Hark grew up an orphan in a cruel world. His only friend is Jelt, and even he is willing to put Hark's life on the line for a good enough pay day. Which is how Hark ended up exiled on an island, caring for the old priests who went crazy after the death of their gods fifty years ago. The stories of the gods are terrifying, but with the passage of time some have started to forget or dismiss them as fairy tale. Still, those brave and stupid enough to go diving for their remains can make a fortune selling god parts and harvesting their powers. When Hark makes a life-changing discovery he isn't sure who to trust: his best friend, the old priests, the new zealots, or the genius scientist. His decision will affect not just him, but the whole world as a new reign terror from the gods threatens to begin.

I am in awe of Hardinge's imagination and world-building. The gods have a whiff of Cthulhu about them, but the details of the world are unique. I was completely transported to this strange and terrifying setting as I read. The book has plenty of action, but it does not skimp on character development or haunting questions of morality. Highly recommended for fans of YA speculative fiction.

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

​Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
tags: adventure, dystopian, fantasy, fast-paced, horror, mythology

“My true name,” he said, “ . . . is SUN WUKONG.” A cold wind passed through the open window, rustling my loose papers like tumbleweed. “I have no idea who that is,” I said.”… His jaw dropped. Thankfully his teeth were still normal-size.
“You’re Chinese and you don’t know me?” he sputtered. “That’s like an American child not knowing Batman!”
“You’re Chinese Batman?”
Turns out Sun Wukong is the Monkey King of Chinese legend and has come to earth to rid the planet of some nasty demons…around 120 of them. And Genie Lo is the reincarnation of a super powerful weapon that he used in the past.  Sarcastic and feisty, Genie is not going to be an inanimate object but in order to save her world she has to join forces with Quentin (aka Sun Wukong). Putting aside her aspirations for Harvard and her mad volleyball skills, the two fight the hellspawn unleashed by a spiteful demon.
This action packed battle adventure is hilarious.  Although the demons are horribly ghoulish, they are more funny than frightful. Balancing friends, family and school while averting the apocalypse can’t be easy but Genie does it with wicked humor.  Even the budding romance with Quentin (he even has a real monkey tail)  is chuckle worthy. 
This is just so much FUN!

Tessa's Picks
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7th-8th grade, Adventure, Contemporary fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Fast paced

Alina has always hidden her magic. She knew that her powers would set her apart. They'd take her away from her best friend, Mal, and the closest thing to family she had left. So she pretended to be normal, and she had everyone fooled. Until the day Mal got injured and only she could save him. Suddenly she's thrust into a world of magic and politics for which she was never prepared. With her country's fate in the balance, Alina needs to decide where her loyalties lie: with Mal and the other common soldiers, or with her fellow magic-wielders led by the mysterious Darkling.

Alina is a compelling protagonist and the choices she faces are complex and thrilling. The world is a fantasy one, but rooted in Russian mythology. There's many different factions at play which make for a complicated political situation as alliances are formed and broken and corruption is discovered in various guises.  An excellent series from start to finish!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Erica's Picks
6th & up
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Mytholgoy, Romance

Perseus lives a quiet life on a small island with his mother, then one day he meets a beautiful princess on the run. Before long, Perseus's father Zeus shows up to set him on a quest to kill Medusa, whose looks can literally kill. The old gods of the islands are on the decline as the new Olympian gods rise, but where do humans stand? Are they ever anything more than the play things of the gods? Is it possible for a mortal to defy divine intervention? Perseus doesn't know if he can, but he knows that he must try.

In addition to retelling the myths of Perseus and Andromeda there is  a lot of interesting information about ancient Greek society.  I'd recommend this book to teens who enjoyed the Percy Jackson series.

Snakehead by Ann Halam

Erica's Picks
6th - 8th grade
Tags: Adventure, Mythology, Retellings

Ragnarök has come and gone and new gods are rising to replace the old. Which means they must stamp out any remaining traces of the old religion. This is  unfortunate for anyone so unlucky as to be born with a runemark of the old religion on her skin. Bad luck seems to follow Maddy wherever she goes, until one day when she finds out that it's harder to kill a god than people thought, the old religion isn't entirely gone, and her rune mark could be lucky after all. 

The book is post-Ragnarök, which means post-apocalyptic Norse mythology fiction. Loki fans will be glad to know that he plays a big part in this novel.  Maddy is the lead though and she carries the plot nicely with a lot of action and no romance.  I'd recommend this to fans of fantasy adventure and mythology, especially Norse.

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

Ercia's Pick
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings

During the first World War, one soldier escapes the battlefields of Europe only to enter the fray in the Archipelago of Dreams. Three Oxford Scholars: John, Jack, and Charles struggle to survive in a world beyond Avalon where there are elves, dwarves, trolls, and goblins, not to mention Nemo and his Nautilus. Even though they are strangers to the land, they are entrusted with the protection of its most important book: the Imaginarium Geographica. 

Owen weaves a charming fantasy tale in this novel that takes beloved stories and weaves them together. The legend of King Arthur is blended with Dickens characters and Greek Mythology. I've seen re-tellings of Greek myths and Arthurian legends before, but it is rare to find a book that involves re-tellings of stories drawn from so many sources.   Even the three main characters are famous authors.  Whether or not you’ve read the various stories it is based on, you’ll enjoy this fast-paced fantasy adventure.

Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen


Erica's Picks
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship, Mythology, Retellings

Ever since Ariadne became She-Who-Will-Be-Goddess, her friends have been afraid to touch or even talk to her. It is a great honor, but also a great burden. Ariadne will never be able to leave the island. She will never be able to fall in love and get married. Her only companion is her brother, who was born deformed and with so much strength and so little control that he is kept locked below the palace. One of her few pleasures is sneaking out to see the ships come in with tributes and dream of life in far away lands. That is where she first sees Theseus.

If you like new twists on Greek myths, you'll love this book!  It takes the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and sets it in the context of historical fiction instead of fantasy.  It finds ways of explaining how the story could have actually happened and then later be stretched into myth with the retelling. The book alternates between Ariadne's and Theseus's points of view.  The story has a dark tone with the old, goddess-centered religion dying out, the tragic Minotaur, and the harsh realities of the sacrificial system.