It’s a feminist retelling. Nothing really different from the original story other than it being from the females perspective. While I love feminist retellings of green mythology. This one was good, but not a book that excites me enough that I’m still thinking about it all the time.

The Shadow of Perseus is a retelling and reimagining of the mythological tales of Perseus, son of Danae and Zeus. While the author uses the legend of Perseus to shape the plot, the real focus of the book is the women in Perseus' life. This includes Danae, his mother, Medusa, who needs no introduction, and Andromeda, his wife.

From the beginning, we follow Danae, and how a prophecy led to the eventual birth of Perseus. From there, our focus shifts to Perseus at sea, and we find that the truth is far from the myth. Is Perseus truly a hero?

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling and was previously unfamiliar with the myth of Perseus. I was unaware that Perseus was the supposed "hero" who slayed Medusa in the classic myth. After reading Heywood's novel, I feel a sense of pride that Medusa's tale has become larger-than-life, while the slayer, Perseus, is often forgotten.

This was an easy read, and I found myself eager to know what would come next. I also enjoyed the feminist angle of this book, and wonder how many myths/stories/history discount women's truth in order to create a legend out of man. This is perhaps my greatest takeaway from this novel.

While the author removes all magic from the original myth, instead opting to explain the reality behind how these magical components came to exist, I did not find that it detracted from the story but rather brought it to life in a realistic, modern way.

Overall, The Shadow of Perseus is a good read that has compelled me to learn more about the characters' classical roots and to read Claire Heywood's other works.

Greek mythology retellings with a feminist twist you said? Sign me up!
Normally I enjoy these retellings but unfortunately I'm not sure how I feel about The Shadow of Perseus.

The story focused on the women in Perseus' life: his mother Danae, his victim Medusa and his wife Andromeda.
While I'm sure the story meant to show the strength and endurance of these women, I can't help but feel that the story was weak and the women were passive. At one point, I find myself questioning if the actions of the women (or the lack of in this case) sort of contributed to the crimes Perseus committed, and really hated myself for even thinking about this.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC in an exchange for an honest review! Told from three perspectives of the women closest to Perseus, this work follows the retelling of the son of Zeus and Danae. However, the story is captured as realism, taking away all magical elements that we usually associate with Gods and Goddesses. It is an interesting, quick read, with an enchanting writing style that will bring me back for more of Heywood’s work. I am personally a huge fan of Medusa, and would have loved to have seen more of her throughout this book. I enjoyed my time within this world the author made with her words, but found myself wishing Perseus had more character development in order for me to fully comprehend his motives for his violence. I would recommend this to any lovers of Mythological retellings.

“The world is small when there are ships to sail it.”

If you are familiar with Greek mythology, you know the stories of Perseus; son of Zeus, savior of Andromeda, slayer of Medusa. The tales of Greek heroes are well known, but history is often told by the victors and those in power. What is the truth, what really happened? This book explores the potential quiet truths behind the myths, no magical interventions from the gods, no monsters, only human decisions.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, giving voice to the women in Perseus’s life. The book has no fantastical element and reads almost like a pure historical fiction. I actually found the first part of the book the most interesting, Danae’s story before Perseus. The book was a bit slow after than except for the introduction of the Gorgons, Medusa was the best character. Unfortunately I found the las half of the book a bit slow and Andromeda a bit flat. The book is pretty dark with a bit of hope and redemption in the end if that’s what you’re in the mood for. I recommend this book for anyone wanting a realistic spin on Greek mythology.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Perseus impacted the lives of three women - not in the most positive way. his mother Danae was banished from her home because pf a prophecy that her son would kill her father. Then Perseus finds himself on an island inhabited only by women and meets Medusa. Finally while sacrificing herself for her village Andromeda is "rescued" by Perseus and he takes her aboard his ship. More woes in Greek mythology than a person should bear.

Shadow of Perseus by Clare Heywood is an incredibly clever retelling of the stories of Perseus. It sets itself apart from other retellings in how Heywood breaks down and analyzes the actions of a so-called “hero” from the point of view of the women most impacted by them. Continue reading to see the rest of my review of this new release.

Retelling
I know many people may be just OVER retellings. Honestly, I spent years of my life in the Classical academic world, so I do not think I will ever be. Heywood does something different from other Graeco-Roman retellings. Like many, it is from the point of view of the women in Perseus’ life - his mother, Danae; the “monster,” Medusa; and his wife, Andromeda.

Shadow of Perseus removes the mythical elements that are used to romanticize the epic hero, Perseus. I loved how Heywood twisted the classical mythic stories to remove the justification of many of Perseus’ actions.

Silent Histories
Part of what also makes me continue to enjoy these retellings from the female perspective is the idea of “silent histories.” Although the story of Perseus is not a story with historical evidence, it can still be viewed through the lens of “history is written by the victors.” In nearly all Graeco-Roman mythology it is focused on the male hero. Shadow of Perseus gives a voice to the women of the time. Heywood highlights their experiences and how heroic actions through the POV of someone else could be monstrous.

