Name: Ian de Villava's review of Medusa's Sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear
Item: Medusa's Sisters
Rating: 5
Author: Ian de Villava

Lauren J. A. Bear

A vivid and moving reimagining of the myth of Medusa and the sisters who loved her. The end of the story is only the beginning… Even before they were transformed into Gorgons, Medusa and her sisters, Stheno and Euryale, were unique among immortals. Curious about mortals and their lives, Medusa and her sisters entered the human world in search of a place to belong, yet quickly found themselves at the perilous center of a dangerous Olympian rivalry and learned—too late—that a god's love is a violent one. Forgotten by history and diminished by poets, the other two Gorgons have never been more than horrifying hags, damned and doomed. But they were sisters first, and their journey from sea-born origins to the outskirts of the Parthenon is a journey that rests, hidden, underneath their scales. Monsters, but not monstrous, Stheno and Euryale will step into the light for the first time to tell the story of how all three sisters lived and were changed by each other, as they struggle against the inherent conflict between sisterhood and individuality, myth and truth, vengeance and peace.

Medusa's Sisters

Krystyna 

I really enjoyed this book. I‘ve always liked Greek mythology and it’s been a while since I read anything in its vein despite the many mainstream novels that took inspiration from the myths and the pantheon. The fact that it focused on fairly obscure characters caught my attention, but I didn’t expect it be such an enjoyable experience. 

The world is so vividly described and the characters felt alive and whole that even when nothing was happening, it felt like being immersed in the culture of Ancient Greece or having a conversation with the inner thoughts of Stheno and Euryale.

The only issue I had with this book is how much I hated Euryale by the end of it, but dislike for a character does not make them poorly written. I‘d argue it made her more believable in her imperfection— and that’s what made the Greek pantheon interesting in the first place. They were imperfect gods. 

Ian de Villava

I really enjoyed this book. I‘ve always liked Greek mythology and it’s been a while since I read anything in its vein despite the many mainstream novels that took inspiration from the myths and the pantheon. The fact that it focused on fairly obscure characters caught my attention, but I didn’t expect it be such an enjoyable experience. 

The world is so vividly described and the characters felt alive and whole that even when nothing was happening, it felt like being immersed in the culture of Ancient Greece or having a conversation with the inner thoughts of Stheno and Euryale.

The only issue I had with this book is how much I hated Euryale by the end of it, but dislike for a character does not make them poorly written. I‘d argue it made her more believable in her imperfection— and that’s what made the Greek pantheon interesting in the first place. They were imperfect gods. 

I love mythology retellings, and I've only ever read one other book that followed Medusa's sisters, so I couldn't wait to pick this up. Bear crafted such an intricate, complex backstory for these characters. I liked how, while it touched upon the myth of Medusa and what happened to her, it felt like the focus was more on the relationship between the three Gorgons. It was often strained, and they faced many trials, but you could always tell how much they loved one another. Bear did a wonderful job taking these characters who rarely get any time in the spotlight and bringing their stories front and center. My only issue with this was that the pacing felt slow at times, but overall, I thought this was a solid read.

Krystyna &
Medusa's Sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear

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Krystyna &Medusa's Sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear

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Join the club

Krystyna &
Medusa's Sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear