Claire North

'Claire North brings a powerful, fresh and unflinching voice to ancient myth - darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller Ariadne This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca's shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women - and their goddesses - that will change the course of the world. 'The greatest power we women can own is that which we take in secret.' Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door. No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus's empty throne - not yet. But as everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war . . . From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It's time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . . 'Everything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece' Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin 'Told in the arresting voice of the goddess Hera . . . Ithaca conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies' The Times 'Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history' Booklist 'Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime' Hannah Lynn, author of Athena's Child The Songs of Penelope novels: Ithaca House of Odysseus

The exquisite, gripping tale that breathes life into ancient myth

Ithaca

"This is the world we live in. [Women] are not heroes. We do not choose to be great; we have no power over our destinies. The scraps of freedom that we have are to pick between two poisons, to make the least bad decision we can, knowing that there is no outcome that will not leave us bruised, bloody on the floor."

I am very conflicted about this book. On one hand it was beautifully written, I highlighted so many poetic, powerful quotes, and I enjoyed getting to see the women's side of the story on Ithaca while Odysseus was away in Troy and then waylaid for a while on a few different islands trying to shag different women. On the other hand, this story was incredibly boring. I had to drag myself through it mulitple times and it took almost two weeks to read, I just couldn't seem to motivate myself to read more than 50 pages at a time. I really, really wanted to love it, but I just couldn't connect to the story or the characters. It's such a weird feeling when you enjoy the author's writing in itself, but don't enjoy the book as much. I have a few inklings as to why I felt this way and I will explain that further in this review, but I am disappointed because I feel like this should've been right up my alley, and the cover is just so gorgeous too.

I think the main issue I had with this is that the book is written with an omniscient narrator POV, we see through the eyes of Hera - goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. I get the vision, I see why the author may have decided to do it this way, this is a feminist retelling from the perspective of the women who were left behind on Ithaca and Hera is the ultimate girl's girl in terms of the time period and the gods who looked down upon Greece, so in theory this should've worked. But sadly, it just created this disconnect from the characters that meant I didn't feel as deeply for them as I wish I would have. I think if this story had been multi-POV, told from the perspective of Hera, Penelope, Leaneira, and possibly Priene could've been interesting too, it would've been so much better. This would've given the story a chance to dive deeper into the character's feelings and understand their motivations instead of just seeing their actions from above. This story has everything I should really have enjoyed, empowered women learning to fight for their country, politicking to outmanoeuvre men who only want power for themselves and to use women as objects for sex and childbirth, and women trying their hardest to do what's best for each other and their families and their people. But I just couldn't connect with it.

“Medon... what a foolish question. You hide them in precisely the same way you hide your success as a merchant, your skill with agriculture, your wisdom at politics and your innate cutting wit. You hide them as women.”

I did love the way the author wrote a lot of her prose though, it was very poetic and felt very inspired by the original epics. It stayed true in many ways to that same voice from the epics as well. However, I did notice that some modern language was used every now and again which pulled me out of the story. Sometimes it was really funny, the little comments that Hera made about the other gods or men brought me some genuine laughs but other times it felt like it didn't quite suit the time period this story is set in. I do think the story portrayed god-kind well, it showed the selfishness and deeply flawed personalities of the divine in a way that really made sense to me. It showed how Hera could be petty and vindictive, Athena was arrogant and unsympathetic, and Zeus was unfaithful and egotistical, and I think this depiction is fascinating. As I said earlier too, the writing was beautifully done for the most part, I highlighted so many quotes and loved the idea of this book a lot. I wanted to keep reading this story for aspects like this, the writing and the fascinating storytelling, but it just didn't mesh together well, and I didn't really get any actual joy out of reading this book.

Overall, this was okay. I wouldn't say this is a bad book, the author clearly has command over her craft and her voice, but I just think it wasn't executed in a way that really held me and kept me interested for long periods of time. It almost put me into a book slump, because I have had a spate of reads that I haven't really been feeling, but I managed to pull through, and now I am excited to start reading something that really grips me. This is one of those strange books where I don't think I should've DNF'd it, because I did genuinely want to keep reading it, but also, now that it's over I just feel a bit meh about it and don't really know if it was worth it pushing through. Either way, I'm proud that I managed to, but I won't be recommending this book to most people, maybe only the people who really, really love myth retellings and want to give them all a try. For most people, I think they will find this a bit dull and flat, sadly.

"No songs are sung of a life lived quietly, of a man and a woman growing old in contentment."

Genevieve 

"This is the world we live in. [Women] are not heroes. We do not choose to be great; we have no power over our destinies. The scraps of freedom that we have are to pick between two poisons, to make the least bad decision we can, knowing that there is no outcome that will not leave us bruised, bloody on the floor."

3.5⭐

I am very conflicted about this book. On one hand it was beautifully written, I highlighted so many poetic, powerful quotes, and I enjoyed getting to see the women's side of the story on Ithaca while Odysseus was away in Troy and then waylaid for a while on a few different islands trying to shag different women. On the other hand, this story was incredibly boring. I had to drag myself through it mulitple times and it took almost two weeks to read, I just couldn't seem to motivate myself to read more than 50 pages at a time. I really, really wanted to love it, but I just couldn't connect to the story or the characters. It's such a weird feeling when you enjoy the author's writing in itself, but don't enjoy the book as much. I have a few inklings as to why I felt this way and I will explain that further in this review, but I am disappointed because I feel like this should've been right up my alley, and the cover is just so gorgeous too.

I think the main issue I had with this is that the book is written with an omniscient narrator POV, we see through the eyes of Hera - goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. I get the vision, I see why the author may have decided to do it this way, this is a feminist retelling from the perspective of the women who were left behind on Ithaca and Hera is the ultimate girl's girl in terms of the time period and the gods who looked down upon Greece, so in theory this should've worked. But sadly, it just created this disconnect from the characters that meant I didn't feel as deeply for them as I wish I would have. I think if this story had been multi-POV, told from the perspective of Hera, Penelope, Leaneira, and possibly Priene could've been interesting too, it would've been so much better. This would've given the story a chance to dive deeper into the character's feelings and understand their motivations instead of just seeing their actions from above. This story has everything I should really have enjoyed, empowered women learning to fight for their country, politicking to outmanoeuvre men who only want power for themselves and to use women as objects for sex and childbirth, and women trying their hardest to do what's best for each other and their families and their people. But I just couldn't connect with it.

“How do you hide an army?”

“Medon... what a foolish question. You hide them in precisely the same way you hide your success as a merchant, your skill with agriculture, your wisdom at politics and your innate cutting wit. You hide them as women.”

I did love the way the author wrote a lot of her prose though, it was very poetic and felt very inspired by the original epics. It stayed true in many ways to that same voice from the epics as well. However, I did notice that some modern language was used every now and again which pulled me out of the story. Sometimes it was really funny, the little comments that Hera made about the other gods or men brought me some genuine laughs but other times it felt like it didn't quite suit the time period this story is set in. I do think the story portrayed god-kind well, it showed the selfishness and deeply flawed personalities of the divine in a way that really made sense to me. It showed how Hera could be petty and vindictive, Athena was arrogant and unsympathetic, and Zeus was unfaithful and egotistical, and I think this depiction is fascinating. As I said earlier too, the writing was beautifully done for the most part, I highlighted so many quotes and loved the idea of this book a lot. I wanted to keep reading this story for aspects like this, the writing and the fascinating storytelling, but it just didn't mesh together well, and I didn't really get any actual joy out of reading this book.

Overall, this was okay. I wouldn't say this is a bad book, the author clearly has command over her craft and her voice, but I just think it wasn't executed in a way that really held me and kept me interested for long periods of time. It almost put me into a book slump, because I have had a spate of reads that I haven't really been feeling, but I managed to pull through, and now I am excited to start reading something that really grips me. This is one of those strange books where I don't think I should've DNF'd it, because I did genuinely want to keep reading it, but also, now that it's over I just feel a bit meh about it and don't really know if it was worth it pushing through. Either way, I'm proud that I managed to, but I won't be recommending this book to most people, maybe only the people who really, really love myth retellings and want to give them all a try. For most people, I think they will find this a bit dull and flat, sadly.

"No songs are sung of a life lived quietly, of a man and a woman growing old in contentment."

'Claire North brings a powerful, fresh and unflinching voice to ancient myth - darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller Ariadne This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca's shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women - and their goddesses - that will change the course of the world. Seventeen years ago, king Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. None of them have returned, and the women have been left behind to run the kingdom. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. Whilst he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that husband is dead, and suitors are starting to knock at her door . . . But no one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus' empty throne - not yet. Between Penelope's many suitors, a cold war of dubious alliances and hidden knives reigns, as everyone waits for the balance of power to tip one way or another. If Penelope chooses one from amongst them, it will plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war. Only through cunning and her spy network of maids can she maintain the delicate balance of power needed for the kingdom to survive. On Ithaca, everyone watches everyone else, and there is no corner of the palace where intrigue does not reign . . . From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It's time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . . 'Like Penelope at her loom North both weaves and unweaves, teasing out the threads of Homeric myth to recombine them into something unique, wonderful and urgently contemporary' M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts 'North's talent shines out' Sunday Times 'An original and even dazzling writer' Kirkus 'North goes from strength to strength' Guardian 'Claire North's writing is terrific, smart and entertaining' Patrick Ness

Heather Margaret

I love Greek mythology alone but Greek mythology told by women about women? Masterpieces.

I was quite sceptical for this retelling both due to the absolute inundation of horribly mediocre and resistant to engaging with the source materail "feminist retellings" ("Ariadne" by Jennifer Saint and "Lies We Sing to the Sea" by The-Lady-Who-Didn't-Read-The-Odyssey) and Hera being the main narrator of the novel. However, last year read "Notes from the Burning Age", also by Claire North, which became perhaps my favourite book read that year.

It seems like Claire North's writing just works for me because I enjoyed "Ithaca" immensely; I was always 100% engaged. I think North has a good sense of drama and build-up, creating fast-paced intense situtations (and personally, the action genre really suits "The Odyssey", I am not sure what the other girls are about). Hera's narration also works wonderfully; she is written with a lot of wit which sets up the vibe of the book very well. But she is also incredibly caring of and invested in the lives of the women of Ithaca.

And yes, as the title may hint, the book does not simply focus on Penelope - even though she is, of course, instrumental to the story - but also on a number of the women of and living on Ithaca (even Telemachus' relevancy is primarily represented through Penelope's love). North depicts them with a lot of sympathy and understanding, showing that they are only doing the best they can with the cards they have been dealt, but also gives them autonomy. They scheme and outwit their oponents in their fight for preservation.

Perhaps where this somewhat falls through is in Hera's interaction with other goddesses. On one side, it has to be taken into account that both Artemis and Athena are her husband's bastard children and that each has incompatible views on their ways and the ways of humans, and they are in constant competition for worship, but on another, I cannot help but wonder whether a more interesting twist could have not been introduced to their relationship.

Regardless, "Ithaca" was an absolutely thrilling read (with great work from the narrator of the audiobook, Catrin Walker-Booth). I kept thinking that it would also make an excellent TV series and I say this as a compliment.

I was quite sceptical for this retelling both due to the absolute inundation of horribly mediocre and resistant to engaging with the source materail "feminist retellings" ("Ariadne" by Jennifer Saint and "Lies We Sing to the Sea" by The-Lady-Who-Didn't-Read-The-Odyssey) and Hera being the main narrator of the novel. However, last year read "Notes from the Burning Age", also by Claire North, which became perhaps my favourite book read that year.

It seems like Claire North's writing just works for me because I enjoyed "Ithaca" immensely; I was always 100% engaged. I think North has a good sense of drama and build-up, creating fast-paced intense situtations (and personally, the action genre really suits "The Odyssey", I am not sure what the other girls are about). Hera's narration also works wonderfully; she is written with a lot of wit which sets up the vibe of the book very well. But she is also incredibly caring of and invested in the lives of the women of Ithaca.

And yes, as the title may hint, the book does not simply focus on Penelope - even though she is, of course, instrumental to the story - but also on a number of the women of and living on Ithaca (even Telemachus' relevancy is primarily represented through Penelope's love). North depicts them with a lot of sympathy and understanding, showing that they are only doing the best they can with the cards they have been dealt, but also gives them autonomy. They scheme and outwit their oponents in their fight for preservation.

Perhaps where this somewhat falls through is in Hera's interaction with other goddesses. On one side, it has to be taken into account that both Artemis and Athena are her husband's bastard children and that each has incompatible views on their ways and the ways of humans, and they are in constant competition for worship, but on another, I cannot help but wonder whether a more interesting twist could have not been introduced to their relationship.

Regardless, "Ithaca" was an absolutely thrilling read (with great work from the narrator of the audiobook, Catrin Walker-Booth). I kept thinking that it would also make an excellent TV series and I say this as a compliment.

This book really grew on me the more I read it. At first, I did not like the writing and style. And while I could have done without some of the silly little quips and interjections from the narrator, Hera, that threw off the pace and structure, I still really enjoyed this book when all is said and done. I think I became used to it and therefore was able to enjoy it more.

It definitely could have benefitted from tighter editing, though. Some parts were just confusing and hard to read, and I couldn't make sense of everything right away, forcing me to reread a lot, mostly at the beginning. For example, page 160 says that Ourania held Penelope’s hand as she gave birth, but page 172 says Eos held her hands and Ourania held her feet. Another example: page 238 states that the wind is at the ships’ back but on page 239, the wind is “pushing against the side of the ships.” Unless this is purposefully trying to make Hera an unreliable narrator…but I doubt it’s that deep. It just needs a better editor for some of these continuity errors.

Again with regard to editing and structure, I think there were simply too many dashes and ellipses that slowed the pace. The writing/structure/presentation at times were distracting from the basic plot. It’s a little clunky, but the more I read, the more I liked. It has its flaws but it became much better. It is also a fresh and unique retelling that lets the women have center stage.

This book was full of incredible female characters. In terms of characterization, it's one of the best myth retellings out there. I loved the depiction of Clytemnestra and Elektra; it was the best I've read so far. And of course Penelope was magnificent and fun to read about. Hera was another fun female figure.

This book had a lot of layers to it, and maybe that's why it was a little difficult to get into at first. I feel as though this is one of those books you have to read a few times before you catch everything, which I appreciate. I like that and I can certainly imagine myself rereading this in the future.

The last third of this book really sealed the deal for me. If the book hadn't improved significantly by this point, it wouldn't have been a 4-star read for me. I know it seems I have a lot of complaints, but this book was really good all things considered and I'm glad I read it.

Pros: strong, well-written characters. Pacing. Layers. Plots.

Cons: Execution of some of those same pros. Continuity errors.

Amanda

This book really grew on me the more I read it. At first, I did not like the writing and style. And while I could have done without some of the silly little quips and interjections from the narrator, Hera, that threw off the pace and structure, I still really enjoyed this book when all is said and done. I think I became used to it and therefore was able to enjoy it more.

