Revenge

Sir Walter Scott called revenge "the sweetest morsel to the mouth that was ever cooked in hell." We are often counseled to rise above slights, grievances, and injuries, but still, the temptation and promise of revenge remain. This thematic collection gathers texts that investigate what prompts us to hunger for revenge and where this hunger leads us.

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

by Suzanne Collins

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Joy, Love, Revenge, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, War, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Animals, Science Fiction

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Grendel

by John Gardner

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Beauty, Good & Evil, Art, Order & Chaos, Loneliness, Revenge, Hate & Anger

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Postmodernism, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

John Gardner’s 1971 novel Grendel is a retelling of the story of Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem from the 6th century, from the perspective of the villain, the monster Grendel. In Grendel, the monster Grendel is an anti-hero, challenging the conventions of traditionally heroic behavior as he tries to understand the world in which he lives. In 1982, an animated Australian film adaptation of the novel called Grendel Grendel Grendel was released in major cities... Read Grendel Summary

Ground Zero

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Teamwork, War

Tags 9/11, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Military & War, Realistic Fiction, World History, Action & Adventure

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Half City

by Kate Golden

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Half City (2026) is a fantasy novel by Kate Golden and the first installment in the Harker Academy series. Golden is a USA Today bestselling author known for her popular romantasy trilogy, the Sacred Stones. Half City blends popular subgenres, combining the character-driven romance of romantasy with the gritty metropolitan setting of urban fantasy and the moody atmosphere of dark academia. The novel follows Vivienne “Viv” Abbot, a young museum assistant in the divided metropolis... Read Half City Summary

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

by J. K. Rowling

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fate, Revenge

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the sequel to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is seventh installment in the record-breaking Harry Potter series and the highly-anticipated conclusion of the boy wizard’s story. Since the publication of the first Harry Potter novel in 1997, the series has sold over 500 million copies, and Harry Potter has become the best-selling fantasy series of all time. Released 10 years after the initial publication of the first Harry... Read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Summary

Harvest Season

by Brynne Weaver

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Revenge, Death, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Published in 2026, Harvest Season is a dark romantic comedy and thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver. The novel is the second installment in the Seasons of Carnage trilogy, which begins with Tourist Season. Weaver is known for blending irreverent humor with suspense and romance, a style established in her popular Ruinous Love trilogy. Harvest Season is set in the macabre coastal town of Cape Carnage, Maine, and follows protagonist Harper... Read Harvest Season Summary

Heartless

by Marissa Meyer

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Revenge, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Fate, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Social Class, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Relationships

Heartless, first published in 2016, is a contemporary fantasy Young Adult novel by Marissa Meyer. Meyer is best known for her dystopian sci-fi YA series The Lunar Chronicles, inspired by fairy tales such as Cinderella and Snow White. Set in a fantasy world, Heartless imagines the backstory of Lewis Carroll’s iconic character the Queen of Hearts from the 1876 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Heartless is also popular among the BookTok community. This guide utilizes... Read Heartless Summary

Heavenly Bodies

by Imani Erriu

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Survival Fiction

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Hecuba

by Euripides

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, War, Fate, Justice, Conflict, Hate & Anger

Tags Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Grief & Death, European History, Trauma & Abuse, Dramatic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

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Heir

by Sabaa Tahir

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Coming of Age, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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Her Soul for Revenge

by Harley Laroux

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Love, Memory, Revenge, Coming of Age, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense

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Home Before Dark

by Riley Sager

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Guilt, Memory, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Regret, Revenge, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Appearance & Reality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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Hooked

by Emily McIntire

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Revenge, Family, Gender Identity, Self Discovery, Good & Evil

Tags Fairy Tale & Folklore, Romance, Horror & Suspense

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Hope Leslie

by Catharine Maria Sedgwick

Publication year 1827

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Gender & Feminism

Hope Leslie, or Early Times in the Massachusetts, is a novel by Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Published as two volumes in 1827, it received critical acclaim and success. Given the time in which it was published, and the time and place it portrays (seventeenth-century New England), it is impossible to read Hope Leslie without comparing it to contemporary novels such as The Last of the Mohicans by James Fennimore Cooper. Many have argued that Sedgwick’s place... Read Hope Leslie Summary

Hope Rises

by David Baldacci

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Revenge, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Hope Rises (2026) is a thriller by the bestselling American author David Baldacci. The novel is the second installment in the Walter Nash series, following Nash Falls. Baldacci is a prolific writer known for his numerous character-driven thriller series, many of which have become global bestsellers. In Hope Rises, former business executive Walter Nash continues his deep undercover work for the FBI. Now living as the hardened security expert Dillon Hope, Nash is blackmailed by... Read Hope Rises Summary