Overall
Shadow of Perseus is an exciting take on the non-mythical retellings of mythological figures. It causes you to really rethink all the stories containing a damsel in distress. Honestly, what happens to Zeus’ victims after they give birth to their demigod child? Also, are these mythological monsters real, or hyperbole of power-hungry individuals? This makes me very interested in reading Heywood’s other novel about Helen and Klytemnestra.

Shadow of Perseus is a multi-narrator Greek mythology retelling told from the perspective of the women in Perseus’s story.

Heywood examines how facts can be manipulated into folklore, making everyday stories into monster-filled legends. Ultimately, the females in the story cast Perseus in a much different, and darker, light than traditional mythological depictions.

I love mythology retellings turn a well-known story on its head – and this one does it exquisitely! I was riveted by Medusa, Andromeda, and Danae’s version of events.

Who wants to start a Gorgon club of capable women that survive in the forest away from the patriarchy? Yes

I am always fascinated by mythology and the evilness of unmarried pregnant women and their wicked ways. The depravity of men and how they spin stories to make women look like the one in the wrong that seduced them knows no ends. This is exactly the way I see these myths and legends playing out. For sure a sensitive boy trying to prove himself and pretending to fight all these beasts when he is just preying on vulnerable women that trust him until its too late or have no choice but to go with him.

I don't believe in all these sea beasts and women with snakes in their hair (my autocorrect changed it to snacks in their hair that's more believable). It's more believable that Perseus was a psychopath and all those supposed heroes. Oh man but the self-fulfilling prophesy of Akrisios, dude you idiot. The sea isn't always reliable especially when you truss her up like a nut.

Mythology is just a faulty narrative of how women should stay in line or else this or that will happen to them. This is definitely a favorite retelling now without the artifice of lies. Its the women's viewpoint and not the boy pretending to be a man. I need to read the Daughters of Sparta. Seriously watching Andromeda wanting to interject as Perseus told his stories was gold.

Thank you duttonbooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for a copy of this book. Now this book has already released by the time that I'm posting this, because it took me so long to get into. But that is not anything against the writing the story or anything to do with the book. All to do with school. I am giving this book four stars, because I liked it but I don't have any strong feelings towards just like we're like. I love the story I love reading mythology retellings through a different lens. And this book did a great job at doing that. It is definitely pretty easy to read and I read it in 2 hours. So I definitely recommend picking this up when you get the chance.

A wholly original take on the three women whose stories are always told as to how they relate to Perseus. Danae is his mother, Medusa who he conquered, and Andromeda his wife. But these women are so much more than what they are to Perseus. This book retells their stories, following the overarching path of the original myths while also bringing a much needed modern, most definitely feminist perspective.

I don’t know what I can say about this book without spoiling Heywood’s ingenious updates on the ancient material. I can say that Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda are finally given the care and attention they deserve, and their stories are somehow more tragic because of it. By completely omitting the existence of magic – while honoring the presence of and belief in gods – Heywood has created a historical novel that feels very grounded and relevant to the present day.

Danae’s story is very true to her myth, if without Zeus’s involvement; I have never read a more brilliant and unique take on Medusa’s journey; Andromeda’s tale is heartbreaking, and more poignant for its roots in the dark reality of history. Each woman is her own individual person – and Perseus is the true villain of this novel. The prose is engrossing and engaging, the perfect combination of educated and comprehensive, wholly lyrical. Fans of mythology are sure to appreciate.

Content warning: sexual assault, abuse, trauma, murder, gore, death, grief.

Thank you to Netgalley and penguin group Dutton for a copy of this AMAZING book. The shadow of Perseus was told from three points of views: Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda. These are women who were vital in Perseus's life. Readers might find Heywood’s retelling to be a bit different from what we usually hear, but her spin on the book was such a great take on the women.

For Danae, the myth we believe is Zeus visits Danae as a golden shower and she becomes pregnant. Heywood does take this myth into consideration, she uses it as an excuse as to why Danae became pregnant in her enclosure, for the eyes of the public. But in the book, Danae has been visited multiple times by a boy who works at a bakery. His visits become a solace to Danae, and they fall in love. Then in their union came Perseus.

As for Medusa, in the myth, we all know her to be a gorgon with snakes for hair and can turn anyone into stone with her eyes. Heyward turns the gorgons into a tribe located in eastern Libya in a cave known as the green mountain. In a way, their community reminds me of the Amazons. They are strongly independent and no men are allowed in the tribe. The tribe is made of women who were cast out of their former tribes or sought refuge from the abuse of men. They have their own little temple filled with snakes they tend. Believing as they protect the snakes, the snakes will return the favor. Their venom is a story of protection, a cure, and a weapon.

