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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edit now that book club has happened ...
Upped my rating to 5⭐
The finale of Clare North's Greek retelling / what was happening back home sees Penelope dealing with what happens when Odysseus returns from his 20 year absence and attempts to reclaim his throne. Here, the message that was subtly done in the first two books is made louder and clearer for those at the back: it's the patriarchy!
The pace is still slow but by now we are used to it and the tense atmosphere is heightened. Penelope's voice develops such that she gets to speak a lot more than in the previous books, now she has Odysseus to speak to directly and explain to him how, exactly, things have been while he was absent: you think she's been moping? Who do you think ran the island?! Now Penelope can tell him exactly how it is.
Major themes exploring story telling, heroism and masculinity; within the confines of the Odyssey storyline there's is limited room for manoeuvre but some exploration of Odysseus' motives and the consequences of killing the suitors and the maids, and some excellent sections about the women's army (Artemis' hunters) that have played a key role in this trilogy, why it is not possible to tell their story loudly and clearly - why the "heroes" have to be centre stage.
Upped my rating to 5⭐
The finale of Clare North's Greek retelling / what was happening back home sees Penelope dealing with what happens when Odysseus returns from his 20 year absence and attempts to reclaim his throne. Here, the message that was subtly done in the first two books is made louder and clearer for those at the back: it's the patriarchy!
The pace is still slow but by now we are used to it and the tense atmosphere is heightened. Penelope's voice develops such that she gets to speak a lot more than in the previous books, now she has Odysseus to speak to directly and explain to him how, exactly, things have been while he was absent: you think she's been moping? Who do you think ran the island?! Now Penelope can tell him exactly how it is.
Major themes exploring story telling, heroism and masculinity; within the confines of the Odyssey storyline there's is limited room for manoeuvre but some exploration of Odysseus' motives and the consequences of killing the suitors and the maids, and some excellent sections about the women's army (Artemis' hunters) that have played a key role in this trilogy, why it is not possible to tell their story loudly and clearly - why the "heroes" have to be centre stage.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-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
This was really good. I wish we saw a bit more of Penelope's character development and inner thoughts - I loved the choice to have it narrated by Athena, but it did create a distance between Penelope and the reader. I loved Odysseus's arc, and I loved the promise of the end of the book. It was not wrapped up neatly, but it left room for the imagination.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Echoing my reviews of books 1 & 2 – this was fantastic. Definitely a new favourite (both period, and of its genre), this was such a beautiful and satisfying conclusion to an exceptionally good series.
I will always comment on how unexpected the humour was in this story but holy balls was it good and so so appreciated. Greek retellings are so often all about the pain and suffering – especially for the female characters – and whilst this didn’t shy away from the darker side of the story, the humour was like a coping mechanism throughout that just worked.
I’m in a review slump atm so I don’t really have the words to talk about how good this book – and the whole series – is. But I can say, very simply, I loved it.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes