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From webcomics that reimagine divine romance to stage musicals that break your heart, these stories honor the legacy of the gods while blazing bold new paths of their own.
10) Lore Olympus (Rachel Smythe)
This beautiful WEBTOON original webcomic (and now hardcover graphic novel series) by Rachel Smythe reimagines the classic myth of Hades and Persephone through a modern, brightly colored lens. The drama that unfolds in Smythe’s Olympus is reminiscent of the pantheon that hooked us in The Lightning Thief in the first place, but with a focus on the complicated social lives and internal politics of the gods. The vibrant art style brings a fresh energy to an ancient myth, making the immortal gods feel more human than ever before.
Beyond the romance, Lore Olympus tackles themes of trauma and power dynamics with a mature and steady hand that Percy Jackson fans will appreciate as they grow older. Lore Olympus is a stylish, emotional rollercoaster that feels like a natural evolution for anyone who spent their childhood wondering what the gods were up to when they weren’t busy making life difficult for demigods like Percy, Annabeth, and the rest of Camp Half-Blood.
9) Hadestown
If you love Nico di Angelo or when Percy and his friends ventured into the underworld, this Tony-winning musical is a must-see. Hadestown tells the intertwined stories of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone, set in a Great Depression-inspired industrial wasteland. The folk-jazz score breathes a hauntingly beautiful life into the timeless tale of love, doubt, and the struggle against a cold, unforgiving world.
Hadestown captures that specific Percy Jackson feeling of hope against all odds. While the medium is vastly different, the core themes of bravery and the power of love (whether romantic or friendship) to change the world will immediately draw you in. Hadestown is a soulful reminder that we keep singing the old stories not because we expect them to end differently, but because they help us understand our own human hearts.
8) Ariadne (Jennifer Saint)
This novel by Jennifer Saint shifts the spotlight away from the “heroes” like Theseus and focuses on the women often left in the shadows of myth. Ariadne, the Princess of Crete, is more than just a girl with a ball of string—she is a woman caught between her loyalty to her family and her thirst for freedom. It’s a creative feminist retelling of a classic myth that gives readers a grounded look at ancient Greece.
For fans who enjoyed the depth with which Riordan wrote characters like Annabeth Chase or Thalia Grace, Ariadne offers a sophisticated look at the consequences of the gods’ divine whims. It strips away the shiny mask that Greek myths tend to wear to show the grit and resilience one needed to survive in a world ruled by fickle gods. Ariadne is a perfect bridge for those ready to see the myths through a more critical and adult point-of-view.
7) Circe (Madeline Miller)
Circe was a minor character in the Odyssey and a minor antagonist in Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, but Madeline Miller gives the woman considered a witch a magnificent epic of her own. Banished to the island of Aiaia, Circe learns to harness her power through herbs and spells. It is a sweeping story of transformation, motherhood, and the search for identity in a world that fears powerful women.
Miller’s writing style makes the magic feel all the more tangible and dangerous with each turn of the page. Fans of Percy Jackson will recognize familiar faces like Hermes, Prometheus, and Odysseus, but in Circe, they are seen through a lens that is both more intimate and somehow more cosmic at the same time. Circe is a masterpiece of character development (or perhaps re-development) that proves even the most misunderstood mythological figures deserve a chance to tell their story.
6) The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller)
Before he was the greatest warrior of Greece, Achilles was a boy in love. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller retells the Iliad through the eyes of Patroclus, Achilles’ long-time companion and lover. The novel captures the heavy weight of destiny that Percy often felt during his adventures, but centers that same weight on a romance that is as beautiful as it is tragic. Even though you know how the story will end before you even pick up the book, you’ll still find yourself hoping for a miracle for Achilles and Patroclus, even as the Trojan War looms over them.
The Song of Achilles is a story about the cost of glory and a testament to the enduring power of love. While it isn’t as lighthearted or humorous as Riordan’s work, the novel shares that same deep respect for the source material and the emotional stakes of being a mortal caught up in divine plans that cannot be thwarted. Be warned: this one will certainly leave you in tears by the final chapter.
5) Stone Blind (Natalie Haynes)
Everyone knows Medusa as the monster with snakes for hair, but Natalie Haynes asks us to look closer. This sharp, witty, and devastatingly clever book reclaims Medusa’s story, imagining her as the only mortal in a family of gods who is unfairly punished for a crime that was actually committed against her. It’s a brilliant critique of how we not only define monsters and heroes, but also how women were often vilified in ancient myths.
