Lynn's writing style is appealing and easy to read, so maybe for someone who hasn't got a clue about Medusa's story this book would be an interesting dive into mythology. However, if you're familiar with Medusa's story then you've essentially already read this book. As a "feminist retelling" I was expecting a lot more details/substance/character development, but it simply just felt like Lynn was telling the bare bones story of Medusa and Perseus. There was nothing original or fresh about it, no depth to the characters. While the prose and pace was good, it gave little to the plot, which completely took over the story. There's little to no character development. I would say half of this book is about Medusa and half was about Perseus, both halves basic and unexplored mythology. I also a fan of how the ending, *spoiler* which was essentially just assisted suicide and honestly felt a bit lazy, devoid of emotion, and underdeveloped.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Hannah Lynn for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a lover of Greek mythology, I am always in for reading books about this topic. Although this was not my favorite Greek re-telling, I did enjoy reading about Medusa before she became the monster she was. It showed that she was a human before everything and still tried to keep that aspect of herself. Nice short read.

Athena's Child by Hannah Lynn. Pub Date: September 26, 2023. Rating: 3 stars. When I saw this greek mythology novel, I had to request it because I am obsessed with reading anything related to this genre. In this first installment of a trilogy, the reader is immersed in the world of Medusa. Honestly, I did not know Medusa's story very well and this novel packed a punch to take the reader on the journey of how she turned into the person she was known to be. Scorned and under Athena's wrath, Medusa was a fierce character who was given a tough fate. I enjoyed the ease and flow of this novel, but felt it was a little flat in the storytelling. Regardless, I do think I will continue to read the rest of the trilogy because I am always interested in reading greek mythology stories. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley

I love a good Greek mythology retelling. Medusa’s story is so deeply heartbreaking and I was excited to read a fresh take on it!

I enjoyed the first 50% and the last 15% of this book. The middle was very slow and felt out of place with the story that was established. It felt like a completely different narrative when Perseus was introduced.

The time jumps are also quite large and jarring. I didn’t really know that we had jumped 2,000 years in the future for quite some time and it felt like we lost a lot of character development by doing that. For a book that claims to be a feminist retelling, I was really hoping for more of a Medusa centered story, not one where a man ends up being her hero.

This was a beautiful retelling of Medusa's story. There was great depth of emotion and the reader was made to feel incredibly deeply for the injustices Medusa suffered. It's a strong commentary on toxic masculinity and the collateral damage women suffer at the hands of men and Gods. My only negative was that I wanted so much more!! I got to the end and was shocked to find that it was over. It's a super quick and easy read, but so beautifully written, I didn't want it to end! I think expanding on some of the scenes could have been very helpful and wrapping up some of the story lines (i.e. what happened to Medusa's sisters) would have given a better sense of closure at the end of the novel. I was also very confused as to whether this was part of a series, or a stand alone. It would help if it were marketed clearly!

5/10

An interesting retelling in that it examines Medusa in the proper light, as a victim. That being said the pacing of this novel seemed a bit off, some parts drew on while other, more important, parts of the legend seemed to only have short sections. Additionally I was not a huge fan of the way Athena was presented. While it is true that Athena turned Medusa into a Gorgon after she was raped by Poseidon in her temple in almost all versions of the story I am more partial to the version where Athena does so out of benevolence. In said version of the myth Athena is unable to stop Poseidon from assaulting Medusa again as he is a more powerful god and her uncle, so she turns Medusa into a Gorgon to spare her from him. Athena is often depicted as a kind more caring goddess than the other Olympians and thus this version feels more authentic to me.

“Athena’s Child” is the first book in “The Grecian Women Trilogy” by Hannah M. Lynn. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book. It’s a short book with a simple retelling of Medusa. I found the sections about Medusa to be rather interesting, but then there’s a lot of time devoted to Perseus. I understand why that would be, but Ms. Lynn seemed to focus more time on Perseus than I thought was necessary. Additionally, I felt Medusa’s sisters were not fully developed - and the underdevelopment at times deterred from the story. This isn’t a bad retelling, but it wasn’t the most enjoyable one for me.

Athena's Child is an imaginative and entertaining urban fantasy. The characters are endearing, but the plot could benefit from more depth.

I’ve been on a Greek mythology kick lately and in particular, I feel like I’ve read quite a few books about Medusa lately. When this one popped up, it seemed to be right up my alley.

This is a relatively short read and covers Medusa’s story from beginning to end. This went in a bit of a different direction in how it treated Perseus. I actually kind of liked the way it looked at his portion of the story.

That said, I did feel like parts of this story felt a bit rushed. We get snippets of the main story lines, but the large jumps in time cut out a lot of the development. I’m just not sure that 236 pages is enough for the complexity of Medusa.

All in all, if you are a fan of Greek mythology, this is a quick, easy read. There are other Medusa retellings that I personally like better, but this one is enjoyable enough.

A heart wrenching tale of one of the most interesting Greek characters, Medusa. Hearing her story and intentions really does paint her in a different light. This was a quick & easy read. I loved the beginning, but everything after her curse felt rushed to me.

I had high expectations for this retelling of the Medusa story, but I was left wanting a little more. It started out promising and engaging, but it quickly went downhill. Instead of focusing on Medusa and her sisters, a significant portion of the book centered around Perseus (which I wasn't particularly interested in). I still found this to be a fun an interesting read though. I just have high expectations for greek retellings.!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC!

Thank you for the eARC! :)

Athena's Child is about the story of Medusa and how she became cursed by Athena, it's told from both Medusa's and Perseus' perspective.

I enjoyed this book for what it was. It was an easy read that I got through relatively fast. I liked Medusa's perspective more and having it change halfway through felt like almost a disservice. It is a very sad story and Medusa is a sad character. I would've liked to have learned more about her sisters and the life they lived on the island a little more. The ending to me wasn't as satisfying either and that's mostly why I rated it how I did.

Athena’s Child by Hannah Lynn
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub. Date: Sept. 25, 2023

I love mythology retellings but this just wasn’t it. This is a Medusa/Perseus retelling.

First off the title, doesn’t make sense as neither Medusa nor Perseus are Athena’s children unless they are meaning in the “we are all God’s children” sense, but still, don’t like the title.

Second, while I enjoyed the details of the story, it is very choppy. There’s barely any backstory. The author jumps from timeline to timeline and can sometimes leave readers confused. For instance it’s starts off with Medusa and her story and then jumps to Perseus (without a segue) and then years and years go by and it’s just all over the place.

The story stays pretty true to the original I just felt it could have used some more fine tuning.

Thank you @netgalley for the arc!

I'm a fan of myths retold, especially from the point of view of the victims, and I was aware that Medusa had become a symbol of SA survival, so I was grateful for the opportunity to read and review Athena's Child courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Medusa is an exceptionally beautiful young woman whose father delivers her to Athena's Temple to protect her from the slathering men who wish to claim her. She thrives as a priestess to Athena. Then Poseidon, disguised as a farmer, rapes her. Athena blames Medusa and curses her. Medusa escapes to an island where for two thousand years she attempts to live in peace. Then Perseus shows up and the story becomes his until they merge and the two conspire to end her suffering and save his mother from a vile king.

The prose is straightforward and the pace is good, but the ending was too abrupt. In all, I was glad I read it, I was always eager to find a few minutes to sit and read, but I felt there wasn't quite enough there there. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Athena's Child
by Hannah Lynn
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023

Athena's Child by Hannah M. Lynn is a feminist retelling of Medusa and Perseus story. The novel is a fast paced book, told in dual narration, that features the early years of Medusa. Readers who enjoy Greek mythological will sure to add this one to there bookshelves.

A beautiful Medusa retelling. I found this such a quick and easy story to read, I absolutely flew threw it and the writing style was stunning.

4.25 stars.

Athena's Child is a feminist retelling from Medusa and Perseus' perspectives of his adventures and the gorgon villain. It is being traditionally republished after initially being self-published!

