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A review by pagesofplatypus
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is such a sad story. Stone Blind follows Ovid's myth of Medusa from his Metamorphoses. And much like Meramorphoses, Stone Blind is about tranformations. It is also about power and who wields it and hiw the powerful can become powerless and how the powerless can become powerful.
For a book with the head of Medusa on its cover, suprisingly little of the story is about Medusa herself. We see the gorgons as they raise young, mortal Medusa, the gods, the Gigantomachy, Perseus, Andromeda, and how the gods and mortals and monsters were so entertwined. Everything that unfolds feel so traditionally Greek in that you can see the events fall like dominoes and you want things to be different but you know they won't.
Even with all that, the dialogue when the gods interact amongst themselves and as Athene and Hermes guide Perseus on his quest is snappy and even had me giggling in parts.
Stone Blind is a masterfully crafted retelling and exploration of one of the most iconic myths of antiquity. I highly recommend for fans of classical myth and especially for fans of Medusa and the power we hold in ourselves.
For a book with the head of Medusa on its cover, suprisingly little of the story is about Medusa herself. We see the gorgons as they raise young, mortal Medusa, the gods, the Gigantomachy, Perseus, Andromeda, and how the gods and mortals and monsters were so entertwined. Everything that unfolds feel so traditionally Greek in that you can see the events fall like dominoes and you want things to be different but you know they won't.
Even with all that, the dialogue when the gods interact amongst themselves and as Athene and Hermes guide Perseus on his quest is snappy and even had me giggling in parts.
Stone Blind is a masterfully crafted retelling and exploration of one of the most iconic myths of antiquity. I highly recommend for fans of classical myth and especially for fans of Medusa and the power we hold in ourselves.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment