Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Author: Claire Heywood
Publisher: Dutton
Released: February 21, 2023
Received: NetGalley

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Book Summary:

Most of us have grown up hearing the legends of old. Specifically, the legends of Greek gods, goddesses, and the humans that found themselves in their way. Recently, many authors have been working to provide new angles on these classics.

This is the story of Danae, Medusa, Andromeda, and Perseus. Who is the story’s true villain, and whose story has been twisted by time and corrupted by the speakers? Read on, and you’ll find out.

My Review:

So, I’ll admit that I was a bit conflicted while reading The Shadow of Perseus, and to be clear, this conflict is entirely of my own making. On the one hand, I adore a good feminist retelling. On the other hand, I’m feeling pretty tired of Greek and Roman retellings. I know it’ll come back around, but I realize I need a break—a long one.

So that mood of mine almost certainly colored my opinion of The Shadow of Perseus, so please keep this in mind! That said, it was a pretty solid novel. It does justice to the core material, turning events slightly so that the female characters have more agency. Gotta love that, right?

I should probably mention that while the story does justice to the core myth, it does have a few significant changes. For one thing, the magical scale is gone. Not altered, gone. So I imagine readers will be split about this. Some will love the more human take, while others will hate losing the supernatural element.

Highlights:

• Greek Mythology
• Retelling
• Fantasy

Trigger Warnings:

• Banishment
• Sacrifice

Thanks to Dutton and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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