Books like 'House of Names'
Readers who enjoyed House of Names by Colm Tóibín also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy action / adventure historical-fiction myths retellings literary-fiction ancient-civilization classics lgbtq
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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, David Thorpe
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 106 ratingsGreece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles...Categorized as:
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Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings by Abolqasem Ferdowsi, Azar Nafisi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAmong the great works of world literature, perhaps one of the least familiar to English readers is the "Shahnameh: ThePersian Book of Kings," the national epic of Persia... -
If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho by Sappho
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom poet and classicist Anne Carson comes this translation of the work of Sappho, together with the original Greek. Carson presents all the extant fragments of Sappho's verse, employing brackets and white space to denote missing text - allowing the reader to imagine the poems as they were written...Categorized as:
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Circe by Madeline Miller
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 96 ratingsIn the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child - not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power - the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves...Categorized as:
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Герой должен быть один by Henry Lion Oldie
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsМиф о подвигах Геракла известен всем с малолетства. Но не все знают, что на юном Геракле пересеклись интересы Олимпийской Семьи, свергнутых, в Тартар титанов, а также многих людей – в результате чего будущий герой и его брат Ификл с детства стали заложниками чужих интриг...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization ghosts historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult audiobook -
Babylonia by Costanza Casati
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the author of the bestselling Clytemnestra comes another intoxicating excursion into ancient history, as Casati reimagines the rise to power of the Assyrian empire's only female ruler, Semiramis.When kings fall, queens rise.Nothing about Semiramis's upbringing could have foretold her legacy or the power she would come to wield...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths retellings ancient-civilization classics fantasy fiction historical -
The Falcon Queen by Johanna Wittenberg
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTHE FALCON QUEEN(The Norsewomen Book 2)Ninth century Norway, the island of Tromøy.Åsa has won back her father’s kingdom, but can she hold it? The evil shapeshifter Hrolf lurks in the hinterlands, plotting revenge. The powerful Danes threaten from across the Skagerrak Sea, demanding marriage in exchange for peace, while her only ally, Olaf, presses his own suit...Categorized as:
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Raavan: Enemy Of Aryavarta by Amish Tripathi
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWITHOUT THE DARKNESS, LIGHT HAS NO PURPOSE.WITHOUT THE VILLAIN, WHAT WOULD THE GODS DO?INDIA, 3400 BCE.A land in tumult, poverty and chaos. Most people suffer quietly. A few rebel. Some fight for a better world. Some for themselves. Some don't give a damn. Raavan. Fathered by one of themost illustrious sages of the time. Blessed by the Gods with talents beyond all...Categorized as:
myths historical-fiction retellings family fiction fantasy action-adventure religion -
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsIn this timeless tale of two mortal princesses- one beautiful and one unattractive- C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche's embittered and ugly older sister, who posessively and harmfully loves Psyche... -
Vikramaditya Veergatha Book 1 The Guardians of the Halahala by Shatrujeet Nath
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe deadly Halahala, the all-devouring poison churned from the depths of the White Lake by the devas and asuras, was swallowed by Shiva to save the universe from extinction.But was the Halahala truly destroyed?A small portion still remains – a weapon powerful enough to guarantee victory to whoever possesses it...Categorized as:
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Red Branch by Morgan Llywelyn
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn a land ruled by war and love and strange enchantments, Cuchulain -- torn between gentleness and violence, haunted by the croakings of a sinister raven -- fights for his honor and his homeland and discovers too late the trap that the gods have set for him in the fatal beauty of Deirdre and the brutal jealousy of King Conor... -
Ramayana by Vālmīki
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Ramayana is, quite simply, the greatest of Indian epics - and one of the world's supreme masterpieces of storytelling 'Almost every individual living in India,' writes R. K. Narayan in the Introduction to this new interpretation, 'is aware of the story of The Ramayana... -
Rise of Kali: Duryodhana's Mahabharata by Anand Neelakantan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTHE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra, Ajaya is the tale of the Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. From the pen of the author who gave voice to Ravana in the national bestseller, ASURA, comes the riveting narrative which compels us to question the truth behind the Mahabharata...Categorized as:
drama family historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult alternate-history -
Raj Kahini by Abanindranath Tagore
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings<span><span>An unforgettable historical novella that leads you to the flowing sand dunes of Rajasthan, the clash of swords, to the courtyard of kings and queens. The book captures the spirit of a heroic past that never fails to move readers even today...Categorized as:
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The Three Kingdoms, Volume 2: The Sleeping Dragon by Luo Guanzhong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis exciting new translation will appeal to modern readers who find the twists and turns of Game of Thrones so compelling.The Three Kingdoms is an epic Chinese novel written over six centuries ago...Categorized as:
historical-fiction classics ancient-civilization myths family literary-fiction fiction fantasy -
Christopher Robin: The Novelization by Elizabeth Rudnick
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCapturing the heartwarming magic of Walt Disney Studios' upcoming Christopher Robin film, this novelization pulls fans back into the world of Pooh through a book that enables them to relive the story and revisit their old pals whenever they please...Categorized as:
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Four Sisters by Val Wood
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA powerful story about the bond of sisterhood and how it can triumph against any adversity, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood.Hull, 1852. Matty has had to care for her three younger sisters ever since their mother’s death ten years ago. She and the girls’ beloved father have worked hard to keep the family together and now it’s time to celebrate as Matty turns eighteen...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family drama literary-fiction classics historical tragedy fantasy -
Mythology by Dugald A. Steer, Hestia Evans
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPresenting the newest discovery in the series with the Midas touch — a mythical exploration fit for the godsIn the early nineteenth century, an English nobleman embarked on a tour of the sites of ancient Greece. He brought as his guide a primer on Greek myths written by his friend Lady Hestia Evans, a devotee of Lord Byron who had recently taken the same voyage...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure book children -
Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish by Morgan Llywelyn
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis is the tale of the coming of the Irish to Ireland, and of the men and women who made that emerald isle their own... -
People of the Earth by W. Michael Gear, Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsKidnapped from the Earth People as a child, White Ash learns the way of the Sun People as she grows into a beautiful woman. But the disturbing dreams that made her an outcast in her old tribe are becoming stronger and they foretell a frightening future of bitter cold, war and famine...Categorized as:
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The Iliad/The Odyssey by Homer
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsGripping listeners and readers for more than 2,700 years, 'The Iliad' is the story of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. If 'The Iliad' is the world's greatest war story, then 'The Odyssey' is literature's greatest evocation of every man's journey through life... -
The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 2 by Wu Cheng'en
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAnthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult audiobook -
King Arthur and His Knights: Selected Tales by Thomas Malory
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThomas Malory, knight, adventurer, and soldier, was born in the early years of the fifteenth century and died on March 14, 1471, having spent much of the last twenty years of his life in prison. It was there that he wrote most, if not all, of his works, completing the last in about 1470...Categorized as:
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Russian Magic Tales from Pushkin to Platonov by Robert Chandler, Aleksandr Afanasyev
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor fans of fairy tales and the literary supernatural: a unique collection of Russian short stories from the last 200 years In these folk tales, young women go on long and perilous quests, wicked stepmothers turn children into geese, and tsars ask dangerous riddles, with help or hindrance from magical dolls, cannibal witches, talking skulls, stolen wives, and brothers disguised as wise birds...Categorized as:
classics literary-fiction myths retellings 20th-century action-adventure adult anthologies -
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The Three Kingdoms: The Sacred Oath by Luo Guanzhong
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis exciting new translation will appeal to modern readers who find the twists and turns of Game of Thrones so compelling.The Three Kingdoms is an epic Chinese novel written over six centuries ago...Categorized as:
classics family historical-fiction literary-fiction myths action-adventure adult book -
Stories from Around the World by Heather Amery
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe stories in this book, one from each major country or area of the world, are written in a way that young listeners and young readers will find easy to understand and...Categorized as:
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The Golden Fleece by Robert Graves
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAlong with I, Claudius, The Golden Fleece is considered one of Robert Graves's most exciting and transporting historical novels. The Golden Fleece was at one time the most sacred religious object of the ancient Greeks, and had been sent away as the result of a power struggle between the Greeks and earlier inhabitants of the Greek peninsula... -
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Tania Zamorsky, Howard Pyle
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the sword in the stone and the founding of Camelot to the famed Round Table and the Lake of Enchantment, the legend of King Arthur will never lose its magic. Though simpler, this version includes all the wonderful stories—such as King Arthur’s winning of Guenievere and Merlin’s tragic downfall at the hands of the evil Vivien...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure book children children-books -
Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis remarkable novel by adventure writer H. Rider Haggard can be enjoyed on many levels. As a tale of adventure, it takes the reader through 16th-century England, Spain, and Mexico at the time of the Spanish Conquest. But on a deeper level, the author's hopes for humanity shine through the darkness of this time to illuminate the reader with his spiritual philosophy...Categorized as:
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The Metamorphoses: Ovid's Epic Poem, Translated by Great English Authors and Poets of the 18th Century by Ovid, Alexander Pope
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsOvid's legendary poem, comprising a total of two hundred and fifty ancient myths, is present in its entirety in this edition of The Metamorphoses. The Metamorphoses is commonly referred to simply as an 'epic poem', when in actuality the text encompasses a variety of genres in telling stories of magnificent breadth and scale...Categorized as:
classics myths literary-fiction ancient-civilization historical-fiction dark-academia drama lgbtq -
The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 3 by Wu Cheng'en
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAnthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult audiobook -
Phone Home, Persephone! by Kate McMullan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe story about how Hades kidnapped Persephone when she was picking flowers? Totally false! Zeus made that story up to make himself look better. What else would you expect from a total myth-o-maniac? The truth is, Persephone was trying to escape her overprotective mother, Demeter. King Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, is here to set the record straight... -
Have a Hot Time, Hades! by Kate McMullan
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsDad's gut was so big that it wasn't crowded, even with the five of us down there. Of course, every once in a while, we got on one another's nerves. Poseidon was always trying to organize swimming meets. Hestia was always tidying up the place. Hera was the bossy one, always telling the rest of us what to do. But Demeter was definitely the weirdest...Categorized as:
