Books like “Circe”

What to read after “Circe” by Madeline Miller: a list matched by tropes, mood and atmosphere. Under each book you will see what it has in common.

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1
The Bear and the Nightingale
Katherine Arden · 2017
From the same world: “Witches” and “Mythology Retelling”
In a northern village at the edge of the Russian wilderness, Vasya grows up hearing the old house spirits and fairy tales her stepmother forbids. When new winters bring a creeping evil, only Vasya, who can still see the spirits, can bargain with the forces threatening her home.
2
Kaikeyi
Vaishnavi Patel · 2022
From the same world: “Mythology Retelling”
- Mythology Retelling
- Morally Grey Character
Born a princess and cast aside by her father, Kaikeyi claims a place at court and wins the love of a king. When war threatens her sons' future, she uses the boons she was granted to change the fate of a kingdom.
3
The Witch's Heart
Genevieve Gornichec · 2021
From the same world: “Witches” and “Mythology Retelling”
- Witches
- Mythology Retelling
Angrboda is a witch burned three times for refusing to reveal the future. She hides in a forest and builds a quiet life until Loki finds her, and their children draw the eyes of the gods. A prophecy turns every small happiness into a countdown.
4
Ariadne
Jennifer Saint · 2021
From the same world: “Mythology Retelling”
- Mythology Retelling
- Outcast Hero
Princess Ariadne helps Theseus escape the labyrinth, then is abandoned on a shore where Dionysus finds her. She must decide how much of her story to give away to a god, and what freedom is worth.
5
The Mists of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley · 1982
From the same world: “Witches” and “Mythology Retelling”
- Witches
- Mythology Retelling
The Arthurian legend is told through the women around the throne, above all Morgaine, a priestess of Avalon. As Britain turns to a new faith and a new king, she works to keep the old ways alive and watches the cost of a united kingdom.
6
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Sue Lynn Tan · 2022
From the same world: “Mythology Retelling”
- Mythology Retelling
- Coming of Age
Xingyin grows up alone on the moon, hidden from the emperor who exiled her mother for stealing an elixir of immortality. When her magic is discovered she flees, conceals her identity at the celestial court and trains as a warrior to win her mother's freedom.
7
Kingdom of the Wicked
Kerri Maniscalco · 2020
From the same world: “Witches”
- Witches
- Morally Grey Character
Witch sisters Emilia and Vittoria live secretly among humans, hiding from those who would kill them. When Vittoria is found murdered, Emilia swears to hunt down the killer, even using forbidden magic. Her search brings her to Wrath, a prince of Hell she cannot trust and cannot look away from.
8
The Darkest Night
Gena Showalter · 2008
From the same world: “Mythology Retelling”
Cursed to carry the demon of Violence, the immortal warrior Maddox has spent lifetimes in torment. Every night he dies at the hands of the gods, and every dawn he wakes. Rescuing a mortal woman named Ashlyn from his enemies throws them both into a conflict that could free or destroy him.
9
The Penelopiad
Margaret Atwood · 2005
From the same world: “Mythology Retelling”
- Mythology Retelling
- Outcast Hero
From the underworld, Penelope tells her side of the long wait for Odysseus, while the twelve hanged maids answer with their own chorus. The familiar myth is retold from the women the epic left out.
10
Blood & Honey
Shelby Mahurin · 2020
From the same world: “Witches”
- Witches
- Morally Grey Character
With the witch hunts still burning, Lou and Reid flee and try to gather allies against the church. They bargain with people they do not trust and hide a bond more dangerous than any enemy. As the threat grows, Lou senses that the darkness inside her is not as harmless as she believed.
11
Lavinia
Ursula K. Le Guin · 2008
From the same world: “Mythology Retelling”
- Mythology Retelling
Lavinia grows up in Latium, a king's daughter who has no voice in her own story. A prophecy names a stranger from Troy as her husband, and when Aeneas arrives their union sets off a war. Years later she tells her own version of the life the epic left unspoken.
12
A River Enchanted
Rebecca Ross · 2022
Same genre: “Fantasy”
- Deserted Island
Jack is summoned home to Cadence, an island of two peoples, to find girls who have vanished without trace. He must work with Adaira, the laird's daughter, and call on the spirits he abandoned. On an island steeped in old magic, old grudges and new feelings refuse to stay buried.