Thank you so much @duttonbooks for the complimentary eARC and to @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook.

I am officially a fan of Greek mythology retellings!! I recently read a novella that was a retelling, which I enjoyed, but was a little nervous going into this one as a full-length novel/almost 11-hour audiobook. I did not need to worry. I could not put this down and ended up requesting the audio because I wanted to listen to it when I couldn’t sit and read. I loved the story of Perseus being told from the women’s perspective, shining a less than flattering light on him. You get the story of his mother Danae, his wife Andromeda, and Medusa and I loved them so much I wanted to fight Perseus.😆I would have loved more Medusa, I was a little disappointed by how short her part was. Heywood removes all fantasy elements from the story so don’t discount this one if you’re not interested in reading about Greek gods or magic!

When you think that you had enough Greek myths retellings, Claire Heywood pulls this rabbit out of her magician's hat just to show you that you actually needed this one. This book is genuinely brilliant, written by an expert passionate about her subject. Perseus is shown from the perspective of the women who marked his life: his mother Danae, Medusa, the monster that he's supposed to kill and his wife Andromeda.
This narrative puts into a new perspective the famous and anachronistic saying that behind every great man there is a great woman. In this case, there are three women who contribute to the creation of this controversial hero, tormented and predestined to ignominy that "In trying to become a man, had turned himself into a monster" They are his shadow and his light at the end of the tunnel. The three alternating perspectives gives the novel a dynamism that makes it a true page turner.

I really enjoyed this new look at the well-known story of Perseus! The women are often overlooked in Greek mythology and I’m loving the trend of retelling the myths from the women’s perspective. These retellings can be hit or miss for me, but this one was a winner.

The book follows the perspectives of the three women tied to Perseus’s story. His mother, Danae, the one he kills, Medusa, and his wife, Andromeda. I enjoyed all of their POVs, but I do wish Medusa’s part was longer.

I also really liked that Claire Heywood took out the “fantasy” elements of these myths and just gave the characters normal abilities without the influence of the gods and goddesses. I find retellings often focus a lot on the gods and goddesses POVs, which often just sounds like whiny children, doesn’t really add anything new to the story, and the actual people impacted in the stories are overlooked.
I definitely recommend this to mythology fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I gotta be honest with you, every time I go into a Greek Mythology retelling I realize how little I actually know about the myths??? I know everyone's names, and sometimes I have a vague impression about their story, but honestly this was all new to me.

I read a completely different Medusa retelling recently, so now I want to look into that because ROUGH.

The classic Greek mythology theme of oppressed women trying to take back their power in whatever small ways they can continued here, and it felt a little painfully repetitive as bad things kept happening.

Also I had no idea that any of these myths would be in Libya! I thought that was really interesting.

Overall - really enjoyed!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"The Shadow of Perseus" by Claire Heywood is, a retelling the story of the hero Perseus by the three
I would give "The Shadow of Perseus" by Claire Heywood a 5-star review because, 1; I like how this is told in other povs 2; I like how this is, a new look to the tale of Perseus 3; I love the characters and 4; the writing and story telling was beautiful.

I enjoyed reading The Shadow of Perseus! I love Greek mythology, so it made the book engaging to me. However, a lot of mythology retelling are currently being published and this one didn’t stand out to me. Thanks for the arc!!

Love reading Greek Mythology especially when it’s written as well as The Shadow of Perseus!! Claire Heywood did an excellent job bringing these characters and their journeys to life!! Showing the resilience of women that still continues today!!! I felt the pacing was perfect and would definitely recommend this book!! Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

I've been really excited for this for a very long time, and while the writing is beautiful and the story is interesting, it is so far removed from the myth of Perseus that it can't truly be considered a retelling. I'm always confused when writers choose to change these myths into historical fiction, and this is probably the most egregious example I've read--there is no way one can write a non-mythological version of this story and keep it intact enough to resemble the original, and while I understand rewriting stories under a different context, the portrait of Perseus in this book requires too much reaching to be plausible.

The ways this story was changed to be more "realistic" are so numerous and, in many cases, so incredulous that it took away from any enjoyment I had in the genuinely great writing and pacing. There's so much that is changed for seemingly no reason other than to make the other changes more plausible, which is not how Greek mythology works. Most of the myths are there not only to entertain, but to teach a lesson, and what lesson is this book supposed to give us? That no matter how gently and carefully they're raised, men will always need the women around them to "manage" them, as Danae says? That murderers can be redeemed because they're still fragile little boys underneath their outer shell? How is this fitting with the supposedly feminist narrative this book was built on?

I think those new to mythology would like this book--again, the writing is beautiful and the story Heywood tells is great--but it's not really Perseus' story, and when you think about the kinds of messages it sends, I was disappointed beyond belief.

another dull entry in the greek mythology retelling trend. the absolute opposite of engaging; just very dry. could not get through it.

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

In the hands of Claire Heywood, the story of Perseus becomes historical fiction rather than Greek myth. The Shadow of Perseus retells the myth as a story of humans rather than Gods, reset in the ancient world of humans. The writing itself is affecting and descriptive (and even beautiful when the story allows for it), but the story is brutal.

Over the course of the novel, we learn about the lives and dreams of three women: Danae, the mother of Perseus; and Medusa and Andromeda, into whose lives Perseus forces himself. Although told through the women’s lives, these women remain mostly passive and victims. About halfway through the story, we meet Andromeda, and her story is the most engaging one—she is clever and a person of action. Although Andromeda is the most developed of the three women characters, she too is trapped managing a violent man’s moods.

The male vision of heroes and Gods removed women’s experiences in a larger-than-life tale, while this reality-bound women’s narrative is straight-forward and grim. There wasn’t enough that was compelling about the women for me to love the story and Perseus felt like a one-dimensional plot device.

Perseus is a heroic figure that many have heard of. Not many have heard of the women that lived in his shadow, however. This story is told in four parts, from the points of view of three women with whom Perseus crossed paths during his life: his mother, Danae; Medusa, priestess of Gorgo; and Andromeda, the woman who would become Perseus's wife. These women have one major thing in common - they were severely wronged by Perseus. Their stories shed a new light on this "hero" of mythology.

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling. Maybe it was because I'm pretty familiar with the story of Perseus and was thrilled to see a high-and-mighty male hero's story retold in a less-than-favorable light. Good LORD did I dislike Perseus in this version of the story. When we as readers feel strongly towards characters - in either a positive or a negative way - that, to me, is a sign of strong writing and character creation. And let me tell you, I wanted to reach into the page and slap this little whiny fragile man-boy in the face.

I loved that the women were at the forefront of this story. Danae's trauma was very difficult to read (but it's not surprising how she was treated, given the historical backdrop) but she was one of my favorite characters. I loved her character arc - a woman wronged, a protective mother, an independent woman, and finally, full-circle, a savior to her father even though he cast her away.

I was fascinated by the retelling of Medusa. I've never read any account of any version of the myth where she is NOT a horrifying, snake-haired, turn-people-into-stone-with-one-look monster. Here she was just a woman. A woman scarred, a woman reborn, a woman with a new-found purpose. Who made the mistake of trusting a man with a pathetically fragile sense of pride and a really concerning violent streak. The power of storytelling was key in this portion of the novel - Perseus believed the Gorgons to be monsters. He was lied to, of course, which in turn hurt his pride. When he saw an opportunity to make the Gorgons monsters, he spun a new lie out of the one told to him.

And then we have Andromeda. A woman without a voice (illustrated perfectly by the language barrier between Perseus and her people) literally ripped from her home by a pompous violent douchebag (sorry, he made me really mad). I loved her growth. She and Danae both transformed from women with no voices to women being the voice of reason for the dagger-happy Perseus. They were calling the shots by the end of the novel, AND they included Medusa in their victory by properly laying her to rest.

In summary... I loved the POVs, the women, the growth, the ending. I hated Perseus... but I think I was supposed to.

I just reviewed The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood. #TheShadowofPerseus #NetGalley

I really wanted to like this book, and although I really love Greek retellings, I don't feel as if this could reach me. Just not my kind of book.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this next classic.
I am giving The Shadow of Perseus 5 of 5 stars, this book was absolute perfection on telling the story of Perseus from 3 very distinct perspectives. Be warned some minor spoilers ahead. The book is divided into three main perspectives Danae, his loving mother who hopes her son is not a cruel man. His prize Medusa, a women who has gone through horrors at the hands of men, and finally his wife Andromeda, who was doing her duty when Perseus "Saved" her. I enjoyed each perspective incredibly, and my only complaint is that I wanted more of each of them. I would have easily read hundreds of more pages to spend more time with each of these incredible women. The book is a perfect example of how to rewrite a classic story. The book has this amazing way of taking mythology and changing it be what potentially could have really happened. This time Perseus is just a human man, with no help from gods, and no actual monsters to fight, he makes himself a hero through tall tales that are not true. In fact Perseus may be a an ungrateful, immature child at 18 who is kind of an asshole. He changes his story to make him self the predestined hero, instead of the monster he truly is. Danae are first part, is form the perspective of his mother, who is a young women who goes through some major trauma form the hands of her father. Her father fears that her future son will kill him, form the words of an oracle, and imprisons poor Danae. After she becomes with child, he casts her out to sea where she rescued, and is able to raise Perseus, as best as she can. This part of the story is beautifully written and you can feel her struggle to try to raise her son to be a good man, but she can see the cracks of him possibly not being a decent human. The part of Medusa will rip out your heart, but is powerful section. the gorgons are women who have been abused by men who live in the green mountains and form a safe haven for all women who have been hurt by the hands of men. Medusa is a tragic character who does not deserve her fate. Andromeda is a beauty and kind women, but due to her sacrifice to protect her village, she ends up crossing paths with Perseus which will change her path to one that she does not want. This book is an amazing piece of fiction that makes you question if our ancient Heroes were actual heroes or actual monsters to the women in their lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has loved mythology and epics, This book will leave you and haunt you, as you take the stories with you every day.
I will be posting my review on my tiktok on Feb 15th make sure to follow @BooksofMaia to see my tiktok review

The subject of Greek mythology has always interested me, but I rarely dabble in the genre because the writing is never enjoyable. It isn't accessible. Not the case at all here!


"They had stopped him. Not with their bodies , or their lives, or with desperate straining hands, but with their voices."

Heywood has given us a fresh and creative interpretation of the mythological hero Perseus by giving a voice to the women who were victims of his hubris.

I really enjoyed this!

Thank you so much for an eAR ! Although I really love Greek retellings, I don't feel as if this could stand out amongst a crowded Greek retelling market, and I just want them to be fun again!

There's nothing majorly wrong with this story. It's a very straightforward recounting of the tale of Persueus, but told from the perspective of the three women in his life.

And I am all for retelling greek myths with a feminist view, but there was just nothing that excited me about this specific book. I think this particular type of retelling has just become so overdone in recent years that it's difficult to really add anything new to the genre.

That being said, I can see this becoming a favourite for readers who are relatively new to greek mythology and want to know more about Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda. Because the writing is very nice and easy to read.

5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Claire Heywood’s writing flows so easily and it definitely helped to keep me interested!

I love that this Greek mythology retelling was told through the perspective of Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda. It was beautiful seeing the perspective of Perseus through the eyes of the 3 most important women in his life. I enjoyed the perspective of these women very much because you felt their struggles, their strength, and their hope to lead Perseus in the right direction. The different sections were paced wonderfully!

While most Greek stories end in heartache, Heywood's retelling was unlike any I've read before. The women are finally given a voice, and the true hero, may not be the man at all. I truly enjoyed how both Danae and Andromeda stepped up and were able to break through to Perseus and find the sweet man underneath the brutal exterior.

I do wish we saw more of Medusa and her Gorgon lifestyle. Other than that this was a good read!

This story was not what I was expecting... and I loved it! Growing up reading greek and roman mythology you expect stories to follow a similar track but Claire Heywood strips the magic of the gods out completely. What we're left with is a story of a young man who's jaded by life told from the perspective of the 3 most important women in his life in any iteration.

I absolutely loved how the author drove the narrative through Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda upending the traditional stories by making the reader ask what if. What if Perseus' story had been written by the women in his life and what if the myths we've read for generations are completely wrong. The only thing I would have changed was more of Medusa's story to be included, what the author wrote was utterly fascinating and you want to know more. This story was truly one of the most unique versions of the tale I've ever read and will definitely recommend it!

Glad I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for an honest review!

Claire Heywood is a queen of Greek Mythology! I finished this book in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. We all know the story of Perseus, however, Heywood tells his story through the eyes of the three women who were imperative in his life: Danae (his mother), Medusa (The Gorgon), and Andromeda (his wife).
The book is set up in parts and each part is a woman's point of view. While most Greek stories end in heartache, Heywood's retelling was unlike any I've read before. The women are finally given a voice, and the true hero, may not be the man at all.


Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton for my eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.