Review: The Odyssey: A Modern Retelling by Liv Albert

 

Title: The Odyssey: A Modern Reteling
Author: Liv Albert
Illustrator: Hazem Asif
Publication: June 23, 2026 by DK Children
Genre: Greek Mythology, Middle Grade
Find it on: Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Waterstones
Rating: 5/5★

Voyages across the sea, man-eating monsters, witches, gods, and goddesses: The Odyssey is the ultimate adventure story.

Take a journey across the sea and follow the heroic, catastrophic, and sometimes downright gruesome tales of the Greek king Odysseus in this modern retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey. A story of trickery, lies, and perseverance, watch as Odysseus is tested to the limits by the Cyclops; sirens; and lots of meddling, angry gods.

Written by self-proclaimed Greek myth nerd, and host of the Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! podcast, Liv Albert brings this ancient Greek Epic to life. Liv’s version of The Odyssey portrays Odysseus as he really was: a complex man who did many great things … and just as many bad. Littered with historical facts, maps, and family trees, Liv brings all of her knowledge and expertise to this future classic, making it the only version of The Odyssey you’ll ever want to read.

The Odyssey: A Modern Retelling by Liv Albert is now one of my favorite Odyssey adjacent books. It had it all: writing that was accessible to the reader, illustrations that were beyond stunning and since it's marketed toward younger readers (middle grade), slightly simplified but definitely not dumbed down. We stil got the author's trademark wit that we know and love her for. As the synopsis says, Liv's version does really portray Odysseus exactly as he is, the good and the bad.

If you listen to Liv's podcast "Let's Talk About Myths, Baby" (sing it in your head, if you know you know), you know that with this book you not only get The Odyssey retold by someone who knows the story well but also someone who's truly passionate about Greek mythology.

The book wasn't just a retelling of The Odyssey, it also had several maps, character guides and tidbits about life in ancient Greece which I truly loved. These facts were all really refreshing and fun to read about.

Now I obviously can't end this review without talkined about the illustrations. They're made by Hazem Asif and they are absolutely gorgeous. I think they're some of the most beautiful I've seen in a book about mythology. And they definitely fit all the characters and the story really well.

About the author:

Liv Albert is the host, creator, writer, editor, and producer of Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!, author of several books including the bestselling Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook, and founding member of Mnemosyne: The Memory Collective. Liv is a giant nerd for a great many things, though most notably, Greek & Roman mythology. Liv has a degree in English Literature & Classics (Classical Civilizations) from Concordia University in Montreal where she studied ancient Greece and Rome broadly. 

Liv began her career working for prestigious publishing houses and institutions, including Penguin Random House and Kobo. With a deep love of literature and appreciation for storytelling, the natural evolution of Liv’s educational and professional background (along with her undying love of ancient Greece) led to the creation of Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! along with several published works (and more on the way soon…). 

Originally from the west coast of BC, Liv currently resides in Toronto along with her two cats, Squid and Anchovy, who were each adopted from a place near and dear to Liv’s heart (Vancouver Island and Greece, respectively).

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