The second book in National Book Award finalist Katherine Marsh's Myth of Monsters series finds Ava and her friends up against their least-expected foe yet.
Ava Baldwin is ready for her second year at the Accademia del Forte. Now that she knows that her fellow classmates, descendants of the so-called Greek monsters, have been lied to by the Olympians, she’s ready to help them uncover their ancestors’ true stories—if only she can stay out of the way of the new headmaster, Perseus.
But laying low is easier said than done, especially when Perseus seems intent on trolling Ava, making it impossible to control her anger.
When Perseus banishes one of her friends, Ava must lead a rescue party on a whirlwind adventure from the Stygian Marsh of the underworld to the ice caves of Mount Etna with Ares and the spirits of violent death in hot pursuit. But the gods won’t be tricked so easily this time . . .
The series
In a Venetian boarding school where history’s shadows cling to every stone, legends are not just remembered, they are alive. At the Accademia del Forte, students carry the blood of creatures once branded as monsters in Greek myth. Their powers are unruly, their emotions dangerous, and their place in the world carefully controlled by gods who still demand obedience.
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At the heart of the story is Ava, a girl whose anger flickers into something far more powerful than she ever imagined. Her journey begins with the unsettling discovery that she can freeze another human being, and from that moment, nothing feels safe or ordinary again. Within the academy’s marble halls, she uncovers truths buried under centuries of mythmaking, where questions of power, justice, and identity cut deeper than any blade.
The series unfolds with a haunting mix of adventure and intimacy. Venetian canals, frozen corridors, and mythic landscapes create an atmosphere that feels both timeless and urgent. Friendship and loyalty guide Ava as much as fury and defiance, and every challenge forces her to decide whether to accept the stories she has inherited or to write her own.
What makes these books resonate is not only their inventive retelling of Greek mythology but also their willingness to ask what it really means to be a monster. Through Ava’s struggles, readers are invited to reflect on anger, resilience, and the courage it takes to challenge the narratives that shape us.
Recognized by educators and young readers alike for its emotional depth and myth-infused storytelling, The Myth of Monsters offers a darkly atmospheric yet hopeful reimagining of ancient tales. It is a fantasy series that feels at once classical and refreshingly new, inviting readers to lose themselves in its wintry labyrinths and emerge with questions still burning.
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