Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn’t change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you loved Circe by Madeline Miller, try The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes and Medusa by Jessie Burton.
Circe takes a minor figure from Greek myth, the witch who turns Odysseus’s men into pigs, and gives her a full life: a rejected daughter of the sun god Helios, an exile on a lonely island, a mother, a healer and a woman who finally finds her power. Madeline Miller’s beautiful prose and fresh perspective made it a modern classic. The picks below also retell myths from the points of view of women, with fresh voices, strong emotions and respect for the original stories. Most are adult novels, and some contain violence you may want to check.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Circe
Readers love Circe because it makes the gods feel human. Madeline Miller writes about jealousy, loneliness, motherhood and finding yourself with great emotional depth, and she gives Circe a quiet strength that grows throughout the book. The island of Aiaia, with its herbs, lions and long solitude, becomes a place of power. Miller’s knowledge of classics is deep, but the book reads like a novel rather than a lecture, and it introduced many readers to Greek mythology for the first time.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Circe: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Song of Achilles | Madeline Miller | Mythology | More Madeline Miller |
| Ariadne | Jennifer Saint | Mythology | A lost heroine’s story |
| A Thousand Ships | Natalie Haynes | Mythology | Many women’s voices |
| The Silence of the Girls | Pat Barker | Mythology | The Iliad’s other side |
| Stone Blind | Natalie Haynes | Mythology | Medusa’s real story |
| Medusa | Jessie Burton | Mythology | Short and sharp |
| Daughters of Sparta | Claire Heywood | Mythology | Helen and Clytemnestra |
| The Penelopiad | Margaret Atwood | Mythology | Short and witty |
| Lavinia | Ursula K. Le Guin | Mythology | Quiet, literary retellings |
| Pandora’s Jar | Natalie Haynes | Nonfiction | Myth explained |
| The Witch’s Heart | Genevieve Gornichec | Mythology | Norse magic |
| The Bear and the Nightingale | Katherine Arden | Fantasy | Folklore heroines |
| Girl, Woman, Other | Bernardine Evaristo | Literary fiction | Voices of women |
| Mythos | Stephen Fry | Mythology | A fun starter |
| Lore Olympus | Rachel Smythe | Graphic novel | Modern retellings |
1. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The love story of Achilles and Patroclus, told by Patroclus. It’s heartbreaking and beautifully written.
2. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Ariadne helps Theseus kill her half-brother, the Minotaur, then is abandoned. It follows her life and her sister Phaedra’s.
3. A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
The Trojan War seen through the eyes of the women who lived through it. It’s moving and sometimes funny.
4. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Briseis, a captured queen, narrates the Trojan War from Achilles’s camp. It’s powerful and unflinching. Content note: sexual violence.
5. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
Medusa tells her own story, from the sea god’s attack to her life as a monster. It’s angry and compassionate. Content note: assault.
6. Medusa by Jessie Burton
A gorgon girl who loves a young man is cursed to turn everyone she sees into stone. It’s brief and affecting.
7. Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood
Two Spartan princesses fight their fates in the age of heroes. It’s about sisters and survival.
8. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, tells her side of the Odyssey from the afterlife. It’s sharp and short.
9. Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
The princess Aeneas marries in the Aeneid tells her own story. It’s gentle and thoughtful.
10. Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes
A nonfiction look at how the myths treated women, with chapters on Pandora, Helen and Medea. It’s sharp and readable.
11. The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Angrboda, a witch in Norse myth, falls for Loki and raises his children. It’s a lovely retelling with a similar feeling.
12. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
A girl who can see household spirits protects her village. It’s magical and wintry.
13. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Twelve interconnected stories of British women and nonbinary people. It’s not myth, but it shares the many-voices feeling.
14. Mythos by Stephen Fry
A funny, readable retelling of the Greek myths. It’s a good companion for readers who want the originals.
15. Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
A graphic novel retelling of Persephone and Hades in a modern setting. It’s colorful and popular.
How to Pick Your Next Myth Retelling After Circe
- Want more Madeline Miller? The Song of Achilles.
- Want other women’s voices? A Thousand Ships and The Silence of the Girls.
- Want Medusa? Stone Blind and Medusa.
- Want something short? The Penelopiad and Medusa.
- Want Norse instead? The Witch’s Heart.
- Check content notes. Many retellings include assault and war violence.
A Quick Guide to Greek Myth Retellings
Many modern novels retell classic myths from women’s points of view, giving voices to characters who were silenced in the original stories. Some, like Circe and Ariadne, follow one woman across a lifetime. Others, like A Thousand Ships and Stone Blind, tell many voices at once. If you want to enjoy them even more, a short book of Greek myths, such as Edith Hamilton’s Mythology or Stephen Fry’s Mythos, makes a fun companion. Many of these retellings include violence and sexual assault, since the original myths do, so check content notes.
Related: Circe book club discussion questions and The Song of Achilles book club discussion questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like Circe?
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Ariadne by Jennifer Saint are the closest matches.
Do I need to know Greek mythology to read Circe?
No. The book tells you what you need to know.
Which book is best for a Greek mythology book club?
A Thousand Ships, Circe and The Song of Achilles give plenty to discuss.