We follow Medusa from the beginning of her life, and how she became a priestess at the Temple of Athena. After she was preyed on by another god, she is cursed by Athena to life a life as a monster. Perseus is born to his mother Danae and Zeus. In order to save his mother from a horrible marriage to a ruthless king, he is tasked with bringing back Medusa's head. This story jumps from each POV.

I already was familiar with this Greek myth and have read many books similar. Greek mythology traditionally treats women as part of the men's story, and this book illustrates it well. There is an inherint patriarchal society where women must protect themselves from men's intentions and if they are assaulted, it becomes their fault. Even the gods perpetrate this, as we read in the book. I found it interesting how the author also showed how the women were entrenched in this type of society and reinforce it. After hearing Medusa's story, her own mother blames her.

I just had a huge pit in my stomach after finishing this book. Medusa is easily emphasized with in this retelling. She is forced to bear the brunt of the pain of other actions. Another part that I found unique and interesting was the relationship with her sisters/the other gorgons.

I really loved this retelling, it was very emotional and heartbreaking. This is a very quick read, less than 200 pages so I picked it up and read through it in a day. It is a short book with lots of time jumps, and I do feel it would have benefitted from being longer. In the middle of the book, I wish the characters and certain plots were more fleshed out.

The ending was so indicative of how stories and myths have treated Medusa and other women. Don't expect a happy ending (as is typical with greek myths for women). But overall, it really touched me and I very much recommend this book.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGally for proving me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I found this to be a fantastic book, it gave what I wanted and more. I have always been a bit of a Medusa fan so this retelling was enjoyed to the fullest. It gave us a back story to how and why she becomes a villain. After reading so many stories this revealed the darker side of history, the unfairness when it comes to women. An interesting tale that peaked my interest from the beginning.

I loved this retelling of Medusa's history about how she came to be. Her childhood, her humanity. How she was wronged and how she was able to cling to that sliver of humanity. It was such a good story. I will absolutely be rereading this and have already recommended it to several friends. If you are a fan of mythology and retellings this is a must-read.

Description from the publisher:
For readers of Madeleine Miller and Claire Heywood comes the story of the most infamous monster of Greek mythology: Medusa.

First, they loved her. Then, they abused her. Finally, they made her a villain.

Gifted and burdened with stunning beauty, young Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when she catches the eye of the lecherous but mighty Poseidon, she is beyond protection. Powerful men rarely answer for their actions, after all.

Meanwhile, Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest, equipped with only bravado and determination...

Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena's wrath, blamed for her assault, Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is?

Medusa's truth has long been lost. History tells of conquering heroes, of men with hearts of gold. Now it is time to hear the story of how history treats women who don't comply.

Available Editions
EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781728284262
PRICE $17.99 (USD)
PAGES 192
I just reviewed Athena's Child by Hannah Lynn. #NetGalley

I recently was given the opportunity to read Athena's Child by Hannah M. Lynn which is a retelling of the story of Medusa told not only from the side of the traditional hero Perseus but also from the side of Medusa, a character who has been set as the villain throughout history.

This book is one of many that have been released in the past couple of years that re-tell classical myths with an emphasis on the female characters who were traditionally in the background when the story was told in the past. I have been making a point to read many of these books and have been very interested to see how the story is changed for its new audience in the 21st century. One of these changes that I found most interesting was the fact that this book is written as a tragedy focusing on the events of Medusa's life. I found as a reader that I began to feel for Medusa and her struggles in life, which is not something that you feel when you read older versions of the same story.

My main complaint when reading this book was simply that it felt as though it was moving too quickly. I would have liked to have seen more time spent on individual events but with the jumping in the timeline and speed of the narrative, it didn't feel as though I had enough time to appreciate the story. I think that it was partially because of this speed that the ending fell flat for me. The ending felt rather abrupt in comparison to the rest of the book which, for the most part, had flowed very well. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing and even though this book is short, it managed to cover a lot of material in its pages. If it had been a bit longer, it might have given more space for the plot to be slowed down, helping to solve the issues that impacted my reading experience.

Overall, I enjoyed my readthrough of Athena's Child and am very interested to read the other books that are promised in this series!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free, and I am reviewing this voluntarily.