I've never really been much of a fan of Greek mythology, the Viking Sagas are more my thing, but Claire North has given me a new appreciation of them. With The House of Odysseus, and Ithaca before it, she's crafted a narrative packed with strong women, men who think they're strong, but tend not to be, and flawed gods. A narrative that inverts that of the more traditional myths . I've been drawn in by the island of Ithaca, its inhabitants and their intrigues and will be keeping my fingers crossed that the final book in The Songs of Penelope maintains the high standard set by the first two volumes..

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for an advanced copy.

Obsessed with this series.

North takes us right back to Ithaca and Queen Penelope but with a twist. I loved Aphrodites perspective on the ongoings of Ithaca and three cleverness of Penelope.

I cannot wait for the next book, with Odysseus back how will Penelope manage?

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: House of Odysseus
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 2 of Songs of Penelope
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Claire North
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Feminist Mythology
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: eARC
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 24th August 2023
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 16th July 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5

”We women of sky and fire, we goddesses, we are so mighty, and yet if we learn anything from old mother Hera, it is that the brighter we blaze, the more the men line up to make us fall. Our power will be suppressed, subdued, and we will be turned from creatures of immortal majesty to cowering wives and simpering whores, adjuncts merely to a story told by a man. A story about a man.”

House of Odysseus has absolutely blown me away. I read Ithaca last year and thoroughly enjoyed it but I felt like it suffered from two things: slow pacing and a disconnect from the main characters of the story.

Well, Claire North has leveled UP. I felt way more emotionally invested in ALL the characters in this book. I can’t even put my finger on why that is. My theory is that because this story is told from Aphrodite’s point of view, rather than Hera’s, Aphrodite took a more actively participating role in the lives of the characters. The mortals in the story have to surrender to Aphrodite’s whims and follies and gain from her divinity. I felt that there wasn’t much of that in Ithaca. The pacing is fast, I could have consumed this in a matter of hours if it wasn’t for my stupid human needs like eating and sleeping.

In fact, the point of view of Aphrodite is one of my favourite aspects of this novel. It provides such an amusing, slightly sensual, and very sassy overtone. It helps that the writing is completely flawless, which is not a compliment I give away lightly. The plot itself gave me literal goosebumps!

Penelope was the main star of the show but the author highlighted the women who were wronged, the women who outsmarted the men, and the women who bested men in a fight. Whilst I liked Penelope in the story of Ithaca, I fell completely and irrevocably in love with her in House of Odysseus. My Queen!

House of Odysseus is a feminist retelling of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, who was left to run Ithaca for twenty years whilst Odysseus sailed to the Battle of Troy. This story explores female desire, has exceptional political court intrigue, and is a lesson in underestimating women.

—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚‍♀️✨

Perfect follow on from Ithaca. I love anything along the lines of Greek tragedies and historical fiction. This is stunningly beautiful. Thank you for approving me for the arc.

Thank you for approving me to read this. I really loved how this is a female focussed story about all of the different levels of women it takes to run a country and not just the usual mythical retellings of goddesses / wives. Unfortunately, I found the prose style really off putting whilst reading and the first 25% of the book incredibly slow. Whilst I have praised the female led story, I felt some of the characters that we know well from myth (Athena, Aphrodite) were typecast and unoriginal. Perhaps this was done intentionally by the author, however, I could not see any kind of lesson or moment within the book to suggest that this choice was going to be explained to the reader and it was made technically. I won’t be reviewing this book on my Instagram as, sadly, I was unable to finish it.

If you had asked me whether I expected the continuation of Ithaca to have a different narrator that would somehow seamlessly blend in after Hera’s all-consuming vitriol and disillusionment, I would have said something very intelligent along the lines of, “Uh, why?” And yet, lo and behold, it was so; in came Aphrodite, the goddess taking first place on my Least Likely Narrator list.

It's frankly amazing what this book has accomplished here: it is undoubtedly the same story, with the setting still full of heartbreak, stifling societal norms and expectations and derailed futures, but Aphrodite is so full of, well, l o v e that it almost makes the whole tragedy easier to bear. Where Hera was boiling with rage and dealing in harsh truths, Aphrodite is constantly on about beauty (though quite often slipping into appreciating its physical aspect) and, in a way, opportunities – opportunities to build bridges and ties and yourself, and in so doing escape the cage or slip through its bars. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean she overlooks the stunning amount of unfairness going on, precisely, but for me it does make House of Odysseus a marginally lighter read than Ithaca.

With Aphrodite, the secondary focus shifts from Hera’s favorite Clytemnestra, who dared to be queen, to her own favorite – Helen, beautiful and beloved, with her own terrible struggles and her own terrible husband. Though the blurb mentions her as Penelope’s ally, for most of the book Helen just seems to be… there, adored by the goddess and dismissed by everyone else, and so the role she plays is truly revealed only later on. Needless to say, the political plotting overall remains superb.

Just like Ithaca, the story brings to the forefront a range of issues that women have been facing throughout history – perhaps more so in the past, but not irrelevant in our time either. Under North’s pen, the characters – mortal and immortal both – come to life. Being Kate Griffin/Claire Norton’s fan is a gift that keeps on giving, and I’m so pleased about that.

Thanks to #Netgalley for an arc of #Houseofodysseus

Reviewed by my daughter who is a Claire North fan and who has a fascination with Greek Mythology.

This is a really good follow up to Ithaca. It is really fast paced, exciting and is a brilliant take on the mythology. Once I started reading it was very hard to put down and even when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I think the writer loves mythology too and I think she wants to make it accessible to everyone, I would definitely recommend this to my friends and my school.
I'm looking forward to the next one now.

During Odysseus’ twenty year absence from the isle of Ithaca, his wife, Penelope, has been maintaining control of the isle, putting off the suitors who would take his place, and generally keeping things running as best she can. But her efforts are put to the test when Orestes, King of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra return to Ithaca seeking her help. They are closely followed by their uncle Menelaus, King of Sparta, who is determined to prove that Orestes has lost his mind since killing his own mother and is not fit to rule, hoping to seize the Mycenean throne for himself.

House of Odysseus is slightly faster paced than Ithaca was, and centres around Penelope’s cunning in thwarting Menelaus’ plans, giving it a more detailed plot than Ithaca which mainly told the story of the suitors bothering Penelope while Odysseus was away. This made House of Odysseus more original and substantial, and I absolutely loved it.

All the characters, male and female, are excellently written and perfectly interpreted, in my opinion, from the traditional mythology and given a more modern spin. I loved Aphrodite as the narrator and her comments on the goddesses, humans and situations throughout the story were absolutely spot on. I also think the feminist take on the various female characters was excellently done, as they are cunning and powerful, but are forced to play the role of feeble women as expected by the men. It doesn’t come across as at all unrealistic that these women would have been able to manipulate events and twist things around according to their own plans, without being caught out by the men who simply cannot fathom that a woman would be able to pull off the things that Penelope does. Helen was also a perfect interpretation of the woman from myth; how would the woman who caused the Trojan war really be getting on after being reclaimed by her husband having humiliated him beyond repair? Claire North’s representation of her is fantastic.

I cannot wait for book #3 (although I do have some trepidation about the fate of certain characters when Odysseus does finally return…)

I would recommend coming into the Songs of Penelope series with some background knowledge of the Battle of Troy and the Odyssey, and Greek mythology in general, as it will make the characters and the politics in this book much easier to understand.

A great read that goes in depth about Penelope. It was nice to get a full book about the clever and cunning wife of Odysseus

House of Odysseus is the sequel to Ithaca told from the perspective of Penelope and narrated by Aphrodite.
A beautiful novel that allows the perspectives of the women of these tales to shine through and finally be told how they are meant too. The writing is completely immersive and I couldn't put this down. I loved seeing all the different relationships between the women and the intricacies of Ancient Greece, I truly felt like I was transported there and I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

I received this book as a free copy from Netgalley. At the beginning I did not know if I would enjoy it. So different from the story of Penelope that I knew.
True to form, I’ve read book 2 first. However I think it worked for me. Penelope, queen of Ithaca in an age when women aren’t noticed, aren’t written about and if they are, blamed for all the woes.
This story involve Orestes and Elektra, children of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. They kill their mother who has killed their father. Orestes is now haunted by The Furies and going mad…..or is he? Elektra brings him to Ithaca, Menelaus follow, nursing a desire to be King of Kings and wanting to show the world his nephew is not fit to be king of kings. However he comes up against Penelope and her band of Sisters….women who will do what they have to do, knowing that men will take the credit.
Well written, from the goddess Aphrodite’s viewpoint and view of what is unfolding. I liked Penelope’s character, a strong woman in a man’s world, letting the men think it was all their idea. I also liked the different version of Helen of Troy, to the world fluffy beautiful but not bright. In reality, a strong and more astute woman than she is given credit for.

I like Greek myths and haven’t always like the modern takes on the stories but this one I loved, a story within a story. I am kind of hoping there might be a third….to put a different slant on what happens to the maids in the traditional myth. I would recommend this book.

The sequel to Ithaca. Another retelling of Homeric myth from the perspective of Penelope, this time narrated by Aphrodite.

