i honestly can’t get enough of mythology retellings from the female perspective- like i’ve heard it all from perseus, give me the women!

danae is one of my favourite characters, and so i was thrilled when i heard that she was one of the POVs. i think her story is so heartbreaking and powerful, and i really enjoyed reading her section with the magic of mythology stripped back. it made it a very emotive section, the same goes for andromeda.

that being said, i’m not sure why i felt like the magic was missing from medusa’s story. i felt like i just wanted more from this segment, as medusa and her sisters are so powerful!

I love retellings so I was keen to read and review this book. I really enjoyed it and it made me want to know more about the original legend than I already do

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I really enjoyed the way this book treated the myth of Perseus. The story is told through the eyes of Danae, Medusa and Andromeda. All of them are well known characters in Greek mythology. But this book managed to tell the story in a completely different way. The author did that by taking away every mythological aspect. Every action was based on human actions. There were no gods and no magic throughout the whole story. Just humans and their mundane lives.

A tale that recounts the women's lives in Perseus' life - Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda. An eye-opening account that centres on feminism and the anti-female phenomenon. It reads like a history book since the author, who wrote this in her note, said that she "added a touch of realism that feeds off the primal needs of humans to act accordingly to their greed and power." It's an interesting and overwhelming read that swiftly sifts through the realistic lens that women have to live under the thumbs of a patriarchal ruling.

This was so good!!

I love Greek myth retellings and this was a really nice one. I was very lucky to be able to get an ARC of this book, both in audio and ebook format, so I read parts of it and listened to others. Even though the title of the book is The Shadow of Perseus, this book is really about the three women that are part of his life: Danae, his mother; Medusa, his greatest achievement; and Andromeda, his wife.

As with many of the recent retellings being published, this one has the purpose of giving voice to the women that have been for so long in the shadow of these "heroes". Claire Heywood really makes a point of testing the status of hero afforded to Perseus and reminds us that the stories we know are the ones told by men, and they do not necessarily reflect the truth. So the version we know of what happened to Medusa, who/what she was and how Perseus slayed her, and to Andromeda, if he ever truly rescued her, is put in question by the author.

I loved the author's take on and rewriting of this tale in the book. Her writing style really invites you in and she built very interesting and incredibly resilient female characters. The only fault with it, in my opinion, is the ending. Despite the deconstruction of who Perseus really was like, in this version of the events, I felt like he was let off the hook too easily in the end; too many excuses were made for the way he acted.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you like Greek myth retellings as I do. The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job with this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I always love a Greek Mythology retelling, so I had to pick this up.

I never liked Perseus, so I was biased going into this book - and loved it! I think every Greek myth fan should read this.

The split POV was done really well here, I tend not to enjoy books with split POV that much, so that surprised. Well done!

Overall, a good book!
The story, or the narration of it, was really well paced. For me personally, it was a bit too slow in the first 100 pages. BUT! The language and writing style were spot on and so captivating! I didn't necessarily agree with or enjoy some of the characters' views or personalities, but I still devoured this book! And the emotions it evoked or the range and interplay of them… Wow. That's exactly what I wanted.

Also, ever since Circe, I wanted to read something from Medusa's perspective… and boy, did I get it. The only downside, it was too short! Perfect for the story, but I would have loved more chapters from her perspective.

A more realistic retelling of a Greek myth. I definitely recommend giving this book a try!

I loved Claire Heywood's first book and this was just as enjoyable. Greek mythology is one of my easy go to reads and this was a perfectly enjoyable read! I loved the writing it was beautifully done, I thought the characters were well written too and I immediately felt engaged with them.

The direction that this book went in really surprised me, I suppose I've not read anything about Perseus that puts him in this light before and it was really different to see a Greek myth without the 'magical' parts, I'm still not sure how I feel about that but it's a nice selling point for anyone who feels a bit overwhelmed with all the Greek myth out there at the moment. Overall I did enjoy it, particularly the split POV, I felt that was done really well.

This captivating Greek myth retelling takes us on a journey following the path of Perseus, as seen by the women around him. First, his mother, Danae, cut off from the world because of a prophecy that might never come true. Then Medusa, a Gorgon, a recluse and not a monster. Finally, Andromeda, a woman who never needed saving...

