Ancient Voices is a great book for mythology lovers who have already read the standard collections and are ready to start thinking critically about what Greek myths mean for us today. Kate Hovey retells various myths as poems from the point of view of the gods and mortals involved, each with a modern twist. The gospel choir of muses is back to delight Disney fans, and Aphrodite resents the popularity of the Venus de Milo. Hephaestus is the industrial age personified wearing a leg brace of his own invention. His physical disability is visible, but he has overcome its challenges. Ganymede, the Trojan prince that Zeus kidnapped to be (in this version) his servant, is the surprising narrator in many poems. He gives a mortal’s perspective on the gods’ antics in a voice that is both refreshing and melancholy.

Murray Kimber’s illustrations are excellent; each is a work of art in its own right. Just like Hovey, Kimber was more interested in exploring the identities of the gods than recreating the ancient world. The illustrations are bold and colorful, with Art Deco style and a dash of surrealism laid out on the page like William Blake’s engravings for his Songs of Innocence and of Experience. 

The book is not chronological. Instead, its myths are organized regionally by their settings: Mount Olympus, the sea, the Underworld, and the forest. Some myths are told across several poems from different points of view, which requires that the reader know the myths well to follow the narrative. There is an appendix in the back with important terms and definitions, as well as a short bibliography of mythical collections and ancient sources.  – Krishni Burns