This was an amazing collection of stories about Greek mythology. From a retelling of Medusa's stories from the perspective of a reality TV show to a reimagined science fiction retelling of Hades and Persephone's tale, these stories provide different perspectives and touch on different themes from that of the original myths. It's creative, imaginative and captivating. It was a very enjoyable read.

I enjoyed reading this book and thought it was a great way to showcase different authors and their takes on Greek mythology. I especially loved the first story in the book, and enjoyed most of the others. This book fits the style of other popular Greek myth retellings, and I wouldn’t be surprised if sometime later some of these authors came out with books in this vein after writing in this anthology. An enjoyable read of some stories shared by some of my favorite authors. (4.5./5)

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately taken in by the premise of this book, "an anthology of gender-bent, queered, race-bent, and inclusive retellings," all based in Greek mythology. As someone who loves Greek mythology and loves a twist on a classic tale, I was sold. I think almost every story had a good premise and did accomplish what it set out to do, however I did not think the anthology style really gave each author a chance to flesh out their universe. Each story was so unique had such different worlds that it was hard to cram enough world building into each as they were all allotted one chapter.

I do want to point out two stories I really did enjoy though. One was the opening story "The Gorgon Confessionals" by Zoraida Cordova and the other was "Wild to Covet" by Sarah Gailey. I think both, while extremely different, really let the reader be sucked into the world each author was creating in very few pages. Cordova's story was a retelling of Medusa and Perseus set as a reality show/documentary and really started us off on a good note. It was humorous but with a heart. Gailey's on the other hand was a retelling of Thetis's story and reminded me in some ways of "Where the Crawdads Sing". It was very atmospheric and just pulled you in. It was a great exploration of what it means to be a woman and a mother and what it means to be wild and free.

While I did not love most of the stories as they were in this book, I did still think they were excellently written and had interesting concepts. I just needed more to really fell connected to each one and to understand all the things the author wanted to do. I would recommend checking this out if you do like mythology retellings as I feel it is worth a read.

So many short stories in one book! Wow. I really enjoyed this. Each of the stories are a twist on Greek mythology, and I enjoyed seeing the different ways each other told these stories. A few of my favorites include: The Ship of Thea, Atalanta Hunts the Boar, and Stasis (Bastion in the Spring). I don’t want to put any spoilers in my review, but I will be thinking about these stories for awhile!

Some of the stories I really really enjoyed, other's I didn't care for at all. I had a difficult time identifying many of the myths despite having a better than average working knowledge of Greek mythology. I think some will love this collection, for me it was an interesting read, but not a wow.

If you are a fan of Greek mythology or retellings then you should defintely check this out! There are 15 authors all sharing their own short stories and reimaginings of Greek gods and goddesses. The first story in this is my favorite although they were all great.

Fans of Greek and Roman myths who think they’ve read it all have a new book for their To-Be-Read pile. “Fit for the Gods,” edited by Jenn Northington and S. Zainab Williams, is a collection of classic myths with a twist. From modern settings to space races to clever storytelling styles (who knew a documentary transcript could be so intriguing?), this anthology truly has something for everyone.

The best part of this collection is that these retellings are so inclusive and approachable. Changes range from gender to race to sexuality, but each new version adds depth and a new perspective to the themes of the original. Familiarity with the classic myths provides readers with fun little moments where the dots suddenly connect or with chuckles at witty naming conventions. However, knowledge of the originals is not required to enjoy “Fit for the Gods.” I knew some of the stories before picking up this collection, and I was able to appreciate the artistic choices made by the authors in those circumstances. That being said, there were absolutely retellings of stories that I hadn’t read before, and I enjoyed them just as much as those whose background I already understood.

Overall, this book is a great read, and I’d recommend it for those who are looking to see their favorite stories through a new lens (especially our friends Odysseus, Hades, and Persephone) or for those who are looking for stories that place themselves firmly outside of the box and which create their own rules.

Thank you Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the free advanced reader copy! Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I'm not a huge fan of books written like plays. When I opened this book, immediately realized and closed it. Might be for other people, but not my cup of tea.

This is a really fun, imaginative collection of Greek mythology retellings. Some of the stories are familiar, in others it's the characters you recognize that are in new situations. There was a lot of variety in genre and the parts of the mythos the authors were adapting. I hadn't read much of the included authors' other works, but i'm definitely going to look for more from many of them. Some of the stories I liked in particular were the noir detective style one with Elektra and the sci-fi Odyssey, they were the two that i'd love to read a full book of. While I didn't love every story, there is something to love about each one, and the diversity of stories will appeal to a lot of different readers. I felt like this collection was incredibly imaginative, taking Greek mythology into new genres outside of urban fantasy and creating fascinating takes on these well-known stories.

Fit For The Gods is an anthology of short stories of Greek mythology retellings. I absolutely love reading short story anthologies as a way of getting additional content from authors I love and to discover new-to-me authors. I love Greek mythology and when I read that Fit For The Gods featured "gender-bent, queered, race-bent, and inclusive retellings" I knew I had to read it.

Fit For The Gods has such a variety of storytelling styles and I loved having no idea what awaited from one story to the next. As a Sci-Fi fan, my favorite short stories of the bunch were Atalanta Hunts The Boar and A Heart Inured To Suffering. These two stories had me HOOKED. Atalanta Hunts The Boar felt like I had been thrown into one of my favorite Star Wars stories!

I recommend this book if you’re a BIG Greek mythology fan. I am a fan but not a SUPER fan and I felt like perhaps my knowledge of the original myths was not great enough to fully appreciate these stories. The first few stories weren't really for me and I found myself having to force myself to dive into this anthology to keep on reading. I am glad I powered through because I ended up truly enjoying some of the later stories.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

I grew up in the Greek myths, So I absolutely had to snatch up this collection of short stories. These are the stories of Greek mythology you know and love, but rewoven through a kaleidoscope of genres and authors.

An absolute goddamned delight. Not a single miss in these stories for me. Every author I knew delivered at the top of their form, and a bunch of new authors for me to check out. POVs changed, story twists unraveled, settings launched across the stars, tragedies averted. Whether you are in the mood for contemporary romance, a sci fi jaunt, or an ecological horror, this collection has something for everyone, I absolutely adored every minute I spent reading this.

As soon as I had finished the last story, I was placing an order for a physical copy. And I have found that there is an Arthurian collection also edited by Jenn Northington, so I am going to seek that out as well!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC!

In the Anthology Fit for the Gods, these stories are glorious reimaginings of Greek Mythology, offering tales that are haunting and beautiful, with characters of different genders, sexuality and inclusion. Each story has a different myth that it focuses on but the overall theme gives us creative and imaginative transformations of the old mythology into something incredible and new. 

One of the reasons I love anthologies is the potential for stories that take risks and give us new perspectives. This anthology does that incredibly well, each story compelling, intriguing and impossible to put down. I love the inclusive element, with LGBTQ characters, including not just characters of different sexuality but also gender, like a Transgender character for the tale of Tiresias. I especially love the stories that propel us into the far future with spaceships and the reimagining of Hades and Persephone with artificial intelligence.The anthology has depth and creativity that makes it a must read. Not only will you find beautiful, creative stories that are glorious reimaginings of Greek Mythology, you will discover new authors to fall in love with as they give you compelling characters and transformative ideas.

When I read the description of Fit for the Gods, it sounded interesting not just because of the Greek myths, but also because it’s marketed as “gender-bent, queered, race-bent and inclusive”. Most of the 15 stories in the collection are set in the modern-day world, though a couple of them are more sci-fi. It does help to have at least a passing familiarity with Greek mythology to know what story is being told, though there are a few stories adapting more obscure myths. Regardless, the stories do speak for themselves and each one is refreshingly different.
Though all of the stories in this anthology are well written and plotted, some are more enjoyable than others. The collection starts very strong with “The Gorgon Confessionals”, telling the tale of Medusa and Perseus in the style of interviews. I thought “Pickles for Mrs. Pomme” was a cute day-in-the-life story of Aphrodite. But my favorite was “The Furies Detective Agency”, which is a noir tale that sees Elektra hiring the siblings to solve her sister’s murder.

overall a 3.5, rounding up for a couple of incredible stories

The Gorgon Confessionals by Zoraida Córdova - Melpomene interviews a reborn Medusa to get her side of the ancient story, and then asks a couple of men for their opinions too. this story is written in an interview format, which was delightful.
4/5

Dion and the Maenads by S. Zainab Williams - Dion (Dionysus reincarnated, obvs) hangs out with her Maenads (May, Mae, and Mei) and complains about how terrible Zeus is. they come up with a plan to try and humble him a little with the help of a couple unsuspecting mortals.
3/5
“Dion. You are so tragic.”
“Girl, I know,” Dion shouted above the din of Swedish pop. “But one finds joy where one must when living in the darkest timeline.”

Tiresias by Zeyn Joukhadar - one of my least favorite of the collection. it felt very disconnected from mythology; it follows a protagonist and their boyfriend (who doubles as an Ass) and there's casual animal sacrifice in the kitchen. idk, I didn't love it but the writing was absolutely gorgeous so I'm nudging the rating up a bit.
2.5/5

Wild to Covet by Sarah Gailey - one of the stories that saved the collection. this is a retelling of Thetis; of the struggle against ownership and prophecy and independence. Thetis was an incredible character and it was a delight seeing her in a new way. I'm definitely biased bc Gailey just Gets It and their writing is top shelf, but I adored this one. also, in this story her son (Achilles in myth) is named Easu and his best friend/best beloved (slash boyfriend, Patroclus in myth) is named Pistol.
5/5
“Thetis wasn’t a domesticated creature, but she was curious about tameness, a fox nosing around a dog’s kennel.”

Pescada by Juliana Spink Mills - I'm very sad to report that, by just reading the story (there's extra notes at the back for a bunch of them to explain stuff) I had no idea what was trying to be accomplished. we see Penelope in this one but she's definitely not myth!Penelope, and she runs a store called Circe. which myth are we riffing off here? Mills needed to commit and clarify instead of just throwing a bunch of disconnected references around.
2/5

Pickles for Mrs. Pomme by Susan Purr - this one was genuinely fun and it was a delight trying to ID who everybody was supposed to be. our protag is Rodie (Aphrodite lol) and she's hilarious. I find Aphrodite in myth to be a very intriguing figure and Purr did a fantastic job leaning into that. Rodie is blind, as in "love is blind". (there's also a Persephone and Hades bit that was funny.)
4/5

The Ship of Thea by Suleikha Snyder - Theseus, aka Thea, goes to an escape room to try and get out of the house and maybe even get over all the mistakes she made with her ex-wife, Astra. the escape room is supposed to be impossible but Thea excels at puzzles and riddles, and discovers that the prize at the end is a second chance.
3.5/5
"You built me a maze, " she marvels, "because you knew I wouldn't be able to resist a puzzle. And because you knew I could solve it."

The Furies Detective Agency by Mia P. Manansala - the Erinyes siblings, owners of the literally named Furies Detective Agency, specialize in family dram and getting revenge. Elektra (of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon fame) approaches them for help investigating her older sister's murder. this one was a blast and I loved the hot take on Elektra.
5/5

Atalanta Hunts the Boar by Valerie Valdes - Kybele hires Atalanta and her husband Pom to kill a man known as The Boar, a ruthless mercenary who slaughtered a good deal of Atalanta's friend and Kybele's lover Attis. Atalanta got the closest anyone has ever come to killing him so she gets the job. this is a sci fi hot take and there's a sweet spaceship race in it.
3.5/5

A Heart Inured to Suffering by Jude Reali - Odysseus is stuck on their derelict spaceship and imprisoned by the AI they built, Calypso. (this is what happens when you're too smart to take a breath and say "I cando this, but should I?") the Olympian gods are the Twelve, aka the highest order of AI in the universe. Odysseus occasionally gets helps from ATH3-NA but Calypso has been blocking reception lately, so for this they're on their own.
4/5

Trembling Aspen; Or, To Shiver by Marika Bailey - does everybody still remember Daphne? chased by Apollo, begged to turn into a tree to escape him, turned into his personal symbol even after she became a gotdamn tree? our protagonist is an Aspen tree and she's on a very, very long journey of revenge against the god who maimed her. lovely read, it's very slow and syrupy and feels like you're talking to trees.
4/5
There is no gravity of reparations. No universal pull toward righteousness. There is only you, and me, and us, and what we are willing to do.

Stasis (Bastion in the Spring) by Alyssa Cole - Sentinel 7 watches over bio matter and patiently waits for the planet to fix itself so it can birth humanity all over again. he calls himself Bastion in the privacy of his own head. an explicable new woman arrives named Perse, who reminds Bastion how to be gentle and kind. the ending was /chef's kiss
3/5

The Eagles at the Edge of the World by Taylor Rae - climate change was sunk the majority of earth's landmasses and a good deal of people travel on boats or live in floating cities. Aeneas and her mother are in search of a new home for their people and meets Di (aka Dido, keep up lads) at her lonely city. strange but very pretty.
3/5

The Words from the Mountain by Wen Wen Yang - I'm just perplexed on this whole thing. I did not like this story. I found it very boring, which is unfortunate because I love linguistics and this one had the potential to be stellar. there are some mortals, a precious few, who have the language of the gods, which allows them to do a great many things (heal, hurt, plant, rain, etc). the protag is strong-armed into it and wants to escape and ends up getting Hermes' help.
2/5

No Gods, No Kings by Maya Deane - Murina Prime, First of the Amazons, reminds the gods why her people are not to be trifled with. I liked this one a lot better after I sat on it for a couple of days and agree that it was a fitting conclusion to the collection. I do like seeing gods get their due tbh.
3/5


queer rep - nonbinary (they/them) 2, 8, 10 ;; achillean 3, 10 ;; sapphic 5, 7, 8, 13, 15 ;; bisexual 6, 11 ;; trans 15 (#s correspond to which story has which rep)
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

This retelling of Greek mythology was a very good story to read. I believe a reader should have some previous knowledge of Greek Roman mythology to be able to enjoy even more these stories and understand where the retellings are coming from.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with advance copy of this book. This book will be released on August, 1st, 2023

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel.

Most of the stories in this anthology (I didn't realize it was an anthology when I requested it) were whimsical and entertaining. It just wasn't quite my style, unfortunately. However, I think this will be a hit among readers who enjoy LGBTQ+ mythology retellings.

A collection of retelling of myths. Unlike many other retellings of late, theses stories completely reimagine the myths often in modern day or more sci-fi worlds. I really enjoyed this! You don’t need to be familiar with the myths to enjoy it, although I think it probably helped. Each one was its own unique take since they were all by different authors. My favorite was Medusa, which was first, but the others were great too!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Zoraida Cordova knows what’s what. Her story, “The Gorgon Confessionals,” opens Fit for the Gods by imagining that the gods, immortals, heroes and villains of Greek mythology are regenerating into the modern world, they have their memories, but not necessarily their powers. Through a documentary series, Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, is examining the story of Medusa and Perseus through a series of interviews. Zeus is a Republican candidate for President. (Vote Hades!).

The stories by two of my favorite authors, Suleikha Snyder and Alyssa Cole dive deeply into the emotional core of their respective myths. In Snyder’s “The Ship of Thea,” a woman dealing with burnout and depression tackles a complicated escape room and discovers the prize is a second chance. Cole’s “Stasis (Bastion in the Spring)” might be my new favorite Hades and Persephone retelling.

The biggest surprise for me was Valerie Valdes’ “Atalanta Hunts the Boar.” I loved the scifi setting and the way Valdes took the names and the dynamics from mythology to tell the story of Atalanta and her (not so) himbo husband taking down a vicious killer. I have Valdes’ Chilling Effect on my kindle, and clearly I need to find time to read it.

One of the things I love about anthologies is getting to try new authors. I really enjoyed WenWen Yang’s “The Words from the Mountain.” I loved that Yang and Maya Deane’s (“No Gods,No Kings”) stories of sacrifice and liberation wrapped up the anthology.

I had to brush up on my mythology for a few of the stories. Knowing the relationships between characters in myth particularly deepened my enjoyment of Valdes and Mia P. Manansala’s (“The Furies Detective Agency”) stories.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Penguin Random House and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book.

There were a lot of authors who I hadn’t read before and others I had read before. Since there were a lot of authors whose writing styles I wasn’t used to, I found it harder to understand what was going on.

There were a few stories that I would enjoy a full-length novel based off those stories. For instance, I wanted to see more from Mia P. Manansala’s “The Furies Detective Agency” and Alyssa Cole’s “Stasis (Bastion in the Spring)” (I would love to read a full-length Alyssa Cole treatment of Hades and Persephone).

Overall, I think an intermediate knowledge of Greco-Roman mythology would help understand where a lot of the retellings are coming from.

Not every story is going to be for you, but every story has something to enjoy, to think about, to treasure. Creativity and intellect and magic run in the veins of this collection, and it may very well be the best short story collection I have ever read.