House of Odysseus

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First off, I liked Aphrodite as the narrator and her comments regarding some of the men, like Menelaus. I disliked Menelaus this entire book and loved how Penelope was able to handle herself throughout Menelaus taking over the palace and everything else that was happening. Her character really shown, and I love how it was repeated that the women of Ithaca ran the island while all the men were gone at war, so why shouldn't they still be badass after the war? Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope fights to keep her home from being crushed by a war that stretches from Mycenae and Sparta to the summit of Mount Olympus itself. Her only allies are Elektra, desperate to protect her brother, and Helen of Troy, Menelaus' wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own. My favorite character development obviously has to Penelope as she again navigates a political scandal that not only encompasses Ithaca, but now Sparta too. Her growing power is something beautiful to behold, and I’m so ready to see more girlboss Penelope! 🧶

This second volume of Claire North's Song of Penelope is at least as good as the first. I've been a fan since The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, but here her writing has matured to something extraordinary; poetic, earthy, profound, funny. I was restrained,” grumbles Priene. “Though the night is dark and accidents happen when ships land in smugglers’ coves.” I have a smile on my face after reading this brilliant book. Claire North made me laugh my head off at this excellent re-telling of the Penelopiad. When I read Elektra, I was eh on her character, but North really brought Elektra's story to life in House of Odysseus with her love for Orestes and her general upbringing. It's so sad how she views love and relationships because of her father.I know, I know, I also was among others who didn't enjoy the first book, as much as it deserved, but House of Odysseus filled all the previous weak points, I really liked this one! I really can't praise this book enough. Its an absolute joy to read. Claire North has outdone herself. If only all retellings could be this good (she said wistfully). This will give you a completely different outlook on various goddesses, Spartans in general and Helen in particular. Highly recommended. Penelope knows this will lead to nothing but trouble, since destruction follows Orestes wherever he may go. His uncle, Menelaus, King of Sparta, hungers for his chance of seizing his throne.

Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope fights to keep war from Ithaca’s shores. Her only allies are Elektra and Helen of Troy, Menelaus’s enigmatic wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own. Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history' BooklistHaunted by the Furies, Orestes seems to be going mad, giving Menelaus an easy excuse for dethroning him and taking over as king of kings. Penelope must find a way to keep Orestes and Menelaus apart to avoid a war and also keep Ithaca safe at the same time.

This is the second part of the trilogy and, if anything much better than Ithaca, which bodes extremely well for the final part which I now can't wait to read. Penelope is proving to be an outstanding epic hero in her own right. A sensational retelling' Elodie Harper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf Den On the isle of Ithaca, Queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband, Odysseus, sailed to war with Troy and never came home. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace – but this is shattered by the arrival of Orestes, king of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra.Aphrodite is generally portrayed as conniving and cruel, wielding love as a weapon. In House of Odysseus, she knows that she is viewed as such, but within her mind we see that she does truly find something to love about everyone. It’s sweet and lovely and more than a little sad, as she holds so much love inside herself so as not to make others feel more uncomfortable around her than they are already. I’ve never been a fan of Aphrodite, but this book softened my heart toward her in exactly the same way Ithaca softened me toward Hera. North has a gift here, of bringing dimension and sympathy to classical characters. Penelope is proving to be an outstanding epic hero in her own right. A sensational retelling’Elodie Harper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf Den Penelope was the main star of the show but the author highlighted the women who were wronged, the women who outsmarted the men, and the women who bested men in a fight. Whilst I liked Penelope in the story of Ithaca, I fell completely and irrevocably in love with her in House of Odysseus. My Queen! Well, Claire North has leveled UP. I felt way more emotionally invested in ALL the characters in this book. I can’t even put my finger on why that is. My theory is that because this story is told from Aphrodite’s point of view, rather than Hera’s, Aphrodite took a more actively participating role in the lives of the characters. The mortals in the story have to surrender to Aphrodite’s whims and follies and gain from her divinity. I felt that there wasn’t much of that in Ithaca. The pacing is fast, I could have consumed this in a matter of hours if it wasn’t for my stupid human needs like eating and sleeping.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK (Orbit) via NetGalley for giving me a chance to read House of Odysseus (The Songs of Penelope #2) by Claire North, I have given my honest review. We women of sky and fire, we goddesses, we are so mighty, and yet if we learn anything from old mother Hera, it is that the brighter we blaze, the more the men line up to make us fall. Our power will be suppressed, subdued, and we will be turned from creatures of immortal majesty to cowering wives and simpering whores, adjuncts merely to a story told by a man. A story about a man.”Penelope knows destruction will follow in his wake as surely as the Furies circle him. His uncle, Menelaus, the battle-hungry king of Sparta, longs for Orestes’s throne – and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims. I enjoyed The House of Odysseus even more than Ithaca, so of course I’m eagerly anticipating the final book in this amazing trilogy. When I requested this I didn't know it was book 2 in a series, so I read Ithaca before diving into this ARC. I was worried about House of Odysseus because Ithaca was a slow, slow read for me, but I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed House of Odysseus! Because the characters and story is already set up, it was easy to follow. The protagonist of the story is a compelling and complex character, offering a fresh perspective on the well-known figure of Penelope. Her personal journey is filled with obstacles, self-discovery, and moments of profound introspection, allowing readers to connect with her on a deep emotional level. The supporting cast is equally well-crafted, each adding their own layers of depth and intrigue to the narrative. Elektra and Helen of Troy are given voices in this narrative as well; they are not just seen as vapid, beautiful (but tragic) figures in the story. They plot. They aid. They use their wits to ensure Penelope is helped to preserve the peace on the island. I appreciate that this retelling focused on the women and their alliance and how they helped one another and showed strength, not in the physical sense, but the emotional. They were so intelligent and ruthless, it was refreshing to read about. Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies' The Times