Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

There are always different perspectives to a story, different ways for it to be told. In some cases, Perseus is held up as a hero. However, this story of Perseus is told from different women's points of view and is a different story altogether.

Danae's father, a king of Argos, learned of a prophecy that his daughter's son would be his death. So, of course, he locks his daughter away so she will never become pregnant. Yet there is a hole in the ceiling that is the perfect size for a handsome young man to climb through. Danae falls in love and a bit later, after many visits, she becomes pregnant. When her father finds out, he tosses her in a boat covered in boards nailed on like a lid and pushes her out to sea for the gods to decide her fate. (All of this is very normal in Greek mythology)

Fast forward, and Danae has her son on a distant island, doing everything she can to raise him with love and gentleness. Now, this story can be taken as Perseus was born evil, and that's that. But by the end of the book, after hearing the tales and seeing through the eyes of Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda, I realized that it's not so simple. Every aspect of Perseus's life, including himself, created the man he became. It was no one's fault at all. It's just the story of how evil becomes so evil. And, the answer is usually by a thousand different things.

I really enjoyed this. I thought the story was told really well from the different perspectives. I think the author did a brilliant job sculpting Pereus's character, and I definitely recommend this to fans of mythology.

Out February 21, 2023!

Content warnings for sexual assault, murder, and some gore.

The Shadow of Perseus was utterly captivating. I devoured this story of the mythical hero (or is he?) Perseus in just a couple of days. Claire Heywood took this myth and stripped out the magic and the gods, and while this may not sound like your typical ancient Greek drama, it's a gripping tale of deeply flawed humans. The story is told from the point of view of three women who most deeply impact Perseus' life: Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda. Danae struggles with rearing her jealous, headstrong son. Medusa's snakes aren't what you might expect, and while Perseus does save Andromeda from her fate of being chained to rocks next to the sea, maybe it wasn't exactly the outcome she was hoping for. All of this is makes for an absolutely riveting story. A must read for your 2023 TBR list.

The Shadow of Perseus is a retelling of the story of the Greek hero, Perseus. This version is told from the perspective of the three main women in his life, Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda.

I thought this retelling was excellent. Heywood's version removes all of the magical elements of the myth to leave us with a story that feels more real and relatable. The women in this story had so little autonomy over their lives and Heywood's writing paints a brilliant picture of their strength and resilience.

This was a unique take on a well known myth and I would highly recommend for fans of mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Claire Heywood does it again. I absolutely loved Daughters of Sparta and she did the same thing here in The Shadow of Perseus. She writes from a fresh perspective and breathes new life into these old myths.

I was a little hesitant that I wasn't going to like it since I'm a Medusa fan and I'm not big into Perseus, but because of that, this book gave me exactly what I needed. I also loved reading about both Danae and Andromeda, who have always been minor characters in my mind. They both brought so many layers to the story and highlighted the plight of women in this time period. Women were just things to be used and disposed of by men, regardless of whether those men were their fathers, sons, neighbors, or even just random strangers staking a claim.

This author has definitely become an automatic pick up for me. I'm already looking forward to whatever tale she takes on next.

In this version, Perseus is a giant man child with a delicate ego. If not stroked just right he demolishes people. Like a modern day incel, if you will.

Now the most interesting part of this retelling is not just the perspective of the women, but the inclusion of the huge variety of cultures. There are different languages, customs, dress, etc. Many mythological stories are mostly white washed and homogenous in culture. This was fascinating!

Holy retelling! This is your mythology book for this year. I could not put it down. New views. New perspectives. No mention of actual gods or goddesses coming to rescue— which I loved! Raw, real, and page turning. Yes

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book I've read by this author, and I feel that it surpasses the first. What I love about both works is how the author has stripped away the supernatural/magic of the myth, and retold it from a purely historical context. This method makes the story fresh and new especially when told from the perspective of the women who in the past have had little/no voice. The Shadow of Perseus is well written, well researched, and I could not put it down. I highly recommend this book, especially if you're a classical student like myself.

The Shadow of Perseus was a novel right up my alley! Claire Heywood tells the story of well-known mythological Perseus, but the main focus lies with the three different women--Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda--who have played a role in his story. This novel explores a new side of Perseus and the focus on the women is an appreciated approach. The writing was easy to understand while still being beautifully done. I do wish that more of the book would have focused on Medusa when she was alive but I can understand why she had less time compared to the other two female leads.

