Please let us have a Medusa retelling that is actually about Medusa. I want what Circe gave us. It's an engaging story but marketed wrongly.

I didn’t really find this entertaining, apart from Perseus’ interaction with the naiads. For the most part it was a bit dull, and not very emotive, unlike A Thousand Ships. I liked the ending though.

I will still read anything Haynes writes because I like her other work but this one just wasn’t for me.

I really enjoyed this book. I'd definitely say it's my favourite of all the Natalie Haynes books I have read.

I always enjoy how Natalie Haynes combines a classic tale with a modern voice. That voice was so powerful in Stone Blind and the feminist rage and biting wit was so compelling to read. I loved how the author reduced Perseus to an inept, cowardly fool while bringing nuance and humanity to Medusa and The Gorgons.

As with so many classic tales, the female victim is blamed and punished for the actions of a man. I felt the rage was so entirely justified. I loved the descriptions of Perseus and how he became a figure to ridicule not admire.

The story had Hayne's trademark wit and sarcasm and the switch from humour to sadness was expertly done. It was heartbreakingly unjust to read how the innocent Medusa was villainised while the man who killed her (in the most cowardly fashion) was deemed a hero. Not to mention the actions of Poseidon and Athene. It perfectly highlighted that it wasn't Medusa who was the monster after all.

It's worth noting this isn't Medusa's story alone. There is a lot of changes in perspectives and the story focuses heavily on the interactions of the gods. I would perhaps have preferred a bit more Medusa however these seemingly external factors did all influence her fate.

A gorgeous retelling of Medusa - Natalie Haynes can truly do no wrong! Literary and gripping, this is by far the best Medusa retelling I’ve read.

Natalie Haynes' writing is just fabulous. I really enjoyed this book - the characters, the interwoven story that at times seemed confused but matched up so perfectly at the end. I feel that the blurb is a little deceiving as the book isn't just about Medusa but a fabulous Greek telling none-the-less.

‘Stone Blind’ is the first novel by Natalie Haynes I’ve read and I came to it without expectations or pre-conceived ideas. Billed as the story of Medusa, the mortal raped by a god and turned into a Gorgon with a writhing head of snakes, this is in fact a much broader tale of Greek gods, goddesses and myths. Medusa is featured but is not prominent until the final third. A fleeting appearance and a disappointment I didn’t recover from.
A story of the abuse of power and privilege, of trickery and arrogance, mostly of men against women, this heaviness is leavened with wit and a modern feminist voice. It is the tale of assorted women, goddesses and mortals and their places in their worlds alongside men. In a complex weaving of many stories and narrators, this is a novel to read with your full attention. I felt it drag in the middle, perhaps my concentration wavered, perhaps the thin presence of Medusa began to weigh on me. Oh how I wanted more about Medusa and her Gorgon sisters, Euryale and Stheno, and less squabbles, battles and jealousies of so many immortals and their offspring.
Haynes examines the question, what makes a monster and who decides. She updates the relevance of Medusa and Perseus and questions the very idea that the Gorgons were monstrous. So, an ambitious tale in breadth – perhaps too ambitious – but with some feminist lines to remember. ‘So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our teeth, our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters.’
There are so many books out there that are fictionalised re-tellings of the Greek myths that we’re spoilt for choice. Will I read another by Haynes? I’m not sure, not for a while.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

I absolutely love greek myth retellings, and Natalie Haynes is a master in her craft.
This is the story of Medusa every woman was waiting to hear, a story seen through a lens that was denied to us all for centuries.

3.5 stars
I really wanted to love this one as Medusa's story is one of my favourites and I love seeing authors re-tell it. However this one just didn't do it for me.

Whilst I loved the Medusa sections in this book she was only really in it for about 30% of the book which to me is odd considering this is sold as a Medusa story.

I found myself just getting annoyed with how petty the gods and Perseus were being and whilst I know that this is most likely how they would have acted, I just found myself wanting more of Medusa.

I enjoy Natalie Haynes writing and I'm excited to pick up more of her books in the future.

I’m a huge fan of Natalie Haynes so I was really excited to read this - and it didn’t disappoint in terms of a reading experience! I loved all the squabbles and rivalries between the gods and goddesses, who came to life with vibrancy and power. The only tiny issue I had with Stone Blind is that I could have done with a little more of Medusa herself. However, that aside, It’s a beautifully written and at times darkly funny book which I loved spending time with. No one writes about Greek mythology in quite the way Haynes does and I can’t wait to read whatever she comes out with next!

I'm a huge fan of Natalie Haynes - The Children of Jocasta is one of my favourite novels - so I went into Stone Blind with lofty expectations, hoping I would have another favourite in my hands, and I absolutely was not let down. Haynes' writing is once again so sumptuous and intriguing - the prose was lyrical, and the characterisation was brilliant. Highly recommend this (as well as A Thousand Ships and The Children of Jocasta).

