Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Shadow of Perseus

I really enjoyed Heywood's take on the story of Perseus. I didn't mind that it didn't have any magic or god interference, I thought it was still plenty interesting. Perseus in this is an annoying little man child who never really grows up and I wanted to dnf so many times just because he was so unlikable!

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anniehayez's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What an interesting take on this story. Definitely my favorite Perseus adaptation I’ve read (not counting Percy Jackson). I think that history has shifted how we view Perseus, especially in the context of Medusa. This book tackles his complex story and “hero” title in such a compelling way. I found the choice to take magic and myth out of the story very interesting. At first it was disappointing but slowly it grew on me. It grounded the story and made the characters feel all the more real. I think that the story lulled at times and some scenes could’ve been cut entirely. I also feel like Medusa’s chapters were the weakest of the three POVs and that is disappointing. I felt like I wanted to know more about the Gorgons of this story (who felt closer to the myths of Amazonian women). Overall though it was strong. I think people should be aware that if you are looking for fantasy and magic this is not what you are looking for but it’s still good.

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abi_lowe's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A powerful retelling of the inner thoughts and choices women face, that is still poignant today.

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clovetra's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

honestly i dont really know what to say about this. this is the most average book ive read. somehow disinterested and curious about the book.
perseus was insufferable for the entire book, which was difficult as he's lowkey the main character. yeah thats the goal of this book but idk i wanted to deck him more than i loved the main characters.
danae was... fine. her beginning was super interesting, and then her story teetered out. andromeda was also interesting to begin with, but by the end she lost all her characterisation. that was probably intentional but it does make for a super boring story when i hate one main character & dont care about the other.
i really liked medusa's story. it was the shortest yet the best. im still confused about if in this retelling if she actually had snakes for hair? or she just liked snakes? i know about the gorgon bit but... idk. she was the best but she still wasnt great, as yet again she just felt like a plot device.
idk this book was fine. i dont think it achieved the feat of being a "feminist retelling" of perseus, as all the female characters just existed to drive the story. yes theres probably a deeper commentary about how perseus objectifies women and this is expressed in their significance within the book but.. i dont care if a book has a deeper meaning if i dont find the book interesting its complexity literally means nothing to me.
like i said, this feels like an average book. this is like a movie you'd go and see because your voucher expires tomorrow & this is all that has seats left, yknow?

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psychnp's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The author manages to somehow stay true to the traditions of Greek mythology, most of the most popular telling of Perseus, while offering a fresh perspective in this retelling

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ericm37's review

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think the author has a really interesting style of retelling historical myth from new perspective, which led to breathing some new life into an older story. We only hear the telling of many myths from the perspective of the (typically) male hero but aren’t asked to reconcile with the consequences for other characters’ lives.

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