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clace_19's review against another edition
4.0
4.05!
“One is not worth more than the other. Men are not more worthy. Fathers are not more worthy. Do you think a god would be here defending a girl who had killed her father? Of course not. She would be hanged, or worse.”
The main plot of this book is whenever a king is killed in order for his son to ascend the throne he must kill the murderer and of course women can not sit on the throne because MEN>WOMEN (avg. greek myth lore) but tbh I liked how Clymenstra was portrayed as a bad ass and I wish we got a different outcome for her. Back to the plot, so after Agmmenon sacrifices their daughter to escape consequences for his own mistakes which leads to Clymenstra planning her revenge. It was going well until it was not. I also must say the spartans sorrow was actually a really great title.
Clymenstra, honestly had my whole heart and I loved her because she struggled so much!! first getting her first husband and daughter killed so Agmmemnon and claim her and then killing their daughter for a sacrifice and he also abused her a lot and honestly she went through so much and the way her whole healing journey is written along with the time jumps is so good!! Agesthius, out love interest, who is also Agmemnon's brother (heehe forbidden romance) but honestly he was the father and the husband Clymenstra and her kids never had and I loved how he contributed so much to her healing journey and the love that they had for each other was very beautifully written. Their romance did not occupy a lot of the screen time but it was one that I liked a lot.
The children, I forgot the name of the first born but I liked her the most because she actually had a brain but it felt like near the end of the second part the author just forgot about her and then we had the second daughter Elektra and OMG I hated her so much, I literally wanted to backhand her. She was so brainwashed that led to her doing incredibly stupid things and even after knowing the truth she still acted the way she acted meaning she was too far gone and finally Osthereus I actually liked him a lot during the first two parts even in the first few chapters of part three because he was being brainwashed and was doing things against his will but I cant say much without spoiling. What he did, did not really bother me, it was how he did it and the outcome of it that made me angry.
I did enjoy this one a lot until the the third part of the book I was loving it. It was well written. I was feeling all the vibes, the greek mythology aspect was done well. I was rooting for the characters, it was so well thought and so well executed and even read like a tv show with all the time jumps which honestly did not bother me, it would have been a 4,5 at least if not for the end because part three which consists of 6 chapters and an epilogue ruined it tbh to some extent but I also could not rate it any lower than this because it was actually very written.
SPOILERY BIT
I hate athena she is such a hypocrite. I hate her and I also hate how ors did not face any consequences for killing his mother and still loved his bf who literally orchestrated the whole thing and killed agesthius plus his little brother and omg I hated how elektra got a happy ending?? I WAS JUST SO MAD AT THE END I CANT EVEN FORM WORDS RN
SPOILERY BIT
Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and I will ignore the third part and make up my own ending because I refuse to accept that and I also got the arcs of the next two books in this series. SO safe to say, I will be reading them.
___
Blame Roxy for writing such a beautiful review for Circe, I would have read that but I dont own a copy of it and until I but it, I am just going to read this arc that I got. So excited!
“One is not worth more than the other. Men are not more worthy. Fathers are not more worthy. Do you think a god would be here defending a girl who had killed her father? Of course not. She would be hanged, or worse.”
The main plot of this book is whenever a king is killed in order for his son to ascend the throne he must kill the murderer and of course women can not sit on the throne because MEN>WOMEN (avg. greek myth lore) but tbh I liked how Clymenstra was portrayed as a bad ass and I wish we got a different outcome for her. Back to the plot, so after Agmmenon sacrifices their daughter to escape consequences for his own mistakes which leads to Clymenstra planning her revenge. It was going well until it was not. I also must say the spartans sorrow was actually a really great title.
Clymenstra, honestly had my whole heart and I loved her because she struggled so much!! first getting her first husband and daughter killed so Agmmemnon and claim her and then killing their daughter for a sacrifice and he also abused her a lot and honestly she went through so much and the way her whole healing journey is written along with the time jumps is so good!! Agesthius, out love interest, who is also Agmemnon's brother (heehe forbidden romance) but honestly he was the father and the husband Clymenstra and her kids never had and I loved how he contributed so much to her healing journey and the love that they had for each other was very beautifully written. Their romance did not occupy a lot of the screen time but it was one that I liked a lot.
The children, I forgot the name of the first born but I liked her the most because she actually had a brain but it felt like near the end of the second part the author just forgot about her and then we had the second daughter Elektra and OMG I hated her so much, I literally wanted to backhand her. She was so brainwashed that led to her doing incredibly stupid things and even after knowing the truth she still acted the way she acted meaning she was too far gone and finally Osthereus I actually liked him a lot during the first two parts even in the first few chapters of part three because he was being brainwashed and was doing things against his will but I cant say much without spoiling. What he did, did not really bother me, it was how he did it and the outcome of it that made me angry.
