A feminist retelling on the Greek hero, Perseus told through the lens of three women in his life; Dánae, Medusa and Andromeda.

What I found interesting about the retelling was that all fantastical and magical elements of the story were removed. There were no Greek gods, no beasts and monsters, and instead the myths were told through a human perspective.

Not only were they told through a human perspective, they were told through a woman’s perspective. Are the stories we hear of men always so heroic? For every tale there is always another version of events being told by someone else. I liked that Perseus’ being born as a son of Zeus, a Gorgon-slayer and rescuer of Andromeda were all called into question.

Removing the mystical elements leads us to see that Perseus isn’t the hero we may think he is - he takes what he wants, does what he wants and uses violence in order to be the esteemed hero he greatly wishes to be.

I do wish I saw more of Medusa as she was an interesting character but Dánae and Andromeda at times seemed very like each other and didn’t have their own distinctive voices.

An interesting read for those into Greek mythology retellings but at times I found the writing too simplistic.

An engaging mythological reimagining, with some unexpected narrative choices. The characters, and different narrators, are all fleshed out well, and give an interesting interpretation on the Perseus mythology. Haywood chose to reduce the fantastical elements involved in the event she retells — making Medusa simply a woman rather than a Gorgon was an unexpected choice. For those wanting to have a tale woven with gods, goddesses, and magical realism, they may be disappointed to find these elements missing. However through taking on the myth in a “real world” lens, we see different sides to the characters depicted on the page, and our empathies present differently due to how Haywood brings it to life. A welcome addition to the growing modern interpretation of Greek myths canon.

If I forget that the characters are from the Greek mythology I can say I enjoyed it and appreciated the historical accuracy.
But this is a mythical story and all the characters are archetipal and very strong.
I felt like the strength of the story was lost.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was such a compelling and wonderful read! As a great lover of the Perseus myth (Clash of the Titans was one of my favourite films as a kid), it was fabulous to see the story told through the eyes of the women involved in his life. The narrative is split into parts, each told from the perspective of one of the women - Danae, Medusa and Andromeda and I thought that Claire Heywood captured each woman beautifully. Focusing on the plight of these women and exploring how Perseus's actions impacted their lives was a genius move, showing some of the less savory aspects of the story in all their unpleasant detail. I genuinely loved every minute of this book and cannot recommend it highly enough!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When you take out the gods and monsters you are just left with all man's weaknesses and no excuses for their terrible actions. My 20 something daughter has been telling me for years that Perseus was just an abusive mysogynist, rapist and murderer - who knew!! The actions of the gods have always disguised the actions of the 'heroes', taking away choice and giving them agency and legitimising their actions. Claire Heywood's retelling aided by the voice of Olivia Darnley (audiobook), leaves you under no illusion. Wish Medea had received a few more pages but maybe this is a way of illustrating how little Perseus thinks of her, other than as a task to be completed. On the whole I am loving all these retellings of the famous Greek myths. I have been lucky enough to read and listen and in the best tradition of Homer, they should be listened to and not read! Thanks to Netgalley.

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood is a retelling of the Greek myth with a twist! Instead of the usual gods and monsters, Heywood provides a more realistic and human perspective on Perseus, his mother Danae, Medusa, and his wife Andromeda.

From the perspective of the three women in Perseus’ life, the novel tells the story of his journey from a young man to a fearsome hero. However, this Perseus is far from the son of Zeus, and his battles with monsters are nothing more than stories he tells to others. The absence of the supernatural elements and the replacement with tales created by the characters to justify their actions creates a captivating and terrifying read. Perseus is a very human and unpredictable character, which makes the reader question the line between a hero and a serial killer.

Heywood's approach to the myth is unique and offers a refreshing take on the classic story. She masterfully captures the atmosphere of the Greek world while staying rooted in realism, and the shifting points of view are easy to follow. The book explores the nature of the human condition and how societal expectations and the desire for glory can lead to the loss of identity and morals. This book is a must-read for fans of mythical retellings and is an accessible introduction to the genre.

For those who love feminist Greek mythology retellings, this book is a new and exciting voice. Despite the idea being done before, The Shadow of Perseus is just as enjoyable and thought-provoking as the others. The novel highlights how one man's fragile masculinity was the downfall of multiple people and emphasises the importance of female empowerment.

If you're looking for a beautifully written, captivating, and thought-provoking novel, The Shadow of Perseus is a great choice! Don't miss out on this unique retelling of the classic Greek myth.

Smart, clever feminist retelling. Recently female tales of myths have been in vogue and this one is smart and enthralling.

"The Shadow of Perseus" was an interesting retelling of the myths surrounding Perseus told from the perspective of the most important women in his life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and the way it questioned Perseus' heroicness and let the reader see them from a new angle.
I enjoyed Medusa's section of the book the least just because her decisions felt rather weird considering her history.

Danae's and Andromeda's narratives were a lot more compelling and I definitely enjoyed this novel.

Retelling of the myth of Perseus that strips all the magical elements and laid bare the potential truths behind the myth.

This book reimagines the myth of Perseus as a true story that became legend and magical in the retelling. I find this idea absolutely fascinating, and the focus on the perspective of the three main women in the story interesting and well thought through.
Nevertheless my enjoyment of this book was wildly uneven. If I could give a start rating to each part I would give Danae's part 2 stars, Medusa's 3.5 and Andromeda's 5 stars. The level of agency afforded to the women in this book was very uneven: Danae is completely devoid of any agency, not just in action, but also in thought. Andromeda is the complete opposite and is the saving grace of the book. Medusa sits in an in-between, where her origin story is incredibly interesting and makes for a strong independent character, but her lack of action in her own self-defence, and her adoration of Perseus are completely unwarranted and unjustified.
Perseus himself is depicted as a whiny child who turns very violent, but his character development is left unexplored, and therefore his change and actions are not well justified.

However, the premise was very interesting, and I adored Andromeda's part.

The Shadow of Perseus is a beautifully written, unique, approach to the myth of Perseus, and the 3 women pivotal to his story: Danae, Medusa and Andromeda. I love the classical world and especially love mythical retellings. The way Heywood captures the atmosphere of the Greek myth while staying rooted in realism is just masterfully done. I could picture the rough Greek landscapes so well in my mind and could feel every emotion of these 3 women who narrate the story.

My favourite part of the book was definitely how it explores the nature of the human condition, and how easily this can be warped by societal expectations and the weight of memory and desire to be remembered. I think this book really highlights how the continual human drive for glory and becoming the ideal societal expectation is ultimately leads to alienation and complete loss of identity and, in Perseus' case, morals. The fact this book is rooted in realism, with no direct involvement of the divine, really emphasises that the choices made are human, and thus human responsibility. I really enjoyed reading this different approach because I haven't seen it explored that much in the mythical retelling genre.

This book was just gripping and just beautiful to read. More than that, I think it's a really good, accessible, way to start in the genre.

This is a beautifully written book that retells the stories of the mythical characters of Danae, Medusa and Andromeda. All of these female figures are linked by their connection to Perseus (hero, Gorgon-slayer and the founder of Mycenaean civilisation). However, this feminist retelling presents a different picture of him from the traditional view.

In this novel, Perseus is a brute. His pomposity, savagery and enormous ego dictates his behaviour, making the lives of the women closest to him difficult (to say the least). The writer also leaves out the more fantastical elements of Greek mythology, focusing instead on the female figures in the book and their struggle to survive in this misogynistic world. So this book presents a very different view of the classics.

Heywood’s prose is richly evocative and transports the reader effortlessly to the Ancient Greek World. If you have enjoyed books such as Circe by Madeline Miller, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint and A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes then this will be a great read for you.

The story is told from the perspectives of three of the women in Perseus’ life: his mother Danae, Medusa, and the princess Andromeda, whom he rescues and marries. It starts at a time before his birth, and follows him on his monster-battling adventures around the Mediterranean.


The surprising thing is that there are no monsters – they exist only in the tales Perseus tells to others. There are no gods either, except when they’re dimly seen through temple rituals. Perseus is not the son of Zeus – that’s just a story told to him by his mother. Andromeda is no princess, and her ‘rescue’ is an abduction accompanied by violence and bloodshed.

By stripping away all of the supernatural elements and rewriting them as stories told by the characters to justify their actions, Heywood creates something powerful. Perseus in particular is terrifying in his very human unpredictability and viciousness, raising the possibility that there might be a fine line between ‘hero’ and ‘serial killer’. This is not at all a comfortable read: but it is a compelling one.

Removing the gods from a mythical narrative and providing prosaic explanations for supernatural events are not new ‘twists’, of course. Seneca used to dial down the involvement of the gods so that human cruelty came to the fore in his tragedies; Livy couldn’t let a mythical explanation lie without giving his readers a more sensible option. Running right through Greek and Roman literature, we find this rationalising strand. When it comes to myth, there’s nothing new under the sun: and yet the human element still holds the power to fascinate. This is a particularly fascinating example because it’s just so easy to hate Perseus: it’s not at all a stretch for us to see the hero as a monster.