In The Shadow of Perseus, we hear a retelling of Perseus the Hero, but from three new sets of eyes, the three most important women to him: Danae, Medusa and Andromeda. I loved all of these women and their trials and tribulations. As with Daughters of Sparta, Claire Heywood is able to make these retelling relevant and come to life.

The Shadow of Perseus is a Greek Mythology retelling about the "hero" Perseus, killer of Medusa and founder of Mycenae, told through the perspectives of Danae- his mom, Medusa, and Andromeda-his wife. This story is based more on historical context with fewer magical elements than the original one. Heywood's version of the story explores a reality where Perseus is really an insecure and respect-hungry boy who harms and murders the helpless and is no real hero.

I thought Heywood's take on the myth was an excellent and unique contribution to mythological retellings, and for that, it is a five-star read for me. This book focuses more on the injustice the three women face and how men, particularly Perseus, have wronged them. They exhibit strength but have a limited agency which might make some readers uncomfortable—strong trigger warnings for abuse, little man syndrome, and heartwrenching displays of patriarchy and unnecessary violence.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dutton Books, and Claire Heywood for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these comments and thoughts are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Greek mythology. I love everything about it. I’m always skeptical about reading books that people put their own twist to or make their own version of it because sometimes they just don’t do the history of the mythology any justice. M

I can honestly say I think this was beautifully written. I never thought Perseus was a hero. I never thought he was this fantastic and amazing person. Having this story told in the eyes of three important women that were in his life, was spectacular. I loved seeing their side of the story. I loved seeing their “truth”.

This story did make Perseus out to be, well a monster more or less. Im not sure if I agree that he was as horrible as this story tells but I think it’s headed down a more true path than what most stories tell.

Im definitely buying a copy of this book for my mythology collection but it was wonderful.

5 stars!

Claire Heywood is always a must read for me and The Shadow of Perseus definitely lives up to the rest of her work. Perseus has the perfect story to be told from this perspective. I loved reading about each women, especially written by Heywood. The Shadow of Perseus is not one to be missed!

I read Claire's Debut Novel 'Daughters of Sparta' and loved it. She is a master of retelling myths and stories, keeping it true to the tale we know, while also re-evaluating it and making it her own and "more". This novel is no different. I loved the changes she made to make this classic myth more relatable while staying with the basics of what we know happens. She also masterfully gives voices to characters often overlooked. How she wrote Medusa, and Andromeda have forever changed the way I view them. And other myths as well, as well as their place in history. Heywood has yet again opened door for myths and history to be looked at with a critical lens. I will sing the praises of this novel for many years to come and I now eagerly wait for the day when she releases another because I can now say with confidence that Claire Heywood is my favorite author when it comes to this genre. I Love her. keep writing for unheard voices. I will keep reading.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Initially, I was disappointed at the way Heywood chose to leave out the fantasy elements of this novel, choosing to make it one about human decision rather than divine interventions. I see the merits in that, to a degree, but I also felt like parts of the story that added depth and even power for the women in it (thinking particularly Medusa) were stripped from it. By the end, though, I think the story came around and it felt like a satisfying retelling.

The writing is beautiful, but it felt disconnected. Medusa's section felt too short and a bit underdeveloped, while Andromeda and Danae kept me hoping there would be added layers. I ended up skimming the majority of this because I just wasn't able to connect to the story the way I hoped to. So, this lands somewhere in the middle as far as retellings go. A good addition to what's being published these days, but not my favorite.

This book was so good and so worth the read I loved the writing and the story so much. I can't wait to get my own copy for my bookshelf

This story concentrates on the women that were part of Perseus' life. While Perseus may be the hero of the story, the women who shaped his story are the real protagonists here.

I was immediately interested when I saw Claire Heywood’s newest work, a female centered reinterpretation of the tale of Perseus. Told from the perspectives of Danae (mother), Medusa (prize), and Andromeda (wife), you get a unique view of the man as a villain rather than a hero.

Heywood is an immediate read for me, her prose and storytelling when it comes to Greek mythology are top notch and The Shadow of Perseus did not disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley for this stunning greek retelling ARC.

The Shadow of Perseus is a well written and researched book about the legend of Perseus told from the perspective of the women in his life. Perseus' mother Danae, Medusa and his wife Andromeda tell the story.

The Greek gods do not make an overt appearance in the book. Everything Perseus does is a reaction to his environment - he tries to prove himself and fulfill his destiny. His choices lead to unexpected results.

This book is a refreshing and more realistic retelling of the mythology and is worth a read.

I think by now we all know I love a good retold myth, and that Medusa is one of my favorite figures in any mythological cycle. I would've been interested in a Perseus novel based purely on those two criteria. I was not wrong: The Shadow of Perseus is excellent.

Instead of focusing on the hero journey of the Perseus myths, Claire Heywood focused on the women who shaped his life, and the impact he had on them. The book is divided into four parts, beginning with Danae, Perseus's mother, and how he came to be. She is a young princess who longs to marry someone from far away and escape her home, Argos, to get away from her increasingly paranoid and abusive father. Instead, his paranoia becomes madness when the Pythian Oracle prophesizes that he will be killed by Danae's son, his grandson. Since Danae doesn't have children yet, his response is to lock her in a near-windowless cellar in the castle until her childbearing years are over. Of course, in Greek myth no one outsmarts the Oracle, and trying to usually makes things worse. Danae befriends and comes to love a brave young man, which leads to her inevitable pregnancy and her father going off the rails. In a fit of madness, he imprisons her in a boat, nailing a cover over it so she can't escape, and sets her and his impending grandchild out to sea to die. Instead, Danae is rescued by fishermen who kindly take her in, and so begins Perseus's life.

The next two sections, Medusa and Andromeda, cover Perseus's actions after his first romantic rejection, and how he takes his wife. In both cases, reading this book is like reading the effect of incel manifestos on women, from the woman's point of view. The stories aren't Perseus's, they are Medusa's and Andromeda's, and Perseus is no hero: he is a horrid villain who manages to gaslight the captain and crew on his ship with wild stories of what happened, hiding the ugly truth of his actions. Heywood's versions offer a much more likely retelling of the Perseus and Medusa conflict and Perseus "rescuing" Andromeda from the Kraken.

The final section, Danae, follows Perseus and Andromeda back to his roots and both bloody and surprising conclusions to the Oracle's prophecy. It's worth noting here that there are no trigger warnings on this book, but actual Greek society wasn't kind to women. All three women in this tale are subject to the idea that the male in your life owns you, which is supposed to be protection but ultimately is just control. Perseus embodies this notion, even telling his mother she's not allowed to marry again without his permission. In taking their own fates in their hands, all three women suffer, which is awful to read but accurate to the time. Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda's stories full of physical and psychological abuse, rape, and trauma, and Heywood doesn't shy away from any of it. Perseus, far from being the hero of this story, is a petulant boy trying to be a man using force and violence to get his way, resulting in horrendously violent temper tantrums that leave a wake of blood behind him. But The Shadow of Perseus is about how the women in his life learn to survive him (or not).

Heywood is a fantastic, lyrical writer who paints a well rounded picture of the ancient world. She doesn't rely on any divine or magical interference for these myths, but tells them with a realism that makes them feel like what really happened. She depicts each woman in their native location, and I loved that she gave each of them a much more accurate characterization based on their different cities. Danae in Argos was the most stereotypical "Ancient Greek" of the women, but Medusa lived in Libya with the Gorgons and worshipped snakes and Andromeda was a tattooed nomad from an oasis in the desert. Each woman had distinct culture and reasons for how they came to to be where they first met Perseus. Far from the usual retelling of Greek mythology, The Shadow of Perseus provides a varied and exciting world of different people and cultures accessible by boat, versus the homogeny that has become stereotype.

I loved this book. I'd love to sit down with Claire Heywood and chat about the ancient world sometime, because she absolutely takes you there in this story. I loved that Perseus is the main conflict these women fact, not the main hero in their story. They are not damsels in distress whom he rescues: he IS he distress, and they must find a way to mitigate him in order to survive. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a bit more realism in their mythology, and I can't wait to read everything published by this author.

Oh, I loved this book. I love a feminist retelling of Greek mythology, and this has been one of my absolute favorites!

The three protagonists of the book were easy to fall in love with and empathize with. (Catch me naming my next child Andromeda - kidding, but also maybe not kidding.) I was somewhat familiar with the legend of Perseus before reading this, and I thought the retelling was SO well-done.

What I loved most about this book is that it was realistic and well-researched. Instead of defaulting to magic and gods and monsters, the book is written so that each event could have actually happened, and you can see how those events over time would develop into the stories we know today. It was such a fun and new way of approaching the story, and I enjoyed every minute of it! The historical details added authenticity and richness to the story without slowing it down.

Overall, this was one of my favorite books of the year, and I would highly recommend it, especially if you love Greek mythology. I'm looking forward to reading Claire Heywood's first book, and will be keeping my eye out for future releases!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced digital copy of this book. I read and reviewed the book voluntarily.