The Shadow of Perseus is a gripping take on mythology. Claire Heywood created a surprisingly realistic story. The gods of the Pantheon, if they exist in this world, remain silent and do not intervene in the lives of mortals. The voice is given to those who usually remain silent— women. In their narrative, they do not hide their frustration at the patriarchal system that controls their lives. The novel challenges the idea of heroes, the demigods with supernatural powers, presenting Perseus as a man— with all their faults and desires.

I was intrigued by the retellings of myths the surrounded Perseus as a character and was not expecting him to be portrayed as the villain that he is in this book. I knew vaguely of his myths the most famous being his slaying of Medusa however I had not expected Heywood to rewrite the myths and such famous characters in the way that she did.

The origins of Perseus and his conception was exaggerated by his mother to give him a higher sense of self worth and this was ultimately the downfall on the character in the book. Once he learnt his true birthright Perseus was determined to prove himself more than before.

I thoroughly enjoyed the structure of the book and seeing the women impacted by Perseus in their separate parts it gave fresh perspective to the narrative and allowed Perseus to become a well rounded character with multiple perceptions of him being shared. I loved seeing him as the villain ultimately as it was unexpected for me and it really changed the way I viewed the story.

Medusa’s reinterpretation was in fact beautiful and I loved the sense of feminism that ran throughout the tribe of Gorgo and the female relationships that were built throughout the book, the sense of female solidarity really shined against Perseus’ behaviour.

Overall, I really enjoyed this retelling and how is reframed the myths and characters.

I unexpectedly really enjoyed this book. This is not the sort of novel based on myth I would usually seek out - this is a reimagining rather than a retelling. Unlike the many novels that deal with myth as is, including gods, Heywood seeks to narrate a version of events that *could* have happened (in a similar vein to Mark Knowles' recent novel Argo). I find these rationalising novels a bit tedious generally, although this one surprised me.

The novel is split between the perspectives of Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda, ending with a return to Danae. Although it's called The Shadow of Perseus and it follows Perseus' journey, it's really a novel about women's lives. One of the aspects that swung me as a reader towards the realism of the novel was Andromeda's part, which was beautifully realised and did not fall back on pop culture stereotypes but drew from the clues in ancient art and texts and lots of research into ancient culture. The least developed of these was Medusa, although this was the part that leant the least on ancient sources and most showcased Heywood's skill as a storyteller.

Although I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative, I did find Perseus' character arc to be pretty unsavoury. I appreciate the complexity Heywood brought to the women by using Perseus as a foil, but given how often the myth gets used in modern culture to hold a mirror to specific types of abuse, I felt that there was room to hold Perseus to account without compromising the other characters. That said, the realist account presents Perseus as a man shaped by what he has done, what has been done to him and his environment, so perhaps I am being picky!

Overall the novel is well written, well paced and made for a good read - I read in one sitting, excited to see how the narrative would unfold. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Almost everything written about Perseus is fiction as is this tale too. The one thing that surprised me is my feeling that so many things would have been different, both in fact and fiction, if someone had put Perseus over their knee and spanked some sense into him rather than indulge him. What a spoilt self-opinionated brat he appears to have been with a totally misplaced belief that when all else fails (not that he really tried anything else) violence solves everything.

Having said that, Claire Heywood does a nice job of telling her version of his story.

An interesting reimagining of the myth and how it might reallu have happened.

All the female characters being paragons as opposed to the evil Perseus was a bit much though...

Danae is imprisoned by her father after a prophecy from the oracle which says that her son will depose his grandfather. Yet she finds love and is brutally expelled from the city of Argos. Together with her son Perseus, she tries to build a new life in Seriphos. The young woman Medusa and Andromeda also face their own challenges, until they meet young Perseus, hunted by his ambition to become a hero and a king.

I previously read Heywood's debut novel about the sisters Helena and Clythemnestra of Sparta (Daughters of Sparta) and now she is back with a story about Perseus and the three women in his life: his mother Danae, his victim/monster Medusa and his wife Andromeda. A story reminiscent of Haynes' her recent book about Medusa (Stone blind).

