4 1/2 Stars.

“How is someone not killed by such sorrow?”

Do you remember Helen of Troy? The woman who launched a thousand ships? This book is about her sister - Clytemnestra.

This book made me feel. Deeply. There were moments that I was in physical pain from the turmoil happening in these pages. It was difficult to put down. The story is fascinating and gripping and THE character development was fantastic. “…loyal to those who revere her, savage to those who oppose her.”

The story of Clytemnestra is one I never fully knew, and this retelling is loaded with…. Everything. I know that sounds lame but there’s so much in this book, we’d be here for a while if I listed everything. AND it would spoil most of the book. “…she has long learned to school her face to dullness. Only the gods know how she is crying inside.”

The writing was blunt but also left enough unsaid for me to think and imagine. She let the story speak and trusted the reader to listen. I never would have guessed that this was a debut novel.

WHAT I DIDN’T CARE FOR:
~There were a handful of metaphors that didn’t make sense/fell flat for me.
~The ending was SO satisfying but also NOT. There was a relationship that wasn’t resolved enough (for me) and left me feeling disappointed.
~There was a romantic relationship that I didn’t understand or like. (This really brought the rating down in my opinion)
~There were some paragraphs and a chapter that I felt could have been edited or left out.

Overall, an impressive book and one that I'll remember. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves Greek mythology and for people who want to connect with the characters on an intimate level. This is an adult Greek mythology retelling so I would recommend for ages 18+

ROMANCE LEVEL: multiple vague open door and open door but not too much detail.
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: All of them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Characters - 9
Atmosphere/Setting - 10
Writing Style - 9
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 10
Logic/Relationships - 7
Enjoyment - 9
Total: 61
Divided by 7 = 8.7 (4 1/2stars)

1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****

Wow. This book left me in awe. The thing that I love about the sudden uptick in re-tellings of classic mythology is getting the story we all know but from the perspective of the strong women that usually get lost in the shadows of heroes.

As the title suggests, we get the story of Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and Queen Mycenae. Costanza Casati's writing is fluid and beautiful and the story spills out of the pages in a fury. There were times when I when I wasn't sure if I likes Clytemnestra but all the while respecting her drive to do anything to protect the ones she loves most. She is betrayed and broken over and over but still finds a way to keep going. Like she says, "...queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best..."

This was an interesting book. I'm pretty familiar with Clytemnestra through other things i've read, particularly her killing her husband and the events of Orestes, but she was never the main character, so seeing the story from her pov is new. I also didn't know about her earlier life (the first bit of the book is modeled off later myths about her that I haven't seen mentioned much in other adaptions similar to this), but it added so much context to her story and why she does what she does that it's hard to imagine the narrative without it. The story starts when Clytemnestra is a child in Sparta, and goes through her killing Agamemnon, stopping before any of the later part of her myth takes place. I thought she was a strong, well-written character that gave voice to a famous, and maybe often notorious, character from Greek mythology. It's hard not to side with Clytemnestra here, seeing what she has to go through. While there are obvious parts where the author changed things around (like how Agamemnon meets his end), overall it follows the tone of the original myths well and was a fun read.

This book comes out Spring 2023, and I was given this ARC by NetGalley for review. Some spoilers below, although this is all part of Greek myth so is it really a spoiler?

This book is too long. Lots of parts need to be cleaned up or cut out altogether and in many places the tense is mixed up. But, since this is an ARC, I suppose that is to be expected and there is still some editing to be done. The author uses metaphor a lot and it gets old quickly. I had to get my copy of Edith Hamilton’s “Mythology” out at one point so I could figure out who some of the characters were and how they fit into the world. I think a map also would have been helpful too. Some of us never got the chance to take an Ancient Greek course in college.

However, this is still a pretty good book. Clytemnestra is a fierce and well-rounded character, as are many of the other members of her family, including her children. I especially liked Helen and Timandra. Timandra needs her own book.

I knew most of what was going to happen to Clytemnestra because of The Iliad, but I was very confused by why Tyndareus, her father, would betray her and let Agamemnon kill her first wife and son and then marry her. The reason for that political alliance needed to be explained better. And why did the book end when it did? I want to know more about what happens to her after she murders Agamemnon (what a bastard he was). Does her son come back for his revenge? What about Electra?

Overall, a decent read, and I’m sure anyone who liked Madeline Miller’s works will enjoy this one too.
3.5 stars

If you enjoy Madeline miller, or myth retellings you will love this. It was hard to put down to do my daily tasks, I ended up reading it in 2 days! Highly recommend it!

I've been enjoying Greek mythology books recently and am happy to say this has joined the ranks! The writing was thorough and captivating, which left me wanting more. The characters were well developed and there were parts where you begin to feel intertwined with them. There were certain parts of the book that felt a little too long/tedious to read though.

Absolutely breathtaking and hard to put down! There have been a lot of retellings of Greek myths from a woman’s point of view, and even a recent story of Clytemnestra, but this is just as good as Electra!

I had a hard time getting into this. As a debut for me and this author, I really did not understand what was going on in this story, but that doesn't (to me) mean that this is a bad story. I just think that this wasn't the book for me as I was not the target audience. But, I can see the good in this.

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati is a great historical fiction that shines the spotlight on an enigmatic, complex, and fascinating woman of ancient Greece.

It is just fascinating and fabulous that a woman of Greek Mythology can be so notorious and talked about, but yet has had such a small voice and has been type casted and condemned (traditionally). Well, Ms. Casati is about to change all of that.

Invigorating, addictive, emotional, dramatic, and stunning are just a few words I can find to describe this gem. I was captivated from the very beginning and never wanted it to end.

Ms. Casati has a true talent and has made an ancient historical and mythological figure current, relevant, real, and human.

Just wonderful.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/7/23.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this author, but I love a Greek mythology retelling, so I requested an ARC. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This novel was stunning, particularly for (what I believe is) a debut.

Although there were moments when I felt that the novel could have been shortened, there were just as many where I wished it wouldn’t end. The writing was beautiful and stayed true to the lyrical format/prose of old mythology, while managing to modernize some of the language. The characters were complex and complicated and, although the minor characters were numerous, even they were well-developed and purposefully written. For this genre, this novel really stood out to me in how thoughtful Costanza was in making tangible the relationships between the players and their complex feelings, which I experienced as I read. Again, I appreciated the attention that was given to characters other than Clytemnestra in this regard. It brought the book to life.

I really enjoyed reading this novel, and I definitely recommend it. I will for sure be on the lookout for more books by Costanza.

I requested an arc of this book solely due to the MOST BEAUTIFUL book cover and title I have seen in a while. I had never heard of Constanza Casati before so I wasn't sure what kind of experience I was going to have with this book and let me tell you I am STUNNED at how beautiful this book was. I am SO happy and thankful that I was given the chance to review such a gem of a read.

This book will transport you to another world where you will suffer right along with the main character, Actually, it would be more accurate to say that you don't just feel like you're walking along side her, but that you actually ARE her. You will feel every single emotion the main character feels. Whether its feelings passionate, all-encompassing love or experiencing that familiar deep, visceral feeling of wanting to enact revenge for being wronged, you will go on an emotional rollercoaster. This book felt PERSONAL and I'm still sitting here taking it all in.

Clytemnestra was an easy read in that its fast-paced and beautiful prose kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. It was absolutely riveting, and one of the most compulsive reading experiences I've have in quite some time. My ONLY complaint is that I wish it was longer as I wasn't ready to leave that world just yet.

I'm already planning a re-read of it and will be purchasing the hard copy version when it is eventually released.. Please do not change the cover. It is PERFECT!

Miss Constanza Casati understood the assignment and so I say without hesitation that this book is a solid 5/5 stars.