I have some very mixed feelings about this book, but overall I'd say I liked it well enough. Chapters twelve and thirty-four and the letters from Clytemnestra's siblings were, in my opinion, perfect, and they really showed Casati's talent, but most of the story was written in a very blunt style that left me struggling to connect with the story (and the Orestia is one of my favorite of the Greek tragedies, so the story itself was alright). It's also a bit weird to me to end the story with Agamemnon's murder and not Clytemnestra's, but the way her relationship with her children was written in this version, it wouldn't make sense for them to conspire against her, so I do understand why it ended there, but I still find it odd.

In general, there are also some things that conflict with the original story, and while I'm not totally against making changes in a retelling, these confused me a little. Like how Clytemnestra's first husband was only ever named in "Iphigenia at Aulis," and then he's referred to as Tantalus of Pisa, not Maeonia (Lydia)--then, if you look into either Tantalus, they lead back to the Atreidi's ancestor, Tantalus, and one of the sons of Thyestes who Atreus killed, Tantalus. Or how Odysseus didn't swear the suitor's oath in this book, but he is still made to sail to Troy even without the oath.

I do think this version of the story is great for those unfamiliar with the Orestia (although this might not appeal to anyone just getting into Greek mythology), and the foreshadowing and other narrative choices were very well done. I would most recommend this to someone new to Greek mythology, and for those already familiar with it, some might like it more than I did.

My broadcast review of the book will be on air the first Thursday before the expected publication date at the time and radio station listed in my biography!

Really enjoyed this authors take on Clymenestra. Really solid retelling. It's nice to see what each author changes when they retell the same story.

A fascinating, in-depth look at one of the most maligned (misunderstood?) woman in Greek mythology, really bringing her and her motivations to life.

'Clytemnestra' brings a fierceness to the mythical queen and a chance to expand upon her as a character. We're told her story from childhood, through her marriage and the end of the Trojan War. While Clytemnestra becomes a fully fleshed out character, so do those around her. Her family and life in Sparta are given plenty of time to grow on us as readers and the set up for who Clytemnestra is as a character is excellent. She's fierce and unyielding but also soft and mournful. There have been a few other retellings of Clytemnestra's story that I've really enjoyed but I think this will be my favorite because it feels triumphant. It does leave off the end of the myth, leaving us on the high of her victory and it's everything I could have wanted.

I loved this book. This was my first Costanza Casati novel but it will not be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would first like to thank NetGalley for allowing me a early copy of this book.

I give this book 5/5 stars, which is very telling. Usually when I am reviewing a book like this I can be pretty nitpicky. but this book was just so entertaining I couldn't out it down. From start to finish there is always something going on. Its action packed and full of heartbreak, this novel was one I couldn't help but devour. I will really be looking forward to any more books Cistanza Casati has to offer.

4/5 stars. I wasn't quite positive about what to make of this book heading into it. I'm cautious when authors make claims that their book is on par with big names in their genre, such as the claims about this being for fans of Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes... but I was wrong! This is an amazing debut taking a new look at an old name. I enjoyed this story. I'm not a huge fan of time jumps and I think there were times throughout this story that that was less successful than some other plot device may have been. But overall a great novel.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I love mythology retellings and I will be the first one to admit that I only know the more well-known characters. That being said, the writing didn't draw me in the way Elektra or Circe did. I know they are different authors and I can't expect everyone to be the same but I was kind of .... bored. I did get through and the story itself was good, just a bit anti-climactic.

“She once asked herself, What does it mean to be queen? Now she knows. It is daring to do what others won’t.”

If you’re looking for more mythology retellings, here’s another to add to your list. In Clytemnestra (which you would not know is a debut!), we revisit the Queen of Mycenae’s story of family, loss, torment, power, and revenge.

When I read Elektra earlier this year, I particularly liked learning about Clytemnestra. Now, knowing her story and its key moments, it made this super interesting to read…

Without spoiling anything, I almost found it harder to stomach that dreadful pivotal moment. But that is such a testament to Casati’s stunning and deeply emotional writing; the tension she was able to build, even for someone who knew what was coming.

In the face of so much adversity and pain, she’s still incredibly strong and loyal to those she loves. I think that’s why I’m so fascinated by her. I also really liked how Casati fleshed out her sibling bonds in this take; it added another great layer to her character.

*Thank you so much to the publisher for an ARC and netgalley for an ecopy in exchange for an honest review*

Honestly, if anyone gives me feminist Greek mythology I just about combust from excitement and Clytemnestra was absolutely no different, I'm COMPLETELY obsessed and fully intend to make it my entire personality for the next three to six months.

It's something about Casati's writing- lyrical, poetic yet gut wrenchingly brutal.
Few greek mythology retellings can attempt to capture the intensity of the original myths, and fewer still can succeed at this while still creating an astonishingly original novel.

