This was a very good, female-centered retelling of Clytemnestra. Greek mythology paints her as a “bad” woman and an unlikable character, but this story was honest and human. I enjoyed getting her point of view if the events that shaped her life and even better, her interactions with bigger pieces of Greek mythology, like Helen, Paris, and Agamemnon.

The writing was well done and the storytelling easy to follow, but with enough freshness to stay interesting—no small feat considering how well people know this story already. The only real con for me was time. It was hard to track how much time had passed and travel seemed to take no time at all; but, I assumed coming home from Troy would have taken Agamemnon weeks, but this story made it seem like it was just a day or two. Truly, not much to dislike or criticize about Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Costanza Casati for the opportunity to read and review Clytemnestra. I give it a 4/5 and recommend it to fans of Greek re-tellings and fans of authors like Madeline Miller. Jennifer Saint, and Natalie Haynes.

I won’t lie, I went into this book thinking that it would be a cheap version of the song of Achilles or Circe. However, once I started reading I was captivated by the book. It’s on par with The song of Achilles, if not better. Clytemnestra went through so much in her life and still kept strong. I absolutely loved how she waited to long to get her revenge. The story was jaw dropping at times and I found myself looking up the author to see what else she has written because whatever it is I want to read it too. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year.

I love a good feminist mythology retelling, but Clytemnestra ain't it.

Mythology is so hard to do well: there's a pre-set story line you're trying to be faithful to, the family dynamics are complicated and lots of confusing interconnectedness, and you're trying to breathe life and feminism into characters but still trying to stay true to a plot that's clearly written by non-feminist-men.

Unfortunately, Clytemnestra fell short for me in every aspect. Clytemnestra always feels at arm's length from us, we're told that she's strong and a fighter but there isn't much depth or growth beyond that.

The pacing is odd with large time jumps: Clytemnestra experiences tremendous loss then we just like, fast forward to when she's fine? The timing of the ending was a CHOICE and is a complete cop-out to Clytemnestra's character arc.

I think plenty of people will still enjoy this one, I'm just unfortunately far enough into Greek Mythology obsession that I'm probably pickier, and this failed to deliver on every account.

The cover is so beautiful! I already knew the story of Clytemnestra, but this was such a good retelling. The writing was excellent.

Ever since she was young, Clytemnestra knew she would be a queen. As the daughter of the King of Sparta, she was raised to rule and isn't above using her fists or her cunning to get what she wants. After a betrayal takes her husband and child from her, Clytemnestra's forced to wed the brutal Agamemnon, the brother of her sister Helen's husband. While their marriage is unhappy, Clytemnestra seeks comfort in her children and solidifies her position as Queen. She uses her strength and intelligence to become a well-respected and feared ruler.

When Helen leaves her husband, Menelaus, for Paris of Troy, Clytemnestra prays to every vengeance goddess that Agamemnon will die in the battle to retrieve her. But, once again, Clytemnestra feels the sting of utter loss and betrayal as she watches Agamemnon sacrifice their eldest daughter in hopes of securing a fair wind for his ships. Left to deal with the heartache of losing another child, Clytemnestra swears revenge on her husband. She seeks solace in Aegisthus, Agamemnon's cousin, who likewise holds a grudge against her husband. The pair begin scheming, and only that propels her for the coming years. When Agamemnon finally returns home, it's clear that the battlefield may have changed, but the war still rages on.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; if a book is a Greek mythology retelling, I'm going to read it. I find Clytemnestra such an interesting character, so I was immediately intrigued by this. Casati's writing was beautiful and descriptive and hooked me from the first page. Clytemnestra was captivating in her quest for revenge, and I liked how Casati didn't shy away from how brutal she was but still found a way to make you almost root for her. The plot did lose me a little in the second half because of all the time jumps, but other than that, I thought this was a stunning debut, and I'm excited to see what Casati comes out with next.

I’m loving all the retellings of myths lately, and this is no exception. I really appreciated how the author gave Helen and Clytemnestra such thorough back stories. They particularly made Helen much more sympathetic than I had thought of her previously. Interesting choice to end the book where it did. I kind of liked it, since it gives you a chance to believe maybe there was a happily ever after…. If you’re not familiar with the rest of the story, anyway.

