I love feminist retellings, and Clytemnestra’s Bind is an exemplary representative, where our protagonist gets to tell her side of the story as a fully nuanced person: She is not painted as the hero, just as human.

We see her dealing with the hardships of motherhood in a hostile environment despite living in luxury. Sometimes, she seems more worried about the status and potential glory of her children than their own safety and healthy upbringing, resenting those who take after their father’s brutality. She makes sure her kids stick to gender roles (men as leaders, women as wives and childbearers) to avoid awakening her husband’s ire, in her mind guaranteeing their happiness and success.

The prose transfixed me from the start and I was instantly transported to the setting. The book elicits strong emotions with the blatant misogyny and cruelty Clytemnestra suffers, making her not justified but at least understood for her decisions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Neem Tree Press for the ARC of Clytemnestra’s Bind! Having been in a bit of a reading slump, I’ve been looking for something I knew I would enjoy. Clytemnestra remains one of the women in mythology I am fascinated by, and I resonate with her story. The market is awash with Greek mythology retellings, and I’ve read a few different versions of Clytemnestra’s story, but this one stuck with me.

Susan C. Wilson’s Clytemnestra is complex, complicated and imperfect. The whole narrative echoes grief, pain and the complexity of family dynamics. Clytemnestra, a Queen who’s suffered immense loss, loves her children fiercely but struggles with motherhood in such a brutal, patriarchal society. The House of Atreus is like the Targaryens in the worst way possible, and Wilson’s writing is haunting and evocative, perfectly capturing the grief that underpins the whole story.

Clytemnestra’s Bind is a beautiful story that I cannot recommend enough. It gets four and a half stars from me, rounded down to four for Goodreads.

The story was retold by Clytemnestra the Queen and The House of Atreus has been thrown into a disarray. Homer tells the myth through the epic poem ‘The Odyssey’. Agaamemnon, King of Mycenae, stormed the castle and murdered Clytemnestra’s husband and young son. Later Clytemnestrawas forced to marry Agamemnon. According to Eupides, she took the life of her second husband. She eventually gave birth to Agaamemnon’s children, which she fiercely protects.

I thought the story was interesting, and I understand it is one of many. I'm interested in reading about strong independent women. Thank you Susan C Wilson, Neem tree limited, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the novel.

4.75⭐️

Summery

I have to thank the author for the family tree at the beginning of the book. There are a lot of characters, and how they are all related can become a bit confuddled. This helpful tool came in very handy.

This is the tale of Clytemnestra and her tragic life. The murder of her first husband and son. The forced marriage to the murderer of her family. The raising of her children, and a mother strength and love against all odds.

My Thoughts

The book is incredibly well written. Often, i find that historical fiction (that isn't romance) can be a bit bland/dry. The author has done a remarkable job of blending historical mythology with easy engrossing reading. A tip of the hat to her 🎩

I dont know how many people remember the movie Caligula, but this book definitely had that feel minus the erotica. The sexual horrors that can befall people during the time period. Not to mention the pure murderous brutality that was common place among royalty then.

"I mustn't think of dead children, I mustn't imagine them weeping in the corridors of the palace."

Clytemnestra's strength of character is a wonder to behold. She caries herself through some of the absolute worst tragedies imaginable with grace and determination. She raises her daughter with lioness protection and a swans fineness. She is admirable and uses her meekness as a weapon.

I greatly enjoyed this book, even if it was a tough read being a mother myself. I can't wait for the sequel.

Trigger warnings ⚠️
* infanticide
* child murder
* child abuse
* sexual abuse
* rape
* unwilling cannibalism

Thank you to The Write Reads, NetGalley, Neem Tree Press and the author for granting me a digital review copy of this book. My review is honest and my opinions are my own.

Clytemnestra’s Bind is the first in a trilogy of ancient Greek mythological retellings. Clytemnestra is the sister of the more famous Helen. I had not heard of Clytemnestra before reading this book. She is the tragic wife of brutally cruel warlord Agamemnon, who seizes her as his wife after murdering her teenage husband and infant son in vengeance for his family having previously been ousted from the throne.

The lives of high-born women in Ancient Greece were far from fun. Baby daughters were considered useless in comparison to a male heir. Their only worth was as a possible bargaining chip for a future alliance through their betrothal to a king, allowing their fathers to grab more land. Women had no say and must always defer to their husbands.

Clytemnestra had been lucky up until the point that Agamemnon entered her life, since her first husband, Tantalus was kind, gentle and caring. He had even allowed her to help him rule and make decisions regarding their petitioners. Her marriage to Agamemnon is as different as possible from such a partnership. When she bears him two daughters he treats her with violence and scorn and is not in the slightest bit interested in their childhoods except in the hope that they might soon be of marriageable age.

I found this book compelling and difficult to put down. As brutal and often difficult to read as it was, I had to keep turning the pages in order to find out how Clytemnestra would survive each of the gut-wrenching events that occurred, how she managed to keep going through it all is testament to her love for her children, not wishing to bring shame on them or endanger their lives by fleeing their father. She is betrayed by her servants as well as her husband and her only friend is Aegisthus, the foster brother of her husband, who quickly develops feelings for her and tries to protect her and her children. 

I found the characterisation in this book to be excellent in most cases, I particularly liked Clytemnestra’s character and that of Aegisthus, and Electra who took after her father quite alarmingly. It was very easy to connect with Clytemnestra quickly, perhaps the first-person narration helped with this. I did feel that Agamemnon was a little one-dimensional. He was a stereotypical brutish warlord and there really was nothing about him to like. 

The customs, both religious and cultural, of this society were mentioned naturally throughout the book and showed a lot of historical research, which made the narrative come to life in a really interesting, educational way and painted a more detailed picture of the daily life of these characters.

I really enjoyed this book and will be looking out for its sequel and possibly a few other Greek myth retellings as well, since this is a new genre for me.

First off let’s begin this with if you’re new here you may or may not know that I absolutely detest Agamemnon, he triggers me so much, no matter what story I’m reading. I always hate him 😅 I really enjoy Clytemnestra’s story it’s utterly heartbreaking and full of woman’s rage as well as a great revenge story. I really enjoyed this retelling,it was a hard one for me to put down since the beginning. There was a lot more Aegisthus than I was expecting, he is around a lot more with this one. We also see everything from Clytemnestra’s pov not third person. I think we also get more personal info with her children in this book,with how they are treated and how they act towards Clytemnestra. I had some teary eye moments with this one too. I would highly recommend if you love Greek myth retellings or a fan of Clytemnestra 🖤✨

Clytemnestra’s Bind, by Susan C. Wilson, is a powerful historical fiction novel that breathes new life into Greek mythology. Portraying the intense struggles of Queen Clytemnestra, Wilson's impactful writing brings out the complexity of motherhood and womanhood amidst family rivalries and power dynamics. The book stands out in a crowded market of retellings.

Full review on Geekyst available now. Special thanks to Neem Tree Press for providing me with an eARC and theWriteReads for the opportunity to participate in the US tour.

I will be honest: was I nervous to start yet another Clytemnestra centered retelling? Yes. But man was I in for a treat with this short retelling (especially after my not so great time with my last read). ❤️‍🩹

This retelling is focused on a historical view of Clytemnestra and the House of Atreus. I loved the way Wilson wove in ancient forms of deity practice and the names of those gods into the tale. It really provided a wonderful element to the story and I’m just a sucker for good historical representations. 🏺

This Clytemnestra was a mix of two different versions I’ve read before while still being unique. She reminds me of the softer Clytemnestra from (EDIT: I got the wrong surname 🥲) Heywood’s Daughters of Sparta and the vengeance ruled Clytemnestra from Casati’s eponymous character towards the end. But what really made me love this version of the woman was her love for her children. The grief and pain she suffered from loosing her firstborn to watching her two youngest get turned against her was so sad and you can feel her pain as Agamemnon continues to destroy all that she holds dear in life. 😢

The only thing I wish I could’ve gotten more of in this book was time with the characters. But, I’m super excited to see Wilson’s second novel, Helen’s Judgement and get to see her take on the infamous beauty. 🪞

Thank you to Neem Tree Press and NetGalley for accepting my request to read in exchange for a review and to the author, Susan C Wilson, for crafting such a beautiful historical retelling of this vengeful woman. ❤️

Publication date: April 9 for US, UK already out!

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️

This book was almost a DNF for me. The dialogue was clunky and parts misplaced it seemed. I felt a bit like I was trying to read it on a tilt a whirl. Added to that the prose world building seemed out of place with the goalie. This just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Obviously there should be very loud TW. Most of us know how mythology is about ease, infanticide, petricide etc. so if you haven’t read a lot of this type book definitely make sure none of those things trigger you.
Overall I feel like the book could be further polished and perhaps it would have been a better read for me.

I received a ARC. All opinions are my own.

It is a captivating retelling of the ancient myth, focusing on the resilient queen's journey to defy the destructive forces of fate and protect her children in the face of turmoil and tragedy. Wilson's narrative shines as it explores Clytemnestra's evolution from a naive young queen to a formidable matriarch, driven by her unwavering love for her children and her determination to break free from the constraints of destiny. Through vivid characterizations and rich world-building, Wilson breathes new life into the tale, offering readers a poignant exploration of grief, revenge, and the enduring power of familial bonds. Clytemnestra's Bind is a triumph of storytelling, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this enthralling series.

Book provided through NetGalley

This book was amazing. Clytemnestra is done very well and I liked that it started with her being married to Tantalus, which not always included, her love for Iphiginia is endearing en bittersweet. Electra was a bit one dementional maybe, but the exploration as to why she is the way she is made up for it. The final sacrifice, which could've been such an impactful scene is not shown.
The only thing to keep in mind is that this book doens't hold back, it portrays this story in all it's brutality.

this book sadly was eclipsed by another clytemnestra retelling published in 2023, which in my opinion gave more justice to the queen's story. personally, (because the other book was one of my favorite 2023 reads) i would have liked to see more of clytemnestra's character outside of this family, as a daughter, sister, and princess of sparta, and as queen of mycenae. but to be fair, <i> clytemnestra's bind </i> serves as the first installment in a series called "house of atreus" so i guess it makes sense that it focused on, well, the house of atreus. to its credit though, it did well in portraying clytemnestra's relationships with her children. the pacing was slow, which again i understand, but i felt certain parts spent too much time on unimportant things...

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Neem Tree Press, and author Susan C. Wilson for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars

A retelling of one of Greek mythology's most reviled characters: Clytemnestra. A woman who will challenge the absolute power of men and protect those she cares most in the world. I love Greek mythology and Greek myths retelling is one of my favourite genres in literature, so I couldn’t be happier when I received this ARC.

I really enjoyed reading this powerful story, Wilson’s writing was compelling, and it brought the characters to life with surprising ease. It’s true that if you don’t know much about the story of Troy or Greek myths, it might be a bit difficult to remember all the names or say who did what (but do not fret my friends, this is no Russian novel, this is totally doable!).

This is the perfect book for fans of Madeline Miller or Greek mythology in general!

This review may contain spoilers.

I was very excited to read this Greek mythology retelling of Clytemnestra’s story, as a big fan of the mythology surrounding her daughter, Iphigenia, and the tale of what happens after (if you know you know). Ultimately, I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy historical-based retellings and don’t mind slight authorial liberties being taken (while the core of Clytemnestra’s myth is the same, there’s definitely elements added and interpreted by the author, which I don’t mind). I think the strongest element is the prose, which is vivid and blunt, leaning both into poetic turns of phrase and into brutality. The weakest is the style in which dialogue is written. Most of all, I think this book just needs a little more cooking, particularly in that department. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, despite thinking parts of it were underdeveloped or a little iffy in its presentation, so I do want to check out the author’s future work.

The structure is very linear, and I think that works for this book well; most of the target audience will already know who Clytemnestra is and what her myth entails, so focusing on the “how we get there” rather than the “when we get there” makes sense. The pacing is pretty slow, but it feels adequate for the type of story being told, taking place over the course of years. For the most part, I would describe it as both engaging and lingering. I think the author did a good job of preserving the important beats of the story and of crafting a political historical fiction narrative with mythological elements from it. Conflict is effective, and the tension undergirding it is very easy to buy into: we as readers are made to understand why Clytemnestra is trapped in her situation and why it has to get as bad as it does before she reaches her breaking point.

One thing that gave me pause here is the portrayal of Ancient Greek slavery. I’m not educated enough on the topic to provide valuable insight, but the handling of the topic of slavery, and particularly in the treatment of enslaved women, in this book overall felt very dismissive and unsympathetic. It doesn’t help that this iteration of Clytemnestra has been established as having a tendency towards victim-blaming (which the narrative doesn’t “endorse”, in fairness). There’s also a sort of reoccurring imagery of Clytemnestra being warned against and afraid of having an intersex child, which felt very out of place in the narrative, and it only emphasizes the somewhat underdeveloped tension around gender in Electra’s character arc. I don’t think the author is perpetuating the intersexist historical sentiments portrayed in this novel, but they aren’t tied into the narrative in a way that makes them feel cohesive thematically, and thus makes those moments feel out of place and unnecessary.

Overall, the style is consistent, not always effective, but on its way to being strong and developed. Punctuation is alright—there’s some small mistakes that peeve me, but it’s consistent and legible enough—and the syntax is clear, oftentimes poetic. With the density of description and figurative language employed, the visual and sensory elements aren’t scarce and as a result, it becomes sort of unnoticeable, but in significant moments, the descriptive quality of the prose really shines. While the narrative exposition is fairly clean and straightforward, there are some instances of info-dumping within dialogue, particularly towards the beginning.

Dialogue, especially dialogue of characters who aren’t Clytemnestra, is the main quibble I have with this book. It feels very young, and occasionally slides into edgy and juvenile territory, particularly for the extended cast. While Clytemnestra’s voice is well-developed for the most part, the rest is lacking. At times, characters like Agamemnon speak like cartoon villains, and the way children speak in this book doesn’t feel authentic to the development of speech patterns in young children. To me, this sort of dialogue is fine for getting the sentiment across in a draft, but I would like it a lot more if it were revised specifically to make it feel more realistic and effective.

Development throughout the novel is mostly reserved to Clytemnestra; the rest of the cast remains more or less the same, save for becoming more or less exaggerated in their characterization as the story goes on. Overall, the characters in the forefront are the most memorable here: Clytemnestra, her children, and Aegisthus. The rest of the cast fades into the background in my memory, moreso influencing the story off-screen than anything. I was very surprised that I found the dynamic between Clytemnestra and Aegisthus compelling. I’m glad, however, that it was the slowest sort of slow burn—the pining was part of what made their relationship work so well for me, and the stakes worked well. I find a lot of the other supporting dynamics less potent: for example, Harmonia and Clytemnestra’s relationship wasn’t very effectively established. It could have been made more interesting by providing more interaction between them after the reveal, and more effective by developing their almost-friendship more before it happens. Clytemnestra’s relationship with Agamemnon is also fairly straightforward, but I don’t really mind that, as I personally have little to no interest in him.

Thank you Neem Tree Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC of Clytemnestra's Bind.
Publishing Date 4/9/24
Another fantastic mythology retelling. I enjoyed the story of Clytemnestra and the lead up to the Trojan war. It gives another side of the Trojan war to The Song Of Achilles.

This is book 1 of a trilogy and I am excited for book #2

Excellent read. Really enjoyable. Exquisitely written with relatable and likable characters and beautiful world-building. 100% would recommend to all of my friends and fellow book lovers.

Thank you to Neem Tree Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I say I love retellings of Greek mythology, THIS is exactly what I mean!

Clytemnestra's Bind pulls no punches in this rendition of one of the greatest tragedies of Ancient Greece. It's brutal, it's unflinching, and best of all, it's unafraid of the horrors of the original story. It's a story of the ever-turning wheel of how death begets death, how cruelties become atrocities, and how even if someone tries to break the cycle, they can only be wronged for so many times before they finally break. And while this book did not see the end of Clytemnestra's story, as I had expected, I can't wait to pick up the sequel and watch the wheel continue spinning.

Steeped in cultural and religious morals and practices that are foreign to us today, it really felt like stepping through a portal into Bronze Age Greece, in a way I have rarely ever experienced before. If you love the ancient tragedies for their brutality and morality, this is definitely the book for you!

(Trigger warnings: Murder, violence, child/infant death, cannibalism, rape, domestic abuse, child abuse, incest)

I'm a sucker for retellings! So you can imagine how excited I was when I got this arc! It gives you a great view on the trojan war and a perspective that wasn't told a hundred times. The writing was good. Sometimes I had to go back a bit to understand fully what was going on exactly and who was involved in everything. So you really have to keep track of what you're reading and it's not here for you to skim over the pages. Other than that it was super enjoyable!

Big shoutout to NetGalley for the advance reader copy!

Sooo, I just had a wild ride with "Clytemnestra's Bind." I think that if you're a Greek mythology enthusiast, this one's a must read, and if, like me, you aren't that familiar with it, I'm still urging you to give this book a try. It takes you on a unique journey through the events leading up to the Trojan War. Quick tip for fellow readers: flip to the character list at the back if you're not on a first-name basis with Greek mythology figures. It'll save you from the "who's who" moments.

Our protagonist Clytemnestra is a force to be reckoned with. A strong leader, a devoted mother : her character shines in unexpected ways. I have to say, I am not really familiar with her character, I think I remember her from a few books and movies and I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy her story as I did. Which is to say that even if you are not really into greek mythology, this is still a book that will draw you in with its protagonist and its storytelling.

Now, about the ending : it's a rollercoaster. A mix of hope and victory but you can sense the storm on the horizon. It leaves you hanging, which in a way, reflects the unpredictability of life. But I have to say that I did have mixed feelings about the ending, which is why I'm rating the book 3.5 stars instead of 4.

However, the story itself gave me a new appreciation for greek myths and their retellings.
Will be coming back for more.

This novel was quite interesting to read. I already knew Clytemnestra’s story before reading this novel, but I still thought it was intriguing. But what made me really appreciate this book is actually its writing. It is a perfect mix of somehow simple and yet compelling writing. It is not overwhelming to read and it isn’t pretentious — in a way of being too complicated for what it is — and I loved that. Clytemnestra is a character I did not relate with at all but the internal monologue on sorrow and grief was interesting to read. But I hated Agamemnon (obviously) and I did not remember that Electra was such a brat.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.