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thefirebird's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
norabee's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
but that head...the woman he carries...who can know her truth? who lives to remember her?
an interesting twist on these stories and the notion of who controls narratives passed on. when to speak and when to be silent. when to fight and when to influence.
men suck
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Miscarriage
alanacterry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Alternative title: “Man Child Makes His Misery Everyone’s Problem”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Physical abuse and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, and Slavery
standardchaos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Murder
abi_lowe's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Abandonment
saskia_ej's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
No hate to the author, it’s certainly an interesting idea to have a re-telling of a classical myth without it being based in the mythological and fantastical elements, but this just didn’t work for me. I wasn’t drawn in and I didn’t feel any connection to the characters. All three women felt so bland and certainly were not empowered. I kept feeling frustrated with them simply putting up with Perseus, who is just an angry, power-hungry, petty little boy. We essentially have a section for each of the three women where they know what they could/should do in order to escape and have a better life for themselves, but they are simply too weak (side note: if it’s possible for Myron to climb out of the chamber, why can’t Danae??) or just find themselves feeling unable to move. I understand the sentiment of feeling bound to their fate, but it’s quite frustrating to read and doesn’t seem to fit with this apparently feminist re-telling centered on the women. I can see how the ending was meant to show some strength and influence from the women, but it somehow didn’t feel very satisfying.
I appreciate that Heywood wanted to take a different approach in writing this as more of a historical fiction, and perhaps taken only as such it would be more rewarding. But knowing the original stories and how deeply rooted in myth they are just makes it difficult not to be confused by the things that happen instead. Without divine interventions, it’s hard to understand Perseus’ motivations as anything other than bratty, which I suppose is the point but it makes his extreme violence quite uncomfortable. Without the fantastical elements of Medusa and the Gorgons, it’s somehow more difficult to relate to them. Also it felt somewhat odd to have references to the original myths - like the rain coming into the chamber looking like a golden shower, Danae lying to Perseus that he was the son of Zeus because it was too shameful to admit the truth of her young love (super feminist *eye roll*), and Perseus’ made-up brags about his achievements being from the original myths - as well as the fact that the people still believe in the gods and the words of oracles, yet not have any actual influence from the gods.
Perhaps if you’re able to let go of the original myths and approach this as a historical fiction, it would be more compelling. It was easy to read and there was some fairly captivating description of locations/scenes. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who enjoy the different approach this book takes, making it stand out from other re-tellings in this genre that has become so big. Personally, I think the mythological and fantastical elements have significant value and their metaphors transcend the boundaries of time, so I don’t relate to the desire to remove them from the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
dazzy's review against another edition
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
smolhandsdan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
lmilfort's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked Heywood’s debut better than this. Although the story is told through the eyes of the three most impactful women in Persus’ story the violence and misogyny that is described had me scowling almost the entire time. Honestly it got a bit hard to finish with all the gore and more specifically the abject depravity of the main character. I don’t feel like the ending was very satisfying either to make up for it. He never apologized or expressed remorse for kidnapping and raping his wife or killing his stepfather and his friends in cold blood . Honestly the writing and storytelling is fine but I guess I just hated the story/character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
oliviawright1014's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Rape