Born to a king, betrothed to a monster. If you were coerced into marrying the man who murdered your baby, would you demand vengeance? Would you lie, like a panther, in wait for years, decades? Or would you act rashly, hastily, risking all you've come to hold dear? Clytemnestra knows which she'd rather. When the time comes, she would savour her sweet success. Chew it, devour those who would devour her.

Murderer, monster, mad.

Would these titles still apply if Clytemnestra was a man?

Mother, monarch, magnificent.

She doesn't think so.

In this sweeping epic of feminine alliance, betrayal, honour, and above all, the family shackles that bind and save us, morals are not definitive, but a slightly hazy point in the far off distance.

I absolutely ate this up. I've seen this compared to Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles and in terms of the beauty, eloquence and passion suffusing the novel I completely agree.

Clytemnestra has always been slightly overlooked, overshadowed by her more famous sister, Helen of Troy. Her story is so much more than this, I would say that the nuances and tragedy of Clytemnestra's life provides a more devastating epic, delving deep into themes of motherhood, grief, loss and love.

It's simply stunning. The myths leap off the page as vibrant as two thousand years ago, it's clear Casati's academic background has been put to great heights.

I don't have the proper words to explain the profound impact of Casati's writing- it's hard to explain, I think, because the writing was just so so good that even if I wasn't so enamored with aspects like certain characters it just doesn't matter.

I can't wait to see what else Casati can write, because if it's even half as incredible as Clytemnestra I know it'll still be brilliant.

Amazing book! Couldn't put it down. Easy to keep up with characters and relate to certain one's feelings and issues. I can't wait for another release from this author!

When I was 17, I read the Iliad for an English class. One of three girls in a class of twleve, I frequently had to defend the actions of the (few) women in the epic. I vividly remember reading of Clytemnestra's welcome to Agamemmnon and how badass it was. How strong she was and how absolutely amazing she was for finally taking her vengeance upon him. As more and more retellings from ancient Greek myths started getting published, I hoped and waited for someone to recognize Clytemnestra's utter badassery and write her version of the events, so when Costanza Casati's book popped up, I was incredibly excited to read it.

If you don't know the story of Clytemnestra, some outlines: she was from Sparta and was Helen of Troy's twin sister and married Agamammenon. Helen married Menelaus, Agamemmnon's brother. When Helen left Menelaus for Paris (and launched a thousand ships), Agamemmnon went with Menelaus to fight the Trojan war. This may be spoilery but considering these stories are more than 2500 years old, if you don't know, then that's on you: Agammemnon sacrificed his and Clytemnestra's oldest daughter Iphigenia to get wind to get going to the war. She was pissed (rightly) and waited the full ten years for him to return so she could take her vengeance. And take it she did.

Casati does an amazing job of transporting us to ancient Sparta, showing the youth of Clytemnestra and her family relationships so we understood her as a person. We meet her first hubsand and experience her grief as tragedy upon tragedy hit our heroine, but she doesn't falter. Clytemnestra rises up again and again, knowing what needs to be done. She's a remarkable woman and the story Casati weaves is engaging and honors Clytemnestra the way only a woman can. I was not as emotionally connected to the characters, but I think that was due to Clytemnestra's strength and her need to be standoffish was a part of that. I wish Casati had spent more time exploring the maternal side of Clytmenestra and leaning into her relationships with her children, especially her deep connection to Iphigenia and detail the tense relationship between her and Electra.

The book also felt as though it ended suddenly. Knowing that there's so much that happens after Agamemmnon dies makes the ending of this book feel sudden. Maybe there will be a sequel? Fingers crossed. I know I'll be reading more of what Costanza Cosati writes.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati caught my attention with the book cover alone. It’s stunning. But, I am a huge greek mythology fan and knew I had to read this book. For fans Ariadne, Circe, and A Thousand Ships, you will eat this book up. This book made me want to learn more about the Queen. The characters are well written and complex. It got a bit slow at parts but I still finished this book. If you’re a greek mythology lover like myself, read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Costanza Casati for the early ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful title. The trend towards the retelling of myths has been delightful and I have a group of readers devoted to them. I can't wait for them to read this one!

Clytemnestra is a masterpiece. For lovers of Circe and modern tellings of Greek tales, this novel by Costanza Casati blew my mind. This fast paced and action packed novel had me swept up instantly and along for the ride. This is a story of power, gender roles, love, loss, revenge, with compelling Clytemnestra at center stage. This author is now an instant add.

Thank you NetGalley for this riveting ARC.

I think Clytemnestra is a Greek figure I know the most about, so I was excited to see what all Costanza Casati tackles in her novel — and how. I was so impressed with the humanity she gave this hated queen of ancient greece, and really enjoyed the ride. Fans of Song of Achilles and A Thousand Ships will eat this up!

Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati is a great new book in the genre of historical fiction centered around the Greek stories of gods and goddesses and the mortals that fit into their stories. Clytemnestra was born a princess of Sparta, sister of Helen of Troy, the most beautiful women in the world. While Helen’s story revolves around being kidnapped and taken to Troy by Paris, the Trojan prince, Clytemnestra represents another kind of woman—a strong, capable woman who is faced with repeated trauma and as a result becomes a cunning and vengeful leader of Mycenae while her husband, Agamemnon, the powerful leader takes his army to go help Sparta destroy Troy in retaliation for the capture of his brother’s wife, Helen. Clytemnestra despises Agamemnon due to the murder of her first husband and infant son followed by his raping of Clytemnestra and his insistence that she marry him. She is not sorry to see him leave with his army and she becomes the de facto leader of Mycenae and does an excellent job with the economy and security of her country. However, once Agamemnon summons his and Clytemnestra’s eldest daughter to Aulis to lift the spirits of his men with a marriage to the great Achilles as a ruse to sacrifice her to the gods to ensure a change in winds to allow them to sail to Troy, Clytemnestra’s focus becomes vengeance against Agamemnon and his family and followers. Ten long years later, she is given her chance upon Agamemnon’s return home to Mycenae. Who will survive to rule Mycenae?

I found this book enthralling with the story of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon to highlight a very strong and intelligent woman taking charge of her own life and the difficult situations that women of that day were subjected to. She was denied a life of love and companionship with her first real love, her first husband, Tantalus and ends up shackled to the man who killed him and her infant son. She becomes hardened and distrustful of Agamemnon and spends much of her life planning revenge against this man. While admirable in her strength and self-confidence, it is sad to see her so absorbed in meting out vengeance in the name of Justice.

I love these retellings and this is no exception. I've only gotten glimpses of the MC in other books similar, so getting her origin story is a treat. It wasn't as lyrical to me as a Madeline Miller book and style/tone was much more the Silence of the Girls..that stoic tone and quick chapters may not be for everyone but it was well done..3.5 stars.rounded up.

There is a glut of books right now based on mythology told from a maligned woman’s perspective. While I enjoy getting to see myths reinterpreted from a different perspective, it’s hard to write a happy story when you look at the source material, where women primarily served as a foe or a plaything. It’s comparable to the trend of telling a story from a well-established villain’s perspective that you have no backstory on. Both, when done well, and with a good enough kernel of source material, can be enjoyable and eye-opening.

But one of things that can be very tricky about these stories is capturing the humanity of the character and providing the reader to empathize with them. This is what Madeline Miller does so incredibly well. Costanza Casati, in centering her story around Clytemnestra, has a heroine that suffers more than her fair share of tragedy. Wife to Agamemnon and sister to Helen, she is raised in brutal Sparta where fighting and whipping are par for the course, tears are for the weak, and sympathy is overrated. And even then, those are the peak years of Clytemnestra’s life – she thrives with this mindset. This helps her survive everything that is to come, but her stoicism as her losses and injustices pile up make it hard for the reader to fully embrace everything she has suffered.

Clytemnestra’s mental mindset is always on the long game, planning how to get her revenge on the people that are foolish to think they have her in hand. This is enjoyable of course, flipping the script from a woman seen as a power-hungry betrayer; instead viewed from the perspective of someone who had to fight for herself, her worth, and demand respect. But I still felt like I should have been gutted emotionally living her experiences and I was more distanced than I felt I should have been.

The story itself many readers may already be aware of, albeit from me-man, me-powerful perspective. The more in depth look at more household affairs is a different one, but for much of the book the plotting felt slow developing as a result. More engaging scenes take place in the book that force the reader back into the book, but the general storyline follows the long game approach of Clytemnestra herself. With a longer than average length for a novel, clocking in at almost 450 pages, this means one of the first more shocking scenes doesn’t come until almost 40% of the way through the book. I’ll confess that until that point it was hard for me to be as invested. The scenes cluster closer together from that point forward, driving the story along, but the lulls can be a struggle. I liked the book, but it still felt overly long, with parts that could have been left out to clean up pacing some. Good, but it doesn’t quite meet the gold standard.

I love a good Clytemnestra retelling, and Costanza Casati has that in the bag. This is an incredible rendition of Clytemnestra's contentious story.

Description:
Madeline Miller's Circe meets Cersei Lannister in a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious heroine of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.
As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best...
You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.
But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.
Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods' hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did.
If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

Review:
We are taught there are three sides to every story; your side, their side and the truth. Up until the book, the only side of Clytemnestra I had heard was of the blood thirty queen who ruled with with fear for those who were not loyal to her. This story while not changing anything that happens, allowed me to see and understand how she became the way she did. Clytemnestra had always felt a bit like a villain before now, but Casati weaves a beautiful story of a princess and queen stronger than all of the heart ache she endured and all of the betrayals she suffered. She was raised and strong spartan woman and she fought like one, even if it wasn’t with weapons. If you love the classic Greek tales, you will most definitely enjoy this.