But Heywood has a style of her own. As in Daughters of Sparta, she removes all divine intervention, magic or fantasy elements from the story. Danae is not seduced by the god Zeus and Medusa does not have snake hair and a deadly stare. The myth is told here as a kind of historical narrative.

Not an obvious choice, which I thought worked better in her previous book. The story of Perseus and certainly that of Medusa is so entrenched in myth and fantasy that you get something very different if you leave that part out. And while I loved Medusa's new backstory, Perseus quickly became a hurt and therefore extremely dangerous young man.

The book has a very feminist nature as the three women are all shortchanged by the world they live in and the men who surround them. Some scenes did touch me. I personally found Danae's perspective the most engaging, even if the beginning of her story was not so realistic.

Heywood remains a bit unnoticed in the immense popularity enjoyed by other writers of Greek myths. Between a Miller, Haynes, Barker and Saint, she does not stand out so much. Though she does make intriguing choices that still make it worth reading her books. I enjoyed 'The shadow of Perseus' but I liked Daughters of Sparta more. I'm curious to see which myth she takes on next.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this female voice retelling of the myth of Perseus, the author used real world places and methods, removing the fantastical elements of the myth so this reads more as historical fiction than a myth and I can understand why that may not work for some people but it really worked for me!

I think if you enjoy The Wolf Den trilogy by Elodie Harper you will love this!

This was a Greek myth retelling unlike any I had read before. It treated the Gods of Greek myth as a belief system, rather than intervening characters within the novel, and instead the plot was driven be the human characters, their choices and their mistakes. The three women the novel’s perspective was divided between gave the novel three unique voices and explored not just how Perseus impacted them, but how they shaped and impacted Perseus. The focus on the actions and voices of the female characters made the story more nuanced and more empowering than other retellings I have read. More historical than mythical, this retelling also allowed the cultures and societies of the time to be shared alongside the mythical figures we are more familiar with. A unique and engaging retelling.

as a mythology lover (especially greek), i usually devour retellings with excitement. however, whilst this book was technically fine, i just didn't get the excitement as i read it? i like that it was easy to read and definitely can see the correct audience for it, but personally i found it lacklustre and also didn't like the removal of magical aspects. overall, the book was just... fine? to me

Three women bound by one man fight to have their voices heard. Danae, daughter of a proud king, prophecied to bear a child who will be her father's downfall, abandoned to gods. Medusa, abused and abandoned, taken in by a group of independent women, destroyed by a vengeful boy. Andromeda, sacrificing herself to save her family, kidnapped and forced to travel far from home. Their link, Perseus, not quite the hero of legend.
In this novel Heywood has tried to give a more realistic representation of myth and legend. Taking characters from the great ancient writings she has woven a story which works from a historical perspective, placed in actual locations around the Mediterranean. Here the hero is little more than a boy with a violent temper and at the end no-one wins.

This is the second book by Claire Heywood on my reading list. "Daughters of Sparta" was a fine, feminist retelling - and "The Shadow of Perseus" does it again. Claire Heywood reimagines the very fantastical story of Greek hero Perseus, minus all the supernatural elements. Zeus is not his father in this tale, neither is Medusa really a monster with a head of snakes. Instead the author tells us about Perseus through the eyes of three important women in his life: his mother Danae, the Gorgon Medusa and his later wife Andromeda.
While reading it, I had all the feels: pity, anger, more anger, disgust, empathy. Perseus is the most unlikeable character in a long time, the women mostly powerless (to be expected in their surroundings) and somewhat distant. I had hoped for a deeper character outline of Medusa and Andromeda. Nevertheless, this novel shows how stories are evolving and which role the narrator is playing in establishing a "truth". By leaving out the supernatural, Claire Heywood paints a very different picture of the "hero" with the voices of those who usually are not heard.

Maybe it's because there have been a lot of retellings of Greek myths lately, but "The Shadow of Perseus" is not my favorite. But it is a very good book for all readers who want to dive into that genre, because it hints to a very important truth: Stories are told by those who win.