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pedanther's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
shay_talksbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
I've read a lot about Helen, Clytemnestra & Elektra, but very little about Penelope so this filled in a few gaps in my Greek mythology knowledge!
I really enjoyed this one, although it did take me a while to get into the narration. The story is told by Hera and, at the beginning, the humour felt a bit forced and like the author was constantly trying to be funny instead of just telling the story, but at some point that changed for me and I began to really love and appreciate Hera's snarky comments. Loved it, and will definitely read the rest of the trilogy.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Rape
Moderate: Slavery
woolgathering_jane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
„Love is for fools and children.“
„And yet we live, Leaneira. We live.“
What a masterpiece of a book, wow. The prose was excellent, it reminded me of the Bridgerton narrator, but like hundred times better. It's witty, engaging and easy to read. The story was unfolding at a slower, but nevertheless enjoyable pace, and I loved how the narrator didn't tell us everything, how we were invited to think about the story and its characters and come to our own conclusions about some things. I adored the wide cast of woman characters, who were all masterfully written - complex, sometimes unlikeable and messy, driven, and so real. The only issue I had that there - ironically - too many male characters for me to keep track of, I kept forgetting who was who, lol. It also felt like just a glimpse into the lives of the gods and the mortals alike, like there is so much more to come - you can imagine my delight when I found out that this is the start of a series.
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Death, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
crystalsparkles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Rape
bobthebard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual assault
Minor: Slavery
concealed_journeys's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual violence
sirenricobooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Pregnancy
ladynocturnal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Misogyny and Rape
andrealinia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and Violence
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The story of the women of Ithaca awaiting the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War, narrated by Hera.
This was the inaugural pick for my new book club Myth of the Month and it was fun way to kick off the year! I thought the narration was hilarious and really enjoyed Hera as a storyteller. That said, I found the plot a bit slow-moving, and felt like not very much happened…by the time things started to pick up towards the end, the book was over, and I felt like the entire story was more of a set-up for a sequel than a standalone novel.
Still, if you enjoy feminist mythology retellings, this one was beautifully written, and I would still recommend it overall, particularly if you like a more character-driven narrative!
CW: Murder/blood; death of parent; sexual violence; slavery
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and War