What an absolute joy this book was. I loved the first two books of the trilogy - such a clever idea to focus on the lives of Penelope and the women of Ithaca, during the 20 years of Odysseus' absence. This final book deals with the return of Odysseus and the aftermath of that. Claire North writes Greek women superbly, and I hope she continues to look at other neglected female figures from Greek mythology. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

Anyone who is into feminist greek mythology retellings will love this book!
I enjoyed reading this one quite a lot, even though I struggled with the pacing every now and then and thought the story could continue a bit faster. Since I feel like I heard about the story a lot already I guess that's the reason why but for newbies it's great because you won't miss the details. Overall the author put a great teak on Penelope's story and I'd grab one of her books again!
The one thing I really liked is that it didn't feel like reading a wikipedia article, which I experienced with some other books, so that was great.

Title: "The Last Song of Penelope" by Claire North: A Captivating Retelling

In "The Last Song of Penelope," Claire North masterfully reimagines the classic tale of Penelope and Odysseus, delivering a fresh and enchanting narrative. Penelope emerges as a resilient and independent heroine, driving the story forward with her determination and agency. North's lyrical prose and vivid descriptions bring the ancient world to life, while her well-developed characters add depth and nuance to the familiar story. With its blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure, "The Last Song of Penelope" is a mesmerizing read that will delight fans of Greek mythology and newcomers alike.

I just eat up anything by Claire North! I don't think she is capable of writing a story that I don't immediately fall in love with.

That being said, the first half of this novel was more engaging for me than the second, where I felt myself drifting and wandering and looking forward to the end. I found the fighting tedious and slow in parts, and I just wanted to get back to the relationships and the descriptions that litter the rest of the narrative, though I can see the reader who would absolutely love these parts of the story. The feminist ideology throughout the text is wonderfully done, overt but not heavy handed. It's a case study in how to write excellent feminist fiction!

Claire North has once again masterfully reimagined the story of Penelope's prolonged vigil for her husband Odysseus's return from the Trojan Wars.

North has adeptly presented the sovereign of Ithaca as deeply human, imperfect yet extraordinary, despite her seemingly mundane exterior. She has further illustrated the sources of Penelope's resilience: her allies and the women of Ithaca, who stood with her against all intruders.

In the concluding segment, however, Penelope's resolve wanes as she identifies her long-absent husband in the disheveled stranger who has turned up at her palace. Yet, her saga with Odysseus is not finished...

This novel is a compelling read and will resonate with those who appreciate feminist reinterpretations of Greek mythology.

Claire North has done a wonderful job of retelling the tale of Penelope's long wait for her husband Odysseus to return from the Trojan Wars.

In the earlier parts of the story, told in her previous two books, North describes Penelope's native intelligence and strategic wisdom - essential for fending off the many suitors who badgered the Queen for her hand in marriage, since it appeared that Odysseus was forever lost to her. Not to mention the need to navigate the complex politics, kinships and kingships of ancient Greece.

North has successfully portrayed the ruler of Ithaca as very human, flawed but remarkable despite her apparently ordinary appearance. She has also shown where and from whom Penelope drew much of her strength: Her comrades and companions, the women of Ithaca, who helped her keep all the predators at bay.

In this final chapter however, Penelope begins to despair of her fate when she recognises her long-lost husband in the scruffy wanderer who has recently shown up in her palace. But her story with Odysseus is far from over...

This is a novel worth reading and will be enjoyed by those who have found the feminist retellings of Greek myths both interesting and enjoyable.

Real rating: 3.5 stars

I was very excited about this book, having just finished House of Odysseus a day before. (Very thankful for the timing of getting this arc). I loved the last book, and I was expecting to love this one as well. That didn't quite turn out to be the case.

This felt remarkably different than the previous two books which I believe was entirely due to the narrator. Following the trend of the earlier books, The Last Song of Penelope is narrated by a goddess. Whereas previously the books were narrated by Hera and Aphrodite respectively, goddesses who have a more female-centric worship base and focus, Athena is a goddess of war and wisdom which in this book at least seems to care more about the men, particularly the kind of men poets write stories about. (Hence, Odysseus, and this very much focused on him as well. I thought it was an interesting depiction.) Athena spends a good part of the book repeating the same notions: that she is cold and rational, has removed all tenderness and love from her heart to protect herself, and essentially aspires to be one of the boys among Olympus and for the men to respect her. But nothing she ever does gets them to respect her so she somewhat regrets doing that to herself....The point is that I understand the purpose of Athena's role in this book, but I just didn't like Athena at all, which affected my enjoyment of this book.

Despite all that, I did enjoy most of this book, just not nearly as much as I expected (or as much as the previous book). I liked how neither Penelope nor Odysseus knew quite what to do with the other half the time, or react the way they thought they would after twenty years. I'd forgotten some things regarding the story/myth aspect of Odysseus's return so I was quite surprised and even shocked a few times.

Overall, I really liked this series and this is a nice conclusion to the exciting and compelling journey Claire North has written. I strongly recommend this to anyone who appreciates Greek mythology and especially retellings of these myths with a focus on the female characters.