Penelope is left to fend for herself and her son and run the kingdom of Ithaca with help of her household of maids and advisors. The war lasted ten years but Odysseus has not returned. It has been seventeen years since Odysseus left Ithaca to fight in the Trojan War, leaving his young bride Penelope and infant son Telemachus behind. One was chaste and pure, one a temptress whore, one a murderous hag.” “Once upon a time, there were three queens in Greece. for those readers who have, you will definitely enjoy heras feminist commentary on the familiar events. So i think if you never read anything about penelope, this will be a new and interesting story for you. she does a great job at providing support and helping empower the women who often get overlooked in the original myths. it also helps that the story is narrated by hera, who has a very unique perspective on things.
but, if youre like me, and love greek myths, thats not a problem. and because this sticks to basic facts of the story, without creative liberties, the plot is relatively slow. if youve read ‘the penelopiad,’ this feels like an extended version of that. This novel doesnt really offer anything new to the story of penelope - its a faithful reiteration of the traditional tale. i know CN as a sci-fi writer, so seeing her come out with a greek mythology retelling had me nervous.īut, you know what? this was fine.
Īs someone who hates change, it always scares me when an author switches genres. On Ithaca, everyone watches everyone else, and there is no corner of the palace where intrigue does not reign. Only through cunning and her spy network of maids can she maintain the delicate balance of power needed for the kingdom to survive. If Penelope chooses one from amongst them, it will plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war. 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. īut no one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus' empty throne - not yet. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that husband is dead, and suitors are starting to knock at her door. Whilst he lived, her position was secure. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. None of them have returned, and the women have been left behind to run the kingdom. Seventeen years ago, king Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the island of Ithaca. 'The greatest power we woman can own, is that we take in secret.
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