So good! This retelling of the story of Medusa and her sisters is amazing. I loved the author's focus on the relationship between the sisters and the way she brings the tension and complications of being in a tight family group to light. Lauren Bear does a fantastic job of making the reader care about these characters and I especially appreciated the focus on the Stheno and Euryale - the two who are lesser known. Beautifully written! I can't wait to tell everyone to read this book.

An amazing retelling of Medusa and her sisters. I loved this focus on Stheno and Euryale telling the story of how all their lives were changed after Hera's revenge was taken. All three sisters lived and were changed by each other, as they struggle against the inherent conflict between sisterhood and individuality, myth and truth, vengeance and peace.

this is perhaps my favorite greek retelling. medusa’s sisters are virtually unknown and nameless, but bear brings them to the forefront. euryale and stheno are immortal, but medusa is not. they were not born as gorgons, they were cursed to become them. in a novel where we examine medusa’s life and victimhood, it brings more meaning to those of us who have experienced sexual assault. many survivors are getting tattoos of medusa for a reason, and bear doesn’t shy away from medusa’s rape and forced pregnancy.

beautifully written and full of heart, it was a delight to watch these three sisters grow and grieve together. the greek mythos has never been kind to women. it is easy to grow close to each sister even though we know how medusa’s story ends. sexuality and queerness is also explored, and lesbian identity is not hidden. what an amazing novel.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely loved this book. Brilliant retelling with grace, nuance, and incredible writing with a focus on women, sisterhood, and life with all its glorious and devastating twists.
Cannot recommend highly enough.

Vivid, evocative, mesmerizing, addictive. I haven’t read anything like this in a long time!It is evident the author heavily researched Greek mythology and primary texts for this as well as injected, empathy, heart, and nuanced meaning to each of these mythological characters. I’m usually not a fan of this genre in fiction but the writing and character development, as well as pacing of the plot made this incredibly addictive. It was also interesting to unearth the imagined layers that go into myths and fables and how unfairly history can remember women. Run, don’t walk, and read this book! Full review, coming closer to the publication date. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this advance reader copy.

this was such a great idea for a novel, I loved the Medusa's sisters got a chance to shine in this book. Lauren J. A. Bear does a great job in telling the story that she needed to. I loved the voices that were given to the sisters and thought it worked well. The characters felt like they belonged in the Greek myth and felt like a family unit. I was glad that I got to read this.

"“We don’t have to stay long,” began Euryale, resorting to forced flippancy. Medusa bit her lower lip, and hesitancy gilded her olive eyes. Our mother’s final warning still spiraled about my mind—did it torment Medusa, as well? Did my little sister sense death in this strange place? The taste of bile reached the back of my mouth, but I forced it down: Ceto would not ruin this for us."

5+ stars

I have only an elementary knowledge of Greek mythology, so I’m not sure how accurate this story may be. The authors notes show that she did quite a bit of research in piecing this story together though. That all being said, this was an absolutely stunning novel. It is so far out of my regular reading preferences, but will stay with me for a very long time. I will say that this deserves 10 stars or more. The characters all come to life, and the story really brings you in and makes you a part of it. The relationship and trails of these sisters is so heartbreaking. I won’t say more because I may give parts away unintentionally, but do read this novel asap.