Pagan and Witchy Fiction: 10 Novels You Need to Read
Fiction can transport us to faraway places and unimagined realms.
This article is a list of ten novels that have some sort of Pagan or witchy theme.
I’m a keen reader and rest assured I have read all of these books!
This list could have easily just been ten Greek myth retellings but I restrained myself to just two.
You’re welcome.
Obviously, there are maaaaaany books in the world.
And I haven’t read them all.
Sadly.
This is merely a list of Pagan-y type books that I’ve read so far.
Click on the image for a link to each books’ Amazon page.
1. Atalanta
Keywords
Adventure
Feminist
Greek mythology
What’s it about?
Atalanta (Greek Atalante), was raised by bears in Artemis’s sacred forest.
The novel follows Atalanta, as she joins Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to retrieve the golden fleece.
My Opinion
I’ve only just read this one and it’s so fun!
The author masterfully weaves together disparate myths to create a wonderfully fast-paced adventure.
The descriptions of Artemis’s sacred forest are sumptuously evocative.
You can almost smell the cypress trees.
Atalanta finally addresses the stories of the only female ancient Greek hero.
About time!
Quote
I am more myself than I have ever been. I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta.
2. The Bear and the Nightingale
Keywords
Folklore
Horror
Winter
What’s it about?
Wild and untamed Vasya learns to navigate a world ruled by men, where evil is emboldened by the oppressive church.
But something worse than man is brewing in the darkness of the woods.
My Opinion
The Bear and the Nightingale is the perfect winter night’s read.
This novel is dripping with atmosphere, magical folklore and unnerving horror.
I was impressed with the way the gothic, barren landscape became increasingly claustrophobic.
Reflecting the growing tension as the story progressed.
This is one of the more serious, atmospheric books listed here.
It’s also book one in a trilogy.
I didn’t actually like the second book, and I never bothered with the third.
The Bear and the Nightingale works perfectly as a standalone novel.
So, don’t worry if you’re not someone who enjoys trilogy’s.
Quote
I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.
3. Cackle
Keywords
Cosy
Witchy
Women focused
What’s it about?
Annie lives the cliche as her gaslighting boyfriend dumps her and she’s forced to move to a quirky, yet cosy, small town.
Despite low self-esteem and gnawing anxiety, Annie quickly makes a new friend in the mysterious Sophie.
Except, Sophie’s not all she seems.
She’s an immortal witch!
My Opinion
Where do I start?!
This is one of my favourite books of all time!
Seriously.
It’s like a warm cup of tea for the soul.
Cackle is an enchanting modern tale with witty, readable dialogue.
I love that this book subverts a lot of tropes and focuses on the friendship between Annie and Sophie. And how that friendship allows Annie to blossom.
Sophie is an unendingly charming character. You can really feel yourself desiring to meet someone like her in real life.
The author, Rachel Harrison, really understands women.
All of her books are focused on relationships between female characters, examined through the metaphor of horror.
Rachel Harrison never shies away from making her female characters real, flawed human beings.
Come for the witches, stay for the realistic depictions of women, adorable fuzzy spiders and cosy cooking.
So. Much. Cooking.
Quote
Either you want babies or, if you don’t, you must want to eat them.
4. Circe
Keywords
Greek mythology
Feminist
Witchcraft
What’s it about?
A lyrical weaving together of Circe’s (Greek, Kirke) various myths from Greek mythology.
Circe is banished to the island of Aiaia, where she finds her own power through witchcraft.
My Opinion
This is truly an incredible book.
Madeline Miller deftly crafts and evokes the magical world of Homer’s Odyssey.
Breathing fresh life into the Greek myths she retells.
The descriptions of Helios’s subterranean halls are richly realised.
One of my favourite things about Circe is the way the author depicts swift-footed Hermes. He’s sharp, cunning and hard to pin down.
It’s exquisitely done.
Circe is a particularly great read during the summer. When you can pretend the crystalline waters of the Aegean sea are lapping at the shore not far away.
Quote
We spoke to fish and nurtured flowers, coaxed drops from the clouds or salt from the waves.
5. The Immortals
Keywords
Greek mythology
Murder
Urban fantasy
What’s it about?
When Selene finds the body of a young woman, dressed in a chiton and wreathed in laurel she feels an ancient fury.
She remembers her vow to protect girls from long ago.
When her name was Artemis.
My Opinion
This is my most recent read.
The Immortals is a gritty urban fantasy centred around the Greek gods kicking back in the modern day. Having lost a lot of their worship they’re slowly fading into obscurity.
Urban fantasy is one of my favourite genres.
So, naturally. I loved this.
There’s also a lot of clever, obscure references to ancient Greek religion in this book. Which I deeply appreciated as it makes the world-building feel more real.
I highly recommend this one!
