— 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!

As someone who loves Greek Mythology retellings i absolutely loved reading this book.
The book starts with Danae who is imprisoned by her own father Akrisios when he hears about the prophecy that her son would be the end of him. How Akrisios in fear seals his daughter in a chest and sends it to the sea. The story about how Danae survives give birth to her son Perseus.
The story then goes to Medusa and finally Andromeda.
The Shadow of Perseus is told in the perspectives of the three women mostly associated with Perseus. His mother Danae and then Medusa and Andromeda. And we also get to see Perseus behaviour to the prophecy.

I'm afraid I didn't finish this book, as I knew the story already, but found the characters were not depicted as being real - I'd have liked to see more emotion, but this just told the story which, as I mentioned, I already knew.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this e- ARC.

As a huge fan of the myths of Perseus, I was quite intrigued in reading about his story as told by the the three main women within his story.

This book did not disappoint. Firstly the writing was simple, descriptive and flowed well and the various perspectives did not take away from that.

Focusing on those perspectives, they were from the women's which really shed light into their lives and what they experienced and endured with every action and decisions Perseus made. Understanding that the hero we know was written by men which not surprisingly excludes women's perspectives from the narrative, Heywood allowed for these women to have a voice. by really stripping this story of Perseus from the fantastical elements and themes that are generally associated with the various myths of heroes and giving instead the raw and sometimes hard to swallow truth of the fate of many women during this period. By allowing these women agency, Heywood has really done a fantastic job as spinning a well know heroic tale into a tale of women, their strength and resilience.

This is a retelling of the Myths of Perseus.
The story is believable, it may have actually been this way.
The story was told though the eyes of three women.
The storyline flowed throughout, the subject was inevitably not very nice, but in some ways nicer than the traditional myths.
The concept and the story were brilliant. I will certainly be looking out for more books by Claire.
Thank you to the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review.

An interesting perspective on the legend of Perseus. In her interpretation, Heywood strips away the mythology around the "hero" and given the story of Perseus the boy with the women most central in his story; his mother Danae, the "monster" Medusa and his wife Andromeda. Perseus is a quick tempered, angry insecure man-child and obsessed with the oracle foretelling his birth,all three women are impacted by his obsession in devastating ways.

3.5 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

The Shadow of Perseus is a rage inducing, brutal condemnation of the abuse of power and patriarchal structures of oppression.

This is not an easy book to read. It really goes there in its depictions of violence, though never explicitly depicting sexual violence. Heywood utterly rips apart the myth, leaving the portrait of a violent, insecure boy who will stop at nothing to obtain what he feels entitled to. By stripping away most of the magical elements of the myth, Heywood leaves a heinous reality. There are horrific abuses of power and injustices wrecked upon these three women. It also complicates the idea of the truth, wherein the version of the story depends entirely on who is telling it. The original is written by men about men and entirely neglects the perspective of the women.

Heywood redresses that balance and gives these women strength and a voice. They each recount their own section of the story in heart-breaking, emotional and powerful narratives. Their limited agency is a result of these oppressive power structures and you can see the points at which survival becomes the only option. In particular, this version of Medusa’s story really cut to the bone. I think it comes from the rich, detailed characterisation Heywood imbues these women with. We get a clear sense of their backstories and the lives they enjoyed before Perseus appeared. Heywood’s writing is also so descriptive, giving you a real sense of the world these women inhabit. These settings are lush and evocative, spanning several countries and societies.

The Shadow of Perseus utterly reframes a familiar narrative. As Heywood notes in her author’s note, the line between hero and villain is so easily manipulated and the power lies entirely with the author. Here, she returns the power to the women deeply wronged by Perseus and the fragile masculinity he embodies, warning us of the continued danger of this in our society.

Thanks so much to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of The Shadow of Perseus.

I absolutely adored this book, I devoured it.

As someone who absolutely adores Greek Mythology, this retelling was so interesting as it was told from the perspectives of the three women that Perseus touched in his life - his mother, Medusa and his wife. While we're told one version of events through a patriarchal lense, I loved seeing how these women felt about this man.

Without the magical elements, it makes the story even more hard hitting,

The Shadow of Perseus is an interesting take on the story of Perseus, centred around the stories of Medusa, Danae and Andromeda which shed light on the truth behind the ‘hero’. Perseus — A boy, who believed himself superior to those around him, with a need for not just acceptance, but worship. A boy, twisted and warped into a cold, horrid soul. A boy without honour, who lied, cheated and stole, who never truly earned the title he’d always dreamed of holding — ‘man’.

I absolutely adored this book, and it’s safe to say that Heywood has solidified themselves as one of my favourite mythology retellers. I have loved both Daughters of Sparta, and now The Shadow of Perseus, and both have absolutely hit the nail on the head for me.

The new spin Heywood added to the existing myths is something to be admired. From the very first chapter the characters were personal, each and every character stood out, and all of them had a unique and intriguing story to tell, all while giving a new take on Perseus, and how he was not who we expected him to be.

I will always be in awe of how Heywood has so fantastically managed to tell us four unique stories in one book without it feeling chaotic. Each woman’s story blended perfectly together to create this bigger picture of Perseus, while highlighting the how women in Greek myths are forever shadowed and bound to the whims of men, stripped of choice and long-lasting free-will.

I highly recommend this book for fans of Greek mythology retellings, it is simply sublime.

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood is a historical mythological re-telling of the myth of hero Perseus as told by three women central to the story, Danae, his mother, Medusa, the Gorgon Queen and Andromeda, his future wife. Ad the author explains in the foreword, she has taken some liberties with the re-telling crafting it her own and giving us something unique, fresh and heartwarming. The author has taken some of the more fantastical elements of the myth and grounded them in reality telling us a much more likely tale which may very well have been the experience of many women. With a slight feminist undertone, the story of each woman is empowering, courageous and such a delight to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will be going back to read the authors other works as well as any future reads. Thank you to Claire Heywood, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this fantastic book.

An interesting retelling of the story of Perseus from the perspective of the women in his orbit. I enjoyed how Claire Heywood stripped away the traditional fantasy elements of the myth to make it gritty and realistic; you can tell she really did her reaearch. But, as much as I loved a Greek myth retelling, this just didn't do it for me. While I like the casting of Perseus as the villain, he's a very two dimensional character and little more than a whiny, aggressive, misogynistic man-child. Likewise the women of the novel, Danae, Medusa and Andromeda, lack agency - everything about them is defined by and in relation to Perseus. Not a bad read by any means but not as good as I was hoping.

I really enjoyed Claire Heywood's Daughters of Sparta, so was excited to be given the opportunity to read her new work. I love retellings of Greek myth from the female perspective, and this book was interesting in not having the intervention of gods and goddesses throughout, but focusing on the human stories and decisions. My prior knowledge of Perseus was vague, and more formed by Clash of the Titans than anything else, so this was a revelation. Yet again, a "hero" of Greek myth is revealed to be a deeply flawed and unpleasant human being.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is fantastic. Another fabulous retelling of the beautiful Greek mythology stories we have all come to know and love.

This time, we have the retelling of Perseus and the legends surrounding him. The difference, that his stories are told by three women who had the pleasure, or shall I say, disdain to have been a factor in Perseus’ life.

The writing style is beautiful, the retelling of the famous myth is realistic and believable and I just love how the mythical gods and creatures have been introduced to us as human characters instead of working the magical monsters into this book.

We get to see a side of Medusa that a lot of women knew, deep down, that she had. 🙂

If ancient stories and Greek myths are your bag, this book is a must read!

I was invited to read this arc before its release soon and I am so grateful I got that chance because this is one not to miss. Easy 5 star read for me. Just fabulous.

I really enjoyed the perspective here of seeing such a well known character/figure from Greek Mythology through the eyes of the women that knew him best. A fascinating read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As a self-professed Greek Mythology nerd, I of course had an awareness of Perseus and his encounter with Medusa. I had read of his mother’s fate, being locked away by her father and then sent across the seas to an upmost certain death whilst pregnant with Perseus, so the first half of the book was familiar and helped set the tone following Danae and eventually Medusa. However, when it switched to Andromeda, I was less certain. I had hear of her, of course, but never so in depth.

This decade has seen many stories from Greek mythology that are traditionally told by men and has switched the perspective, showing us the tales that the women had to tell, and they have all been incredible. The Shadow of Perseus did not disappoint. It set a solid foundation for the stories we know and built upon that knowledge by showing his actions through the eyes of his mother, his wife and the woman who made him as famous as he is.

Claire Heywoods’ attention to detail is beautiful, her choice in words so simplistic yet paints the picture perfectly. One issue that I had growing up is that mythology isn’t the most accessible when it comes to language, Heywood has made the story of Perseus and the women in his life easy to read and enjoy no matter your understanding or skill.

The Shadow of Perseus is Claire Heywood's second novel and it is another Greek mythology retelling. It is told in third person from the POV's of Danae, Medusa and Andromeda. This is the story of Perseus but told from the POV of the women in his life. Danae sees Perseus as a boy but Perseus wants to be a great hero. The line between heroism and monstrosity is thin and Perseus attempts to seduce Medusa and then Andromeda. The three women come together and realise Perseus is no longer a boy and will risk everything for greatness. The good things about this were that the writing was very good. Heywood is clearly a very skilled writer. The story was easy to follow and it was easy to read. I would recommend this for readers who don't know much about Greek mythology because this book doesn't have the fantastical elements and feels much more historical. However, I didn't really enjoy this that much mainly because it felt too historical and I do like books related to Greek Mythology to have fantasy elements. It was also very flat for me and personally I just think the market for Greek Mythology retellings is oversaturated and I think I need a break from them. I am giving this three stars because it was written well and I haven't read a Greek Mythology retelling like this before but it wasn't a new favourite.

3.5/5 stars. I loved Claire Heywood's "Daughters of Sparta" so I was very excited to get the chance to read this book. I really enjoyed the concept of understanding Perseus through the lens of the women in his life instead of more male-driven POV re-tellings. It is clear the author is well-researched and the way she connected the storylines of Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda was compelling. I only wish this story could have had more of an emotional pull. It read closer to a strongly defined historical text than a fantastical mythology retelling. I think Heywood's writing is consistent and useful, but I think it could benefit from trying to get the reader to sympathize or like the characters more in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily