Books Inspired By Mythology And Folklore
Mythology and folklore have long been the foundation of storytelling, whispering ancient truths and timeless wonders across generations. From the trickster gods and tragic heroines of legend to the eerie spirits lurking at the edges of human understanding, these tales have been reshaped, reimagined, and reborn in modern fiction.
If you love books that weave mythology and folklore into breathtaking, spellbinding narratives, here are some must-reads that draw inspiration from the myths of old.
1. Circe by Madeline Miller
🌿 Greek Mythology | The Untold Story of an Exiled Witch
Circe, the daughter of Helios, is often reduced to a mere footnote in the story of Odysseus. But in this lush, lyrical retelling, Miller gives her a voice—a powerful, defiant one. Cast away to a lonely island, Circe hones her magic, defies the gods, and carves her own destiny in a world that seeks to control her.
2. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
❄ Russian Folklore | A Battle Between the Old Gods and the Church
In a remote Russian village, Vasya is caught between tradition and the whispers of old spirits. As Christianity spreads and the ancient household guardians fade, a dark force begins to stir. Inspired by Slavic folklore, this atmospheric novel is filled with frost-dusted forests, ominous prophecies, and the magic of the unseen.
3. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
⚡ Norse Mythology | The Gods as You’ve Never Seen Them Before
Gaiman breathes new life into the myths of Odin, Thor, and Loki, retelling the ancient tales with his signature wit and storytelling magic. From the birth of the cosmos to the doom of Ragnarok, this collection captures the wild, unpredictable nature of Norse legends in a way that is both fresh and faithful to their origins.
4. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
💔 Greek Mythology | A Love Story in the Shadow of Fate
A heartbreaking reimagining of the Iliad, this novel tells the story of Achilles through the eyes of his beloved companion, Patroclus. Their bond, both tender and tragic, unfolds against the backdrop of war, prophecy, and the unyielding will of the gods. Miller transforms an epic into an intimate, soul-wrenching romance.
5. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
🏛 Mythic Allegory | A Labyrinth of Dreams and Forgotten Gods
A surreal, haunting novel that feels like a myth itself, Piranesi follows a man who lives in a vast, ever-changing house filled with endless halls, statues, and tides. As he unravels the mysteries of his world, echoes of ancient myths and the very nature of reality come into question.
6. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
🌙 Chinese Mythology | A Celestial Journey of Love and Sacrifice
Inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess, this breathtaking fantasy follows her daughter, Xingyin, who embarks on a perilous journey to free her mother from exile. Filled with celestial magic, forbidden love, and courtly intrigue, this novel captures the poetic beauty of Chinese mythology.
7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
🚗 Global Mythology | When Gods Walk Among Us
What happens to old gods when people stop believing in them? Gaiman’s masterpiece blends mythologies from around the world into a modern epic, following Shadow Moon as he becomes entangled in a battle between the forgotten deities of the past and the rising gods of technology and media.
8. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
💀 Mayan Mythology | A Mortal Girl and a Death God’s Journey
In 1920s Mexico, a young woman accidentally frees the Mayan god of death and is pulled into an otherworldly adventure. As she travels through the underworld, facing tests and dangers, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for love and freedom. A dazzling, dreamlike novel that blends folklore with Jazz Age glamour.
9. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
🌀 Slavic Folklore | A Dark, Feminist Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin
Novik takes the bones of fairy tales and transforms them into something entirely new. A young woman, forced to take on her father’s moneylending business, becomes entangled with a wintery fae king, weaving a tale of magic, power, and survival against impossible odds.
10. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
🔥 Jewish & Arabic Folklore | A Tale of Two Magical Beings in 19th-Century New York
A golem made of clay and a jinni born of fire find themselves unexpectedly free in the streets of 1899 New York. As they navigate the world of humans, their vastly different natures threaten to tear them apart—but fate has other plans. A beautifully written tale of destiny, culture, and the nature of free will.
11. Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
👑 Hindu Mythology | The Queen Who Changed an Epic
In the Ramayana, Kaikeyi is the villain—the queen who exiled Rama and set the events of the epic in motion. But Patel reimagines her as a complex, ambitious woman fighting for her own agency in a world where destiny seems written in stone. This feminist retelling gives voice to a character history has cast aside.
12. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
🦁 African Mythology | A Dark, Epic Fantasy Unlike Any Other
Marlon James crafts a brutal, mesmerizing fantasy inspired by African folklore, following a mercenary known as Tracker on a quest filled with shapeshifters, witches, and creatures from the depths of myth. This novel bends the rules of storytelling, plunging readers into a world that is both ancient and wildly new.
13. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
☀ Chinese History & Myth | A Reimagining of an Emperor’s Rise
A gender-bending retelling of the rise of the Ming Dynasty, this novel reimagines the story of Zhu Chongba, a girl who seizes her dead brother’s fate and becomes the greatest ruler in China’s history. Destiny, defiance, and a touch of mythological grandeur make this an unforgettable epic.
14. The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
🔥 Norse Mythology | The Woman Who Loved Loki
Angrboda, the mother of Loki’s monstrous children, is often overlooked in myth. But here, her story unfolds in full—her love, her pain, and the choices she makes to protect her family against the inevitable doom of Ragnarok. A tale of resilience and love in the face of fate.
15. Babel by R.F. Kuang
📜 Linguistic Mythology | The Power of Words and Empire
While not based on a single mythology, Babel weaves linguistic magic into a dark academia tale that explores the power of language as both a tool of colonization and resistance. The mythic weight of words and their histories make this an extraordinary, thought-provoking read.
The Magic of Myth Lives On
Myths and folklore are more than just stories—they are echoes of the past, reinterpreted for new generations. These books remind us that legends never die; they evolve, taking on new forms to reflect the hopes, fears, and dreams of those who retell them.
Which of these myth-inspired books have you read? Or do you have a favorite folklore-inspired novel that belongs on this list? Let me know! 📖✨
