Reviews

Ithaca by Claire North

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laelyn's review against another edition

3.0

Mythological retellings always intrigue me - which is a nice way of saying I am obsessed with them - so of course I was more than just a little interested in a new take on Penelope's story. Especially one that doesn't make her out to be a meek woman whose only worth is her love and loyalty and fidelity towards her mostly absent husband. "Ithaca", the first in, what I think will be a duology about the women of the titular kingdom definitely succeeds in that. It is clever, honest and allows Penelope to be her own complex character.

In most ways, the retelling stays true to the story we already know, but takes some liberties, for example when it comes to the inclusion of characters like Elektra, Clytemnestra and Orestes and their story. It also adds the unique perspective of Hera, who is our narrator and offers insight into the dealings of the gods in the background of Penelope's story. She's an all-knowing narrator which allows us to know what all the characters involved are thinking at any point in the story, though at the same time, it does form a sort of detachment when it comes to those characters. I never really grew to love all these women, though I appreciate the time North spends on exploring their characters. There are a lot of minor characters, too, but honestly I won't be able to give you their names because they mostly are little else than, well, their names.
The pacing is rather slow, but this is not an action- or plot-focused story. It very much is a character-driven one, and considering the myths it's based on that's the perfect choice. The writing is beautiful, too.

All in all, this is a well-written take on Penelope that I enjoyed, and I definitely want to read the second book. It doesn't quite manage to keep me emotionally involved and it could have been a little shorter, but if you're interested in Ithaca's women then this is absolutely a book I can recommend.

Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!