I’m going to be talking about a somewhat niche subgenre today, so bear with me – I think these books are really interesting! Retellings are a huge deal in genre fiction right now, unfailingly popular with fans. Retellings of myths and fairy tales tend to get the most hype, but there’s another kind of retelling that tends to go overlooked: retellings of literary works in the public domain. I think these are particularly interesting when they add genre fiction elements, such as science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Sometimes, they even elaborate on a genre fiction element that was present in the original work. Who doesn’t love an old story made new again? I’m here today to talk about four new-ish books that offer fresh takes on older works of fiction. I hope you’ll love them just as much as I do. Let’s get started!
The Stars Undying by Emery Robin
What if Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra were set in space?
In a faraway galaxy, the fate of the Ceiao Empire and its neighbor Szayet rests on the shoulders of three extraordinary people. Ceian military superstar Matheus Ceirran and his loose-cannon right-hand woman Anita become entangled with Altagracia, the charming and ambitious princess of Szayet. What begins as a political alliance blossoms into genuine affection, but the machinations of Ceirran’s enemies will soon interrupt their plans. You probably already recognize this story, and this first volume of a planned trilogy takes its characters all the way to the fallout of the Ides of March. Reading this book was the pure pleasure of a good story well told. I really enjoyed some of the twists Robin put on their historical and literary inspirations. The second book in the duology, The Sea Eternal, released just this past month, and while I haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet, I personally can’t wait to spend more time with these characters.
Mead Public Library Blog 