There is a lot of history and mythology in this story about Medusa and her sisters. Told from a feminist's point of view, we learn more about the three sisters and how they are torn between two worlds. The writing pulls you into the world in a way that makes you feel you are amongst the Gods and Goddesses.

Have you ever heard the names of Medusa's sisters? No? Don't worry, you're not the only one. This book tells the story of the three Gorgons before and after their accursed transformations. Medusa is actually a minor character, with the focus on oldest sister Stheno and middle sister Euryale. The three girls become women together, learning tough lessons but reveling in the relationships they forge and the love they share, no matter the ultimate cost.

Read this if you:
🏛 could eat, sleep, and breath mythology retellings
👯‍♀️ have sisters, are a sister, have friends you consider sisters, etc
💧 love an emotional tale with vibrant characters

You guys. I have not loved a mythology retelling this much since The Song of Achilles. Euryale has my entire heart, but Stheno clawed her way in there by the end as well. I don't know if this book hit me so hard because sisterhood is a role I struggle with, but I'd love to hear your thoughts when you end up reading Medusa's Sisters!

I absolutely adore the way Lauren J.A. Bear chose to write this narrative — she brings a new perspective to "old" myths and origin stories, even intertwining some characters that you've never seen cross paths before. The prose itself is beautiful, and the alternating viewpoints of Stheno and Euryale are each emotional and impactful. At first, I wasn't sure why Stheno's voice is first-person while Euryale's is third-person, but I understood by the end.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but even more so if you have a penchant for mythology or stories of strong women and their relationships. This is the first five stars I've granted in my last 126 books 😳

Thank you to Ace/Berkley, Lauren J.A. Bear, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

What a fantastic retelling. Hands down one of my absolute favorites.
Beautiful writing that is wonderfully poetic, and the story we didn't know we needed.
In an age of retellings this one stands out among the rest.
This book is so addictive you won't want to put it down.

I recently read retelling of Perseus from the perspective of the women in his life, including Medusa. My lack of knowledge of Medusa still begged for more - and this book gave it to me. A slow build, but oh the rage I felt on her behalf.
This is the story of Medusa that should be told; women are begging for this retelling. Strength. Independence. Inspiring fear. Living life on her terms - what a story.
One of my favorites for the year.

A stunning new Greek Myth retelling, in Medusa’s Sisters Laura J. A. Bear writes a sensitive portrayal of Medusa and her sisters, Stheno and Euryale trying to find their place in the world as women, and later, gorgons.

I love Greek retellings and this one did not disappoint. I liked seeing the story of Medusa being told from a different perspective than what we usually get. I think the author did a great job differentiating each sister's voice, and even if the titles hadn't been the sister's names, you would've been able to distinguish who was narrating. I did enjoy the overall growth & development of the characters.

I did find one of the sisters to be unbearable, and I just disliked her character so much, that it made it hard to read through her chapters, and although I love an advanced vocabulary, I felt distracted by the some of the vocabulary used at times. Even with not liking the one sister, it was still an entertaining book, and I enjoyed it a whole lot.

Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear is enthralling and complex, focusing on a unique perspective, the sisters of Medusa and creating a story that is distinct and moving reimagining of the myth of Medusa. One of the reasons that Lauren J. A. Bear’s tale is so fantastic is the creative use of Medusa’s sisters to tell a story that we think we know but Bear creates a new perspective by telling the story from the viewpoints of Stheno and Euryale. Not only does she bring to light their voices, their hopes and dreams but she creates an emotionally compelling new viewpoint on Medusa herself. It is creative, complex and gives a voice to the female voice that is so often kept silent. 

One of the other ways that Bear creates a new viewpoint is in spinning the tale of how Medusa is changed is by exploring a new aspect to the myth using LGBTQ themes to add depth and layer to the tale. We also get a beautiful and authentic exploration of early civilization in Greece, especially music and women’s roles in society. I love how we get to know Stheno and Euryale and their impact on Medusa as well as her impact on them both living and dead. The retelling adds unexpected twists and turns to the story and I love both the different perspective and an unexpected outcome. Even though we know Medusa’s ending, we may not know the full truth and I especially love the outcome of her sisters. 

If you love Greek mythology, history and unique voices, this is the story to read. The story is enthralling and complex, emotional and compelling and the unique perspective of the female voice is worth hearing. You will find unexpected truths and depth in this fantastic retelling of the Gorgon myth.

I received this advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This is a highly original take on Medusa, and two sisters who made up her childhood, and provided strong foils throughout her story and myth. Although I had difficulty becoming engaged with the storyline, I do find it overall a good novel for those who are interested in feminist retellings of Greek mythology.

when I say that this book was pretty good, and that it surpassed my very low expectations, I mean it genuinely. even though the feminist mythology trend is so incredibly overdone. this book was a good example of the form, and well-plotted despite the uneven prose. like all good tragedies, I forgot it was going to end so poorly

With stunningly beautiful prose, Lauren J.A. Bear has deftly tugged on myths of old to weave a fresh and feminist modern legend from the dusty references of Medusa’s once-forgotten sisters. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, this is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. Prepare to be enthralled!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Ace for this e-arc.*

MEDUSA'S SISTERS was impossible for me to put down. There were several moments where I was holding my breath because I KNEW what was going to happen and the anxiety was killing me. Plenty of foreshadowing too, which lended to the air of unease I had during this whole book. But that's not a bad thing, just true - to me, if an author can make you care this deeply about a story in which you already know the ending, that's a feat. Don't say "I'm over Greek mythology retellings" before giving this one a shot.

I received a gifted galley of MEDUSA’S SISTERS by Lauren J.A. Bear for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

MEDUSA’S SISTERS is a retelling of the mythology surrounding Medusa and her sisters Stheno and Euryale. The sisters were torn between the worlds of humans and the gods. Becoming the focus of tensions between Olympians, the women find themselves in danger and fighting for their own agency.

Medusa is a figure that is recognizable from my reading in mythology, but very little of her sisters is depicted. The trio are often portrayed as monstrous, so I found it interesting how the author reimagines them as being monstrous in some ways, but very relatable and almost human in others. I really liked the way their relationships were portrayed and how they changed throughout the book.

As with the mythology in general, there are a lot of trigger warnings in this one. Women in Greek mythos were often mistreated and that is definitely the case here as well. The difference here is that women are given more voice and agency and are more fully fleshed out in general. I do enjoy this trend in myth retellings.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me get an advanced reader's copy.I loved this book! It has been my favorite retelling of Greek Mythology, from a female point of view.

Every now and then my reads fall into a pattern, the most recent being a trio of reimaginings of Greek tales. Medusa’s Sister’s, by Lauren J.A. Bear falls in between the other two in terms of the reading experience, with engaging characters, good narrative voices, a moving close, and a nice refocusing of the ancient story of Medusa and Perseus (rather than of Perseus and Medusa).

Bear begins, well, at the beginning (after an excellent opening that gives us right away the classic Perseus-Kills-Medusa moment, though she paints it in less than heroic fashion), with the birth of Medusa and her siblings Stheno and Euryale. For various reasons, Medusa is the only one of the trio who end up mortal, a difference that will loom large throughout the novel. Bear fills in the early details and family relationships, which in most versions are either wholly ignored or appear as a charted family tree. The story really picks up with the advent of the Olympians and their domineering, mercurial, volatile manner.

The three sisters end up entangled in the actions and machinations of both the gods and the relatively newborn human race. Medusa in particular is fascinated by humans. Euryale, meanwhile, is more captivated by the god Poseidon, who makes clear his interest in her, though she fails to see just how dangers such an interest can be, despite all the lessons she could have taken from the human lovers the gods take (“lover” of course often being a warped euphemism for “rape victim”). Including a lesson they all directly witness as they befriend the princess Semele, who enters into an affair with Zeus that ends (spoiler alert for the millennial-old story) with her incinerated when she is tricked into asking him to reveal his true self to her. Stheno is the most reserved, least confident of the three sisters, and also the one who worries the most about the others and who often steps in to play peacemaker.

Plot-wise, the story follows the three through their early years, then as they become guests/friends of Semele and suffer the trauma of her death. Afterward they visit Athens where Euryale sets out to learn the “ways of love” in a brothel so as to better catch/maintain Poseidon’s interest, Stheno becomes more self-confident, and Medusa starts spending a lot of time at the temple of Athena. Eventually it all comes crashing down as Medusa suffers a horrific violation, and then Athena curses all three sisters such that Medusa becomes the “snake-haired monster” known to most people. Exiled to a small island, the three eke out an existence there but of course, any potential happiness is cut short by the appearance of “the hero” Perseus, who cuts off Medusa’s head and flies off with it. The story continues past that point, but as much of this is original to Bear, I won’t go into detail so as to avoid spoilers.

