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2021 has been an eventful year with many things happening globally and personally. For the topic of this blog, we will look at the upcoming events that pertain to book related content. Every year a sizeable number of books are released for consumers to enjoy and obsess over. There is no better feeling then finally getting your hands on a book that you have been anticipating for a long duration of time.
A fervent lover of classical mythology and history, I am excited on what type of adventures the impending 2022 book releases will unlock. This blog post is a curated short and savory list of six upcoming novels that will have you traveling back to the glorious age of marble temples and vengeful gods. The highlighted novels will be listed in chronological order of their expected release dates.
Katee Robert | January 18
Kicking off this legendary novel listicle is a saucy adaptation of the Eros and Psyche Greek myth. There story is the example of the power of true love; lovers who will do anything to reclaim the lover they have lost, even if that means doing the dirty deeds of gods. This story is sure to be filled with soulful passion that will test the limits of peoples love. The author Katee Roberts is known in the bibliophile community for her recent work, Neon Gods. As mentioned in a previous blog post, Katee is one of many authors who help in nurturing the modern contributions in the elaboration of the tall dark and handsome tales of Hades and vivacious Persephone legends. It is exciting to see Katee taking other famous Greek mythology tales and twisting them into modern sexy stories for mature readers. Things can get a little steamy with Katee’s writing to make sure your have a fire extinguisher close by because her books with begin to emit steam with every page turn.
*Disclosure: Katee Roberts books will not literally steam, there is no real fire hazard to be cautious of. The steaming pages is just a metaphor for the spicy content she unravels through her storytelling*
George O’Connor | January 25* Changed to March 8
Such a beautiful and vibrant way to relive the legends of the Greek Olympians. From the moment of discovery back in 2016, I have been in love with George O’Connor’s creative abilities to bring the Greek pantheon to life through his imaginative artwork. Each one of his twelve graphic novels showcases a member of the Greek pantheon with exception to book four which features the lord of the underworld Hades. The reason why George included Hades into his realm of graphic novel Olympians is because A) Hades is the eldest brother of the five elder Olympians and B) He replaces the spot of Demeter since their most famous myth is intertwined with each other. In 2022 you can expect the final chapter of the Olympians graphic novel series which will follow the tales of the youngest Greek god Dionysus while paying homage to the eldest of the Olympian gods Hestia. I wonder what illustrious escapades George will decorate his final novel pages with when he accompanies the procession of maenads and satyrs’ who follow an ostentatious heterochromia godling.
Jennifer Saint | April 28
2021 saw the debut of Jennifer Saints first novel ARIADNE which is loved by countless readers around the world. Jennifer does a wonderful job breathing new life into beloved ancient tales. She finds a way to tell the story from an angle we have yet to discover, while staying true to the original Greek legends. If you love Greek mythology and want to experience the stories of antiquity through the eyes of empowering women, go mark your 2022 calendars to prepare for Jennifer Saints second novel Elektra. If the name Elektra does not sound familiar to you let me shed some light on the princess of Mycenae. Elektra is one of three children from the union of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Agamemnon is the warlord king from the tales of the Trojan war. He helped gather men from across Greece to avenge his brother Menelaus from the Trojans who stole Helen from Sparta. Helen is also the sister of Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra. Before the Greeks departed on their decade long conflict, Agamemnon was told to sacrifice his eldest daughter Iphigenia to appease the Goddess Artemis for the necessary winds to journey to the lands of Troy. Clytemnestra never forgave her husband for killing their eldest daughter so once he returned home from Troy, she devised a plan to murder the king. We know of Clytemnestra and her treacherous plans from a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus. In these stories we meet Orestes and Elektra the last surviving children of Agamemnon. Elektra and Orestes work out plans to avenge their dead father from their crazy mother and her lover. It will be interesting to see what perspective of Elektra Jennifer Saint will portray in her new novel.
Elodie Harper | May 12
I have heard marvelous things about Elodie Harper book “The Wolf Den”. This novel highlights females in Pompeii who worked in the oldest profession of prostitution. These women of antiquity have been overlooked by society for their line of work and low social class, it is time they get to share the spotlight and be the main characters for once. I must be honest with my readers; I have not yet read this book because it is on my holiday wish list of 2021. Once I read the first novel, I will update this listicle. If you have an interest in ancient Rome and the city of Pompeii known as the ancient Las Vegas of the Roman Empire, this trilogy will pique your interest. In 2022 the second book to Elodie Harpers trilogy will be released leaving readers to journey through new doors that unlock more imaginative stories.
*UPDATE* The Wolf Den was one of my favorite reads of 2022. If you are a fan of historical fiction and enjoy strong female characters, this book has a supple amount of it all. Using historical locations, festivals, quotes and people, this book is guaranteed to entice any reader.
Scarlett St Clair | May 31
This highly anticipated sequel to A Game of Fate is set to release in 2022. Scarlett St Clair fans also known as the Cult of Scarlett can’t wait for more Hades and Persephone content. A Game of Retribution is the second book that follows the perspective of Hades in the Touch of Darkness Series. This series is expected to have a total of seven books once it is in completion. Currently we have three books out that are in the perspective of Persephone. Scarlett does a spectacular job in modernizing the Greek pantheon along with adding new issues that could end the reign of the ambrosia eating gods. Although the Hades point of view novels follow the same storyline as the Persephone novels, readers will feel like they are reading a completely different novel. Even though the two lovers are interlocked with each other most of the time, they have their own demons to conquer. The final book in the series will be a duel point of view novel but for the time being we have the second Hades novel to look forward to. Buckle up and get ready to bargain for time to speed up because this sexy book will be in your lap and making you sweat right before the summer heat.
Rachel Smythe | July 5
Another Greek mythology inspired graphic novel that will be gracing the shelves of your local bookstore in 2022 is the second edition of Lore Olympus. Persephone and Hades are finally getting the time together they deserve but mistakes of the past come to haunt the friendly couple which leaves them to stand up to the other gods for justice. This explosion of divine colour will leave you in suspense with every page turn, making you unsure what curve ball will be thrown into the mix. Will Persephone’s inner demons finally be vanquished or will she be forced back into her golden cage to suppress her true power. I cannot stress enough how excited I am for this book! Rachel Smythe has me setting an alarm every Saturday, so I do not miss the latest chapter updates on Webtoon. You best believe I am setting an alarm for Lore Olympus Part two.
There are so many books to look forward to in the new year! As mentioned before this is just a short and savory list, so if you have more mythology related book recommendations that people should be on the look out for in 2022, please share your suggestions in the comments below.