The Shadow of Perseus

A Novel

By: Claire Heywood

Narrated by: Olivia Darnley

Nationally bestselling author of Daughters of Sparta Claire Heywood returns with an imaginative and female-centered reinterpretation of the myth of the great hero Perseus, told through the voices of three women who are sidelined in the traditional version—his mother, Danae; his trophy, Medusa; and his wife, Andromeda—but whose viewpoints reveal a man who is not, in fact, a hero at all.

Danae: Banished from her homeland thanks to a prophecy foretelling that her unborn child will one day cause the death of her father, the king of Argos, Danae finds herself stranded, pregnant, and alone in a remote fishing village. It’s a harsh new world for a young woman who grew up as a coddled princess, and forging a new life for herself and for her young son Perseus will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Medusa: As a member of a reclusive band of women who live deep in the woods, known as the Gorgons, Medusa has eschewed all contact with the outside world. That is, until the day she finds an injured boy named Perseus in the forest.

Andromeda: When a harsh sandstorm threatens to destroy her nomadic desert tribe’s way of life, Andromeda knows that a sacrifice will be required to appease the gods and end the storm. But when a forceful young Perseus interferes, Andromeda’s life is set on an entirely new path.

As Perseus becomes increasingly obsessed with the promise of his own destiny, his heroic journey casts a shadow of violence and destruction across all three women’s lives. But even as he tries to silence them, the women may find that reclaiming their voices is their only hope for lifting themselves into a better future.

Excellent

this was an excellent read. I cannot wait to move to the next book!

Ability to make it human

I love how Heywood is able to take such popular and well known mythology and make it human. What if the gods didn’t interfere? What decisions by people would have led to the paths that are so well known? Great storyteller and always fun to hear another great retelling.

A fantastic reworking of the classic myth

Personally, I am a big fan of the supernatural and fantastical elements of ancient Greek myth. But I was pleasantly surprised that this realistic retelling of the story stuck with me. I loved how the story and all it’s mythological details were so deeply rooted in reality, making it so much more plausible and digestible. It is beautifully written from the perspective of three characters whose stories always ran parallel to Perseus’ but were also disregarded in favor of his. This book gives these women great strength, power, and honor. Now, to me, /they/ are the heroes of this story. Well done!

Great retelling of Perseus.

Loved the different take on mythology and how the stories might have happened. Loved the story and narrator. Kept me captivated and believing it could have happened.

Old story told with new voices

Not having a deep knowledge of the myths about Perseus (most of what I remember is from movies about him), I really enjoyed the story told from the women’s viewpoint. The narrator was pleasant to listen to and added to the story with her talents.