Hi everyone
I’m looking for recommendations for novels that are either set in ancient Greece (historical accuracy not required), or one whose main character is pledged/bound to a pact made with a superior entity (divine/elemental/magical/…).
Bonus points if you happen to know of a novel which combines boths of these tropes.
It can be fantasy or realistic, I don’t mind either.
Thanks for your recommendations!
I have read A Year in the Life of Ancient Greece by Philip Matyszak. It follows the life of multiple characters:
- a farmer from Elis
- a diplomat
- a runaway slave
- a sprinter from Neapolis
- a teen girl preparing for marriage
- a builder/architect
- a lyre player The book is about 260 pages long and contains a lot of interesting facts while having a story.
Thank you for this, I’m now roughly 80% of the way through this book and I really enjoy it! Really digestible way fo learn what it was like for various people in ancient Greece. The Builder is my personal favorite!
I love Madeline Miller’s books set in Ancient Greece. The Song of Achilles is set during the Trojan War, and Circe explores several Greek myths through Circe’s perspective. The Song of Achilles definitely made me tear up at some points, and really made the inclusion of Patroclus and Achilles in the game Hades hit way harder for me.
The song of Achilles is an amazing book.
The bartimeus trilogy is close to your second want
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Mage Errant by John Bierce has a main warlock character who pacts with a greater power. There are other ways of pacts as well that feature throughout the series. This is one of my favorite all time series, particularly for the main group of teenagers who support each other no matter what. The magic system is great and worldbuilding starts to shine as the series progresses.
Some recommendations for novels based on Greek mythology (though I haven’t read them yet):
- Soldier of the Mist series by Gene Wolfe
- Troy trilogy by David Gemmell
The Dresden Files covers the warlock type pact a couple of different ways.
Now, I haven’t finished the book, in fact I have only read maybe 30 pages so far, but Ilium by Dan Simmons could be a fit. It features a character that is tasked by a divine entity to explore the events of Homers Iliad. It is Sci-fi though and I am not sure if the book will keep this characters storyline in Greece or even under this pact.
If someone has actually read the whole book (series) please chime in!
