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A review by persephonefoxx
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So first things first. This book is woefully falsely advertised. Lies We Sing to the Sea is not the Greek Mythology retelling it is marketed as, it is an original story set in the backdrop of Ancient Greece. Which of course brings up the discussions of the author not having read the source material that this ‘retelling’ was based off. As someone who also hasn’t read the Odyssey in it’s entirety or analytically, I am not in a position to add anything to the conversation that hasn’t already been perfectly detailed by other reviews.
All that aside, this story was enjoyable and at time I had fun reading parts. But it wasn’t great. While I enjoyed the writing, I found the characters to be frustrating. The ‘love triangle’ is one of my biggest qualms. The romance in this story had so much potential, especially in a setting historically known for queer relationship. Instead it found itself tearing down the bumpy road of the cheating bisexual trope. A missed opportunity turned dropped ball.
But there was a part of this story I loved. The highlight of it all was the ending. That’s where this story not only shines, but also the moment I found it feeling the most like a story about Greek Mythology. A Greek tragedy. And while it ripped my overly emotional heart out, that was the moment where I saw everything this novel could have been.
This novel has potential. It really did. It was an enjoyable and quick read but I really think it could have been so much more. Yes, maybe that could have started with reading the source material. Or perhaps this was a story that should have existed on its own, outside the world of Greek Mythology. Either way. The beauty of this tale is in the end you just have to get there.
All that aside, this story was enjoyable and at time I had fun reading parts. But it wasn’t great. While I enjoyed the writing, I found the characters to be frustrating. The ‘love triangle’ is one of my biggest qualms. The romance in this story had so much potential, especially in a setting historically known for queer relationship. Instead it found itself tearing down the bumpy road of the cheating bisexual trope. A missed opportunity turned dropped ball.
But there was a part of this story I loved. The highlight of it all was the ending. That’s where this story not only shines, but also the moment I found it feeling the most like a story about Greek Mythology. A Greek tragedy. And while it ripped my overly emotional heart out, that was the moment where I saw everything this novel could have been.
This novel has potential. It really did. It was an enjoyable and quick read but I really think it could have been so much more. Yes, maybe that could have started with reading the source material. Or perhaps this was a story that should have existed on its own, outside the world of Greek Mythology. Either way. The beauty of this tale is in the end you just have to get there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent