Wow. Perseus is foul.
The Shadow of Perseus started off slow; however, it drew me in quite quickly. I've always been fascinated by mythology and thought this retelling from different perspectives would be fun to read. I was not disappointed. It also makes me want to read the original telling of Perseus to compare the two. I'm sure Perseus is told in a better light originally. In this novel, we see who he is from someone who is not s male.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

I am a big fan of Greek retellings or reimaginings and this fit the bill. I appreciate an author's ability to reframe a narrative in such a way as to emphasize characters who don't get a spotlight in the original story. This multiple POV aspect is fun and brings the story to life.
I have read other work by this author and enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy this genre.

#TheShadowofPerseus #NetGalley #Dutton

An emotional journey that was led by the most captivating women; the highlight of this read was the multi-POV perspective and how their lives twined together in this epic fantasy. Amazing job of stitching this tale together

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood is a captivating read for readers who crave feminist retellings of classic mythology, historical fiction, and stories that empower women's voices, offering a fresh and provocative exploration of the complexities of female experience and the power of reclaiming one's own narrative.

Thank you to Netgalley.com for the ARC. I love love love this novel. There is just something about mythology and retellings that pulls me in and refuses to let go. Claire Heywood is a fantastic addition to the numerous authors reinventing the genre.

This book was fine. I really liked the idea of the story of Perseus being told from the perspective of different women in his life. With that being said, if this book wasn't from the different perspectives, I would have DNF'd it. I am a character driven reader, and I did not like Perseus. You hear about him being this great monster hunter and hero, but in this book, he was a petulant child that threw a tantrum whenever he didn't get what he wanted.

Would I read it again, probably not. However, I would recommend it to people who enjoy Greek retellings with a twist.

Every time I picked up "The Shadow of Perseus", I was whisked away on an emotional journey with these intertwined stories told from women's point of view.

Firstly, this cover is absolutely stunning!

Claire Heywood's storytelling is incredibly vivid, visceral, and haunting. Each and every element jumps right off of the page, and I can only begin to imagine the amount of research done for this book.

At times difficult to read due to what occurs, this book tells the stories of Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda, both in relation to and in some instances separate from the story of Perseus. You really get a sense of what the women are thinking and feeling, and this novel explores how the actions and decisions of someone can strongly and deeply affect so much. This book is full of of mythology, history, heartbreaking moments, powerful and poignant moments, and so much more.

If you enjoy Mythological Retellings, I recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the e-ARC of this novel, and to Penguin Group Dutton for the beautiful finished copy as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Please Note: This book contains heavy and violent subject matter.

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood

304 Pages
Publisher: Penguin Group Dutton, Dutton
Release Date: February 21, 2023

Fiction, Greek Mythology, Women’s Fiction

In Argos, the Oracle tells King Akrisios that his daughter, Danae, would have a son and this son would kill him. For that reason, he keeps her in the dungeon. Her servant, Korrina, brings her food and is her only company until an unexpected visit by Myron, the baker’s son.

Her father comes to visit her and when she asks when she can return to her previous life outside of the dungeon, he tells her it was for her own protection. When Danae realizes too late that she is with child, she tries to hide her condition. Her father plans on sacrificing her to Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, but his brother, Proitos tries stops him.

Danae made a home on Seriphos, a rough land where Perseus grows to a man. When her benefactor Diktys, dies, his brother, Polydektes offers her marriage. Perseus is not in favor of the union. He is angry that his family did not want him and prevented him from living the life he was entitled to. He goes to the island where the Gorgons live and meets Medusa. Then he travels to Lybia and rescues Andromeda from a sea beast.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. In this version, Perseus is seen as an entitled and bitter young man. His anger lays under the surface and at times when he does not get his way, gets the best of him. The story is really about the three women who live within his shadow. If you like twists on fairytales or mythology, you will enjoy reading this book.

Once again Heywood utilizes her knowledge to reimagine a Greek myth. In this latest work, Heywood pays homage to the story of Perseus. This is not the golden boy Perseus that is revered as the almighty slayer of Medusa. This Perseus is self-absorbed and determined to make a name for himself regardless of who he has to hurt in the process. His mother Danae, his wife Andromeda, and the legendary Medusa all describe their lives as intricately woven around Perseus's ambition. An entertaining read for all.

DNF. I tried repeatedly to read this book and I just couldnt get into it. It's just not for me. I'm sorry. If/when I finally finish it, i may come back here and revise my review.

I have started this so many times, but I just cannot get past the first ten pages or so. Then I learned that Perseus is depicted as a rapist and I'm supposed to root for him? Hard pass, not for me!

In the emerging genre of greek myth retellings, I appreciate one that allows women the voice to the myths, giving us a different perspective on the heroes and gods that we've heard about before. Character being presented through the eyes of the people around you is something that I really enjoy reading.

In Heywood's "The Shadow of Perseus", I was expecting more. The description pulled me in, but as I got into the book, it didn't hold my interest. This could be because I have read so many historical books like this, but unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

I love how detailed Claire's stories are. It's just amazing how much richer she makes mythology. The characters become relatable and more human.

This was an interesting retelling for sure.

The Shadow of Perseus, told from the viewpoints of his mother, Danae, first love/crush Medusa, and wife, Andromeda, tells a very different story than we have come to know.

The author, Heywood, wished to paint a more plausibly historical take on Greek myth, which in all honestly, I actually appreciated. They say myth is often rooted in truth in some way, no? However, can a story stripped of all magic and fantasy really be considered a mythological retelling?

Anyway, while written well, this story just wasn't for me, after all. As I said, there was none of the magic that is synonymous with mythology - this was mostly a story of trauma bonds and quite frankly, enabling of heinous behavior. Interesting and probably more historically accurate, but not what I was looking for.

Now, these are simply opinions of my own. If mythology written with a more real world feel sounds interesting to you, definitely give this a read!

3/5 stars.

A retelling of the women who lived in Perseus' giant shadow, and how he changed each of their lives irrevocably.

Mythology retellings is a sub genre I am here for all day every day. And I love the variety we have seen. Authors are being creative and telling stories from the point of view of the women that were almost ignored in some original stories.

I find that premise to be very exciting, I just found that this story fell a little flat. Like it felt like it was a schlog to get through and read more like a textbook than a story at times.

I would read more by this author because I think the creativity of the story is there!

I rather see myths retain their original framework and retold with whatever literary licenses the writer needs around this framework and respecting the myth itself.
This one is an attempt to write a new myth based on the original characters yet telling a different story. I don’t like loosing the intrinsic magic of the myths

I felt like I had to finish this out of spite, I really didn’t enjoy it. I typically love mythology stories, especially some recent ones that give a different perspective on certain stories and events. This was not one of them.

"... you are too old for showers of gold."

Heywood did a marvelous job of taking a more realistic historical approach to the myth of Perseus. I loved this book. It follows the three women affected by the choices of Perseus while shinning a less than glorious spotlight on a stubbornly selfish and narcissistic man. It's well thought out and hard to put down. One of my favorite retellings this year.