ebookreview | [ 725 ]

The Aftermyth (The Aftermyth #1) by Tracy Wolff

Genre:
Mythology, Greek mythology, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Middle Grade, Children, Fiction, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, Romantasy, Academia

Publication Date:
February 3, 2026

Page Numbers:
448

Read/Finished Date:
April 30th, 2026 - May 1st, 2026

Rating:
3.25/5

Premise:

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.

Review:

Do you have a love for Harry Potter and Percy Jackson? Well, this novel is definitely for you. Penelope, or Ellie as she is known, cannot wait to become an Athena girl. Her parents were part of Athena at Anaximander Academy. She believes she will be, too, but she finds herself in Aphrodite instead. She believes this is a misunderstanding, and she really belongs to Athena. On top of that, she is given Calliope, one of the big Nine Muses, who seems more reluctant to be her muse and her brother has pretty much brushed her off. Thankfully, she found herself a newly found family to replace the brother.

The last time I read anything by Tracy Wolff, I really didn't finish reading, but I wanted to give this book a try. I love anything mythology, and this book seemed right up my alley. For the first half of the book, I found Penelope a bit whiny. While I understand that she didn't get into the house she wanted, you have to make do with what you are given. I loved her friends, but I had problems with her brother. Instead of supporting his sister, he pretty much turned his back on her, especially when she was already going through the denial of being placed into the house of Aphrodite.

While I enjoyed the story, I think it fell a bit flat when it came to world-building. I also felt this book was a bit rushed like the author was in a hurry to get this novel out. I am hoping the next novel in this series is not as rushed as this one seems to be.