It definitely could have benefitted from tighter editing, though. Some parts were just confusing and hard to read, and I couldn't make sense of everything right away, forcing me to reread a lot, mostly at the beginning. For example, page 160 says that Ourania held Penelope’s hand as she gave birth, but page 172 says Eos held her hands and Ourania held her feet. Another example: page 238 states that the wind is at the ships’ back but on page 239, the wind is “pushing against the side of the ships.” Unless this is purposefully trying to make Hera an unreliable narrator…but I doubt it’s that deep. It just needs a better editor for some of these continuity errors.

Again with regard to editing and structure, I think there were simply too many dashes and ellipses that slowed the pace. The writing/structure/presentation at times were distracting from the basic plot. It’s a little clunky, but the more I read, the more I liked. It has its flaws but it became much better. It is also a fresh and unique retelling that lets the women have center stage.

This book was full of incredible female characters. In terms of characterization, it's one of the best myth retellings out there. I loved the depiction of Clytemnestra and Elektra; it was the best I've read so far. And of course Penelope was magnificent and fun to read about. Hera was another fun female figure.

This book had a lot of layers to it, and maybe that's why it was a little difficult to get into at first. I feel as though this is one of those books you have to read a few times before you catch everything, which I appreciate. I like that and I can certainly imagine myself rereading this in the future.

The last third of this book really sealed the deal for me. If the book hadn't improved significantly by this point, it wouldn't have been a 4-star read for me. I know it seems I have a lot of complaints, but this book was really good all things considered and I'm glad I read it.

Pros: strong, well-written characters. Pacing. Layers. Plots.
Cons: Execution of some of those same pros. Continuity errors.

 Mythology of any kind fascinates me, but I’ve been obsessed with Greek mythology almost since I learned to read. Because of this love, I often find myself divided on retellings. On the one hand, I love any chance to revisit these stories I love, especially if told in a way that gives me a new perspective. On the other, I tend to judge these a bit harshly because of my love for the source material. 

But when I find a book that not only retells one of these timeless stories, it breathes new life into it, it becomes an instant favorite.

 is the story of, well, Ithaca, as Odysseus has been gone for 17 years and his queen, Penelope, strives to hold the kingdom together. She’s been inundated with suitors, seeking her hand in marriage because, in their minds, she’s quite obviously a widow. Of course, they actually care nothing about Penelope; they all just want to claim her kingdom for their own. Penelope balances on a razor’s edge, trying to keep the suitors fed and content as she constantly claims to be on the cusp of a decision, knowing full well that she can never choose because all of the spurned suitors will surely declare war on Ithaca. Thankfully, Penelope is incredibly clever, and she maintains this balance deftly and with astounding subtlety. But nothing lasts forever, and the suitors are beginning to get restless. As pirates begin periodically raiding this land of women and boys, Penelope is faced with an impossible decision. But as she decides, who will defend Ithaca?

Our tale is told in a nearly omniscient, mostly third-person narration through the eyes of Hera, queen of the gods and patron on the Greek queens. She is also a character in her own right, seeking to aid Penelope’s cause as subtly as possible, without drawing the attention of any of the other gods. Especially her husband, Zeus. I loved the mirroring of Penelope’s story with the little we learn of Hera throughout the novel. 

While I loved Penelope, Hera was definitely the stand-out character here.

 I’ve always disliked Hera, but in the past year or so I’ve read multiple books that showcased facets of her I had never considered. She has become so much more sympathetic and interesting to me through these works, and I absolutely adored her in Ithaca. I was also fascinated by Hera’s love for Clytemnestra, Penelope’s cousin and queen of Mycenae and murderer of her own husband, King Agamemnon. These are stories that I know well, but North’s writing and characterizations brought them to life in new ways. 

Speaking of writing, I was incredibly impressed with North’s craftsmanship. She managed to both utilize the classical modes of storytelling used by Homer and his contemporaries while subverting those same modes in ways both thoughtful and irreverent.

 This could only be done by someone with a firm foundation in the source material who also has a brilliant ability to wield her craft. I’ve tried North’s writing in the past and found that it didn’t click for me as a reader. Either I’m a very different reader now, or she’s altered her style tremendously for this book. Or I was just wrong to begin with. 

The balance she was able to strike between respecting the material while also delivering snark and sarcasm in a way that brightened the story without ever making light of it, was astounding.

 There were some very emotional moments when really hard topics were conveyed beautifully, but there were also moments that made me laugh out loud. This was insanely clever, and I can’t wait to read the next installment.

Did I mention this is part of a series? Because I didn’t realize that for some reason until I reached the end. I might know where the story is going, but I still want the next book immediately. Alas, 

 could be enjoyed on its own, I think that having a background with the foundational works it is retelling made reading this far more rewarding.

Ithaca is mostly retelling what was happening in the background of 

quite often, as that covers why Odysseus left Ithaca in the first place. 

, which covers the lives and deaths of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon and their children, Orestes and Elektra, was also an integral part of this story. 

Had I not been familiar with these, I might have gotten lost in the names and the plot and not noticed the superb writing and how North was playing with form.

 Which would have been quite the loss on my end, as that was what made this book so special for me. 

The plot itself was propulsive. I found myself having a very hard time putting this book down while reading it. 

But housed within that addictive pacing was deep and moving commentary on the lack of autonomy given to Grecian women and how cruelly they were often treated.

 Parts of this, especially the portions about Clytemnestra’s treatment at the hands of her husband upon his return from Troy, were incredibly difficult to read. And hearing from Hera how much of herself she saw in these queens, how she had experienced the same, really drove home the fact that height of station did nothing to spare these women. 

North also expressed how the poets of Greece were men, who only immortalized manly things and, when forced to record a story where a woman was at the fore, would find ways to twist it and make her less so that men felt like more.

 This was beautifully put and very thought-provoking.

, except for the fact that it’s not the standalone I was for some reason expecting it to be. But this is very much a rereadable book, so no doubt I will enjoy it again before the next installment is released. 

 give me wonderful characters to root for, it did so from stories I’ve known all my life and has thus altered them in my memory. For the better.

 I now feel this desire to go back to those original sources and revisit their stories from a new perspective. I can’t recommend 

highly enough, especially to those who share my lifelong fascination with Greek myth.

Celeste Richardson

I have such a weakness for Greek myth. Mythology of any kind fascinates me, but I’ve been obsessed with Greek mythology almost since I learned to read. Because of this love, I often find myself divided on retellings. On the one hand, I love any chance to revisit these stories I love, especially if told in a way that gives me a new perspective. On the other, I tend to judge these a bit harshly because of my love for the source material. But when I find a book that not only retells one of these timeless stories, it breathes new life into it, it becomes an instant favorite.

Ithaca? Definitely an instant favorite.

Ithaca is the story of, well, Ithaca, as Odysseus has been gone for 17 years and his queen, Penelope, strives to hold the kingdom together. She’s been inundated with suitors, seeking her hand in marriage because, in their minds, she’s quite obviously a widow. Of course, they actually care nothing about Penelope; they all just want to claim her kingdom for their own. Penelope balances on a razor’s edge, trying to keep the suitors fed and content as she constantly claims to be on the cusp of a decision, knowing full well that she can never choose because all of the spurned suitors will surely declare war on Ithaca. Thankfully, Penelope is incredibly clever, and she maintains this balance deftly and with astounding subtlety. But nothing lasts forever, and the suitors are beginning to get restless. As pirates begin periodically raiding this land of women and boys, Penelope is faced with an impossible decision. But as she decides, who will defend Ithaca?

