As always, thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an ARC of this title!

Though this was my first experience with Constanza Casati, I needed no introduction to the tale of Clytemnestra, and my adoration for her alongside the gorgeous cover had my extremely excited to dive into this book! My initial read-through definitely did not disappoint -- though marketed for fans of Madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes, and Jennifer Saint, the characterization here paid homage to the true violence and vengeance of Clytemnestra in a way that felt both skillfully done and in apt homage to the original myth.

Overall, this is exactly what I would have hoped for in a reimagining of this character and her mythology, and Casati did a fantastic job in both her prose, her worldbuilding, and her characterization of everyone from Clytemnestra herself to the supporting cast of equally familiar faces. The juxtaposition between Helen and Clytemnestra's roles within a largely male dominated society, even as they are allowed some freedoms that might seem strange to us today, were an incredibly well-written consideration for the book, and perhaps one of my favorite parts of it in general, although the attention to feminine rage and violence was a very, very close second.

I did at times find the pacing, especially at the beginning, to be a bit slow, and the language here to follow a very repetitive cadence which stilted the storytelling at first, but after the introduction I was fairly immersed and found myself reading this fairly quickly. I highly recommend this read, especially as it veers a bit darker than some other retellings, which I greatly enjoyed, and I will definitely be ordering it for our shop!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own-



Girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight. Clytemnestra has it all. 5/5!

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley/Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.

"The face that launched a thousand ships." We all know the story of Helen of Troy, but not as many are familiar with the perspective of her older sister, Clytemnestra.

Since her childhood, Clytemnestra was born to rule. The daughter of a Spartan king, she is trained in body, mind, and will. She's often accompanied by her sister, Helen, and the two share an unbreakable bond.

"Leda's daughters will twice and thrice wed. And they will all be deserters of lawful husbands," a prophecy reads. This sets into motion the rest of Clytemnestra's powerful but tragic life.

Helen chooses to wed Menelaus, and Clytemnestra's life changes. Her love marriage is destroyed and her child killed, and she is forced to wed King Agamemnon. From there we pick up the story of Troy that most of us know, but Clytemenestra's perspective gives us a peek into what happened back in Mycenae when the Greeks fought the Trojans.

Casati spins a compelling and provocative tale that doesn't hold back from the brutalities of being a woman and a mother in ancient Greece. Throughout the book, the fortitude of Clytemenestra shines through, and it's clear that she is the real hero of the story, controlling her destiny in the only way she can.

Guilt, betrayal, sisterhood, and mothering are all strong themes throughout the book. Although some parts were hard to read (especially as someone with young kids), it never felt gratuitous. The characters are well-written and give us a different perspective on a well-known story.

The book compelled me from the beginning, and I flew through it, even though I knew the ending.

Fans of Madeline Miller will love Clytemnestra, and I'm excited to have another great mythology writer to choose from.

I loved this book and can't wait to see what else Costanza Casati writes. I'll be first in line to pick up whatever she does next.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5147447028?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Costanza Casati's "Clytemnestra" revisits, reevaluates, and retells the life of one of the most villianized women in ancient Greece's literature. Casati breathes life into a centuries old myth, expanding the content of Aeschylus' trilogy of plays (The Oresteia) to dive into Clytemnestra's childhood, family, and development into the woman hell-bent on revenge. It's captivating.

I'm a classics major and I have read (and loved) a lot of the classical literature centered around this Trojan War era. I already adored Clytemnestra's story and the tragic fall of the House of Atreus, and Casati's novel just expands the story in such a beautiful way. The writing style is gorgeous — rich in the animalistic metaphors and epithets present in original Greek writings, perceptive evaluations and foreshadowing of big mythical characters, and a digestible amount of history and myth retellings. Just absolutely amazing.

I truly cannot recommend this book enough. Though I had a wonderful time coming at this from the perspective of someone with an education in these stories, themes, and characters already, I think this is a very easy introduction for those who only know Helen as "the face that launched a thousand ships" or don't know Clytemnestra's name or the generic Greek mythology lover. Even as someone who already knew the basic plots, I learned so much by reading this book! I knew nothing about Clytemnestra's upbringing in Sparta and the drama around her siblings and their own mythologies. This novel also does a great job of connecting all of these intertwining but often told separately myths — Odysseus, Jason and the Argonauts, Helen of Troy, the House of Atreus, etc.

My only complaint is I wish that the book didn't end with (SPOILERS?) the murder of Agamemnon. This novel follows all of Clytemnestra's life, and therefore should really follow through on looking through her whole life. If you don't know, her children Orestes and Electra (who receive some great screentime and characterization in Casati's novel) murder her and her lover Aegisthus in revenge (good old cycle of vengeance). I really wanted to see Casati's take on these events, especially since some ancient authors (I'm thinking specifically Sophocles' Electra) paints Clytemnestra in a somewhat sympathetic motherly light. I would have loved to see this complex and victorious version of Clytemnestra tackle that story.

Nevertheless, this is a phenomenal revisiting of the story of Clytemnestra, and absolutely takes the cake as my favorite Greek mythology retelling! READ THIS NOW!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Greek Mythology retellings and this one does not disappoint. The story follows the story of Clytemnestra, sister of the infamous Helen of Troy. But Clytemnestra is no side character of her story. This is a story of long plotted revenge, a slow burn while Clytemnestra finally gets to enact her revenge for the murder of her first husband and child.

One of my favorite lines from this book is "You can't have justice and everyone's approval". Clytemnestra does whatever she must in enact the her revenge of her child,

Overall, I enjoyed this story very much. I will gladly purchase my own copy when it's releases and display it proudly next to my other favorite greek retellings, Circe and Ariadne.

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!