Lastly, we have Andromeda wife of Perseus. In the myth, she was tied to a rock to be devoured by a sea monster sent by Poseidon. The reasoning behind why this event occurred is still the same in the book, but instead of andromeda being devoured by a monster, Andromeda offers herself to her tribe. Like medusa, Andromeda belonged to a tribe located in western Egypt. Andromeda wants to bear herself on a rock to appease the god her family wronged — Ammon. In hopes, he will accept this form of sacrifice and cease the wind storms that were devastating their tribe. Perseus sees Andromeda on the rock and acts as if she’s a damsel in distress, and wants to be the hero who saved her “from a monster”. With this whole ordeal, Perseus believes Andromeda to be his wife — although she’s promised to another. He takes her captive on the ship until he reunites with his mother.

I believe medusa’s point of view was my favorite to read. It was heartbreaking, and I quickly felt attached to her and her story. I felt anger for what transpired between her and Perseus. Many readers may find themselves to feel the same for all women when they tell their story, but I believe medusa hurt the most in some way. Throughout the story, Perseus wanted to prove himself to be worthy, seen as a man instead of a boy. I believed him to be a man-child who sorely needed a rude awakening. This does contribute to the slightly toxic masculinity that was shown throughout his life. It wasn’t the norm for him to be emotional, and to be against violence. He was pushed into all of these things Danae was protecting from the Pythias prophecy. Her efforts were all for naught, seeing as he wreaked havoc wherever he went.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and the research Heywood weaved into the story to make it her own. I love the fact that she implemented a language barrier between Andromeda and Perseus, it made her story more complex and heart-wrenching. We see character development in Andromeda, and her growing influence over Perseus (even if it’s just a little it goes a long way). Her take on Medusa can sway readers to change their view on Medusa. She has been heated too much by the general myth, and it’s time to see her in a new light. Heywood really gave voices and strong dynamics to these women, showing that they have a story to tell and are just impactful to mythology as Perseus.

After reading Claire Heywood’s Daughters of Sparta almost two years ago, I’d been keeping an eye out for whatever she might publish next. As soon as I saw the description for the recently released The Shadow of Perseus, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy (especially after also reading Pandora’s Jar last year and the way Natalie Haynes explored the figure of Medusa). In her latest novel, Heywood did not disappoint. Her exploration of the myths that surround the forming of Perseus through the perspectives of the three key women in those myths – his mother, Danae, the “monster,” Medusa, and his wife, Andromeda – demonstrate the threat of challenged masculinity and the weight of prophecy in shaping who we allow ourselves to become.

Danae’s father has married several times with none of those marriages producing a son, so he has sent word for the Oracle to advise him in his next match. When word arrives, the Oracle has declared that he will never father a son, and in fact, Danae’s son will be his doom. In an attempt to thwart fate, Danae is imprisoned by her father. But her prison isn’t as impenetrable as anyone thought. Though she might run away if she wished, Danae believed her father would eventually relent. Unfortunately, when she falls pregnant, her father instead sets her adrift at sea encased in a flimsy vessel that Poseidon may claim or spare as the god wishes, absolving himself of any blame should she and her child perish. But Danae is rescued and raises her son, Perseus in relative safety until he becomes a young man and the men of her new community begin pushing her to let them teach him how to be a man. The tales Danae spun to comfort her fatherless son combine with the brutal lessons of the men around him and Perseus is unleashed on the world with a delicate sense of himself and a dangerous edge that have him determined to prove himself and fulfill the Oracle’s prophecy, regardless of who he may hurt along his way.

The Shadow of Perseus isn’t just a version of the Perseus myths told from a female perspective. Heywood removes the outright, stated existence of the gods themselves and instead provides more realistic explanations for the more fantastical elements we recognize from the myths – Medusa’s hair of snakes, the sacrifice of Andromeda to a monster. In so many ways, the stripped-down version of the story that Heywood presents is more terrifying for its relatability. She demonstrates the horrors that are far more likely to lie beneath the surface of such gilded tales of heroism, showing just how easy it is to construct a narrative that suits the violent oppressor’s purpose and ego. But, of course, it isn’t just about the story that gets told and how it benefits the storyteller – it’s about the power granted to the liar and what they choose to do with it.

In the case of Heywood’s Perseus, much is made of how masculinity is defined, how it’s demonstrated, and what is expected when it is disrespected. Each of the women whose perspectives comprise the novel – Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda – recognize and respond to the threat posed by Perseus specifically (and men more generally) when that sense of status as a man is challenged or dismissed. Reading about women recognizing the threat and then moderating their language and behavior to keep from triggering the violent rage of a man with insecurities was almost too easy to relate to.

With so much of Daughters of Sparta focusing on feminine roles in society and The Shadow of Perseus exploring how masculinity is defined and demonstrated, I’m curious to see what myth Heywood might focus on next.

