This is the story of Perseus told from the points of of view of 3 important females in his life-Danae, Andromeda and Medusa- this is a fresh feminist take on the story of a hero you thought you knew.
I appreciate when authors give a voice to the women who have always been in the background in these stories and can weave a new narrative
The authors prose is gorgeous, it’s descriptive in the settings and the characters are brought to life beautifully while the storytelling is sublime
I recommend this to anyone who loves Greek mythology retellings or for anyone wanting to dip their toe into this subject as this book would be accessible to anyone as it’s very easy to follow. The narrator in this audiobook was excellent and brought life to the story and characters. Overall an excellent read

I love retellings of myths. I love when the story is told from a different light, showing that maybe things were not really as they were told. Was Medusa really a feared creature? It is always the victors who control the narrative, they are always the ones to tell the tale and spin the truth.

I really liked the 3 points of view that we got in this story and getting to know 3 strong and very different women. Perseus, however, is depicted as a stupid entitled selfish asshole who thinks he is the center of the world and takes what he wants from everyone he meets, despite them having been kind to him. He is a walking red flag in every possible way and makes it impossible to like him.

That being said, the whole needing to be seen as a man and the concept that a man should take what is his does make sense with the historical period, but reading about it from the point of view of smart, strong women who are essentially powerless against dumb selfish men is unnerving.

Other than that, the book is very easy to read, or in my case listen to. We basically follow Danae, Medusa and Andromeda in a slice of life kinda way and see how Perseus impacts their life. I definitely recommend going with the audiobook for this, the narration is flawless and very easy to follow.

Claire Heywood manages to put a new spin on the myth of Perseus that strips back on the Greek Gods and their interference and instead focuses on the nature of humankind, whilst maintaining the ethos of the original tale. The Shadow of Perseus is told from the point of view of the three most influential women in his life - Danae, his mother; Andromeda, his wife; and Medusa, his victim.

I have really enjoyed the wave of feminist Greek mythology retellings, and I can now add The Shadow of Perseus to that list. I think that going into this book knowing that it is a loose retelling is key, as it makes the whole thing much more enjoyable when you are not constantly comparing it against the original myth. I really enjoyed where Heywood took her version, and how it differs. The three points of view were distinct and enjoyable.

I’m appreciative that I read it via the audiobook, as Olivia Darnley did a fantastic job. She was phenomenal at setting the scene and creating the needed atmosphere, whether that be one that is upsetting or uplifting. I would highly recommend reading the book this way.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an Audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood on audiobook and haven't in the past read many Greek mythological books before, but this was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed being transported into Ancient Greece.

The book is a retelling and reimagined version of the myth of Perseus, told through three women who knew him best - his mother Danae, his wife Andromeda, and his victim, Medusa.

I listened to the audio version of this book, which was really well written and very well narrated by Olivia Darnley, who gets the pace and sets the scene perfectly. I'll definitely be looking out for more by Claire Heywood (and the narrator) and am keen to listen to or read Daughters of Sparta, her previous novel too.

A big thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audio book

3.5 stars*

This is the story of Perseus in his early years told through three women in his life's perspectives: Danae (his mother), Medusa (his victim), and Andromeda (his wife). We don't see Perseus outside of their perspectives so this was quite an interesting read to see a character told entirely from an outsiders perspective. We really don't understand Perseus as a character fully, I feel like we see his through other people's perspectives in an almost 'walking on eggshells around a completely unpredictable character' way. This did leave me a bit anxious through reading this book and I think that was supposed to be the vibe.

I have to say I found the women's perspectives a little bit repetitive in the way they viewed Perseus and the way he was described despite their very different approaches and encounters with him. I also found the general allowances all the female characters made for him to be very naive, and I have to say though each individual character was compelling and I understood their motivations thoroughly, I still wanted to scream at some of the things they were thinking.

If you are a fan of the character of Perseus, this book will not sit well. This is very much a 'villainising Perseus' book and I honestly hated him very early on in the book. I think this book was incredibly interesting and the approach it took was very factual [aka removing any fantastical elements from the stories] which I enjoyed. It did completely change the story I was familiar with as a result though, and made Perseus a very different character overall.

The narrator did a brilliant job and I enjoyed the format. I think because I listened to it, the atmosphere of uncertainty and fear, which I found an excellent medium to read this in. I imagine reading on paper will have toned that atmosphere down slightly so do read according to your preference on that!

