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The Shadow of Perseus
The Shadow of Perseus: A Novel | Claire Heywood
6 posts | 6 read | 4 to read
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.
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review
jahnna
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Pickpick

book ten of summer

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ElleMNOpe
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A female-centered retelling of the Perseus myth told without magical elements & re-envisioning the hero as a violent, gaslighting abuser. The writing is beautiful & Heywood creates fantastic characters. The book carries home the lesson that history is written by the victors. Heywood's imaginative story created a LOT of moments that caused me to consider how the tale would be altered based on the teller. An intriguing read & good thought piece.

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KristiAhlers
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Mehso-so

I had a love/hate affair going on with this read. At times it was darn right hard to read and I wouldn't go with this being a strong feminist retelling. As a result, the Hero Perseus here isn't much of a hero as this is told from the POV's of his mom, wife, and Medusa. I think my biggest complaint was the disjointed writing style. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2y
49 likes1 comment
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BoleyBooks
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Now Available 🥳🎉📚
The Shadow of Perseus- Claire Heywood

Book Review- https://www.boleybooks.com//the-shadow-of-perseus/

#boleybooks #theshadowofperseus #claireheywood #pubday #bookreview #bookbeast #bookbuds

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DGRachel
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Pickpick

Well-written, but so hard to read. The Perseus of Heywood‘s reimagining is no hero. He‘s a spoiled, emotionally fragile, immature, narcissistic man-child, who turns violent whenever he feels disrespected. He‘s abhorrent and his actions towards all three of the female protagonists (his mother, Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda) are disgusting and the ending was unsatisfying. I wanted justice. Now I need a shower. TW for domestic violence, and rape.

DGRachel Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Scheduled to publish in 2023. I know it seems weird to give it a pick with this review, but I did find it brilliantly written. It‘s just infuriating and hard to read. 2y
DGRachel All that said, this is a fascinating study in how a story differs depending on the perspective of the storyteller. The men who told the original myth are going to be biased towards Perseus and building up his legend. But what about the women who are so often glossed over, named but not studied? Heywood gives them agency and a voice, and that is what I loved about this book, even while I shuddered with rage and revulsion. 2y
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BoleyBooks
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Tackle the TBR 🤓📚 #boleybooks #theshadowofperseus #claireheywood #netgalley #bookbeast #bookjoy #bookbuds
What are you reading? 😊

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