Book Review for The Aftermyth by Tracy Wolff

 

The Aftermyth #1

The Aftermyth by Tracy Wolff

Published:  February 3, 2026 by Aladdin

Genre:  Dark Academia, Middle Grade, Mythology, Fantasy

 

Taken from Goodreads:  In a world ruled by the tenets of Greek mythology, one girl’s fate is more than it appears in the first book in a new dark academia fantasy middle grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crave series Tracy Wolff.

What’s your myth?

Penelope Weaver has spent her whole life preparing to attend Anaximander’s Academy, where students learn how to bring to life the stories of Greek mythology as well as discover the Greek god whose principles they most embody. Penelope knows she’s an Athena—all smart, practical, and rule-following girls who take part in stories that matter are Athenas.

But when Penelope and her twin brother Paris arrive at Anaximander’s, it appears fate has other plans. Penelope isn’t placed with Athena but with students who are anything but practical and who prefer parties to rules. And that’s just the beginning. She’s given the world’s worst muse, her assigned tasks feel impossible, and the magic of Anaximander’s is overwhelming. Not to mention, there are two very different boys making her new life even more confusing.

But as things go from bad to dangerously worse, one thing becomes in a world where everything is fated to happen a certain way, some stories need to be rewritten. As the world around her shifts and cracks, Penelope is asked to forget everything she thought she knew to help create a better story…even if that changes every plan and breaks every rule.

My Thoughts:  Mythology is not something I know a lot about but I am finding myself looking for more books that are mythological.  The Aftermyth is a middle grade mythology fantasy book that had me enthralled.   I love that characters are younger and the writing stays true to that age. 

There is a lot about this book that reminds me of Percy Jackson, which is not my favorite series, but this book has the potential to become part of a favorite series.   I will hold full judgement until I read book two, but I am already counting the days until I get my hands on the next book in this series.  I laughed and cringed at some of the friendships.  I tried to figure out how Ellie would get out of the situations she seemed to always be in.  Mostly, I was just reading and enjoying the characters, the storyline, and the unique setting.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):  Tracy Wolff is the #1 New York Times, #1 International, and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels that run the gamut from young adult action adventures to new adult romance and from women’s fiction to erotica. A long-time lover of vampires, dragons and all things that go bump in the night, Tracy loves nothing more than combining her affection for paranormal creatures with her love of writing tortured heroes and kick-butt heroines.

When she’s not writing (which is a rare occurrence), she can be found trying out new recipes, offering make-up tips online, wandering comic book/gaming stores with her sons, and watching movies or plotting stories with her besties. A one time English professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Austin, Texas, which she shares with her family. Her most recent work, the young adult vampire novel, CRAVE, “is about to become fandom’s new favorite vampire romance obsession” (Hypable).