Have You Heard? Myths, Legends & Retellings
10 mins read

Have You Heard? Myths, Legends & Retellings

Check out these books featuring myths and legends as well as retellings of beloved tales.

Below you’ll find audiobook recommendations from the Plano Public Library. This is just a sample of the audiobooks in our collection, and you can visit a library location for assistance in finding personalized recommendations.

Adult:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman, narrated by a full cast. Upon his release from prison, a widower accepts a job as a bodyguard and joins the battle between the gods of yore and the neoteric gods of present-day America. Print / eAudiobook / eBook / Graphic Novel / Spanish.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, narrated by Barrie Kreinik. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the Minotaur, Princess Ariadne of Crete defies the gods, betrays her family and country, and risks everything to help him. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory, narrated by Sarah Hollis. In this Beauty and the Beast retelling, Isabelle, the only Black employee at her publishing house, helps a jaded and beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Circe by Madeline Miller, narrated by Perdita Weeks. When Circe, sorceress and exiled goddess, unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, she ultimately finds herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. Print / Playaway / Large print / eBook.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, narrated by Soneela Nankani. Kaikeyi is the story of the infamous queen from the Indian epic the Ramayana. It is a tale of fate, family, courage, and heartbreak—of an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Pandora’s Jar: Women in Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes, narrated by Natalie Haynes. Focused on the four great Greek mythic sags: the Trojan War, the Royal House of Thebes, Jason and the Argonauts, and Heracles, Pandora’s Jar focuses on the deeds and misdeeds of Hera Aphrodite, Athena, Circe, Clytemnestra, Jocosta, Antigone and Medea. Print / eAudiobook.

Upon a Burning Throne by Ashok K. Banker, narrated by Vikas Adam. (Hindu myth – The Mahabharata) In a world where demigods and demons walk among mortals, the Emperor of the vast Burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without an emperor. Inspired by the ancient Indian classic, The Mahabharata. Print / Playaway / eBook.

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire, narrated by John McDonough. In this reimagining of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans, a young Italian-American girl is forced to live with her grandparents after her mother is committed to an asylum.  Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec, narrated by Jayne Entwistle. When a banished witch falls in love with legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker, narrated by Kristin Atherton. In this feminist retelling of The Iliad, Troy has fallen and the victorious Greeks are eager to return home with the spoils of an endless war – including the women of Troy themselves. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Teen:

A Blade so Black written by L.L. McKinney, narrated by Jeanette Illidge. In this urban fantasy retelling, Alice in Wonderland meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Alice leaves behind real-world Atlanta to venture deep into Wonderland for the antidote that will save her poisoned mentor. Print / eAudiobook.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, narrated by Bahni Turpin. Seventeen-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi, in this West African inspired fantasy. Print / Playaway / eAudiobook / eBook / Large print.

Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews, narrated by Brittany Pressley. Guided by the handsome Apollo, Daphne journeys across ancient Greece to recover nine mysterious items stolen from Mount Olympus before the gods lose their powers and throw the mortal world into chaos in this historical fantasy reinterpretation of the Greek myth. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, narrated by Rosa Escoda. In this retelling of the Korean legend The tale of Shim Cheong, sixteen-year-old Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm, where, assisted by a motley crew of demons, gods, and lesser spirits, she sets out to awaken the sleeping Sea God and save her homeland and family from deadly storms. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt. To discover the truth behind her mother’s mysterious death, a teen girl infiltrates a magical secret society claiming to be the descendants of King Arthur and his knights. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Lovely War by Julie Berry, narrated by a full cast. In the perilous days of World Wars I and II, the gods hold the fates– and the hearts– of four mortals in their hands. Their story, as told by goddess Aphrodite to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it’s no match for the transcendent power of Love. Print / eAudiobook / eBook / Large print.

Pride and Premeditation written by Tirzah Price, narrated by Morag Sims. When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates. Print / eAudiobook.

Scavenge the Stars written by Tara Sim, narrated by Maria Liatis. In this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning and reinvents herself to seek revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. PrintPlayaway

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, narrated by Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Kinsale Hueston. Nina, a Lipan girl, and Oli, a cottonmouth kid cast from home, have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart. Print / eAudiobook.

Wicked as you Wish by Rin Chupeco, narrated by Cassie Simone. Years after the evil Snow Queen desolated the magical kingdom of Avalon, Prince Alexei, his friend Tala, and a ragtag band, inspired by the appearance of the Firebird, try to reclaim their land. Print / Book on CD / eAudiobook / eBook.

Childrens:

The Barren Grounds by David Robertson, narrated by Brefny Caribou. Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When a portal opens to another reality, Aski, bringing them onto frozen, barren grounds, they try to save their new friends before the icy grip of winter freezes everything. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

The Cursed carnival and Other Calamities edited by Rick Riordan, narrated by a full cast. A collection of ten stories by authors from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint that remix myths for modern readers. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee, narrated by Kim Mai Guest. Min, a thirteen-year-old girl with fox-magic, stows away on a battle cruiser and impersonates a cadet in order to solve the mystery of what happened to her older brother in the Thousand World Space Forces. Print / Playaway / eAudiobook / eBook / Large print.

Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang, narrated by Kim Mai Guest. Eleven-year-old Thom Ngho is swept up in an ancient and fantastical world where demons, dragons, and Jade princesses actually exist, but she quickly learns that magic can’t cure everything and dealing with the trickster god might be more trouble than it’s worth. Print / eAudiobook.

Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor, narrated by Ben Onwukwe. In southeastern Nigeria, twelve-year-old Nnamdi is determined to avenge his police chief father, who was murdered while triyng to rid the town of criminals, but Nnamdi feels powerless until he receives a magical object which gives him superpowers. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna, narrated by Zenia Starr. Drawn into the mystical world she created, 11-year-old Kiki Kallira must battle against her fear and anxiety to save two worlds–the real and imagined–from the wrath of an ancient deity bent on total destruction. Print / Playaway / eBook.

Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia, narrated by Frankie Corzo. In Silver Springs, Arizona, her mother’s stories of the monstrous La Llorona are thrilling but unbelievable to science-loving Paola until she and her best friends Dante and Emma take a walk through a cactus field near the Gila River. Print / Playaway / eAudiobook / eBook / Large print.

The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes, narrated by Ozzie Rodriguez. To prevent the Mayan gods from battling each other and destroying the world, thirteen-year-old Zane must unravel an ancient prophecy, stop an evil god, and discover how the physical disability that makes him reliant on a cane also connects him to his father and his ancestry. Print / eAudiobook / eBook / Large print.

The Three Princes of Serendip by Rodhan Al-Khalidi. This feast of Middle Eastern folklore from an award-winning Iraqi storyteller includes twenty fables and folktales with roots that stretch across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Print / Wonderbook.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, narrated by Amir Abdullah. Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. But when he accidentally rips open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. Print / Playaway / eAudiobook / eBook.

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