Quote
The very nature of their myths, even more than their politics, their economics or their geopraphy, advanced the Greeks to unparalelled heights.
6. Magic Burns
Keywords
Celtic mythology
Urban fantasy
Witchy
What’s it about?
Mercenary for hire, Kate Daniels investigates a missing coven of witches.
Meanwhile, a destructive tide of magic is on its way. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest and battle for power…
My Opinion
This is actually the second book in a series. (The first one is called Magic Bites).
But you can easily skip straight to this one.
Although, if you really want to make me happy then you can read them all…
Magic Burns is a fast-paced gritty urban fantasy mystery, with vivid world-building and biting wit.
This series is brimming with compelling characters.
If you’re one of the cool kids that enjoys Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Then you’ll probably enjoy these books.
(Kate’s magical sword is nicknamed Slayer)!
Quote
The Oracle rose. As one, the three witches bowed.
7. Piranesi
Keywords
Plato
Literary
Mystery
What’s it about?
Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has.
Piranesi carefully records its wonders.
The labyrinth of halls, the thousands of statues and the tides that thunder up staircases.
But something disturbs Piranesi’s peaceful existence… messages begin to appear.
There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want?
My Opinion
I studied Philosophy at A-Level and during my first year of university.
Something must have stuck.
Because I was really struck by how similar Piranesi’s world was to Plato’s theory of Forms.
It’s also giving Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.
Even without the apparent exploration of Platonic philosophy, this book is a curious puzzle to unlock.
I devoured this book and its complex shadowy secrets.
Also, Piranesi has to be one of the most adorable characters in all of fiction.
Quote
The beauty of the House is immeasurable; its kindness infinite.
8. The Secret History
Keywords
Dark academia
Greek mythology
Murder
What’s it about?
A group of misfit Classics students discover a way of life very different from their contemporaries.
But their search leads them down a dark and dangerous path.
My Opinion
This novel is a whydunit.
You find out who the students have murdered literally on the first page.
As to the why?
Well, that takes some explaining.
The Secret History is a horrifying odyssey through the underworld of the human psyche.
I’ve noticed that a lot of people who read this book find the central characters pretty deplorable.
I mean, yeah. They are.
If you’re not a fan of morally grey characters, then this one isn’t going to be for you.
If you do end up reading it. I recommend going back to read the prologue after you’ve finished the book. Reading it again gave me chills.
The Secret History is one of the darkest books on this list.
It’s a haunting, almost gothic in its descriptions of the barren landscape as winter encroaches in on its characters.
Both literally and symbolically.
A true masterpiece of fiction.
Quote
It was like a film in fast motion, the moon waxing and waning, clouds rushing across the sky.
Vines grew from the ground so fast they twined up the trees like snakes; seasons passing in the wink of an eye.
9. Wise Child
Keywords
Britain
Celtic mythology
Slice of life
What’s it about?
Orphaned nine year old Wise Child is taken in by Juniper, a healer and sorceress.
Under Juniper’s guidance, Wise Child finds herself learning about herbal lore and magic.
But just as she begins to feel at home, her mother, the dark witch Maeve, returns.
My Opinion
Wise Child is probably one of the lightest books on this list.
It’s a short and sweet slice of life book.
I enjoyed the nods to Arthurian legend and all of the mundane chores Wise Child was made to do.
It felt very cosy, grounded with a distinct fairytale feel.
There’s also some great passages describing verdant seasonal festivals and magical herblore.
Quote
All learned people learn Latin. It's bound to come in useful. Fairy tales, on the other hand, are about real life.
10. The Wolf Den
Keywords
Ancient Pompeii
Brothel
Women focused
What’s it about?
Amara was once a beloved daughter, but now she lives as a slave in Pompeii’s infamous brothel the Lupanar.
Amara comes to realise that everything in Pompeii has a price. But how much will her freedom cost her?
My Opinion
This book is all about the friendship that forms between a group of women enslaved in a brothel in ancient Pompeii.
I know.
This book sounds depressing, but it’s actually pretty hopeful and funny.
Don’t get me wrong. The author doesn’t shy away from the realities of being enslaved in a brothel. However, she never dwells on the details.
The Wolf Den is very much a character focused book.
The relationships that develop between the women are deeply touching and are the glue that holds the novel together.
The descriptions of the ancient Roman festivals are one of my favourite things about the novel.
Elodie Harper has done a colossal amount of research into ancient Pompeii.
Consequently, the descriptions of the city are rich and deeply evocative.
I now want my own Roman villa, complete with fountain and mythological murals.
Quote
Night-time at the brothel passes like a scene from Hades: the endless procession of drunken men, the smoke, the soot, angry shouting, pottery smashing, the sound of Dido weeping.
Welcome to the Hellmouth! Credit
If you have a suggestion for a Pagan or witchy themed novel that I haven’t mentioned here.
Feel free to drop me a suggestion in the comment section below!