Trigger warnings: on-page sexual assault, rape, murder, attempted murder

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this audiobook from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood

Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for the arc and Audio of this book. I dual-read this, which was extremely fun.
The narrator does a fantastic job in this book. Her voice suits it, and she has a perfect emphasis and feeling when needed.

Danae, I enjoyed this part of the story seeing how she has grown over time and how she deals with each hurdle thrown her way.

Perseus, her son, I adore reading about him and his quirkiness.

I have throughly enjoyed reading /listening to this book in tandem. The experience has heightened the deeps of this book for me, and I do feel highly connected to the series

I adore reading and listening to this book in tandem.

I listened to The Shadow Of Perseus via audiobook.

It’s a different retelling of an age old myth. Instead of a hero, imagine a bloodthirsty brute intent on revenge. Imagine a not quite as romantic rescue of Andromeda. And what if Medusa didn’t turn people to stone but was betrayed?

It’s a new way of looking at a story that has passed down through the centuries. And for that you have to give the author some applause.

My problem with this story however, and it’s only my opinion, is that at times the story seemed to be lagging and then other times sped up a lot. The story and concept was good but there were points throughout where I was starting to get a little bored and then the story would speed up and I’d have to zone back in incase I missed anything. This is just my opinion though.

It.was a good read and I would recommend to anyone interested in Greek mythology.

Stories are often told from men’s point of views so whenever I see a retelling from the women in the story I will always jump at the chance to read it! I adored listening to this book, the classic story of Perseus told from three women in his life’s perspective (Danae, Medusa and Andromeda).

Whilst this is the myth of Perseus he is definitely not the main character and doesn’t feature continuously throughout the story, with the lead up to each women’s encounter taking front and centre for probably 60-70% of the story, with the reminder being the culmination of each three women’s lives with Perseus. It also isn’t a copy of the myth at all it kind of takes on a more realistic approach to the story which I really adored!

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy retellings or greek mythology.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stroughton publishers for providing me with an e-arc of this audiobook.

I thought this book was excellently crafted. It paid homage to the original myth, but as myth does, it twisted slightly in Heywood's words. Perseus becomes sinister and warped, allowing us to see a different side to Danae, Medusa and Andromeda. it was subtly done but with profound effect that ripples through the novel. It's a great comment on how lies can build up the story of a great hero, and how the woman in the story can be left behind.

I particularly enjoyed Andromeda's character. Her story especially was a hard read, but her strength and endurance felt like the backbone of the novel.

Heywood's writing is lyrical and beautiful, reminiscent of the old epic poems but with a breath of fresh air running throughout. I will definitely be reading her other pieces of work.

The story starts with Danae who is banished from her kingdom because of a prophecy by the Oracle that her unborn son shall be the death of her father! N so destiny takes its course and as much you try to prevent the events of the future from happening they find their way. And that child is no other than Perseus.

With that, the story introduces a lot of character names in greek mythology with the same traits but a very different tale told. It's like the more you explore this genre the more you find! filled with treasures of unexplored stories. It gave us a new angle at Perseus's story with the influence of 3 protagonists: Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda. My favourite part was the narration style of the author that creating the dots to be connected by the reader.

Thankyou @netgalley @hodderbooks @claireheywoodauthor for the Digital ARC

Genre: #greekmythology
Rating: 4/5 ⭐

As someone who has always loved mythology, and Greek mythology in particular, I am really enjoying this sort of Renaissance it’s been having through a number of retellings of various myths and Homer’s work.

It’s a bit like catnip for me, I can’t help but want to read them all, though not all of them deliver what you expect.

The Shadow of Perseus is definitely one of the best ones I’ve read so far — blending historical relevance with the original myths and just enough artistic license to make it flow beautifully together — and it’s especially powerful on audio, narrated by such a talented voice actor!
The combination of Claire Heywood’s writing (lyrical without being overly flowery, intensely raw and emotional without being sappy) and Olivia Darnley’s spot-on portrayal of each character creates something truly special and brings this story to life in a way I have not experienced very often.
I would really say this is comparable to the best this genre has to offer — like The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, or The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, which are my personal favorites.
One small qualm I have is that I had mixed feelings about giving Perseus the beginning of a redemption arc after all the brutality, entitlement, violence, and just general awfulness. I feel like in a way, after going that far in how he is portrayed, he doesn’t quite deserve that ending. And if we want that ending (because it’s beautiful) then perhaps he could have been painted as ever so slightly horrible, a little more deserving of a chance to redeem himself.
Still, this was excellent so I’m giving it 4 1/2 stars!

This was a really interesting take on Perseus story - I quite liked the realism approach, there were particular sections of the story where this had quite a significant impact and brought a really fresh take on the perspective. I loved the emphasis on the feminist retelling, giving a voice to the characters who don’t normally have prominence. I really felt invested in Danae in the first section of the book. My favourite section however was the part of the story that focussed on Medusa, this was a really well thought out premise on the “monster” story and testament of the strength of the realism take.

I also really enjoyed the angle that was taken with regard to Perseus’ character a different look at the traditional hero.

The one element of the story I struggled with was that the 3 women’s stories felt quite separate rather than a cohesive narrative - I appreciate that the nature of Perseus’ timeline does lean into that a little, but the transition from Danae to Medusa’s narratives felt like two separate stories altogether rather than a moving along of the same. I much preferred the final section where the story lent itself to switching up the perspectives - again I appreciate the timeline allowed for it.

Because of the different female characters perspectives the story really worked as an audio for mer, the narrator did a great job of giving each woman their own voice and it was easy to follow the different perspectives.

Overall I did enjoy the story, particularly the realism, I felt it brought a great perspective.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my audio of this book.

This was a nice way of telling a very famous tale from the point if view of the female main characters !
I liked that it was divided in different parts giving the points of views at different points. I must say I am not a fan of Theseus after this book! So definitely well written!

I have some questions: What do we gain by making Perseus irredeemably evil? What do we get by spending an entire book watching him terrorize, abuse, r*pe, and murder women? By having those same women insist on acting like this 20-year-old abuser is just a clueless little boy? By having them make excuses for him? Those aren’t spoilers, that’s just the whole book.

I am all for the entire premise of this book—turn Perseus from hero to villain, take out all the myth and tell the story based in realism, tell that story through the eyes of the women. But if you’re going to do that, there has to be a reason. Let’s delve into the psychology of an evil Perseus. What would make him that way? Why would he then be remembered as a hero? We don’t get that; the only explanation is that he makes a bunch of stuff up and people believe him because…they do? Mostly we just get a pathetic little brat so cartoonishly evil that he becomes predictable. He’s always going to do the worst possible thing just because he can, and no one’s ever going to stop him or ask for help even though there are ample opportunities to do so.

In the author’s note Heywood says she was trying to give a voice to the women of the story, but the execution wasn’t there. Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda, instead of being developed and brought forward as protagonists, are reduced to Perseus’s punching bags and their motivations for insisting on seeing good in him are completely unconvincing. The women continually blame themselves for what Perseus does to them, and the narrative seems to agree. Danae is one thing; as Perseus’s mother, it makes sense that she would blame herself (even though she’s not to blame) and would continually try to see the best in him. But Medusa, a r*pe victim living in what is basically a pre-feminist women-only separatist society, to whom he shows not a single positive quality? Andromeda, whose introduction to him is one of brutal violence? I don’t buy it.

It’s unfortunate because this could have been a wonderful book. I really enjoyed the beginning, when we’re just spending time with Danae in her tower before Perseus enters the picture. Heywood’s prose is quite good, her settings atmospheric. I appreciate what she was trying to do here, but the themes come across so confused and muddled that I’m still wondering if I was supposed to sympathize with Perseus. I hope not. I don’t. But part of me still thinks that was the goal. If not, then why, in the end, does Perseus have a little chat with mommy and that “fixes” everything? Why do she and Andromeda decide to “make a happy life” with him?

After all that, this book just feels pointless. I don’t know what we’re doing here, and I didn’t have a good time.

Advanced Reader Copy audiobook provided by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was very interesting to me, despite not knowing too much about the legend of Perseus to start with. Retellings - re-imaginings, especially, as this sets out as - have the potential to be incredibly imaginative works of fiction, and I have enjoyed several in the past. Ultimately, however, The Shadow of Perseus fell short of what it set itself up as. 2.5 stars overall.

Taking all of the myth out of mythology is a bold move, and one that unfortunately does the story no favours here. I found this book pretty hard to get through, and mostly quite boring. Part of this may be in part due to listening to it as an audiobook, which I find can be very hit or miss. It was just overwhelmingly... okay. I just wasn't that interested in what happened next at any point, interspersed with several instances of things just being incredibly, utterly bleak (Danae's exile? Horrifying!).

