Format: ebook
Published: August 8th, 2023
Age: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 Stars
I know others dislike it or think it overdone, but I really enjoy the ‘trend’ of Greek myth retellings (though I do think it’s not so much a trend now as just a…fantasy subgenre?). As a kid, I was obsessed with Greek mythology, reading any version of the myths I could get my hand on (admittedly, often a little sanitised for the audience). So, I really enjoy exploring them through retellings. I’m no expert, and I don’t know every myth extremely well, so they hit that sweet spot for me where I know enough to ‘get’ them, but not so much I’m overly critical with the retellings.
As the title suggests, the focus in this book is on Medusa’s sisters, women who were cursed to become Gorgons along with Medusa. The book is told in the alternating POVs of Stheno and Euryale, Medusa’s two sisters, and goes from their birth until long after Medusa has gone.
I found both characters fascinating in different ways, and the dynamic between the three worked really well. Stheno and Euryale are both immortal, where Medusa isn’t. Medusa’s sisters see her as fragile, with Stheno doing what she can to protect her, at times becoming overbearing, where Euryale starts to resent Medusa in multiple ways. The book is focused on their relationship, as they venture out to learn more about humans and end up entangled with the gods. Along the way, the three sisters learn more about themselves and each other, sometimes harming their relationship, sometimes deepening it.
I was completely drawn into this world and the lives of the sisters, and ultimately found it to be a satisfying read all around. The sisters are flawed and messy, human despite being immortals, prone to mistakes and at times very selfish. The book doesn’t shy away from being critical of the gods, either, who use both humans and the sisters for their own ends.
I like how there’s a series of choices made by each sister which leads to where they end up, and how it all ties together, and I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys retellings and exploring characters who don’t always have their own myths attached.
Reading Challenge
2025 TV Shows Reading Challenge
Prompt: Modern Family – a book about a family or ‘found family’
Progress: 10/12
Unwrapping Words 