful Victoria—that he will retrieve a fallen star from beyond the Wall that separates their village from the enchanted kingdom of Faerie. What he finds is not a lump of rock but a young woman named Yvaine, who is not at all pleased to be captured.

A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home and remembers an extraordinary event from when he was seven years old. He befriended a girl at the end of his lane whose family kept something ancient and unknowable in their pond. A meditation on memory, childhood, and the unknowable forces that shape our lives.

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year. Vasilisa loves the long winters and the bright cold of the forest, where she is at home among the spirits of the wood. When a priest arrives preaching that the old ways are evil, her family must choose between new faith and old magic—with deadly consequences.

Miryem is the daughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect debts has left the family starving. When she takes matters into her own hands and gains a reputation for turning silver into gold, a magical debt-collector shows up—and she is forced to make good on her boast or be taken into his frozen domain forever.

Agnieszka loves her valley home. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and her people rely on the cold wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its influence at bay. Every ten years he takes a girl from the valley as his apprentice—and this year, he chooses Agnieszka.

Richard Mayhew is a young London businessman with a perfectly normal life—until he stops to help a girl bleeding on the pavement. His act of charity drops him into a world he never knew existed, a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, that lives in the hidden gaps and secret places of London Below.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Two young magicians are trained from childhood to compete against each other in an arena they cannot choose to leave—a mysterious black-and-white circus that becomes an obsession for all who encounter it.

In the early nineteenth century, two magicians emerge to change England's history. The reclusive Mr Norrell has been preparing for years to restore English magic. The young Jonathan Strange has a wilder, more unpredictable talent. Together they help England fight Napoleon—but soon they are at war with each other.

According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, the world will end on a Saturday. An angel and a demon who have been on Earth since The Beginning must work together to avert Armageddon—but they rather like the world as it is.

A young man grows up to become the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. Told in his own words, this is the story of Kvothe—from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely venturing further than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure.

"In the early 1900s, a curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town to study faerie folklore, where she discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love. Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on dryadology, the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--much less get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog Shadow, and the Fair Folk to that of friends or lovers. So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hransvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: the dashing and insufferably handsome Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of her research, and utterly confound and frustrate Emily. But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart"--

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A sparkling debut fantasy with Celtic tones set on the magical isle of Cadence where two childhood enemies must team up to discover why girls are going missing from their clan. Enchantments run deep on the magical Isle of Cadence. The capricious spirits that live there find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home, but that mischief turns to malevolence as girls begin to go missing. Adaira, heiress of the east, knows the spirits only answer to a bard's music, enticing them to return the missing girls. But there's only one bard capable of drawing the spirits forth by song: her childhood enemy, Jack Tamerlaine. He hasn't stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the Mainland university. But as Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than first thought and an older, darker secret lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all. 'An alluring and rich tale, at once a fast-paced mystery and a love story as warm as a hearth' Ava Reid, bestselling author of The Wolf and the Woodsman