I did enjoy this one a lot until the the third part of the book I was loving it. It was well written. I was feeling all the vibes, the greek mythology aspect was done well. I was rooting for the characters, it was so well thought and so well executed and even read like a tv show with all the time jumps which honestly did not bother me, it would have been a 4,5 at least if not for the end because part three which consists of 6 chapters and an epilogue ruined it tbh to some extent but I also could not rate it any lower than this because it was actually very written.
SPOILERY BIT
I hate athena she is such a hypocrite. I hate her and I also hate how ors did not face any consequences for killing his mother and still loved his bf who literally orchestrated the whole thing and killed agesthius plus his little brother and omg I hated how elektra got a happy ending?? I WAS JUST SO MAD AT THE END I CANT EVEN FORM WORDS RN
SPOILERY BIT
Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and I will ignore the third part and make up my own ending because I refuse to accept that and I also got the arcs of the next two books in this series. SO safe to say, I will be reading them.
___
Blame Roxy for writing such a beautiful review for Circe, I would have read that but I dont own a copy of it and until I but it, I am just going to read this arc that I got. So excited!
home_in_books's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I decided to read this book at the beginning of September in order to get back into school mood, since I mainly study classic Greek and Latin culture, and I am very glad I did. What I enjoyed the most about this novel is that, even though it is a retelling of Clytemnestra's story, it doesn't take a totally different turn from the original myth, but it only shows the whole tale from a POV that the ancient greeks didn't consider, Clytemnestra's. Therefore, I recommend to check trigger warnings before diving into this book, that it is often heavy and disturbing. After having stated all these things, I can say that, even though I found this novel fascinating, I have to tell you that I felt a little bored during some sequences, precisely because the novel sticks very strictly to the original myth, and therefore I already knew how the story was going to end. To sum up, I recommend this book mainly to those who don't know much about Greek's mythology, especially Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's tale.
fsmeurinne's review against another edition
4.0
This captivating story takes place in ancient Greece and tells the moving tale of Clytemnestra. After her husband Agamemnon tragically sacrifices their eldest daughter, Clytemnestra is determined to protect her remaining children at any cost. The story explores themes of love, grief, and revenge, vividly portraying Clytemnestra as a powerful queen caught in a whirlwind of divine punishment and family conflicts. Lynn's expert storytelling, rich historical detail, and complex character development made me feel deeply connected to the struggles and triumphs of Clytemnestra and her son Orestes.
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The first chapter pulled me in!
I know a bit about the story because of Troy (the movie) but don’t know most of it. This is probably the darkest, most depressing myth retelling I’ve ever read and one of the few that has made me cry.
Slower paced compared to Lynn’s other books and my least favorite of hers so far. I will say I did enjoy getting to know the characters and marked a lot of memorable passages! I also was glad to finally learn the rest of the story surrounding Clytemnestra and Orestes.
Slower paced compared to Lynn’s other books and my least favorite of hers so far. I will say I did enjoy getting to know the characters and marked a lot of memorable passages! I also was glad to finally learn the rest of the story surrounding Clytemnestra and Orestes.
I didn’t love how much Clytemnestra talked down about other women, especially Helen, her own sister. She’s trapped in a marriage to a man she hates and has never loved and yet she seems to think she’s the only woman stuck in that situation?!
Clytemnestra is very complex and often times unlikeable. I can sympathize with her for losing her daughter but that doesn’t give you free rein to be shitty about other women and act like you’re a goddamn martyr. Oh and the way she treats Electra, her youngest daughter? Listen she was annoying and arrogant but she’s a child and she can clearly tell that her mother has favorites and she’s not one of them-of course she’s going to act out and hate you?!
This was the most infuriating, pick me, internalized misogyny book that Lynn has written thus far in the series. The other 2 I’ve read do a great job of giving a voice to women but this one does so at the cost of tearing other women down the majority of part 1. Anyone saying there’s feminist undertones in this story has to be joking. The amount of times whore is used and Clytemnestra victim blames made me set the book aside for 3 days to calm down.
Lastly this is me being Nitpicky maybe but twice she mentions Penelope and her suitors when the suitors did not arrive to Ithaca yet! This book takes place mostly during the war in Troy, but the suitors don’t show up until after the war has ended and Odysseus is on his (long journey) home. Just made me irritated that such a glaring mistake was mentioned not once but twice. Also, Athens did not have an acropolis nor democracy at this time for another 500+ years?! Sooo many inaccuracies that are easy to research😭
Overall it’s not the worst myth retelling I’ve read but it was wildly disappointing compared to Lynn’s other novels and especially as a so-called “feminist retelling.” I’m hopeful other Clytemnestra retellings are better so far now I’d say it’s a skip and to research the myth/plays rather than read this retelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and War
Minor: Incest and Rape
echooutside's review against another edition
3.0
Moral of the story: murder everyone and get killed in return.
brealawton's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Hannah Lynn for providing me with a digital arc of this book!