There are some things about the novel that I don’t like. In common with many readers, I suspect, I’d like more Medusa: she barely gets a chance to develop as a character, and her back-story remains in shadow. Medusa is a favourite character to a lot of people, and this Medusa is surprising in many ways. More Medusa, please!

But my main objection to the story is that nobody ever manages to emerge from the shadow of Perseus. The women in his life endure, but they do not triumph. Perseus becomes an abuser who can be managed, flattered and occasionally placated, but cannot be redeemed. His relationships with the women are all facilitated by shocking violence, and yet somehow the women tolerate his continued existence. This is billed as a ‘female-centred reinterpretation’, but it’s really not. Perseus is at the centre, and is never displaced. The women around him finally learn to speak up, but very carefully indeed; and while this does moderate his worst behaviour, it also leads him to target others. There’s no empowerment here. I was left deeply frustrated and with a powerful need to punch something.

That said, I would happily recommend this book. It’s very well written and well researched, with interesting settings (particularly the North African ones) and a pace that builds relentlessly, and the shifting points of view aren’t difficult to follow (I’m picky about that!). In fact, it’s the most captivating novel I’ve read in months. It also offers an interesting way of thinking about myth, as a tool for social acceptance and deflection of personal responsibility, which is quite exciting in a myth retelling. Heywood doesn’t offer us gods and monsters, and she doesn’t give us kick-ass heroines either – but she does show us people, and she does it well.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"The Shadow of Perseus" by Claire Heywood is, a retelling the story of the hero Perseus by the three
I would give "The Shadow of Perseus" by Claire Heywood a 5-star review because, 1; I like how this is told in other povs 2; I like how this is, a new look to the tale of Perseus 3; I love the characters and 4; the writing and story telling was beautiful.

Retelling Greek Mythology still happening nowdays, but finally we got a little different plot from this one. Normally, each MC would told their sobbing stories after being bullied by God and Goddess. But at Perseus we will get his story without any mystical aspect of it.

Confused? Hehe.. at first I also felt that way. Perseus always famous as one of the biggest demigod heroes who sailed the oceans, eradicated many monsters, saved many kingdoms. Myth said that he was born from Zeus who came to his mother, Danae in the guise as golden rain. At here Perseus has a normal human father and his personality and mentality are purely the result of his own choice in life. Medusa is depicted as a woman who chose to leave society and create a community to protect oppressed women. The story of his relationship with Andromeda is also related with modern marriage issues, and super interesting even though the story lacks the Kraken in it.

The writing is straight forward and the narrative is less angsty. But I like the different approach from the author to unrevealing Perseus's story. It is different, fresh and well research. I appreciate author's effort to get correctly historical setting that make me easy to follow Perseus journey. The author is new name for me but I am sure will checking more of her books.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton for provided my copy. My opinions and thoughts are my own.

Perseus the hero? Maybe not according to #theshafowofperseus. A feminist retelling of the myth of the perceived hero. A fresh look at Medusa who along with her fellow Gorgons is cast as a of vulnerable women,

A must for any who enjoyed Heywood's previous opus #daughtersofsparta

With her debut DAUGHTERS OF SPARTA, Heywood established herself as a masterful voice in the popular new wave of feminist reworkings of Greek mythology, and she cements that place in her sophomore novel, THE SHADOW OF PERSEUS. This familiar story is absolutely reinvented under Heywood's pen, whose reframing of well-known 'hero' Perseus through the perspectives of the three women most impactful upon his life - Danae, Medusa and Andromeda - offers an incisive look at the complexities of mankind. A must-read for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes.

I love mythological retellings and though Daughters of Sparta has been on my wishlist for a while I hadn't yet read it, so to find this book, a retelling of the story of Perseus (and by default also a retelling of his association with Medusa) I was intrigued.

I have to be honest, this was not what I was expecting. I know that not all stories are written the same, but not knowing much about Heywood's methodology I went in somewhat blind and I didn't get what I had anticipated.

For me, a lot of what makes the mythological retellings so special is their inclusion of magic, of otherworldly beings. In this, there was none of that.

The writing was good, but I was somewhat taken aback by the portrayal of Perseus as almost psychotic, a man-child with an Oedipal complex a mile wide, and some of it was disturbing.