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The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel by Nikos Kazantzakis
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA continuation of Homer’s epic poem, Kazantzakis’s own Odyssey finds Odysseus once again leaving Ithaca on finding that the satisfactions of home and hearth are not as he remembered them... -
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The Bull from the Sea by Mary Renault
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn this sequel to The King Must Die Theseus defies the Gods’ and claims the throne of Athens a move that culminates in the terrible, fateful destruction of the house of Minos -- the Minotaur... -
Pandora Gets Frightened by Carolyn Hennesy
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsPandy has recaptured six of the great Evils that she "accidentally" let loose, and now our foursome--Pandy, Alcie, Iole, and Homer--is on the hunt for the worst of them all: Fear. The team must journey into the dreaded underworld for their final adventure.Meanwhile, Hera, who knows where Pandy is heading, has been wreaking havoc in the shadowy world... -
Ramses: Under the Western Acacia by Christian Jacq
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the final novel in the bestselling series, Christian Jacq writes of the Hittite king who wants Ramses to marry his daughter, while revolt is brewing among the revenge-driven Libyans...Categorized as:
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Ramses: The Lady of Abu Simbel by Christian Jacq
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSaga about ancient Egypt & the powerful struggle between Ramses & his enemies...Categorized as:
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The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIn The Last of the Wine, two young Athenians, Alexias and Lysis, compete in the palaestra, journey to the Olympic games, fight in the wars against Sparta, and study under Socrates. As their relationship develops, Renault expertly conveys Greek culture, showing the impact of this supreme philosopher whose influence spans epochs...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics dark-academia drama historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction myths -
Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis brilliant reconception of the Arthurian epic cuts through the familiar myths and tells the story of the real King Arthur: Artos the Bear, the mighty warrior-king who saved the last lights of Western civilization when the barbarian darkness descended in the fifth century...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction myths retellings 20th-century action-adventure -
The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1 of 3 by Anonymous
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratings'The bride then came surrounded by her slave girls like the moon among stars or a matchless pearl set among others on a string.'When the beautiful Shahrazad gives herself to the bloody-handed King Shahriyar, she is not expected to survive beyond dawn...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult anthologies -
The Thousand and One Nights by N.J. Dawood
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOffering unexpurgated translations of the best-loved tales, including such classics as 'Sindbad the Sailor', Tales from the Thousand and One Nights - sometimes known as the Arabian Nights - is translated with an introduction by N.J. Dawood in Penguin Classics...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction myths retellings action-adventure anthologies children -
Robin Hood by Paul Creswick, Timothy Meis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBased on the Paul Creswick telling of Robin Hood, and drawing from the rich and varied lore surrounding the beloved outlaw, this spirited reworking of Robin Hood's many adventures is a vibrant introduction to Friar Tuck, Little John, Maid Marian, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and, of course, Robin Hood, the hero whose generosity and sense of justice continue to intrigue readers today as much as...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction myths retellings action-adventure book children -
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn his final quest, Gilgamesh, still mourning the death of his dear friend Enkidu, sets out to find the key to immortality. His journey is perilous. He must fight ferocious serpents and wild lions. He travels through bitterly cold caves, across scorching deserts, and over the fatal waters of the Sea of Death...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure asia book -
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An Encyclopedia of Tolkien by David Day
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA comprehensive, illustrated guide to the history, lands, and inhabitants of Middle-earth. The fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth contains a rich assortment of people, cities, and creatures—as well as a deep, intertwined history that spans thousands of years... -
Mulan Live Action Novelization by Elizabeth Rudnick
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA thrilling novelization that takes listeners back inside the world of Walt Disney Studios' live action Mulan film to relive the adventures with their favorite characters, old and new.LOYAL. BRAVE. TRUE.Curious and drawn to adventure, Mulan struggles to meet her village's traditional standards...Categorized as:
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I, Medusa by Ayana Gray
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a new kind of villain origin story, reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek mythology as a provocative and powerful young heroine.Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else’s story...Categorized as:
myths retellings historical-fiction ancient-civilization romance fantasy fiction young-adult -
The Well At The World's End: Volume I by William Morris, Lin Carter
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIn the land of the Upmeads, King Peter's sons thirst for adventure and the King agrees that all except Ralph, the youngest, may go forth. But Ralph secretly makes his way to Wulstead, and here learns about the Well at the World's End, beginning a journey which will eventually lead him there...Categorized as:
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The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur by Margaret Hodges, Trina Schart Hyman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsNoble Gareth defeats a dreaded knight and wins the hand of a fair maiden...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics historical-fiction myths retellings action-adventure adult arthurian -
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night: 16 Volumes, Including The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night by Anonymous
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings*This Book is annotated (it contains a detailed biography of the author). *An active Table of Contents has been added by the publisher for a better customer experience. *This book has been checked and corrected for spelling errors...
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