I'm not sure my review of this title will accurately represent the work itself, so I'm awarding it three stars. Off of a Katee Roberts kick with her "Neon Gods" series and from enjoying "Promises and Pomegranates," I think I was hoping/wanting for something a little different. This of course has nothing to do with the book, author, or its quality. I did enjoy the story, and it prompted me to do some outside digging on Medusa's story from mythology. The narrator for "Stone Blind" was excellent! Thank you for this ARC!

Natalie Haynes can do no wrong! I love her witty writing and think it's even more impressive how she narrates her own books. I want to become her best friend somehow.

It’s the story of Medusa, the mortal daughter of two sea gods. She is the sister of two immortals. Collectively the three are called Gorgons; however, since Medusa is mortal, she has little power, and her sisters are quite protective of her. She’s also quite beautiful. Eventually when they are distracted, Medusa is raped by the great sea God Poseidon in Athena’s temple. Angered at the desecration of her temple, Athena punishes Medusa, the victim, by turning her beautiful hair into a writhing mass of live snakes and her eyes into deadly weapons; ever after anyone who looks into those eyes immediately turns to stone.

3.5 stars.
I really wanted to love this book, I did enjoy it and like the take the author took. There was just something I disliked about it though, but I can’t put my finger on it

I always enjoy Natalie Haynes’s books and I particularly love the audiobooks. Natalie is her own narrator and I love that. It feels like this is the way the book is meant to be read. I really liked this story but my only tiny qualm was that I wanted more Medusa. I am eagerly awaiting a Medusa redemption story and sadly, this wasn’t it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love the resurgence of greek mythology retellings and Stone Blind may be my favorite of the year as just Medusa is so iconic and they do her justice.

really enjoyed this one - while i wish there was more perspectives from Medusa, i know that mythology itself has silenced any voice or life she could have had. the end really broke my heart and i loved how the author made it alter from one voice to a whole cacophony watching the violence and pain unfold

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The story is a retelling of the Medusa myth. While I think a retelling of a character should focus mainly on that character, I did not mind that this one did not. This story focused on the macro of the story, letting the reader see all of the different sides that led up to the final event instead of the micro, focusing only on Medusa. By doing this the author lets the reader experience multiple characters and viewpoints. Had there been a little more focus on Medusa, with more chapters from her view I would have given this five stars, but as it is I enjoyed it.

This new take on Medusa’ story explores her life after she is punished for her rape by Poseidon.
This is a mesmerizing story, although a little hard to follow with an immense cast of characters in the beginning.

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes was definitely an interesting take on the Medusa story, but I honestly expected Medusa to be more central to the novel. I enjoyed this retelling but I prefer more MEDUSA with my Medusa. I won't say I'm not a little disappointed but I think there is something for everyone here - family as a main theme, the blurring of lines between hero/villain, and multiple POV writing, which many readers (including myself) enjoy.

I am grateful to the publisher, Harper, and to Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book and share my review.

If I have to rate it, this one would be a 3 out of 5 stars. Not over the top amazing but not the worst thing I've read, for sure. Maybe a little extra polishing and character building would go a long way, for me, as a reader.

I did the audio version of this and highly recommend it. Natalie Haynes narrated her work beautifully. The story of Medusa gives us a ringside view of the pettiness of the Gods, the bumbling of “heroes “, and the humanity of the ones you’d call “monsters” without missing a beat. There were moments of genuine love and tenderness, moments I laughed out loud, and times I was angry on behalf of characters mistreatment. It’s a well rounded retelling of a myth you only think you know well. Loved it!
** Thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.**

I unfortunately did not have a chance to finish this title before it was published despite having an interest in it. Rated 5stars, did not finish.

The book itself was good, until it made me question what the overall goal of the story was. Something about the way rape is handled and constantly mentioned in the book felt strange and uncomfortable. I was clear that this was part of the storyline before starting, and I was expecting. and yet something about it felt.. wrong? I can't seem to sum up what it is that was so wrong about it but it wasn't done well.

The narrator was excellent. She was a perfect choice for the book and truly brought it to life. I doubt I would've finished if I had been reading just the arc.

this book has an image of medusa on the cover. the story is subtitled ‘meduas story.’ so shouldnt the main character/focus of the book be… i dont know… medusa??? lol.

im so genuinely disappointed that medusa only really appears in about 30% of this novel, if you were add all of her appearances together. the predominate focus of the novel is on the gods, their petty squabbles, and their revenge schemes against each other. because of this, medusa is reduced to just a minor player in the gods lives, rather than her being the story itself.

so im a little bitter about that.

however, this actually is a really good story! i enjoyed reading about the gods one-upping each other, how they use mortals to achieve their goals, and everything in between. i found them to be very entertaining and enjoyed how their characters are written. the overall narrative is also quite nice.

i just wish either 1) this had more medusa or 2) this hadnt been pitched/advertised as a medusa story. :/

I found this audiobook to be narrated well, but a bit long and confusing as an audiobook. Too many different characters and points of view. I kept losing track of where I was in the story. The writing is good so I think I would enjoy the ebook or physical copy more than the audiobook.

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of Stone Blind. I was excited to see a retelling about Medusa, my patron deity. I liked the story telling done in it and I enjoyed the character development of the characters and the changing of the story to reflect Medusa and the other women of the story.
This story is based around Medusa, about her birth, how she got to the Gorgon's island, what happened to her after Poseidon raped her. We see it all from the point of views of the women of the story, with brief glances at the men. I think that in itself is insanely important, it made these characters who are villainized or made into damsels powerful. Andromeda was chained to the rocks, but while her mother was hiding she helped her father protect the families in their city. Medusa was a victim so many times over, but she finds freedom in her death, is allowed to finally rage and wish pain on those who hurt her first. Athena was also a victim when another god spills his seed on her. She acts spoiled in part because she is, but she finds agency in the story by the end.
This was a great story that challenges your view on characters and tales you think you know. I’m a huge fan of marginalized people coming forward to reclaim their stories, which is exactly what this book does. I adored it for it, even if I sometimes didn’t agree with some of the characterization. But the characters don’t have to be likeable to matter.

The narrator is also the author, which in my opinion is always best and conveys the most meaning and tone of the story. I like how this book doesn't treat Medusa like a victim. She is a complete person and takes ownership of her life even after her head is severed.
I enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

This book really wasn't what I expected. It was less about Medusa and more about the atrocious way Greek Gods treated women in general. Each chapter is from a different point of view, mainly about women and how different men's decisions affected their lives.

It was by no means a badly written book and I did finish it, however, I didn't necessarily enjoy reading it very much. It just wasn't the type of story about Medusa I was hoping for.

Medusa? Feminist retelling? By a well-established author of Greek mythology retellings? Yes, please! Sign me up! When I saw this listed under available audiobooks, I immediately sent in a request.

I delved into this story with enthusiasm and was mostly satisfied with what was delivered. This is a multi-POV story that gives us chapters from the Gorgon sisters, Athene, and Perseus in addition to Medusa. All of the chapters collectively bring us the story of Medusa's life and the events outside of her control that cause her eventual fate.

I thought the characterization of the various gods and demi-gods was very well done. I appreciate that they aren't glorified or made to seem benevolent. Haynes really leans into their awful behaviors toward mortals and it honestly makes a lot more sense.

I also loved how she chose to characterize the Gorgons. They may appear monstrous, but even monsters love their family. She really did a good job of humanizing them and making us care about their plight. It made the emotional response to Medusa's story that much stronger.

My only real qualm with this story is that I expected it to be more about Medusa in her own words since this was marketed as a feminist retelling.. Instead, we have more chapters of other people talking than we do of her talking. It sort of allows her voice to be a bit squashed by everyone else. Perhaps that is an intentional choice that mirrors exactly what is happening to Medusa within the story, but I do wish I'd heard a bit more from her.

As for the audiobook, I believe Haynes narrates this herself. I thought the narration was smooth and easy to follow. She voices each character well and with the right emotions in the right places. I have no real critique to offer in terms of the narration.

All in all, whether you listen to this or read it, if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings, I think you'll likely enjoy this one. Medusa is a compelling character, made more so by Haynes' treatment of her.

I love tales of mythology retold, and thoroughly enjoyed this perspective of how Medusa came to be and how perhaps she wasn't the vengeful, fearsome gorgon she was made out to be.

In this story, Medusa is a delightful, sensitive girl who is treated as a pawn by the gods and left broken and reviled.

I did not realize the author was also the narrator until I started my review. It was very well done!