A lot of this was disturbing probably because of the quality of the writing, which was exceptional, however, it was not a book I enjoyed as I have many previous retellings. It was a study of man sinking into depravity, into mental illness and the women who were pulled along, however unwillingly, for the ride.

I did not feel empowered, nor did I feel that the women, Danae, Medusa and Andromeda, were strong, they were scared. But again, this is my interpretation.

In removing the mystical and the magical, Perseus became a homicidal maniac and this book something of a study in psychiatric disorders.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Shadows of Perseus
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Claire Heywood
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Greek Mythology
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 21st February 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

TW: rape, murder

This is a story of how one man’s fragile masculinity was the demise of multiple people. Shadows of Perseus focuses on the prominent women in his life: Danae, Medusa and Andromeda

This idea has been done before: feminist Greek mythology retellings, and has especially grown in recent years, I’ve read two alone this month. I feel as though I can never get tired of it though, and Claire Heywood is a new voice for me.

I really enjoyed that Claire Heywood wanted her interpretation to be more realistic so cast aside any interventions from the gods and focused primarily on human behaviour and decisions. I felt that it grounded the story into a more believable escapade and also helped raise the women’s voices above the gods.

Some retellings can be over complicated with multiple POVs and a layering of multiple storylines. Shadows of Perseus is a much more simplified retelling, mainly based on the works of Pseudo-Apollodorus and Ovid. However, after reading the authors note, I can see just how much research and expertise went into this story and whilst I had already loved the story in its entirety, the authors note gave me a newfound appreciation for the hard work that had gone into this books creation.

This book was not overtly feminist, but feminism was definitely present. It was present in the Gorgon tribe that included Medusa as one of their sisters, it was subtly present in Danae’s role of motherhood, caregiver to Perseus until suddenly Perseus is guardian of her, and treats her as though she is a possession of his, and it was present in Andromeda’s mindset, her belief that her spirit has raised to be strong, and though life has dealt her undesirable cards, she must play the game to win. Danae, Medusa and Andromeda are each strong women within their own right and I adored the portrayal of each of their perspectives.

This is probably the easiest Greek Mythology interpretation I have ever read. It’s well researched and I enjoyed the feminist themes and exploration of fragile masculinity. I haven’t read Claire Heywood before but I absolutely want to read Daughters of Sparta now.

🧚🏻‍♀️

Finished another greek mythology retelling by Claire Heywood. This time it is the retelling of the story of Perseus but being told in the POV of the three important women in his life, his mother Danae, Medusa and his wife Andromeda. I liked that we got the story from the POV of the women because the story from Perseus POV would probably sound completely different. Personally I can not say how accurate it is to the actual myth since I‘m not that educated on them, especially on the story of Perseus so I won‘t keep that in mind for my review.
I really enjoy the writing of Claire, because it is so easy to follow and still sounds a little poetic at times. I liked reading this story, but I felt like at some parts the story was kind of rushed and could‘ve used a little more pages, thoughts of the women in Persues‘s life but nonetheless it was a good book and I‘d recommend it to anyone that likes a greek mythology retelling.

Description:

Danae: Banished from her homeland thanks to a prophecy foretelling that her unborn child will one day cause the death of her father, the king of Argos, Danae finds herself stranded, pregnant, and alone in a remote fishing village. It’s a harsh new world for a young woman who grew up as a coddled princess, and forging a new life for herself and for her young son Perseus will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Medusa: As a member of a reclusive band of women who live deep in the woods, known as the Gorgons, Medusa has eschewed all contact with the outside world. That is, until the day she finds an injured boy named Perseus in the forest.

Andromeda: When a harsh sandstorm threatens to destroy her nomadic desert tribe’s way of life, Andromeda knows that a sacrifice will be required to appease the gods and end the storm. But when a forceful young Perseus interferes, Andromeda’s life is set on an entirely new path.
 
As Perseus becomes increasingly obsessed with the promise of his own destiny, his heroic journey casts a shadow of violence and destruction across all three women’s lives. But even as he tries to silence them, the women may find that reclaiming their voices is their only hope for lifting themselves into a better future.

A very clever retelling of the mythical adventures of Perseus through the voices of the women closest to him. Claire Haywood’s concept of ‘humanising’ Perseus lifts the lid on the notion of the man behind the myth and the power struggle that Perseus has set himself in fulfilling his belief that he is the son of a god. A wonderful read!