Orestes and Elektra return to Ithaka on pilgrimage. Menaleus of Sparta follows - Orestes is mad, and he has an eye on Mycaenae. Penelope has to deal with all this, keeping the status quo and preserving her good name and Odysseus’ kingdom.

Very much in the same style as Ithaka, but didn’t seem to lag as much, and read much faster.

Recommended.

This is good - and, like its predecessor, head and shoulders above many of the current Greek retellings. However, I don't think it's *quite* as good as Ithaca. Bringing the action centre stage rather than the behind-the-scenes subversion makes the narrative lose something, to my mind. Still well worth reading, though. And I keep wondering about the sequel....

Oh I have been a lucky ducky. The last book I read last year was Claire North's outstanding Ithaca. A retelling of the Ithacan events of the Odyssey centres on Penelope, narrated by Hera. So you can imagine that when I was approved for the second book in the trilogy on @netgallery I was utterly delighted.

This time our divine narrator is Aphrodite, Hera is in hot water with Zeus and anyway her favourite, Clytemnestra is dead, this installment brings Aphrodite's favourite, the legendary Helen, to Ithaca dragged by her husband Menelaus. Penelope is once again tasked with negotiating family squabbles as she must keep Orestes safe from the uncle that would take his throne.

Penelope continues to be a fascinating and sympathetic character but Aphrodite's narration elevates this second book. Hera's voice was rage, an inspiring need for justice, and her tenderness for Clytemnestra who did what Hera could never - permanently deal with a murderous, cheating husband - is very different to the savagely witty, sensuous, and yet loving voice of Aphrodite, who embraces all forms of love demonstrated including her admiration of Artemis' fierce platonic love for the women who worship and serve her on Ithaca.

This book gives women power not just in the way they have armed themselves against those who would attack their home but in the way they inhabit their homes, and the work that men look down upon. This is the key to both Penelope and Claire North's triumph in this book.

I absolutely loved it and can't wait for the final installment!

I didn't quite realise that this was a follow up to North's Ithaca initially but once I was back in that world I was quickly immersed in the story and found it to be a complete page turner that wove so many other sources together to make a compelling and believable version of the Orestes/Elektra story as well as that of Penelope herself.

I was so excited to read this second installment from Claire North, and it did not disappoint. Continuing the story of Penelope and the women of Ithaca left behind during the Trojan War, we now see the aftermath of Clytemnestra's death at the hands of Orestes. Fantastic characterisation and pace, I was bereft when I finished it and now need the third volume. What a cliffhanger. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

This is an excellent second addition to what I assume will be a trilogy for the The Songs of Penelope Series
Once again we follow Penelope and those close to her, although this time through Aphrodite's point of view. I liked that we got a different perspective, however I enjoyed Hera's more.
These books are full of political intrigue that will keep you hooked, it's rewarding to see Penelope scheme and stand up for herself.

Really enjoyable, can't wait for the next one!

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc.

-Summary-
House of Odysseus is the second book in Claire North’s Ithaca-set, Penelope-centric ‘Songs of Penelope’ trilogy. It picks up where we left off at the end of the first book, Ithaca, and deals with the aftermath of Clytemnestra’s death: Orestes is being driven to madness, watched over by the vengeful Furies, and Electra seeks Penelope’s support as Menelaus tries to turn the precarious situation in Argos and the Western Isles to his advantage.

-Mythic Context-
North’s main focus in her ‘Songs of Penelope’ trilogy is to explore what Penelope was doing on Ithaca during her husband Odysseus’s long absence - first, while battling at Troy, and then, while battling to return home to Ithaca.

In Homer’s Odyssey and other ancient texts Penelope is depicted and described as the ‘ideal’ (chaste) wife but we know, realistically, that she must be taking power - albeit differently to how her cousin Clytemnestra took power - and ruling Ithaca in Odysseus’s absence or Ithaca would be in ruin when he finally returned. But what does ‘taking power’, when it isn’t usurping one’s husband and murdering him on his return, look like?

We know, too, from the Odyssey that Penelope used various tricks and wiles to fend off the many suitors who vie to take her husband’s place, but how do these tricks work in practice? And what tricks, beyond the weaving and unweaving of her father-in-law’s funeral shroud, does Penelope employ?

House of Odysseus also engages with Aeschylus’s tragedy Eumenides and how Orestes overcomes the trauma of committing matricide.

-Review-
Ithaca was written from the goddess Hera’s point of view and House of Odysseus is written from Aphrodite’s, which makes me excited and hopeful that the third book of the trilogy will be written from Athena’s! Aphrodite has such a fantastic voice here: she’s funny, she’s witty, she’s sassy, she’s a bit of a pervert (she comments on literally every single fit person and/or exposed bit of flesh that she comes across) but I love how she can’t not see the beauty in everything. I love, too, that her focus isn’t just on sexual or romantic love: she tries to teach her virginal sisters Artemis and Athena how to understand what love can mean to them, too.

