Finally, someone wrote a book about Penelope! And not just anybody but Claire North herself! I've always been more interested in Penelope's story than Odysseus and his adventures - like what did Penelope do to pass the time while her husband was gone? There is so much room for narrative exploration with this mysterious mythological figure that's been unfairly ignored. Claire North grasps at more than mere threads - she reinvents and builds upon what all readers want to know about Penelope as a lead in her own story.

Well, this is not what I expected.
First of all, make it make sense. Why do we get Hera's point of view of all of this when Athena was the one directly involved in the story?
Second of all, Penelope was the queen in her own right, she didn't need Odysseus to be there to rule for her. Ithaca was one of those places where the first born (or in this case, the only born) was able to inherit the crown regardless of gender.

Ithaca joins the current trend of reimagined Greek myths but with a feminist bent, which I am all for. While it is about Penelope ruling Ithaca while Odysseus is away and the challenges she faces with her suitors, her son, and pirates, what makes the book feel unique is that it is from Hera’s perspective. North shines when writing Hera’s hilarious commentary about mortals and other goddesses/gods, particularly her stepdaughters Athena and Artemis. The prose is beautiful throughout with some real profound gems. However, I did find that the story would drag on at times and could’ve used some tightening. The main storyline didn’t feel compelling and I was left not fully satisfied with the resolution. Once I saw it is the first of a trilogy, it made more sense that it is setting the story up to continue. Overall, I enjoyed it and those that are fans of Madeline Miller and books with similar themes will enjoy it too. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series and just hope there’s more inter-goddess interaction.

With my love of Greek Mythology, I knew I had to rad this book. This is my first Claire north book and I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed her writing. The women of Ithaca have been left alone for almost seventeen years since the men of their island left to fight with King Odysseus at Troy. This story is about Penelope of Ithaca, the wife of Odysseus, and how she has to make decisions that could change everything. With the speculation that her husband is dead, many suitors are wanting to take his position as king and marry Penelope. This book was beautifully written and I would recommend it to anyone. If you love the book Circe or Ariadne, this is something you would enjoy.

Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for the early ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ithaca is a retelling of Penelope's story, which I loved in theory. To be fair, there is so much in this book that I loved, but the shifts in tone due to Hera being the narrator of the tale felt out of place and became annoying.

I applaud Claire North for taking on this tale and for trying to present a view from the women who are often overlooked in Greek tragedies. There are many beautiful passages of writing within this book, and I wish that the shifts in tone had not bothered me so much or this would have easily been a 5-star read for me.

Very good historical fantasy! I am a sucker for anything related to Greek mythology- and this novel certainly didn't disappoint. Told from Hera's perspective, as seen in the shadows of the men around her. Slow burning and beautiful poetic prose throughout- I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves mythology-feminism/ empowering novels/ fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.

I love mythology, so when I heard about Ithaca I was really excited for all the Greek mythology with Penelope & Odysseus.
We start off learning that the women of Ithaca have been left all alone to defend themselves for 17 years since Odyesseus sailed off for war and women are running the kingdom. We learn about all the troubles in the kingdom that have arisen since the departure of Odyesseus and the men. The narrator in this story happens to be Hera which is an interesting touch.
I have a few problems with the book, the story just felt slow, I struggled getting into it and it's because I couldn’t really attach myself to any characters and there are a LOT of characters. You just don’t really get to know much about them, and usually retellings bring characters to life in a way, but they just felt dull and bland to me. Because of the slow pacing and lack of life to characters, I couldn’t read it as fast as I had typically expected. The world building isn’t bad, I feel the description of the world was nice and well done. The descriptions of places we hear about in Ithaca I enjoyed, I could picture the buildings in my mind.
I am a bit upset about the ending. I didn't enjoy the way it went, it felt super quick, but after learning there will be a second book, I’m interested to see how Claire North takes it.
Thank you RedHook Books and Netgalley for the e-arc in return for an honest review.

I think it’s abundantly apparent to all that follow me that I love a good mythological retelling and Ithaca by Claire North is no exception!

This is the first book in the Songs of Penelope trilogy and is told through the eyes of Hera, queen of the gods and protector of women.

I loved seeing Penelope and the other women through Hera’s eyes. She speaks of the women so fondly, just like a mother would. We see their actions through her softened gaze and we experience Hera’s pride in their strength and sorrow in their failures or misfortune.

Ithaca really showcases how hard it would have been for Penelope to keep this land and her solitary title, especially when nobody was sure if Odysseus was still alive after a number of years. Also, how hardy the women, children, and elderly were, as they were the bulk of what made up Ithaca once all the men went to war. Though there were struggles, attacks, and ill intent aplenty, Penelope did a fantastic job providing for her people under the circumstances. Odysseus gets all of the glory while Penelope kept his land and people as safe as she could whilst he went on his adventures, committing adultery and seeking his own fame.

Claire North writes with a gilded tongue, the prose seems decadent but entirely unpretentious at the same time.

The narrator, Cardin Walker-Booth, speaks with a lushness that captures the elegance of the time period.

Thank you to @orbitbooks_us /Redhook and @hachetteaudio for taking me along for the ride!

I absolutely loved this book. I have read quite a few Greek mythology retellings now, and I think this was my favorite. The sarcasm and humor threaded through this retelling were a welcome surprise. Our book club, In Her Own Words, read Ariadne this summer and I think this will end up being another In Her Own Words pick. So many great conversation points to pull from this book and the many women in it.

Rated it a four star.

This is the first Greek mythology retelling that I have read because firstly, the cover attracted me as well as its synopsis.
Ithaca is a retelling of the Odyssey in the women's point of view, or in this case it was narrated by Hera. In this book we go through the struggle of Odysseus' wife Penelope and why she was called as a loyal wife.

There were times that the book has been boring for me, and there were also times that I got confused because I wasn't really well versed in Greek Mythology, but nothing a quick google search can't fix. Interesting enough, that when you continue through the book it has a lot of realizations and lessons that are valuable especially with what is happening in our world today.

I can't say that I recommend this as a starting greek mythology retelling, but if one has started or read odysseus/ the odyssey this is a good follow up.

I'm nothing if not a sucker for a good solid Greek mythology retelling. This hit every mark if not more.

While reading through I couldn't help but compare the storytelling to Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint (two of my favorite retelling authors). Claire North really captured the emotions the characters were feeling and made you feel those things as you read her words.

This particular story I remember learning about in my Classics 101 course in university and it was so cool and nostalgic for me to read it in a form like this. I am obsessed. If you haven't given this book a chance, you really should.

Also - the cover is GORGEOUS. I went and took it out of my local library this past week just so I could see what it looked like in the flesh. One word. Gorgeous.

This book's style didn't really work for me, I never felt attached to any of the characters or the stakes involved. However, the prose was thought provoking and lyrical at times, I just wish it engaged with substance more as well as style.

Wooooo a book in the world of Greek mythology, but focused on Penelope! This is very much my shiz. I read a lot of these retellings and this one stood out for it's beautiful writing style, the dynamic, complex characters, and of course, the focus on the women. If you're a fan of Circe or Daughters of Sparta, I think you should definitely pick this book up. My only critique was that it seemed a little long, but I really enjoyed it through and through.

DNF @ approx. 25%

While there is nothing wrong with this book, I have really struggled to get into it and to feel connected to the story/writing, so I will be DNFing it for now, but I might revisit it later. I was very intrigued by the premise because I am interested in Greek mythology, and especially the story of Penelope after reading The Penelopiad in undergrad and falling in love with it. This just has not packed the same punch for me, and try as I might I just cannot get into it after multiple attempts to pick up where I've left off. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

This is my first foray into Claire North's work, despite being a consistent fantasy and scifi fan, and it didn't disappoint.

North's writing style in Ithaca (the first of three novels in the Penelope series, if I recall correctly) is sharp as a razor's edge and bitingly feminist. I mean both of those in a great way. Considering that Penelope is best known for waiting for Odysseus and making others wait with her, Ithaca is packed with action and political intrigue.

Years after the fall of Troy, Odysseus has yet to return home as he's held "captive" by the wily nymph Calypso. We see through the eyes of Hera, who is intimately familiar on the act of waiting on unfaithful husbands, as she follows Penelope in her halls. Penelope does not idle in her wait for Odysseus' return, but must also entertain a hall of boisterous suitors, contend with a teenage son who has grown up fatherless and resentful, and keep the western isles of Greece safe from the hungry eyes of Mycenae.

Indeed, I think naming the book Ithaca was wise, because the characters you come to root for are more than just Penelope, but the women of Ithaca themselves who must defend their home and keep the rocky islands from starvation or ruin. Indeed the goddesses themselves play a role, and I delighted in their inclusion. There is an exasperation with their culture of misogyny that persists throughout the entire novel and I thoroughly enjoyed the wry humor there.

Circe is a lyrical tale of growth and identity. Silence of the Girls is a howl of justified rage. Ithaca is a sharp-tongued feminist take on Greek myth, that gives the women in those stories the humanity they deserve. I recommend it and am excited for the next book.

Thank you to Orbit/Hachette books and Netgalley for the ARC!

SUCH a clever retelling with modern flair. Well researched and written, this was one great book! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley! I truly enjoyed it.

I like this time period and how it follows mythology. Most of the story matched up to things I had previously read or heard, but some was different. The bit that I didn’t really care for was the switch between Hera and Penelope. Once I got use to the character change, it was fine though. Zeus and Hera were never my favorites out of the old gods. I found this story interesting because of how it was done through the eyes of the women. I liked that a woman trained other women to fight against the so called men left behind.

As a self-proclaimed historical fiction superfan, WOW. Ithaca was incredible, moving, and deeply liberating while still in keeping with the restrictions and implications of the timesetting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy.

The trend of Greek Mythology retellings has been one of my favorites in the past few years and this book is a worthy member of that group! Thank you NetGalley, Claire North, and Redhook for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ithaca follows Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and shows a POV that hasn’t been explored much before. The writing in this book is beautiful and I absolutely loved it. It describes Penelope’s life in an interesting way and shows her strength. The story shows what different queens of Ancient Greece went through and how they balanced their daily lives, expectations, and womanhood.

I recommend this book for fans of mythology and feminist retellings! It adds an interesting twist to the story and I really liked it.

A slow, languorous, detailed retelling of Penelope’s side of the Odyssey (the Penelopiad) told from the perspective of the goddess Hera. Part One focuses on Penelope’s frustrations with the long wait for Odysseus’s return to Ithaca, dealing with treacherous suitors, an impetuous and incautious son in Telemachus, unhappy Ithacans, treacherous cousins, and her protection of and reliance on the women who serve her. The audiobook, beautifully narrated by Catrin Walker-Booth, greatly enriched the novel for me. While I will definitely pick up Part Two, I’m really not looking forward to Odysseus’s murderous return and Telemachus’s hanging of Penelope’s twelve maids conducted at this pace, as it will be utterly excruciating.

I received a digital review copy and an audiobook copy of this novel from the publisher and Libro.fm.