House of Odysseus

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Now Penelope faces a new threat. After providing a place of refuge for Elektra and her brother, Orestes, both children of the now dead Agamemnon killed by his wife Clytemnestra, Menelaus, Agamemnon’s brother, catches wind that his niece and nephew may be hiding out in Ithaca. Everything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece' Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin

I liked the narrator being Aphrodite considerably less than Hera in book one. I thought more could have been done about the parallels between her feigning just being the dumb goddess of love and lust and Helen being her most favored mortal. Overall just not as poignant a storyteller and perspective to share for me as Hera, but to each their own. I can see that (if Athena is indeed the narrator of the third book) what North is aiming for in the trilogy as whole, highlighted by one of Aphrodite's lines alluding to Clytemnestra being Hera's, Helen being hers and Penelope being Athena's by way of Athena's love for Odysseus. And she did have some interesting bits (insight into /all/ forms of love) and it was nice that all the other divinities didn't stall conversation/information delivery etc. because of their contempt for her (as they did with Hera). The constant fawning was something I started to glaze over but I realize that it's very in character and on brand, though I still would have preferred less of it. Men give women power, and women sacrifice the women around them to appease men. Not Clytemnestra..."Please tell me now if you killed any of them,” sighs Penelope. “I would rather not be embarrassed by the revelation later.” The suitors continue to be rather useless, but Kenamon is such a sweetie that I’m honestly finding myself concerned for his future in Odysseus’ house. And Helen. . . Wow. I thought I couldn’t love another portrayal of her, but North’s depiction of this notorious beauty was so well crafted and convincing that even I was led along with the whole show. 🍶 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!

If you liked the political maneuvering in the Game of Thrones series; if you chafe at the way that Greek mythology couldn’t pass even a modified a Bechdel test; if the inner lives of women are interesting to you; if you love a “good for her” story with an denoument that feels absolutely earned and yet somehow still in some ways surprising; I recommend this book whole heartedly. 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. In fact, the point of view of Aphrodite is one of my favourite aspects of this novel. It provides such an amusing, slightly sensual, and very sassy overtone. It helps that the writing is completely flawless, which is not a compliment I give away lightly. The plot itself gave me literal goosebumps! Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, wife to Odysseus, is still struggling to hold on to her power in her husband’s absence and things only become more complicated when Elektra and her brother Orestes arrive upon her shores and threaten to shatter the peace. With his mother’s blood on his hands, Orestes has grown unhinged and is rather unwell. In his weakened state his uncle Menelaus, King of Sparta, sees the opportunity to dispose of his nephew, seize his brother’s kingdom and become king of kings. Menelaus will stop at nothing to find Orestes and so in desperation Elektra has brought her brother to Penelope’s lands seeking shelter, but she also suspects Orestes is being poisoned. Menelaus is a cruel, cunning brute, and to see him seize even more power would have dire consequences for all including Penelope. She must uncover the truth before it’s too late, before all that she has worked for is crushed beneath a tyrant king. Yet the Furies circle Orestes, the gods have their own plans, and Menelaus along with his Spartan army and his wife Helen are sailing directly her way.This time around our narrator is Aphrodite, goddess of desire, and she brings a different perspective to these well known characters, these three great queens of Greece. Penelope is as sharp minded as ever and again uses her brilliance to hold power, Elektra shows some vulnerability, and we are introduced to the infamous Helen of Troy who for me personally, was the most interesting and emotionally engaging character of the three. North refreshingly depicts their tale of survival as the King of Sparta plots his next move.

Haunted 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. House of Odysseus is the follow up to award-winning author Claire North's Ithaca "a powerful, fresh, and unflinching" reimagining (Jennifer Saint) that breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men.

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—a peace that is shattered by the return of Orestes, King of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra. I love how each book is narrated from the perspective of a different goddess. Ithaca, told from Hera’s perspective, focused on Penelope as a mother and a queen. In House of Odysseus, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, lets us see Penelope as a woman, someone with passions and desires. This time I find the characters most developed and fascinating, truth to be told, CN' Helen is the one that for so long I was looking forward to finding her in a retelling, Helen I always imagined in my mind, well down!