Our three leads feel two-dimensional, their stories revolving around men despite the promise otherwise being the entire plot of the book. It was genuinely incredibly frustrating to listen to; there were so many moments where I just wanted to shout at them. I was looking forward to Medusa's part in particular, for example, as I wasn't sure what her story would be without any of the magic of the original myth. She had the potential to be such an interesting character - I was all for the Gorgons and an exclusive girl group with pet snakes - but instantly lost her way the second Perseus was introduced.

All in all, a little disappointing. It might be some people’s cup of tea, particularly if you are interested in the history behind mythology, but definitely not the feminist retelling it set out to be.

Like the author's previous work about Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy this is Greek Myth reimagined for realism. It is interesting to strip the story of its fantastical elements and the influence of the Gods and to see these figures of legend as very flawed human beings. Claire Heywood has not simply regurgitated the Perseus story verbatim but has created a hybrid tale, which intersects geographical and socio-economic realities with a pretty brutal reflection on the damage that trauma can inflict generationally. The three central women Danae, Medusa and Andromeda are well drawn, although we are robbed of Medusa too soon, and the realities of the Gorgons make pretty tragic reading. Perseus though is clearly a pretty dreadful human being and through the eyes of the women around him his near psychotic temperament makes one ponder anew how truly dreadful 'heroes' must have been.
I have not yet read 'Stone Blind' by Natalie Hayes which will inevitably draw comparisons but here Heywood has stripped the story of much of its supernatural glitz and it is all the richer for it.

Greek mythology remembers Perseus as a great hero! He slayed the terrifying Medusa, rescued his future wife, Andromeda, from a cruel faith, and established the Perseid dynasty! But beyond his achievement, who was really Perseus? How did the peers of his time perceive him? These are just some of the questions to which Claire Heywood tries to provide answers in her second novel on Greek-mythology called “The Shadow of Perseus”.

Beyond the veil of glorified actions, Perseus’ story in this novel is told from the viewpoint of three head figures in his life: Danae - his mother, Medusa - one of his greatest achievements, and Andromeda - his future wife. Besides the changing viewpoint, Claire’s story has a very strong “What if…?” component that invites the listener/reader to explore a less romanticised version of Perseus, more rooted in the known reality than in the mythical fantasy. While at first I though it was going to be an uninterrupted story told by each of the three female characters, the last third of the book makes a continuous switch between the storytellers. While at first I thought that it would lead to more confusion, it was actually well structured and whenever a shift of views took place, it was easy to follow along. Audio-wise, although the entire story is told only by one narrator, each of the characters has their own voice and it is easy to distinguish the storytellers, so big A+ from my side.

I was also happy to hear at the end a side-note from the author detailing her idea origin and providing future references for those curious to explore her “What if…?” deeper or, to use Claire’s own words, to “recontextualise the story of Perseus”.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #TheShadowofPerseus #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

What a fabulous tale this was - I was totally captivated throughout. I knew little about Perseus other than his legendary slaying of Medusa so was curious to see what this book had to offer.

The narrator was clear and easy to listen to and the story was fabulous. I loved that we got to know Perseus filtered through three key females in his life: mother, wife and Medusa, which was unexpected. I think they offered different versions of him and together help the boy turn into a promising young man.

Life does not start well for Perseus, and I think, by way of compensation Danae parenting style smothers and stifles his development. He is almost 'exiled' on a long boat trip to grow up and at this point, his development is unrestrained: we see the myth developing - murderer, bully and rapist are unenviable traits.

Despite not loving Perseus, being abducted, raped and forced into marriage to him, it is, perhaps, Andromeda who can understand our 'hero' the most and when she starts to stand up to him we see that there is hope for a better man to be revealed. The relationship which develops between Danae and Andromeda suggests a better path can be found for Perseus at the end of the novel.

The author's notes explain her purpose in writing this novel and the changes she has made to the narrative. I think she succeeded and this was a great read! My view of Perseus is no longer 2-dimensional.

An engaging narration, effective pace and tone used to keep the listener’s attention rapt within the story. The narrator handled the different characters and narrators well, and brought the story to life to ensure the reader truly felt the disgust and horror needed at key moments,

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for all of these greek mythological retellings from the womens point of view, and this is no exception with the story of Perseus being told by the three closest women around him. This however unfortunately did not come close to some of the other retellings I've read, despite being a great read. There were times when I felt like it dragged and I struggled to keep going, although past the 50% mark this book absolutely flew, it was full of action and drama and had me hooked.

I will however be seeking out Claire Heywood's previous book, 'Daughters of Sparta' as I enjoyed the writing style and would love to read that story too.