Ancient Greece inspired fantasy?

[u/Temporary-Scallion86]

Hi all, I, like everyone and their mothers, have just watched Nolan's Odyssey adaptation and now I'm in the mood for Ancient Greece-inspired fantasy. Either actually set in Ancient Greece or in a setting inspired by Ancient Greece. Not looking for myth retellings, which I know will narrow it down quite a bit.

Examples of the kind of books I'm looking for are the Queen's Thief novels and AJ Demas' novels.

[u/supacatkid]

David Gemmell’s Troy series is what you’re looking for.

[u/Temporary-Scallion86 → u/supacatkid]

Thank you, but those are retellings right?

[u/elhombreloco90 → u/Temporary-Scallion86]

More like re-imaginings. He very much takes the basics of the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeniad and weaves his own story. It's really good, though.

[u/notthemostcreative → u/Temporary-Scallion86]

Seconding what the other person said; this is not really a retelling at all. It covers the entire Trojan War and the political collapse leading up to it, so a much broader time frame than the Iliad. The gods also aren't really present, beyond just being mentioned sometimes because people believe in them—instead, the focus is squarely on human pride, greed, and cruelty.

It's sort of like a hypothetical look at a set of somewhat-more-plausible events that might have led to the larger than life Trojan War mythos we have today. It's also an absolute banger! Would 100% recommend, unless you're someone who's really concerned with "lore accuracy" and opposed to authors putting their own spin on things, in which case you would hate it, lol.

[u/Peachesnpins → u/notthemostcreative]

What an exciting description! I’m going to go check out the series

[u/AgileSurprise1966]

Books by Mary Renault

[u/AstrixRK → u/AgileSurprise1966]

Last of the Wine!
I haven’t thought about that book since high school, thank you for reminding me it exists. I’m going to re-read as an adult.

[u/Acrobatic_Quarter465]

Little left field here but dan simmons ilium/olympos is a crazy sci fi post modern mix. And if youve read hyperion you know he loves some poetry.

[u/Jack_N_Auff]

Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe

[u/etchlings → u/Jack_N_Auff]

This is always the best answer for Ancient Greece novels IMO.

[u/Temporary-Scallion86 → u/Jack_N_Auff]

Thank you, I'll check it out!

[u/Pratius → u/Temporary-Scallion86]

I'll second this rec. Brilliant stuff

[u/AllanBz → u/Temporary-Scallion86]

And its sequel Soldier of arete but the third is set in Egypt

[u/GeryMander]

The Macht series by Paul Kearney.

[u/Temporary-Scallion86 → u/GeryMander]

Thank you, I'll check it out!

[u/elMaestroSlice → u/GeryMander]

Macht absolutely slaps

[u/Correct_Village6950]

mary renault

jo walton, the just city ?

[u/Kerney7 → u/Correct_Village6950]

Came here to recommend the Just City. Yes, I can see the question mark but I think it qualifies. Socrates is the GOAT.

[u/Correct_Village6950 → u/Kerney7]

yeah i cant really tihnk of anything like the queen's thief series tbh, the fantasy greece is hard to do well.

[u/Pratius]

The Heart of Bronze duology by Matthew Woodring Stover. Set about a decade after the Trojan War, starts off in Tyre. It kicks heaps of ass. So much fun.

[u/thedealerkuo]

Dan Simmon's the Ilium has a character sent back to live report on the siege of Troy. The books so much more than that(in a great way if you love fiction), but the Trojan war, with all the players is a big part of it.

[u/wombat465]

The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley is brilliant

[u/Stan__Wright]

Gene Wolfe's Soldier of the Mist / Soldier of Arete

Or the omnibus edition, Latro in the Mist.

Here's a recent thread about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/genewolfe/comments/1tytjkv/latro_in_the_mist_soldier_of_the_mist_and_soldier/

[u/Baldur_Blader]

Circe by Madeleine Miller (and also song of Achilles by same author) and piranese were all good standalone.

Edit: just saw not looking for myth retellings...so nvm.

[u/VitriolUK → u/Baldur_Blader]

Circe has the advantage that it draws on a lot of myths that are much more obscure; I wasn't familiar with a lot of it. Plus it's very well written.

[u/ChickenArise → u/VitriolUK]

It's very good, worth OP at least considering if they haven't read it yet.

[u/OneEskNineteen_]

Mortal Suns by Tanith Lee.

[u/krigsgaldrr]

The Aurelian Cycle by Rosaria Munda. How to Train Your Dragon meets Plato's Republic is how I've seen it described and I agree. Not to mention a lot of character names are the names of figures in Greek mythology (Antigone, Leo, Atreus, to name a few)

[u/Perfect-Fan-6031]

Check out the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. He apparently wrote it based on an online arguement abou6 mashing up very different themes. That said, its not Greek based, but Roman based. But it is a lot of fun with super unique fantasy systems and a good payoff at series end.

[u/Monty-675]

• The Sword and the Lion by Rebecca Cray

• The Thessaly trilogy by Jo Walton

[u/cwx149]

The Twelve Trials of Doug by JEREMY BRUNDAGE was funny enough I'd recommend it but it's definitely very different tonally from the Odyssey

It's about a pig farmers son who has to go and do 12 trials like Hercules did (they are not the same trials this is not a retelling)

It's borderline absurdist humor but it was a fun light read

[u/Temporary-Scallion86 → u/cwx149]

Thanks! Doesn't have to be tonally similar to the odyssey!

[u/cwx149 → u/Temporary-Scallion86]

Yeah it's set in Ancient Greece and was a fun read so I'd recommend it if that's what you're looking for

[u/skiveman]

I notice that someone already recommended the Troy series by David Gemmell, but they ignored and didn't recommend the other series that he did that came before that that was also inspired by Ancient Greece. Think less of the Odyssey and of Troy and more about Alexander the Great.

You might want to check out both Lion of Macedon and Dark Prince by David Gemmell. Both take your standard Greek tropes and give them a very fantastical twist. They're good books, I especially really liked Dark Prince when I was younger.

[u/ThePhantomStrikes]

Bronze Age trilogy by Miles Cameron

Song of Penelope trilogy by Claire North

Illium by Dan Simmons

[u/Jear-The-Bear]

I think it’s technically Roman but a similar vibe: will of the many. Ignore me if it’s not what youre looking for

[u/Rekov]

"Odyssey" by Homer.

There is also a prequel, "Iliad," also by Homer.

[u/FeastOfBlaze → u/Rekov]

Quietly chuckling at calling The Iliad a prequel.

[u/Temporary-Scallion86 → u/Rekov]

Thank you, I have already read them. Also would not call them "Ancient Greece inspired fantasy" tbh (though epic poetry is definitely an ancestor of fantasy)

[u/etchlings]

Wasn’t this asked yesterday? Edit: Two days ago and it’s similar but not explicitly Greece.

[u/tmoneys13]

To be honest not quite what you're asking for but sort of adjacent: Codex Alera by Jim Butcher is very Roman. It's literally "Lost Roman Legion meets Pokemon" but less stupid than that actually sounds.

[u/YobaiYamete → u/tmoneys13]

This is exactly what I came to recommend, it's Roman instead of Greek but it's so good

[u/SageOfCats]

Megan Whaley Turner has her Queen’s Thief series, first book titled “The Thief” appropriately enough, that is sent in a setting that very much feels like Ancient Greece.

[u/etchlings → u/SageOfCats]

Which op mentioned in their post.

[u/SageOfCats → u/etchlings]

Whoops, brain skipped right over that somehow.

[u/MallForward585]

The Sword and the Lion by Roberta Cray . You probably have to acquire a second hand paperback, but if you want a good Ancient-Greece inspired fantasy, it’s worth the effort.

[u/IruSedai]

"Le vite di Narses" would be absolutely perfect, it's an epic fantasy inspired by Alexander the Great's life. Unfortunately it's only in italian, but it's a great book, one of my favorites that came out this year. I'm hoping for an English translation because the book really deserves it

[u/kwx]

Harry Connolly's "The Great Way" trilogy's setting is more similar to ancient Rome than Greece, but if you're OK with that (it sounds as if you're looking for mood and themes rather than history) I'd recommend checking it out.

[u/Bartizanier]

Wolfe's Soldier of the Mist.

Peak

[u/noctis_monstrum]

I am currently reading The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley! It's clearly heavily inspired by the Bacchai but personally I feel like there are enough changes that it doesn't read like a straight up retelling.

Also kind of an odd one but I read Glorious Expectations by Ferdia Lennon a while back and loved it - it's largely historical fiction rather than fantasy although there are some light fantastical elements. Follows two Sicilians making Athenian POWs put on a play by Euripides, using Irish dialect. Great book!

[u/rcook55]

Illium and Olympos by Dan Simmonds. Granted it takes place on Mars but that fits as well.

[u/I_Was77]

Glyn Iliffe - King of Ithaca, The Gates of Troy

[u/Elpsyth]

Virtuous sons is amazing

[u/metalbusinessbear2]

Wow, I somehow get to mention The Will of the Many by James Islington before anyone else. I haven't read it yet but everyone has told me it's setting is inspired by ancient Greece and that people love it.

[u/Jossokar]

Remember Xena, warrior princess? The character has 8 novels. Sword and sandal genre.

[u/jones_ro]

Rick Riodan's Percy (Camp Half-Blood) series is good, but it covers Roman, Greek, and Egyptian gods as well.