For twenty years, Penelope has been ruling the island of Ithaca in her husband’s absence. In that time, she has been plagued by suitors and rival kings, and has managed to keep the peace without betraying her husband. Now, a beggar has arrived on the isle, and Penelope recognises something of Odysseus in him. But this man is no hero, plotting revenge against those who would challenge him and testing his wife’s loyalty in the process. How much blood is he willing the shed to be sure?

This is the concluding novel of The Songs of Penelope, which has been an epic, engaging trilogy, telling the story of Penelope while Odysseus is away at Troy and his long journey home. It has been one of the best Greek myth retellings that I’ve ever read.

I was very apprehensive going into this novel because, knowing the story of Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, I was already well aware of how the story was going to end for many of my favourite characters. Fortunately, without giving too much away, Claire North was able to be slightly creative with her interpretation of the story and it didn’t all turn out quite as badly as I expected.

There’s more focus on the Athena’s point of view as the narrator in this book, and substantially more killing. The first half of the book covers Odysseus’ slaughter of the suitors and almost the entire second half describes Polybus and Eupeithes’ siege on Laertes’ farm, but it still felt very well paced, exciting and engaging throughout. An excellent end to an outstanding trilogy.

This is a beautifully written, well plotted conclusion to the series (if you haven’t read the others, they’re worth reading in order).
This trilogy is in a different league to the recent slew of novels retelling antiquity from a woman’s point of view - they flesh out and enrich the tale rather than just retelling it from a singular albeit altered point of view.
They’re also very well edited - a bloody good read all round 👍

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, Claire North's well written trilogy on Penelope of Ithaca comes to an end with the last offering in the three part story.

Against all odds, Penelope who has protected her kingdom from the rapacious intentions of the suitors that have besieged her since her husband Odysseus left to take part in the Trojan War two decades ago notes the arrival of a suspiciously familiar beggar in her court. She realises that her that her husband has indeed returned - to a situation of tremendous danger. How can Penelope, now a seasoned ruler and no longer the young queen that Odysseus left behind so many years ago, protect all that is important to her in this complex and unstable situation?

An example of the recent trend towards the retelling of mythology from a feminist perspective, this set of stories is well worth reading, and North has delivered a worthy ending to the trilogy.

Sad to see this fantastic series end , it was the perfect ending to the trilogy and everything I wanted. I love how perfectly human Claire North’s portrayals are and the simply wonderful writing, looking forward to her next work with much eagerness

I loved the first two books and thought this was the perfect ending to the trilogy so thank you for the opportunity to read this book! As are the other two installments of this book, this was very well written. It has excellent plot points and is really quite humorous in parts. I feel fulfilled by this ending and would recommend this trilogy to other readers of Greek mythology.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

A perfect ending for the trilogy! I was wondering how Claire North would incorporate the ending of Odysseus journey into Penelopes story and she did it so well!! I liked that neither character was perfect and Penelope stuck to her principles and loyalties. While I was sad for some characters endings, this book portrayed a nuanced and difficult story of war and reconcilliation

Book Review: The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North

As someone who has always been captivated by ancient myths, The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North was a mesmerizing experience. This novel is the stunning conclusion to the Songs of Penelope trilogy, and it certainly did not disappoint.

From the very first page, I was completely drawn into Penelope’s world. North's prose is rich and evocative, breathing new life into the story of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. It’s a narrative that feels both deeply personal and politically charged, exploring Penelope’s internal and external battles with incredible depth.

In this retelling, Penelope is no longer just the loyal wife waiting for her husband's return. Instead, she is portrayed as a fierce, strategic, and complex woman, fighting not only for her island but for her family’s survival. The arrival of Odysseus—disguised as a beggar after twenty years—is both a blessing and a curse. He returns not as a hero, but as a man deeply suspicious of his wife’s loyalty. This twist brings the story into dark and thrilling territory, one where power, loyalty, and bloodshed are on the line.

What I loved most about this book was how Penelope’s voice resonates throughout the story. It’s not just a tale of vengeance and war, but a meditation on the complexities of love, loyalty, and identity. Penelope’s struggles to protect her family while facing the betrayal of Odysseus are portrayed with such emotional intensity. North doesn’t shy away from the painful realities of what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal world, and that made Penelope’s journey all the more compelling.

The pacing of the novel is perfect. While the political intrigue and war are constant, there’s also a tenderness to the relationships that unfolds slowly, with beautiful emotional payoff. The contrast between the calm before the storm and the violence that follows kept me on the edge of my seat.

North’s reimagining of Odysseus is equally fascinating. Far from the noble hero we often see, here he is a man driven by suspicion and a thirst for vengeance. His treatment of Penelope is chilling, and I couldn’t help but feel her anger and heartbreak as he tests her loyalty. It made me reflect on the notion of “homecoming” in mythology and how the return of Odysseus, rather than bringing peace, is the catalyst for even more chaos.

The themes of the book, from power dynamics to the role of women in myth and history, make it so much more than a simple retelling. It’s a deeply thought-provoking work that challenges traditional narratives and asks important questions about loyalty, love, and sacrifice.

Overall, The Last Song of Penelope is a masterful conclusion to an unforgettable trilogy. Claire North has set a new standard for ancient Greek retellings with her vivid storytelling, emotional depth, and brilliant character development. If you’ve followed the journey of Penelope through the first two books, this one will leave you breathless. It’s a powerful, unflinching, and ultimately redemptive story that will stay with me long after the final page.

Rating: 5/5
An exquisite and gripping conclusion to an unforgettable trilogy. Penelope’s story is one of strength, resilience, and the complexity of love and loyalty. Highly recommended for anyone who loves epic retellings with a fresh and powerful voice.

a stong conclusion to a trilogy, not my favorite of the three but still everything i wished for.
with the rise of greek mythology rewrites currently on the market Claire North is a writer that stands out.
giving the women a strong and relatable voice.
a beautiful way to end penelope’s story, for people wanting to dive into the myths for the first time these stories are the perfect start.

The Last Song of Penelope is so good! What? I wasn't expecting the plots it has, the characters are fantastic and the storyline is immaculate. I rated 5 stars because I couldn't give more.

The Last Song Of Penelope is the final book in The Songs Of Penelope trilogy by award-winning, best-selling British author, Claire North. Odysseus is secretly back in Ithaca, posing as a filthy, smelly beggar while he checks out what Penelope’s been up to during his twenty-year absence. Telemachus has returned from his year-long search for his father empty-handed, from which the hundred suitors for Penelope’s hand deduce that Odysseus is dead: now is their time!

Odysseus and his son are plotting: the suitors must die. But Penelope isn’t fooled by the beggar rags or the act, and she’s quickly worked out what Telemachus and his father are up to. The odds look terrible, and even if they manage to slay all the suitors, that isn’t going to go down too well with their families and leaders. It’s bound to be a bloodbath with few survivors among them. So the clever Queen of Ithaca consults with her midnight council of women, and they make some contingency plans.

Some of the suitors describe Penelope as “tricksy” (there was that thing with the burial shroud for Laertes) and one of those tricks makes it easier for Odysseus, Telemachus and their tiny band when they carry out their massacre. Of course, the inevitable happens and soon they’re holed up at Laertes’s farm when the angry fathers turn up for revenge with mercenaries in tow.

All this time, Penelope is furious, about his distrust of her, and about the fate of some of her maids, so she’s denying Odysseus, never actually accepting that this man is he, referring to anything about her husband in the third person, which makes for some interesting conversations as she gets to comment on his twenty-year absence, and his poor behaviour, with some impunity.

It does take him some time to realise just how canny his wife is: “She was a woman alone, a widow in all but name, and Ithaca needed a strong king to guard its shores. This being so, naturally she would not turn away anyone who sought her hand, not least because if they were busy wooing, they would not be busy plundering, raiding or enslaving her peoples.”

There’s plenty of humour, especially when Laertes or Priene are participating: Priene tells Odysseus “Penelope is right – the isles need to have a king. You are the least awful choice. The one with the greatest story.” There’s also a bit of heartache when Penelope has to send the Egyptian packing, and her moving eulogy for one very close to her can’t fail to bring tears to the reader’s eye. And there are battles, with plenty of bloodshed despite some clever tactics.

This time, North uses the goddess Athena as her narrator who, with her emphasis on war and wisdom, offers quite a different perspective from that of Hera and Aphrodite. Odysseus may have been her favourite for a long time, but she’s coming to respect Penelope and see her intelligence and her worth.

North’s quick summary of the situation that many other poets describe is refreshingly frank, and quite delightful, at times almost tongue in cheek. Athena’s commentary on events and players, on the affairs of gods and mortals, is irreverent and often darkly funny, but also insightful. She observes: “Wisdom is not loud, is often unseen, unpraised, unremarked. Wisdom is rarely easy, too often an unwelcome guest.”

Even novices to the Greek myths and legends will be able to, with perhaps only a cursory check of Wikipedia, thoroughly enjoy North’s treatment of Penelope’s story. This is Greek myth at its most palatable and entertaining. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK.