‘Styx: The River’ by Nikita Gill
Hbk, Solstice, £20
This sumptuous book of ancient Greek poetical wonder is like devouring red velvet cake whilst curled up in a blanket in your cosiest chair.
Beginning a generation before Hekate, Styx sings the story of the goddess of the underworld river that bears her name. The firstborn child of Titans, Styx is revered as the first of her kind – until she is eclipsed and forgotten amid her scores of siblings, the Oceanids and the Potamoi.
Coming of age in a world simmering with paranoia and unspoken fear of Kronos, the volatile and unchecked god-king, Styx learns to conceal the rage ignited by her growing disillusionment with her parents and her vain and unkind siblings. Instead, she finds solace and sisterhood in her cousin, Asteria.
Dexterously set out as a series of poems, this second in The Goddess of the Underworld trilogy is worthy of a deep mythological dive.
‘When the Sky Falls’ by Jade Angeles Fitton
Hbk, Batsford, £15.99
Perfect for those dark stretching nights, this is the history – both scientific and cultural of shooting stars that have been documented since the earliest of human records. Spanning from the prehistoric to the present day, and exploring beliefs, superstitions, and the relationship between humanity and meteors throughout time.
Exploring the varied influences the shooting star has had on our global culture and history from the governing of kings, queens and emperors, to folklore, superstitions, myths, art, music and literature, plus the scientific advancements and applications that meteors have allowed.
In the present day – an era largely devoid of superstition and belief – more than anything else, a shooting star symbolises hope: an irrational excuse to make a wish in an increasingly rational world.