Wearing the Lion

A LitHub and BookPage Most Anticipated Book of 2025

“Subversive, playful and full of heart, compassion and humanity.” —Claire North, author of Ithaca

“Wearing the Lion‘s hilarious opening lures you in so it can bloodily rip your heart out, suture the wound you didn’t know you had, and gently place it back in your chest. Wiswell’s mythological take on found family reminds us that we are all monsters and we are all worthy of love.” —Caitlin Rozakis, author of New York Times bestseller Dreadful

“Wise, weird, and wonderful—in short, Wiswellian. Wearing the Lion is the story of Hera and Heracles as it’s never before been told. An effortless blend of wicked humor, raw pathos, and monsters who aren’t at all what they seem; I was utterly engrossed from start to end.” —Julie Leong, author of USA Today-bestselling The Teller of Small Fortunes

“John Wiswell has taken Greek mythology and, like Hephaestus, crafted an original, fantastic, and beautiful bit of work—giving us a tale of an indomitable hero, sympathetic monsters, flawed gods, and—quite unexpectedly—found family. I absolutely adored this book. And so will you.” —P. Djèlí Clark, award-winning author of A Master of Djinn

“Wiswell skillfully shows readers a different facet of the legend of mighty Heracles—his trauma and grief. With a deft hand and tender emotion, Wearing the Lion shows how pain can be alchemized into empathy, and how found family can be formed among the most unlikely groups of individuals. A beautiful reimagining, and a wonderful addition to the modern pantheon of myth retellings.” —Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros

“Wiswell alternates between Hera’s and Heracles’s perspectives, painting distinctly modern portraits of both. The result is a Greek mythology retelling that stands out from the crowd through its sheer sense of fun.” —Publishers Weekly

“A deeply original retelling of the Labors of Hercules that should appeal to anyone who has been craving more re-examinations of Greek mythology. I particularly enjoyed the chatty Hydra.” —Naomi Kritzer, Hugo-winning author of Liberty’s Daughter

“Wearing the Lion explains human relationships in the only way that makes sense: by suspending them between the dipshit gods we created and the loyal pets we don’t deserve. I laughed, I cried, I burned incense at an ancient altar.” —Meg Elison, author of Big Girl

“John Wiswell brings a humanizing level of redemption to the myths of both Heracles and Hera. Like his debut, Someone You Can Build a Nest In, Wearing the Novel is somehow both dark and endearingly sweet.” —Geek Girl Authority