Book cover of Lies We Sing to the Sea

Book description

A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope's twelve hanged maids.

'A lavish epic of power, vengeance, love and fate.'
YA Book of the Month in The Observer (2/4/2023)

'A lovely, lyrical fantasy which takes the fate of the hanged…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Lies We Sing to the Sea as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This was a surprising find for me. I’m not generally a YA reader, and I’d argue this isn’t exactly a YA book. It’s a new take on part of Odysseus lore, told by one of the twelve maidens sacrificed to the sea.

It’s beautifully queer, with the main character interested in both the prince and another former sacrifice. It has gods, curses, political intrigue, and blends Greek lore with modern speech patterns (I’m guessing this is why it’s in YA). It’s strangely accessible and imminently enjoyable.

I love a good ‘let’s find hidden stuff in a castle’ adventure, and this…

This retelling of a little-known area of Greek mythology captured my interest from the beginning, and although the ending wasn't what I expected, I think that's why I enjoyed it so much.

As Underwood's debut, she did a great job making me, as the reader, care about each of the main characters' story arch. She took the deaths of Penelope's twelve maids and created a compelling story out of their tragedy.

If you love Lies We Sing to the Sea...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like Lies We Sing to the Sea?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 76 books like Lies We Sing to the Sea.

Browse books like Lies We Sing to the Sea

Book cover of The Bird and the Sword
Book cover of Kill Me Softly
Book cover of Once Upon a Broken Heart

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,298

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Lies We Sing to the Sea, you might also like...

Book cover of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Alexis Krasilovsky,

Kate from Jules et Jim meets I Love Dick.

A young woman filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery, set against a backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman, we follow Ana Fried as she faces the ultimate…

Book cover of Dark Fae Outcast

Dark Fae Outcast by Autumn M. Birt,

Trapped in our world, the fae are dying from drugs, contaminants, and hopelessness. Kicked out of the dark fae court for tainting his body and magic, Riasg only wants one thing: to die a bit faster. It’s already the end of his world, after all.

But while scoring his last…

5 book lists we think you will like!