It takes the story of the murder of Penelope’s 12 maids and creates a captivating and unique story-. Anyway, if you want a feminist version of The Odyssey written by a female Homeric scholar that’s been studying for literal decades, read The Odyssey translation by Emily Wilson. Sarah Underwood weaves an epic tapestry of lies, love, and tragedy, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller, Alexandra Bracken, and Renée Ahdieh . Neither the flow nor the use of English, the sentence construction or the expressed imagination is sufficient to define this book as a great fantasy novel.

And then there’s the hidden island with a barrier that makes it invisible to the outside world, where not even storms can get through the protective barrier - uh, Wonder Woman, anyone? Now, for the stuff I was not a fan of: Reading the blurb for the book, you might think you understand the premise or the stakes. exactly what she’s talking about, wherein Penelope is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions (or inactions). This is set years later, when the full truth of what happened has been forgotten and all that’s left is suffering.The novel is told from three different viewpoints - that of Leto, Melantho and Mathias, the Ithaca prince.

The premise and exposition explicitly states that Poseidon was offended by the unnecessary murder of Penelope’s twelve maids three hundred years ago and his punishment is to curse Ithaca and to demand as punishment? The characters at times have some depth but do really seem largely superficial most of the time - and I found it difficult to really care about them or identify with them. Particularly with the watered-down version we give to kids, it’s your classic fun adventure story of getting from A to B. After all, Phillip Pulman has suggested that everything gets better and the first is unlikely to be your best.So that's proof I'm not policing morality or anything, I just demand a logical setup and clear character motivations.

Certain scenes contradict each other and plot revelations are even repeated, as if the characters and the readers weren’t already aware! This is a historical fantasy inspired by a small section of the Odyssey set in approximately the 4th century BCE Greece. There’s not enough context given, so it sometimes comes off as nonsensical statements that only confuse instead of heighten mystery and anticipation of finding out more.I absolutely loved Melantho’s story and how she fell in love with Leto, who was one of the twelve maidens sacrificed to Poseidon by Prince Mathias of Ithaca. Sarah Underwood's classical reimagining is woven with pure magic: salt-laced myths, a plot that slowly unravels like a tapestry, and vivid characters who are destined to steal your heart. I found the beginning intriguing but it slowed somewhat in the middle and then the ending was poignant. As someone who has studied Hellenic culture and history, including the Homeric epics, in my free time as a curiosity, it’s beyond reproach that this author delights in the fact that she never read The Iliad or The Odyssey before writing this retelling.