This ended up being a great retelling of Medusa's story, in a way that summarised it really well. But that's also what it mostly felt like - a summary, as perhaps there wasn't as much to tell, compared with the other characters with whom she interacted? I love Natalie Haynes' work, but it felt like there just wasn't as much to work with in this instance.

Natalie is an expert storyteller who weaves new female voices into stories we already know so well. Adored

"Stone Blind" has an interesting narrative structure, being told from the perspective of different women and retelling the story of Perseus from their point of view. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it anyone who liked mythology retellings.

Stone Blind is such a beautifully written fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. This Medusa retelling is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. Natalie Haynes has earned herself a spot on my auto-buy authors list. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out Stone Blind today.

A story advertised as being about Medusa's life had seek my attention from the very beginning when I decided to pick up the book, as I am interested more in reading and knowing her story, but to my disappointment Medusa's story was only covered the percentage of 30 to 40% of the book.

Now, I do understand why the author has chosen to speak so little about Medusa when the whole universe has a range of Gods who are intersecting each others lives much more than a twister game.

I do like their pettiness and lack of judgement sometimes, but the love for their dear ones especially the closeness between Medusa and her sisters, and her slayer who travelled an unknown land for the love of his mother (no sympathy whatsoever) had me at the edge if my seat.


Overall, the Gods universe and their revenge, war and sacrifices for dear ones is a fantastic storytelling where Medusa could have been introduced more than 40%
I gave it a solid 3 stars 🌟

Many thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy

Feminist retellings of Greek myths relay is a publishing phenomenon at the moment and the latest from Natalie Haynes is another great addition to the mix.

This time we don’t have Troy in focus but Medusa, the legendary monster that we all know as the one with a horrifying appearance, snakes for hair, and a glance that can turn you into stone. What we know of her is little more than this for, as Natalie is here to show, the male writers of myths and history have reduced this woman with an extraordinary backstory into little more than another horrifying creature that was righteously slain by an all-conquering hero, Perseus.

Now, Natalie is here to break things In Stone Blind, Natalie reveals Medusa to have been a brave and benevolent young woman who was brutally raped by Poseidon and cursed by Athene, More than this, the supposed hero who killed her was no hero but a preening narcissist in pursuit of glory and bloodlust.
In these pages, Natalie broadens her reach to being to life a world where gods and humans mixed, where women were the first to be cursed and sacrificed, but men were little more than weak fools bloated with ego and elf-entitlement.

It’s a heady mix, and Natalie deftly blends in a bit of humour to balance – and emphasise – the tragedy. Though I enjoyed this book, perhaps I was a little surprised to see it longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2023; it is, after all, a little bit didactic, a bit ‘on the nose’, in places. Still, an enjoyable read, nevertheless.

Another fantastic Greek myth retelling from Natalie Haynes. Haynes does an excellent job of immersing the reader into Medusa’s world as well as retelling the adjoining myths that explain *why* Perseus was sent to her and what happened after the famous ‘heroic’ deed was done. I don’t want to spoil that for any who are unfamiliar with Medusa’s story so I am being purposefully vague.

I was already familiar with some aspects of Perseus/Andromeda/Medusa’s story but I really enjoyed Haynes’ version. I loved that she emphasised how, actually, a lot of these ‘heroic’ acts of Greek myth are in fact barbaric. I have enjoyed learning to reconsider all these stories and think about who the monsters really are.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this beautiful book. I couldn't put this book down. Complex, intense and addictive

Recommended for those who love a read and those who are fans of mythology. A great read just like the authors previous mythology retellings. Looking forward to a reread when I buy a physical copy.

A rich, layered take on the story of Medusa, this is more of a chorus of voices than a linear story. It’s really interesting seeing how the different women in Greek mythology overlap, and how they try to exert and keep power in an incredibly patriarchal structure. That being said, I would have loved to have seen more of Medusa herself!

Its a huge disappointment to be giving a Natalie Haynes book anything less than a four star review yet here we are.
Haynes's prose is still great, this time expertly mimicking the structure of an ancient epic poem. Medusa and her gorgon sisters are given complex characters throughout the tale, more than they were given in their time.
The problem with this book is primarily that its not terribly accessible to the casual reader. Me? Obsessed with Greek mythology. Can't get enough. And even I had to sometimes look up who people were and how they related to the story, because Haynes never explains it. I cant imagine coming into the book blind (ba-dum-tsh!) and trying to understand who's who and why we've taken a chapter to talk about xyz only to never revisit it again.
This one really is only for the hardcore greek myth fans, and thats not the standard I would expect for this author.

6/10