Beyond Rick Riordan: Standalones and Series for Mythology Nerds

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Rick Riordan's mythology books revolutionized middle grade and young adult fantasy, and I know I'm not the only one who got hooked on mythology after reading The Lighting Thief. I can reread a good book over and over without getting tired of it, but that doesn't mean I don't like new material, so I've set it upon myself to find other mythology books to explore.

The Blackwell Pages Trilogy by K. L. Armstrong and Melissa Marr

The summary: Thirteen-year-olds Matt, Laurie, and Fen live in Blackwell, South Dakota, a town where the majority of the population is descended from either Thor or Loki. But when the Norns foretell that Ragnarok is coming, and that Matt is destined to represent Thor in the final battle, he sets off on a legendary quest to alter the fate of Ragnarok.

My take: The Blackwell Pages is a pretty good series. I mean, Fen was kind of a creep, and some of the characters could have been more developed, but I'd definitely recommend it to fans of Norse mythology and adventure stories in general. 

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi 

The summary: The Gilded Wolves is a historical fantasy novel about a magical underground society in Paris, France. Inside this society there used to be four noble houses, but one fell and one died out without an heir--or so everyone thinks. Enter Severin, the lost heir of House Vanth, a clever criminal intent on claiming his rightful heritage. 

My take: Okay, okay, The Gilded Wolves isn't technically a mythology novel. But it does incorporate a lot of myths from all sorts of cultures, so I decided to include it on this list. It's also an enticing read with its lovable characters, historical setting, and witty dialogue. 

Note: This is going to be a trilogy, but the last book's not out yet, so maybe wait to start reading.




Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond by Sayantani DasGupta

The summary: Twelve-year-old Kiranmala's parents have been telling she's a real Indian princess for as long as she can remember, but she never believed them--until they get kidnapped by a malicious rakkhosh demon. With the help of the hero princes Lal and Neel, Kiranmala travels to the Kingdom Beyond, a world of Bengali myths, to rescue her parents.

My take: I'm not gonna lie, the first book wasn't very good. I didn't care about any of the characters, and the writing just felt off to me. So off, in fact, that I considered not reading the rest of the trilogy, despite having checked out the whole thing from the library. But I decided to push through it, and I'm so glad I did. I found the second and third books to be awesome, and, as a bonus, I learned a lot about Bengali folklore and fairy tales. (Hint: read the author's notes at the end of each book. They're really informative.) The characters grew on me, and the message of the third book in particular was really dear to my heart. If you're a fan of Aru Shah and the End of Time, you'll really enjoy this series as well.

The Ugly One by Leanne Statland Ellis

The summary: The Ugly One is a historical fiction novel that follows Micay, an Incan girl with an ugly scar on her face. She believes the scar is a mark of shame and isolates herself because the other people in her village make fun of her. Micay believes she's going to spend her entire life hiding away until she's given an apprenticeship with the village's shaman, who begins to change her view on beauty.

My take: Pretty good, but could be better. I wish Incan culture had been more prominent, and Micay didn't feel real to me, but other than that it's a quick, educational read. I'd recommend it, but only to those who aren't very critical of the books they read.




Circe and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The summary: The Song of Achilles and Circe are retellings of the Iliad and the Odyssey, respectively, that actually take place in Ancient Greece.

My take: YES YES YES YES YES. I can't talk about these two beautiful stories without freaking out because I love them so much. Ten out of ten stars for both books, although I liked The Song of Achilles a little better because of Patroclus reasons. 






















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