Aphrodite describes the Judgement of Paris quite early on in the book. I’m ashamed that I’d never really paid this myth much attention beyond what we’re always told/shown about the three goddesses (Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena) being catty and competitive with one another, each wanted to be declared the most beautiful of them all. But North’s approach is incredibly thoughtful and full of emotion. Hera and Athena are humiliated by the debasement of this contest - initiated by Zeus - and the violation of their bodies, and Aphrodite tries her best to help them through it. Zeus is truly vile here: he takes a sick pleasure in the goddesses’ humiliation.

Penelope receives her Spartan guests towards the beginning of the book. Menelaus is the perfect villain: he’s horrid, he’s despicable, I can imagine him twirling a comedy villain moustache when he speaks, and he is just a delight in how awful he is. I’m always a little bit wary about portrayals of Helen but North’s Helen is just as delightful as her husband but in a completely different way! She’s older, she’s visibly ageing, she’s accompanied by signs of vanity (her extraordinary mirror, her piles of gowns and makeup, the potions and ointments scattered across her dressing table - a delicious hint to the grief-removing potions she gives Telemachus and others in the Odyssey!) and acts silly and simpering, but there are hints of something deeper beneath the surface. There is a lovely moment between Helen and Penelope - who really ought to have recognised such tricks were afoot - when her ‘act’ is revealed.

Helen is Aphrodite’s particular favourite, but the narrative leaves us wondering whether being a god’s favourite is a blessing or a curse - an interesting thought to be left with as Odysseus is guided home to Ithaca by his patron goddess, Athena.

Penelope has Mycenaean guests, too: Orestes is incapacitated for most of the book and his sister Electra is more vulnerable here than she was in Ithaca. I could really feel how the weight of everything she’s been through and everything she is trying to survive is bearing down on her. This is a lovely, sympathetic portrayal of a very complicated character.

Orestes brings with him the Furies, horrifying malevolent creatures invisible to mortals but, as Aphrodite tells us with a shiver, constantly lurking in the background wherever Orestes is.

I was curious to see how the Furies and Orestes’ purification of the sin of killing his mother would be handled in this book. I’ve always found Aeschylus’s solution somewhat dissatisfying: it’s too neat, too Athenian, too ‘real-life’. North’s solution is very different: Athena is the arbiter of justice here as she is in Aeschylus, but the Athenian law-courts are swapped for a ‘council’ of women in the wilds of Kephalonia. We’re given a very quiet, very intimate, and very powerful scene between Penelope and Orestes where she talks to him about love and forgiveness. I found it incredibly moving, and much preferable to Athena’s misogyny and the sterility of law-courts in Aeschylus - and I think this is a perfect example of how a good myth retelling can (and should) alter and adapt existing mythic traditions. The cycle of alteration and adaptation is what happened to myths in antiquity, and North’s handling of the extant source material proves that there’s still life and emotion and feeling to be lifted from these ancient stories.

Penelope is, of course, still beset by her suitors, and the Egyptian Kenamon continues to be an utter delight. Penelope seems to shed some of her queenly burdens and come to life around him and I swear my heart beats as fast as hers does when they flirt and make eye contact and touch fingertips!! It’s basically heresy to see Penelope/Odysseus as anything but endgame but I honestly think I ship Penelope/Kenamon now and there’s nothing Odysseus can do about it.

House of Odysseus ends with Odysseus waking up on Ithacan shores. This should be a happy moment and we should be left feeling relieved that the king has finally returned, but North deftly reverses these expectations and makes us feel anxious and wary about what will happen and how Penelope - and her maids and the other women of the island - will react.

Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom.

Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door.

I am new to Greek mythology and fantasy books and this is a beautiful book. The cover caught my eye straight away. The language is hard to pick up on at first as well as the amount of characters present. It took me until at least chapter 13 where I recognised and understood the main characters. The writing style in Ithaca is poetic and lyrical, and Claire North's skilful use of language creates a dreamlike atmosphere that enhances the themes. The characters are well-developed, and the author's exploration of their emotions and motivations adds depth to the story.

This is a book that needs to be read more than once. I think you are not able to grasp everything you are reading in your first read, there are so many characters, back stories and so much more going on than what you initially think, that it is very hard to grasp it all.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

i adore claire north. she's the only one who's riding the madeline miller train in a way that's stylistically distinct. loved the focus on penelope, elektra and helen, illiadic characters who don't usually get much depth