Structurally, the narrative is split between a first-person point-of-view from Stheno and a third-person limited point of view from Euryale’s perspective. The downside to this is Medusa is less fleshed out, seen solely through her sister’s biased eyes, and she remains a bit distant as a character, which does somewhat lessen the impact of what happens to her. On the other hand, the book is entitled Medusa’s Sisters, so the choice of POVs makes perfect sense. The two sisters have different outlooks on life, different goals, different desires and fears, different attitudes toward Medusa and the gods, and thus the combination of POVs does an excellent job in creating a multi-faceted narration.

Given two female narrators, and other major (Medusa, Semele) and minor characters (Leto, Pandora, and others) who are also female, the book as one would expect takes a far less male-centric stance toward the Greek myths. At the very start, rather than the courageous monster-slayer, we get a Perseus who throws up at “the very wrongness of what he did. Perseus slaughtered a sleeping woman. An unarmed, innocuous stranger to him and his people . . . And she was pregnant.” Hardly the stuff of legends. Time and again we see men attempt and often succeed in dominating women, violating them, raping them. Time and again our narrators note the way the poets (you can almost hear the sneer when they use that word) erase the women in the stories. As with the tale of Zeus and Danae:

Zeus transformed himself into a golden rain and descended into Danae’s chamber … Did she welcome the rain … Dance in the puddles? When she saw the wonder for what it was, a violation, did she rage?... I’m sure no poet thought to ask her.

When Euryale is horrified at the way the brothel madame sometimes leaves the babies at the outskirts of the city for dead, the brothel owner Charmion replies: “The mothers must survive in a world where men and god — and men who think they’re gods — limit their choices … To have choices is to have power. Most women have neither.”

The narration isn’t just a champion of women, though. The toxic concept of male heroism and need for dominance is also viewed through the lens of monsters and non-monsters. As Stheno notes:

We had entered the age of heroes, and we were beasts … Medusa was the opening attack in a losing battle. All of Echidna’s children would be sacrificed to humans and demigods on quests for notoriety … Moral men who would write their names in the viscera of Echidna’s slaughtered offspring … For what? For a story. For a song.

A final, more intimate focus is the relationship between sisters which is portrayed in ways that feel wholly natural and realistic, with all the attendant joys and jealousies, pride and singular envy, protectiveness and pettiness (or so I assume, being male and having only one sister).

I said at the start that Medusa’s Sisters fell into the middle of the three most recent Greek retellings I’ve read. And in my overall hierarchy of such works, I’d say that holds true. I absolutely loved and was wholly captivated by stories like Madeline Miller’s Circe or Pat Barker’s Silence of the Girls. I didn’t fall in love the same way with Medusa’s Sisters, but that’s more testament to the rare excellence of the other two than any criticism of Bear’s work, which features engaging voices, a bitingly insightful feminist viewpoint, a well-chosen structure, and, particularly after Medusa’s death, a poignant and moving latter part of the novel. Recommended.

"Medusa's Sisters" by Lauren J. A. Bear is a compelling and imaginative retelling of Greek mythology, centered around the captivating stories of Medusa and her sisters. The author skillfully reimagines these mythical characters, giving them depth and complexity that breathe new life into the tales.

Bear's writing is beautifully descriptive, painting a vivid picture of ancient Greece and its legendary beings. The interweaving of emotions, sisterhood, and empowerment make the stories relatable and inspiring.

In "Medusa's Sisters," Lauren J. A. Bear crafts a captivating narrative that celebrates the strength of women, showcasing the power of reclaiming their own stories. This collection is a must-read for fans of mythology and those seeking stories that challenge traditional narratives.

I read this over two days and it occupied my every waking thought for 48 hours. It will continue to haunt me.

A masterpiece. An epiphany. A story.

This was a stunning, devastating mythological retelling that took my breath away and has found a permanent spot in my heart. The haunting prose left me wanting for nothing, the text drenched in heartwrenching metaphysical notions of life & death, family, love, and identity that will haunt me forevermore. I often struggle with Greek mythology purely based on the sheer number of characters, but Bear's storytelling was so precise and purposeful that, even with a sprawling cast, I never had to reference the list at the beginning.

As one of five sisters, I have high expectations for how sisterhood is portrayed in fiction, but this one did not disappoint (even though the author is an only child, which blew my mind!) and pulled relentlessly at my heartstrings. Stheno reminded me of my older sister, and as a kindred Worrier, she really stood out to me and I found her character, choices, and actions so persuasive.

This is a harsh story. The Gorgon sisters struggle to find a place in the world — both the immortal and mortal ones — and along the way, men and women alike harbor no sympathy for the three sisters. At once shivery and painful, inspiring and calamitous, Medusa's Sisters is an unputdownable tale that does not shy away from the difficult topics but manages to weave an element of the mystical & magical into its words that enchanted me until the very last page.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I've read multiple Medusa retellings, and while I think this one was probably the best of the ones I've read, it took a while for the story to really pull me in.

I appreciated that this focused mainly on the relationship between Medusa and her sisters rather than the Perseus aspect most retellings focus on. The writing was also beautiful, but I really struggled to get into this book and actually feel like reading it. The story did not have me continually thinking about it or wanting to know what was going to happen. I guess I wanted something just a little bit more from this one.

This book was absolutely packed full of history! Often times I find books like this to be lacking in terms of providing the reader with enough background information to really see the whole picture. Bear did such a great job presenting the story in a way that just pulls the reader in. This was a hard book to put down because of the writing style and pace of the story.

Ancient mythology never held much lure for me but the synopsis for Media's Sisters was intriguing. And then I saw the cast of characters and felt that I would never be able to fully get into this one due to not knowing who's who.

Despite these two strikes (against me), I love a feminist retelling of old tales and decided to forge ahead. No regrets - the story of Medusa and her sisters is an amazing, consuming tale; I found myself immersed in it from the beginning and wow.

I cannot find the words to convey how much this story captivated me.

This debut is beautifully written, and will surely pull you in just as it did me.

* I think this one will be great in audiobook form, especially if they go with more than one narrator.


*I'm rethinking my stance on feminist mythology retelling and plan on reading some others.

Strong recommendation from me.



Thank you to Ace (Berkley Publishing Group) and NetGalley for the DRC!

For me, I think this is closer to something like 3.75, but it deserves a round up for goodreads.

This book is incredibly well put together. It can be dense at times because there is A LOT of ancient history, coupled with A LOT of mythological beings and stories. But they're very likely some of the stories that the readers is not as well-versed in and so it needs that density and the historical context.

Its no joke when I say there are a lot of mythological beings; the book graciously starts out with a glossary of characters and how they're related, which god they're born from etc. But even that glossary can't always help you remember everyone, which can be a little frustrating (this story takes place over a very, very long period of time) but for me it was helpful to go into it with and then have a little context once that character appeared.

I'm loving this "trend" of mythology retellings of lesser known characters in the pantheon. I didn't know there were more gorgons than Medusa. I didn't really know Medusa wasn't always a gorgon or the turning-men-to-stone figure that she is known to be. I find it very interesting that Bear's story basically tells us that Medusa wasn't the man-killer at all, but that her older sister did all the turning. Given the direction of this story it does make sense, that Medusa and her sisters were victims of an angry goddess and Stheno would do anything to protect her sisters, that Stheno did all the turning, but I do think it takes Medusa out of her own myth.

It also changes the tenor of the myth, from Athena granting Medusa protection from men, in a sense, and the ability to get revenge, to Athena being vengeful and cruel and the transformation was just plain a punishment for Medusa and her sisters, not against men who would harm women in the way that Poseidon harmed Medusa. I'm not sure I like or agree with that change, but this is Bear's interpretation of things and what she put together was a strong alternative story.

At the heart of THIS story, is sisterhood and the jealousies and love that sisters can hold for one another at the same time. Its a story of choices and indulgences. There are many times when their story could have been different, but indulging Medusa, likely due to her mortality, had its consequences on the immortal sisters. The heart of this story is how far would you go to get something you desire, something you need to make you whole. Its a lovely sentiment.