*light spoilers*
I don't have very strong opinions of this book. Maybe it's because I have read multiple renditions of the story of Clytemnestra and her children, but this book didn't really do anything new for me. I did like that we got to see more of Orestes and his story this time around, but it didn't make me feel sympathy for him. I think if the scene where he murders his mom had been drawn out a bit more, I'd feel differently, but I didn't sense much hesitation from him. I was fully and completely on the mother's side, from the beginning to the end, which I don't think was the author's intention. The ending was incredible satisfying. All in all, it was an enjoyable read, just not my favorite. 3/5 stars.
*light spoilers*
I don't have very strong opinions of this book. Maybe it's because I have read multiple renditions of the story of Clytemnestra and her children, but this book didn't really do anything new for me. I did like that we got to see more of Orestes and his story this time around, but it didn't make me feel sympathy for him. I think if the scene where he murders his mom had been drawn out a bit more, I'd feel differently, but I didn't sense much hesitation from him. I was fully and completely on the mother's side, from the beginning to the end, which I don't think was the author's intention. The ending was incredible satisfying. All in all, it was an enjoyable read, just not my favorite. 3/5 stars.
brealawton's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Hannah Lynn for providing me with a digital arc of this book!
*light spoilers*
I don't have very strong opinions of this book. Maybe it's because I have read multiple renditions of the story of Clytemnestra and her children, but this book didn't really do anything new for me. I did like that we got to see more of Orestes and his story this time around, but it didn't make me feel sympathy for him. I think if the scene where he murders his mom had been drawn out a bit more, I'd feel differently, but I didn't sense much hesitation from him. I was fully and completely on the mother's side, from the beginning to the end, which I don't think was the author's intention. The ending was incredible satisfying. All in all, it was an enjoyable read, just not my favorite. 3/5 stars.
*light spoilers*
I don't have very strong opinions of this book. Maybe it's because I have read multiple renditions of the story of Clytemnestra and her children, but this book didn't really do anything new for me. I did like that we got to see more of Orestes and his story this time around, but it didn't make me feel sympathy for him. I think if the scene where he murders his mom had been drawn out a bit more, I'd feel differently, but I didn't sense much hesitation from him. I was fully and completely on the mother's side, from the beginning to the end, which I don't think was the author's intention. The ending was incredible satisfying. All in all, it was an enjoyable read, just not my favorite. 3/5 stars.
accidentalra's review against another edition
2.0
A Spartan's Sorrow, which gives voice to Clytemnestra and characterizes her as a fierce and sacrificial mother rather than just an adultress and murderer, was a bit of a mixed reading experience. The book is divided into three sections: the first focuses on Clytemnestra's tragic past and protective motherhood; the second on the aftermath of Agamemnon's murder; and the third on the torment and trial of Orestes, the youngest child of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon who reluctantly avenged his father's death.
Part One was by far the best of the three sections. That said, even though the story was interesting and well-structured, the tone and writing style never drew me into the narrative. I consistently felt like I was being held at arm's length and was never moved to care about her or about what happened to her. This was a bit different in Parts Two and Three, written with slightly different stylistic choices, during which I came to care about Orestes. I found this effect baffling—I mean, the novel is supposed to be a feminist retelling, so why is the son written as a more developed and sympathetic character than the mother?
But I could have made peace with the author's tone and style choices had it not been for Part Three, where the literal deus ex machina completely derailed the narrative for me. I cannot even estimate the number of times I rolled my eyes.
On a side note, this might be a fun novel to read if you enjoy playing Spot the Anachronism. Ultimately, however, I would say that A Spartan's Sorrow is just profoundly okay—not objectionable, but not entirely enjoyable.
Part One was by far the best of the three sections. That said, even though the story was interesting and well-structured, the tone and writing style never drew me into the narrative. I consistently felt like I was being held at arm's length and was never moved to care about her or about what happened to her. This was a bit different in Parts Two and Three, written with slightly different stylistic choices, during which I came to care about Orestes. I found this effect baffling—I mean, the novel is supposed to be a feminist retelling, so why is the son written as a more developed and sympathetic character than the mother?
But I could have made peace with the author's tone and style choices had it not been for Part Three, where the literal deus ex machina completely derailed the narrative for me. I cannot even estimate the number of times I rolled my eyes.
On a side note, this might be a fun novel to read if you enjoy playing Spot the Anachronism. Ultimately, however, I would say that A Spartan's Sorrow is just profoundly okay—not objectionable, but not entirely enjoyable.
mafionn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5