THE ODYSSEY: A GRAPHIC NOVEL: DELUXE EDITION, by Gareth Hinds, Candlewick, May 12, 2026, Hardcover, $29.99, Paperback, $19.99 (ages 10 and up)
Gareth Hinds reinterprets Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, in his latest graphic novel offering.
Fresh from his triumphs in the Trojan War, Odysseus, King of Ithaca, wants nothing more than to return home to his family. Instead, he offends the sea god, Poseidon, who dooms him to years of shipwreck and wandering. Battling man-eating monsters, violent storms, and the supernatural seductions of sirens and sorceresses, Odysseus will need all his strength and cunning—and a little help from Mount Olympus—to make his way home and seize his kingdom from the schemers who seek to wed his queen and usurp his throne. Award-winning graphic artist Gareth Hinds masterfully reinterprets a story of heroism, adventure, and high action that has been told and retold for more than 2,500 years—though never quite like this. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
With the release of Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of The Odyssey, it seems like everyone is talking about Homer’s classic tale, but Gareth Hinds takes the story to a different level with his masterful storytelling through meticulous art.
My 12-year-old is no stranger to The Odyssey. Her first exposure was through the old-school Wishbone episode and later with Gillian Cross and Neil Packer’s The Iliad/The Odyssey Boxed Set. Later, she read it in school. When she saw Hinds’ interpretation, she practically went weak at the knees. She loves Hinds’ beautiful watercolors and how he manages to distill the grand tale into graphic novel format. And she found Hinds’ ability to know when text was and was not needed, exceptional.
The Odyssey is pricey ($29.99 for hardcover and $19.99 for paperback), but it’s worth it. If your reader is prone to rereading books multiple times, I suggest going for the hardback. It’s got a strong binding, and its endpapers are gorgeous.
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