The myths told here are more accessible to younger readers. The art is captivating and enhances the stories. Overall, a good buy for collections to balance older and more intense Greek Mythology titles.

3.5 Stars

A great comprehensive collection of the different deities within Greek mythology. Each section is fairly short but recounts each one’s story as well as their specific abilities. Also goes into the symbols that represent each. Easy and fun to read and highly recommended to anyone that is looking for a compilation of the Greek deities that can be understood and appreciated by adults and children alike.

Received via Netgalley. I have provided a truthful review of my own accord, and it reflects my opinion alone.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of mythology, so I excitedly requested this book.

This book is a beautifully illustrated, , collection of stories about the Greek gods.

I really enjoyed it.. I'd recommend it.

I received an electronic ARC of this graphic novel/comic book from NetGalley and the publisher. I thought I had already reviewed this book, but apparently I hadn't yet.

This book is a beautifully illustrated, simplified, collection of stories about the Greek gods, goddesses, demi-gods, and demi-goddesses. I think that this book would be a great resource for anyone who loves reading about Greek mythology, children, and anyone who is wanting to learn more about Greek mythology for research or fun.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of mythology, so I excitedly requested this book. The art is beautiful. Very eye-catching and colorful. The writing was so-so. If you have an interest in mythology at all, I think it's worth the read.

Honestly, I jumped at reviewing Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology by Françoise Rachmuhl just by looking at the cover! The art is beautiful and I, wrongly, assumed that it featured Hades on the cover at first glance. It doesn’t and I just, the two stars I’ve given this book are solely for the artwork. The art is gorgeous and Charlotte Gastaut is an amazing illustrator!

The writing itself, well, I will say other readers may really enjoy this, but I simply couldn’t. I don’t know if it’s because I studied classics at Uni, including role of religion in antiquity, or if it is because I am biased, but the book fell so very short for me. For starts, to have a book and say it will focus on the main twelve gods, then purposely omit Hades? He is relegated to brief mentions in the stories of other gods and doesn’t even get a portrait in the family tree. I don’t understand how you do this? It’s bad enough that so many people conflate him and the Christian idea of Satan, but then to purposely disregard him?

My second major concern were the heroines chosen by Rachmuhl toward the end of the book – Helen and Atalanta. I can’t understand how Helen was chosen as a heroine as it seemed Rachmuhl’s sole intent in placing her was to recount the Trojan War, and even then, Helen remains a pretty bystander who is then miserable to be taken back by Menelaus. If we were going with different interpretations, and this is to focus on Helen as a heroine, why not stick with the abduction narrative in which she was a loving wife to Menelaus and was forcefully abducted and tricked by Paris and Aphrodite?

A better alternative to Helen would have been Penelope and Rachmuhl could still have included information about the Trojan War. Including Penelope would have depicted the happy, loving wife AND how clever a woman she was in preparing the archery contest.

Atalanta’s inclusion as a heroine I would not have minded in the slightest had the forward for the heroines section not indicated Atalanta was included as “a great example of an independent woman.” She was, until she was punished for desecrating a temple and then turned into lions, ending Atalanta’s tale on a sad note, “She longed to once again run free.” You can’t build up a story saying independent woman!!! only to have her end up on a leash and miserable – that’s a horrible message to send!

If we’re going to have an unhappy ending for heroines, why not choose Cassandra who ultimately was rewarded after death with spending the afterlife in the Elysian Fields for her faith and duty in the gods?

Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology by Françoise Rachmuhl was expertly illustrated but fell flat when it came to the featured myths, gods, and heroines. Might appeal to beginners only just beginning to learn of mythology, but even then, beware.

When I saw what this graphic novel is about, I instantly requested it. I'm obsessed with George O'Connor's Olympians graphic novel series, so I figured this would be an obvious love for me as well.

Well I didn't love it. I liked it fine, it's not bad by any means. It's generic enough to be a good introduction for kids to some important figures in Greek Mythology. And I loved the art & coloring style. Very bright but ancient greece-like at the same time. My biggest issue with it is the choice of anecdotes for each god or hero. And the ending. We end abruptly with Atalanta, which doesn't feel like the right choice.

Overall I would recommend it to young readers to introduce them to the Greek gods, demigods, and heroes of ancient times. It has the most important stories (the Trojan War and its origin and heroes, Jason and the Golden Fleece, the Minotaur, etc.) and is a good starting point and I think the colors will keep a kid interested.

As the parent of a child who is obsessed with Greek mythology, let me say that I personally find a void in this genre - something with modern, lush illustrations and narrative storytelling about . We are so happy to welcome Francsoise Rachmuhl's book with open arms to fill that void. The illustrations are full-color, lush, beautiful, contemporary and yet referential to historic art styles. The storytelling is vivid and exciting, bringing classic stories to life and helping the reader to contextualize the complex relationships and concurrent events of Mt Olympus and adjacent gods and heroes. This is a beautiful book, perfect for gift giving, and I am delighted to enjoy it alongside my children.

I adore Greek Mythology so I was sold the second I saw this. The illustrations are very beautiful and cute and accompany the stories so well. Most of the stories are those you have heard before about the gods and some mortal heroes, but some of the stories I actually hadn't heard before. It's a great introduction to those who aren't invested in the greek mythology but want to know a little about it, and simply enjoying for those who already know the stories.

Each biography of the gods and mortals were quite short, but very informative. As it's marketed toward children the more adult topics are dealt with in a way easily-accessible for children, yet I don't think it takes away anything from the story if an adult is reading. I think people in any ages would enjoy the book.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange of an honest review.

This is a children's book about the most important figures in Greek mythology. Each page is fully illustrated, and the book is separated by gods first, followed by mortals. Each character receives a quick biography spanning several pages. The book was originally published in France but was released on September 18th here in America. 

It had been years since I'd read any Greek philosophy, so I was pretty rusty going into this book. As I read it, I remembered many things I had forgotten and learned much more. The biography of each god or mortal is concise, yet very informative. The more adult themes are dealt with in a relatively light-hearted manner, making it accessible to children. 

The illustrations, done by Charlotte Gastaut are gorgeous and are what makes this publication so special. It was a stunning book. Despite being marketed toward children, this is definitely a book that people of any age would love. 

This is definitely a book you should buy. If you forget about famous Greek deities and need to brush up quickly, this book is a wonderful way to do so.

Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology brings Greek mythology to life for younger readers. The gorgeous and bright illustrations that go with each story provide interest and the wording keeps the stories attainable for upper elementary and middle school. I could see each story in this being a daily read aloud across a mythology unit. And the family tree at the beginning was helpful!

I love Greek Mythology so I snatched this up when I saw it and it's beautiful to look at. The pages pop with bright uses of colors and play great with the origin stories of the gods found within.
I found the artwork to be stunning and in tune with the overall voice of the time and stories as well as the culture that is found in Greece. The writing was also well done, sometimes it came across as a bit incomplete as if there was more to the story and then it was cut out.

I can see this book working for the audience that is interested in reading about Greek Mythology for the first time, regardless of age or as a refresher, as it's a nice and short intro to both the male and female deities which can easily allow a reader to pick up another book of a similar fashion.

My only complaint is that the DRC copy didn't load correctly and so I was unable to read the entire book no matter how many times I tried to re-load so this review is based on the little I was able to read and see.but I do want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy.

I found it inconsistent and the illustrations odd. Children may love it, but I think D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths is a much better choice.

Received via NetGalley.

This book is adorable. What a great way to learn more about Greek mythology. I need to get this book for my niece!
I loved how short yet complete each story was. And the art is GORGEOUS!!!
The second half flagged a bit, but quickly recovered. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, it just ended. A simple little wrap up would have been nice.

Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology works as an updated, abridged version of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology modified for middle schoolers.* Incest and infidelities, murder and mayhem are glossed over or described in sanitized terms. For example, Zeus’s extramarital affairs and sexual assaults are labeled as “adventures” in the summary of his personal life. Hmm. Greek mythology is inherently not kid-friendly content, which makes the designation of this book as being for children ages 9 to 12 years old or in the 4th through 6th grades seem problematic. “Greek tragedy” is a common phrase for legitimate reasons. Parents and guardians will enjoy reading the text and savoring the evocative artwork as they evaluate its appropriateness for their children.

Each section features a headliner with information about secondary personalities and conflicts interwoven into the details of their origin stories. Characters and key elements are rendered in layered images with mortal and immortal figures in white silhouette. Most facial features are elongated to a humanoid appearance. Graduated color saturation in a mix of pastels and primary colors from translucent to opaque form backgrounds that highlight sharp edges and soft curves. Some sepia-toned ink drawings and woodcuts fall among a variety of artistic techniques in these gorgeous illustrations.

One element that captured my attention at first glance of the two figures on the cover is their stark whiteness. Now if this were a collection of condensed bios about characters in Norse mythology the white-default wouldn’t seem incongruous. Greece is located in the Mediterranean. Greek people aren’t typically pale. Ancient Greeks were probably very brown during the generations before the invention of sunscreen. A browse of the projects link on Charlotte Gastaut’s website shows that this stark white silhouette is a signature element of her work and her other projects include a smattering of brown faces. In Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology Poseidon is shown in shades of blue. Plus, a few brown figures may be included among the pages that would not load for me in the e-ARC.

It just seems as if in the years since #WeNeedDiverseBooks and #1000blackgirlbooks generated robust public discussion and inspired action to expand casts of characters and inclusive representation of all kinds of people in children’s books, that the white-default element of these exquisite illustrations feels outdated.


*My e-ARC wouldn’t load the last third of the content, making this review based on the first two-thirds of the work.

This is a must have if you are a lover of Greek mythology! It is an information based book with short stories and traits of Greek gods and goddesses. This makes a great reference to use alongside your favorite fiction mythology book or series! Perfect for my son's upcoming school project.

I love Greek mythology. I would have loved this book when I was a kid. My first introduction to Greek mythology was reading the book series Dolphin Diaries, where the dolphin was named after Apollo.

This book was filled with short origin stories of the Greek gods. They were each just a few pages long and told the most exciting stories about them. There were also some important mortals included at the end of the book including Jason, Achilles, Theseus, Helen and Atalanta.

I loved the way the stories were simplified for children to read. I found it funny when the male gods were described as having “adventures” which ended in them having children. It was a euphemism for when they would assume a mortal form and seduce a woman, but I found it funny to call them adventures.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a great guide to Greek mythology for young kids.

Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology is being marketed as a graphic novel. However, it is less of a graphic novel and more of an illustrated nonfiction book. The illustrations are not in a "comic" format, but look more like (really beautiful) illustrations that one would see in a picture book. They are arresting illustrations, though. I especially like the full-page "portraits" of each mortal/immortal that starts their "chapter."

Each god has about 3-5 pages with their name, what they are the god of, a brief (paragraph-long) overview of what they look like and/or significant characteristics. This is followed by their origin story and/or the main story they are known for. Each mortal, typically, has more pages, but that is because their story is longer.

This book is best for upper elementary and middle grade readers who are interested in Greek mythology. I requested this eARC because I have a tween who is obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, and I was thinking this might be a good book for her since she loves graphic novels. However, she probably knows all of this information (plus it's not really a graphic novel). As such, this 129-page book will be best read by kids who are new to mythology and/or know little about these mortals and immortals.

I have loved Greek mythology since I was a child. I still have my original Edith Hamilton collection and I am regularly on the lookout for new additions to the genre.
This is a beautiful book! The artwork is stunning - not just in style but also in the feel it gives to the various myths and characters. The writing and presentation is perfect for beginners while still being appropriate for seasoned readers as well. The translation from the original French flows cleanly.
I have purchased a copy for my classroom as well as one for myself.

This is an awesome little book for someone who is completely unfamiliar with Greek Mythology, so it's a great entry point. The stories are short and simple, and cover all of the Olympians, and some heroes as well. I really enjoyed that the authors decided to include both female and male heroes, since that isn't always the case. There was only one story in here that I wasn't familiar with before, so I really enjoyed that one.

My absolute favorite part were the illustrations which I loved. This would be an awesome little coffee table book, and I would love to own this in hardback