I don’t know what it is about mythology retellings, but they are definitely one of my reading sweet spots and 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗙 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗦 was no exception. In this particular iteration, Claire Heywood gives us the life of Perseus from the perspectives of his mother, Danae, the woman he’s best known for slaying, Medusa, and his wife, Andromeda…but, she does so in a very unique way. She follows his story as we would know it, but takes away all the help from the gods that Perseus gets in the original. Instead, she treats his life and his journey like that of just a man with no connection to the gods. This was an impressive twist (making Perseus even more of a creeper), and one I only fully understood when reading the author’s notes.⁣
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It’s hard to talk about this book without bringing up 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥 by Natalie Haynes which was released earlier this month. It was the story of Medusa’s life, in which Perseus plays a dominant role. There was much overlap between the two stories, but for me that only made 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘴 richer. His basic story was so fresh in my mind and then I loved seeing the very different way that Heywood approached it. If, like me, you’re a mythology geek, you’re going to want to add this one to your TBR. I loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣⁣
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Thanks to @duttonbooks and @clairheywoodauthor for copies of #TheShadowOfPerseus.
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I love and will forever be here for myth retellings -- especially when they're female-centered or a feminist spin. Such was the case with THE SHADOW OF PERSEUS. Told in three voices (Danae, his mother; Medusa; and Andromeda, his wife) this novel explores Perseus' upbringing and how these three women were caught in his midst.

While this was a solid, middle-of-the-road read for me, I did want more. I wanted to get to know these women better as people themselves, not just in how they related to this boy, though I suppose that was the point as they were simply shadows of Perseus.

As a side note, there's unlikeable. characters..and then there's Perseus.

I thought this book was OK. Well, I thought the concept was very fresh the story itself came across as kind of bland. I thought the writing was good though and I did like the female perspective.

The Shadow of Perseus reimagines the myth of Perseus as though it could have really happened. People believe in the Gods and act on those beliefs, but all the mess and drama is thanks to humans being their own silly selves. It also brings to the forefront three women who are simply supporting actors in the classical myth.

The first is Danae, Perseus’ mother who survived her father’s attempt to kill her and did everything she could to protect Perseus, though perhaps he might have had a better life if she had not told him he was the grandson of a king. The second is Medusa who rescued Perseus and then he betrays her. The third is Andromeda, a young woman intent on saving her people by enduring an ordeal. Perseus unnecessarily rescues her and she becomes his reluctant wife, though she is clever enough to make the best of a bad situation.

Through all of this, Perseus is an ungrateful oaf. I loved to see it.



The Shadow of Perseus is surprising and fresh. I love that Perseus was such vain and slightly stupid man, a man undone by his own myth. We see where the myth comes from. We can imagine him telling of his heroics and passing these twisted tales on so we hear his delusional story rather than the far more interesting and honest stories of the women. I love the originality of Heywood’s concept of Perseus as the self-aggrandizing, brutish anti-hero.

The Shadow of Perseus moves quickly. When it was over, I wanted more. Not because the book was not satisfying and complete, but because I want to see the Heywood treatment of all the myths.

I received an e-galley of The Shadow of Perseus from the publisher through NetGalley

The Shadow of Perseus at Dutton | Penguin Random House
Claire Heywood

I love Greek mythology and this book is a wonderfully imaginative re-telling of the Perseus story, but this time focusing on the three most important women in his life -- his mother Danae, Medusa, and his wife Andromeda.

3.5 - 4 stars

It was hard not to read this book with a low level of dread. Being familiar with the legend of Perseus, and especially being a big fan of Medusa, you know how things are going to go, but like a slow motion car crash, you can’t look away. This is a story about the decisions of an angry boy who thought the world was his for the taking. It’s a story about a world where women are at the mercy of the laws and decisions and fragile emotions of men. It’s a horrible story. It’s about the violence wrought by those in power, and the difference it makes depending on who tells [our] stories. This book made me incredibly angry - it moved me in my rage and horror, but I can’t say that I particularly *enjoyed* my reading. It was a well written story, just one that made me sad and angry and disgusted. Heywood is a talented writer, and I found I had a hard time taking a break from this story.

This is the reimagined story of the three women who were around and knew Perseus. If you don’t know the story, Perseus is the beloved hero that is supposed to save everyone form the monster sent to destroy everyone.

This story is very imaginative retelling and a different take on the tale of Perseus. I love Greek mythology, so of course I went into this book with a fresh and different perspective. I really loved seeing Medusa and a different side to her as well.

I can’t say I overly loved the story, but I didn’t hate it. There were times I felt myself drifting and not keeping up with the story, but that’s my own doing as at the time of reading I wasn’t in the mood.

But all in all, if you love Greek Mythology’s or want a different take on it, than I say go for this one.