Our tale is told in a nearly omniscient, mostly third-person narration through the eyes of Hera, queen of the gods and patron on the Greek queens. She is also a character in her own right, seeking to aid Penelope’s cause as subtly as possible, without drawing the attention of any of the other gods. Especially her husband, Zeus. I loved the mirroring of Penelope’s story with the little we learn of Hera throughout the novel. While I loved Penelope, Hera was definitely the stand-out character here. I’ve always disliked Hera, but in the past year or so I’ve read multiple books that showcased facets of her I had never considered. She has become so much more sympathetic and interesting to me through these works, and I absolutely adored her in Ithaca. I was also fascinated by Hera’s love for Clytemnestra, Penelope’s cousin and queen of Mycenae and murderer of her own husband, King Agamemnon. These are stories that I know well, but North’s writing and characterizations brought them to life in new ways. 

Speaking of writing, I was incredibly impressed with North’s craftsmanship. She managed to both utilize the classical modes of storytelling used by Homer and his contemporaries while subverting those same modes in ways both thoughtful and irreverent. This could only be done by someone with a firm foundation in the source material who also has a brilliant ability to wield her craft. I’ve tried North’s writing in the past and found that it didn’t click for me as a reader. Either I’m a very different reader now, or she’s altered her style tremendously for this book. Or I was just wrong to begin with. The balance she was able to strike between respecting the material while also delivering snark and sarcasm in a way that brightened the story without ever making light of it, was astounding. There were some very emotional moments when really hard topics were conveyed beautifully, but there were also moments that made me laugh out loud. This was insanely clever, and I can’t wait to read the next installment.

Did I mention this is part of a series? Because I didn’t realize that for some reason until I reached the end. I might know where the story is going, but I still want the next book immediately. Alas, The House of Odysseus is at sea until May of 2023. 

While I do think that Ithaca could be enjoyed on its own, I think that having a background with the foundational works it is retelling made reading this far more rewarding.Ithaca is mostly retelling what was happening in the background of The Odyssey, but it also references The Iliadquite often, as that covers why Odysseus left Ithaca in the first place. The Oresteia, which covers the lives and deaths of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon and their children, Orestes and Elektra, was also an integral part of this story. Had I not been familiar with these, I might have gotten lost in the names and the plot and not noticed the superb writing and how North was playing with form. Which would have been quite the loss on my end, as that was what made this book so special for me. 

The plot itself was propulsive. I found myself having a very hard time putting this book down while reading it. But housed within that addictive pacing was deep and moving commentary on the lack of autonomy given to Grecian women and how cruelly they were often treated. Parts of this, especially the portions about Clytemnestra’s treatment at the hands of her husband upon his return from Troy, were incredibly difficult to read. And hearing from Hera how much of herself she saw in these queens, how she had experienced the same, really drove home the fact that height of station did nothing to spare these women. North also expressed how the poets of Greece were men, who only immortalized manly things and, when forced to record a story where a woman was at the fore, would find ways to twist it and make her less so that men felt like more. This was beautifully put and very thought-provoking.

I loved everything about Ithaca, except for the fact that it’s not the standalone I was for some reason expecting it to be. But this is very much a rereadable book, so no doubt I will enjoy it again before the next installment is released. Not only did Ithaca give me wonderful characters to root for, it did so from stories I’ve known all my life and has thus altered them in my memory. For the better. I now feel this desire to go back to those original sources and revisit their stories from a new perspective. I can’t recommend Ithacahighly enough, especially to those who share my lifelong fascination with Greek myth.

By this point, I've read a ton of Greek mythology retellings, so I'm always on the lookout for one that will set itself apart from the rest. I think North did that here. I've read many Troy-inspired books, but I've never read one narrated by one of the goddesses. I loved how North used Hera to tell the tale of Penelope and the events on Ithaca. It was a unique plot device, and I think it worked very well. There were times where she overpowered the other characters, but I didn't mind so much. Speaking of, it is a very character-driven book, which I'm not usually a fan of, so it did feel like the pacing dragged on a bit due to that. While I don't think North brought anything new to Penelope's story, I did think her writing was beautiful and lush and would be interested in checking out the rest of the series.

Ithaca The exquisite, gripping tale that breathes life into ancient myth

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