What a stunning book. I am naturally drawn toward mythology retellings or expansions, and they can obviously be a bit hit or miss, but this one felt spot on.

I read an "expansion" earlier this year that touched on Clytemnestra and her role in Agamemmnon's death, but reading that other book, I knew I wanted MORE. The more interesting parts of that story were the chapters that centered on Clytemnestra's POV and when I saw there was a book all about her coming, I jumped at the chance to read it. And I was not disappointed.

That this story starts well before the Trojan War and and focuses so much on how Clytemnestra was raised, her relationship with Helen and her brothers, her life as a Spartan woman (which is so different from the Greek women) truly does this woman justice. You can see the small cuts that illustrate a lifetime of fighting, of sacrifice. You can more intimately understand why this woman would become so hell bent on revenge. It wasn't just the brutal and unnecessary sacrifice of her daughter. It was so much more than that. This book gives the reader a whole picture of this Queen, a woman that history has essentially reduced to the murder of a king. She was so much more, and Casati brings that to life.

What I think is also interesting about this book is how history differs from person to person. How, no matter how much research is done, the ancient world is still left up to interpretation. Events in this book seem to vary greatly from the other book I read earlier this year, and while there is obviously artistic interpretation, I do feel that Casati's story allows for a more well-rounded look at this ancient woman. We can never actually know what went on in the hearts and minds of these people, nor how close or far from the truth we can get, but the choices Casati makes seem to give more credence and clarity to the events of Clytemnestra's life, and even that of Helen. Only historians whose life it has been to study the ancient greeks and their works can probably (maybe) definitively say whose interpretation is correct. But when it comes to story telling and character motivation, I think Casati has created a version of history that feels real and epic, and a character that you can empathize with.

Clytemnestra is a new look at rhe Helen of Troy myth and instead of focusing on the boring Helen, we instead focus on her lesser known sister, Clytemnestra and her struggles through life cleaning up her sisters mess along with the rest of her family. Casati takes the Greek myth, removes the gods and divine intervention to humanize the story and it truly works. Casati truly breaks down Clytemnestra character and why she is one of the fiercest warrior queen's and mother's in the Greek mythos.

Let me repeat that: there is no gods in a Greek myth reinterpretation and it still works as a story. And the writing totally makes sense as to why the characters believe the gods meddle in their lives while actively showing other characters operations and how most of the events were not godly. And the story still works! I have yet to see that in a reinterpretation of books like these.

While I see many already saying there are no redeemable characters in this book, I truly feel sorry for Clytemnestra and truly understand her pain, rage, and the hunt for her own justice for all the horrible hands she has been dealt for in her life as a mother and truly feel for her.

Overall Clytemnestra is definitely on my must read list and I highly recommend you read it too, especially if you were a Percy Jackson kid.

Special thanks to NetGalley for an ARC!

Clytemnestra
By Costanza Casati

Clytemnestra is a princess, her mother, the queen. She comes and goes from the castle, behaves as all children do, seeking adventure outdoors. Helena of Sparta is her sister but still, Clytemnestra is the adventuress readers will want to know in this tale of an ancient heroine who has many objectives to overcome in her life. This book highlights them all, making it a read you aren’t able to put down, non-stop action on every page. Despite the fact the movement in the book, much of the action is dramatic, does not stop the fact that it comes to the girl, then woman, at a pace and and all would be overwhelmed. But, Clytemnestra holds her head high and prevails in it all, however the events play out. This woman, definitely a Spartan worthy of her own telling, tale, and book. Constansa Casati wrote it, simply titled, Clytemnestra.

Her sister, in youth, remarks that as a man, she would be one of the strongest fighters in Greece. Clytemnestra, knowing she must be the cleverest of all to prevail, working hard to make herself so. And the story of her parents are very important to the girl, her heritage, reminding her forever of where she came from and what she carries in her veins, not just the royalty, but the strength, endurance, and fortitude to be great, the greatest of all others. The girls are thought to be born from a mortal mother and a god but their father, King Tyndareus, loving their mother for her fierceness, doubts Helen (her sister) as his child.

Clytemnestra’s family is quite large, full of many brothers and sisters. They are all loved, all except Helen, by the King, as he thinks Leda (Helen and Clytemnestra’s mother) had taken with another man to beget this daughter. The rumors, stories, tales and jokes do not help the matter. But, whatever may come of this, whatever of the future, the sisters are close and nothing will part them. Will that always remain true? Their grandmother Gorgophone would tell them that they would be remembered, throughout history, over their brothers, their family, a dynasty of queens. Will that be true? Will both sisters be remembered?

The girl has learned much in her training, wrestling the Spartiates throughout her youth. This is part of her training as a Spartan, as part of the royal house, as a girl. The Spariates are the daughters of the best and noblest houses of the warriors of Sparta. They are to train with the commoners until they start a family. King Tyndareus oversees the training and fights and when Helen is challenged for her first fight, Clytemnestra has to do something that is against the rules, something never done. While royalty may burn, rape, steal, and kill as they like the only thing forbidden to them is to hurt a noble person. Will Clytemnestra always break the rules? But, will she only do that for those she loves?

A smart girl, growing into a woman, Clytemnestra disagrees with a glorious death over being shamed. The decision in living is what, I think, makes her a woman now, rather than a girl. Being alive is the only way to make it through life, as in death, there is nothing, you are gone and only a story remains, however victorious, or glorious it may be, only words whispered from anothers mouth. Better to be there to go on, seize the next day, and have a mighty victory for a glorious, long life. This thought, however, separates her from many of the other Spartans. How will Clytemnestra’s different ways of thinking about things (however smarter they may seem) create victories, or disasters, for her in the future?

In Costanza Casati’s story, we find all the good traits of a great woman, a wise woman, a worthy woman and readers need to read about this lesser told Spartan who we should have heard just as much, if not more than, her well known sister Helena. There is alot to enjoy, in Clytemnestra a book readers simply won’t want to put down, or, be able to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmarks for this ARC. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read and reviews this fantastic work. This was such a well done work on a complicated character. I thought the story did a stellar job of making these characters relatable. I don’t think I have enough positive words for this work. It was heart wrenching, and beautiful. I could not recommend this more to people who have read myths and myth retelling. Casati took on such a difficult character and absolutely smashed it.

Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Landmark books and Costanza Casati for an ARC copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. 5/5 I absolutely loved this book. The writing was captivating, the story was vibrant, and Clytemnestra was written so well. She is relatable, but seemingly untouchable. Flawed but strong. The whole story was just written so beautifully. This ranks right up there with the books I’ve read by Madeline Miller, and I’m sure this book will stick in my brain for years. Casati’s writing is poetic and lovely yet very readable. This is an outstanding debut and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

Knowing how Clytemnestra's story ends, I found it both heartbreaking and captivating to read about her journey to said end. Casati's Clytemnestra is a monumental tale worthy of the complex, enigmatic, and very human woman at the center of it. Casati maintains the atmosphere and epicness of Greek myth while giving voice to figures long left voiceless.

Reading this was empowering and gut-wrenching, and (as mythology retellings often do) has made me ponder the concept of history and who gets to tell their story and who decides what makes a hero. Fans of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint will love this haunting, tragic masterpiece.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of Clytemnestra in exchange for an honest review. Clytemnestra will hit shelves March 7, 2023.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book. Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati is a retelling of the ancient Queen of Mycenae. Clytemnestra has a poor reputation in Greek mythology, known only as the evil wife that killed her husband, Agememnon, and took his cousin as a lover when Agamemnon was away at war. In Casati’s retelling, Clytemnestra is so much more than that.
This story is beautifully written and paced incredibly well. Clytemnestra’s character is so fleshed out and so well written that as you read you find yourself relating to her and feeling all of her feelings. The rage and anger she has sheds through the pages and you begin to feel angry for her. I am constantly looking for books that let me feel the character’s emotions and root for them and this did just that. I adored this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Book friends have I got a Greek Mythological recommendation for you!

If you are a fan of Madeline Miller or Jennifer Saint, then make sure to add Costanza Casati to the list be Clytemnestra is a novel you won’t want to miss.

Whenever you think of Greek Mythology your mind may take you down the rabbit hole of gods and goddesses, the “hero's” poets have written into legend. More often than not, in the past that is, the women are left in the margins or are completely erased. But the epic poets have long been dead, and their stories to patriarchal to consume.

Give me a story that frames female characters in a humanistic and feminist way and publishers are guaranteed a preorder from this reader. And Casati’s Clytemnestra is a sweeping force of a novel. Brimming with vengeance, a mother’s wrath, and political intrigue, Casati tells a story about the women of Greece and one woman in particular who would not be forgotten.

With beautifully written prose from beginning to end, Casati’s Clytemnestra embodies the Furies themselves in this mesmerizing tale of a mother, monarch, and murderer.

Go preorder this book.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Me? Giving a Greek Mythology retelling two stars? Say it isn't so!

Sadly, it is. This is one book I was hyped for, because Saint's Elektra also dealt with Clytemnestra. I've always loved her as a character in the stories, so I was REALLY hoping that Casati would bring something new to the table for this character. It wasn't to be.

The first issue I had was the writing. I felt it was a very jarring writing style, and it wasn't working for me. I struggled because it felt very boring. Even when you know what is going to happen, there are ways to make the characters dynamic and intersting. And I didn't feel that was the case here. I didn't care about them at all. There are some terribly sad scenes in this book, but I wasn't moved by them.

It was very much a disorganized book and it jumped around quite a bit. It lacked depth and interest to me.

Surprisingly for me, I didn't mind the ending. But I felt that the rest of the book was so weak it couldn't hold the book up on it's own.

4.5

I am knocking off half a star because I felt that the book was rushed and skipped a lot of important pieces once the war started, but ultimately I really enjoyed hearing about how Clytemnestra ended up in Mycenae. I’ve never read an account including Tantalus and her son before and I appreciated the layers it added to her story. It shed light on how she came to despise Agamemnon. I read Elektra by Jennifer Saint this year, and it made it hard to see why Clytemnestra did what she did - this telling portrays everyone as more likeable and nuanced.

Something else I LOVED was how this telling included mention of the gods, but you never see them or even see real proof of their existence. The gods are used to explain strange circumstances and encourage sacrifices, belief, etc — but I truly liked that they never make appearances and there is nothing more to the characters lives than the belief (or lack of) in the gods.

Thank you to NG for this ARC!

There's no better time than now to read this book. In the era of the overturning of Roe v Wade, I've found myself drawn to stories about female independence and triumph. Casati takes a long-forgotten woman in history and brings her back to life in this extraordinary book. In the BookTok world, we'd call Clytemnestra a woman entering her villain era. Honestly, after everything she went through, I don't blame her! No spoilers, but the quote "I support women's rights but, more importantly, I support women's wrongs" has never been more applicable than with this book.

Clytemnestra joins the ranks of mythological women getting their story told. For the most part I enjoyed it. However it did drag on at some points and had weird moments of flashbacks that weren’t fully clarified as flashbacks imo. It does gives some agency to women in mythology but it was a little too “girlboss” for me.

Overall, if you like Circe, Adrianne, Elektra, and other Greek myth retellings you will like this!

I really enjoyed this telling of the story of Clytemnestra. Other books I've read haven't gone as deeply into her childhood and training as a warrior. I appreciated learning about that aspect of Clytemnestra's life.

Clytemnestra is a masterpiece. I've been searching for the feeling I get when reading Madeline Miller's books, but nothing has compared until I read Costanza Casati's new novel. Clytemnestra, princess of Sparta, sister of Helen, warrior, mother, and Queen of Mycenae, was an incredible character and a joy to follow. At its core, Clytemnestra is the revenge story of powerful women. This novel has solid and overt feminist themes.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys feminist theory, myth, retellings, or wants to be sucked into an engaging story with a beloved central character. I can't wait to see what Constanza Casati does next.

As with most Greek Myths, this book contains trigger warnings for violence and rape.

Huge thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Costanza Casati for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.