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mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Writing: 4⭐️/5
The writing in this story was clear and poetic. At times, I really did love the beauty of the words and how the story was unravelling carefully. I think Underwood writes very cleanly and epically, which served this Greek-myth-inspired story well. The shifting character POVs served the story well, though I do wish each character had a more defined voice during their own section.
Characters: 3⭐️/5
The characters in the story were clear and relatively strong. Or, at least, the main characters – our narrators – were. The side characters felt much more wishy-washy, their personalities left unexplored and undeveloped until the climax of the story, which then felt far too late. Despite our three main characters being clear in their characteristics, they also didn’t develop much throughout the story. The plot took the centrefold of the story, and the characters simply continued along their paths.
Plot: 3.25⭐️/5
I did enjoy reading the story, as the plot felt clear and decided. However, at many points, the plot’s pacing felt incredibly off. I wondered at the stretched out timeline between Menthalo and Leto’s training to the condensed timeline of them returning to Ithaca and crashing into Mathias’ life. Since the timeline felt rushed, many of the plot points felt rushed. Personally, while I enjoyed both of the love stories in the novel, I wondered whether they could have been handled a bit better to make it feel more respectful. I love a good poly relationship, but – while Menthalo and Mathias ended up respecting each other – one was left in the dark about the other, and Menthalo herself never seemed to be settled with the fact that Leto also loved Mathias.
Who Should Read This Book?
Fans of Greek Mythology looking for something inspired by it; readers looking for a tragedy that isn’t hopeless; those who like LGBTQIA stories;
Content Warnings?
Blood, death, hangings, drowning, murder, injury, injury detail, fire, rape, sexual assault, sexual content, sacrifices, misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, abuse, suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression, classism,
Post-Reading Rating: 3.25⭐️/5
I liked the ending, but I wanted a bit more from the lead up into it.
Final Rating: 3.25⭐️/5 (3.38)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ntstucky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment
ssmylie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
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? No
3.0
I thought the book was a fun ride, even made me tear up at the end. However, I can't just ignore the comments under the Goodreads section. While I don't think you need an advanced degree in the classics or be an expert in Ancient Greek history, I do think it's very important to read to read the original source material before you write a "retelling". Then, you should familiarize you're self with other retellings to see where people have taken these stories. Finally, you should have consulted with experts in Ancient Greek history and the classics to see if what you were creating lined up with correctly. Authors are researchers as well and many travel, consult with experts and read many texts as they are going from their initial idea to a published work. Research doesn't stop imagination and creativity, it expands what you can do and how realistic you can make the characters.
Now, I'm thinking "what was everyone thinking?" From the idea to the writing process to pitching the story to publishing the book to the marketing? As everyone in the comments said, this didn't have to be called a "retelling", it could have been marketed as a book related to Odyssey's return home to Ithaca.
I hope the author takes this into consideration in her next books. I think she is talented, but she can do much better than this and she has too.
Now, I'm thinking "what was everyone thinking?" From the idea to the writing process to pitching the story to publishing the book to the marketing? As everyone in the comments said, this didn't have to be called a "retelling", it could have been marketed as a book related to Odyssey's return home to Ithaca.
I hope the author takes this into consideration in her next books. I think she is talented, but she can do much better than this and she has too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide, Torture, and Violence