I really enjoyed this audio of the story of Medusa turned on its head. I didn’t love Circe but this was a re-imagined mythology I could get behind, the author imagines some of these characters like cheeky Brits which was so funny, but then there are sad and touching and lovely moments as well. Of o had to compare this book i actually would compare it more to Wicked than another Greek mythology: and I love this trend of reimagining where the female characters have been written incorrectly, and the mythology favors men vs women. I’ll def be recommending this one especially to folks that don’t think they like mythology.

First thing that comes to my mind is Clash of the Titans but much more, and increase the revenge. This is not just Medusa and her immortal Gorgon sisters, just want to clear that up right off the bat since it seems some people thought it would be just from the cover. Which, don't get me wrong I absolutely love the cover and would love to read more books just about the Gorgons.
I was able to listen to the Audio book which is performed by the Author herself (love it).
If you are a fan of Greek Mythology, you know a lot of the Gods are assholes. My preferred head cannon is that Athene (Athena) didn't transformer Medusa to punish her, it was to protect her... Athene is really bratty and annoying, but makes interactions and dynamics interesting with other characters.
I love that Natalie Haynes is taking these old classic stories passed down and altered throughout generations, but she retells them and makes them entertaining, not overwhelming, and not setting it in modern era. I think I would read anything by her at this point.
Personally I really like to get to know the original classic before I read a modern retelling, and Natalie makes that a breeze to do.
#StoneBlind #NetGalley #Mythology

Absolutely LOVED Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes! As a frequent reader of mythological retellings, I love how easy to read and fresh Hayne's writing is. I did not know anything about Medusa or Perseus prior to reading and was completely captivated the entire way through. This is a trickier story to listen to if you're unfamiliar with Greek characters -- I was glad to have a physical copy to refer to the index of characters throughout my reading.

I would highly recommend this to those that enjoy mythological retellings, those that are new to retellings, or those that want to learn more about Medusa and Perseus' stories.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook (also dipping into the book now and then) read by Natalie Haynes, the author. I know that she has written several feminist retellings of classical mythology, but this is the first I've read (heard).

Admittedly, it has been decades since I've read any mythology, so it was very helpful that this story, with chapters broken down by the perspective of various gods, mortals, gorgons, and even a crow!, told the stories of other figures important to Medusa's story. For example, I might not have understood her story without understanding why Perseus wanted to kill her, which necessitated reviewing why he had grown up isolated with Danae. It was also important to understand the backstory of Andromeda and Cassiopeia, the ugly vengefulness of Poseidon, the contempt of Athena. And I was much more emotionally invested listening to the Stheno and Euryale tell tales of raising their sister.

Thanks to Netgalley for the electronic ARC in both audio and ebook.

A gripping, human, funny, feminist, awe inspiring retelling. Ancient stories told in new and vivid ways which remind us of the ancient and enduring power of narrative and of the points of view that may have been under explored so far. Can Medusa be a fun tale - in a sarcastic and sardonic way this retelling is definitely funny! I read somewhere that Natalie Haynes is both a stand up comedian and a classicist and it makes total sense to me!
The audiobook narrated by her herself is absolutely fabulous. It's dramatic, emotional and vividly brought to life. The chapters are told from varying viewpoints
- even the snakes get their say and it works perfectly on audio, all of the frustration, anger and sanctimoniousness immersed me completely in this story. I loved this audiobook and highly recommend it!
Thank you @netgalley and @harperaudio for providing me with an advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this audio version of Stone Blind! This retelling of Medusa was a story I was craving and the narrator & author delivered!

My favorite part was when the perspective switched to just the head of Medusa. I just thought that was so cool.

Would listen again.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy to review.

If you enjoyed A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes this is absolutely a must real. Written in the same style as ATS with short bits of narration from each of the characters telling their side of the legends told about them. I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook narrated by the author.

If you’re a fan of mythology retellings, you’re going to love 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗 by Natalie Haynes. Obviously, I fall into that category and recently had the pleasure of listening to this book. That’s the main thing I want to talk about here. Sure, I can tell you a little about the story. It’s about Medusa, how she came to be, how she gained a head of snakes, and how she lost her head. True mythology fans might already know all that, though I’d forgotten much of it. It does help to recall a few basic Greek mythology relationships, but it’s not essential. Now, let's get to the two things that made this book so amazing.⁣⁣
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First, the writing was sensational. It was tender, irreverent, satirical, and down right funny. I had not expected that and it was a pure pleasure. That pleasure was ratcheted way up by the audiobook’s narrator. Guess who it was? 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲𝘀, herself! I’m always nervous when an author narrates their own book because, let’s be honest, some are terrible! NOT THE CASE with Haynes. She was brilliant. Who better to know exactly the emotion coming off of a character than its author. I don’t think anyone else could have done it as well. The sniping, the jealousies, the insecurities, the hubris of the gods and mortals all came through beautifully. There were scenes between Athene, Hermes, and Perseus that had me laughing out loud. Bravo, @nataliehaynesauthor! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣⁣
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***Thanks to @harperaudio and @harperbooks for advanced copies of #StoneBlind.

This was absolutely amazing! I kid you not this book took my breath away. I loved the way this story was told by so many of the players in this tragedy. I was drawn in from the beginning and I couldn't put it down until I finished. Even though this is a story that most everyone knows Haynes brings a new light to it. She brought these characters to the front in a way that made them all feel so real and so mortal.
I honestly can not recommend this book enough! If you loved Song of Achilles or The Handmaids Tale you will adore this book. Just trust me and do yourself a favor and read this.

They will fear you and flee you and call you a monster.

The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.

When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene’s temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious by the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge—on the young woman. Punished for Poseidon’s actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair and her gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude.

Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .

I'd give this one a solid 3.5 stars (rounding up to 4 since I can't give half stars).

I enjoyed the overall story. I felt the writing was good and the audiobook narration was superb.

The main reason I didn't give this book a higher rating is because I expected a story about Medusa to contain a lot more appearances of Medusa. Her character is in maybe half of the book, and at least 25% of that is after she's been beheaded by Perseus.

I wanted to absolutely love this, but it did not live up to its premise. This was a books primarily about the scheming of the gods and the mortals who got caught up in it (on of whom is Medusa), but to say this is Medusa's story is false. Had I not gone in with the expectation of a lot more Medusa, I probably would have loved this. But instead, this fell a little flat.

New favorite Greek mythology book? I think so! This is the perfect introduction if you are trying to get into mythology but are intimidated by the content/characters. Haynes is such a gifted writing and the humor she brings throughout is *chef's kiss*. Women being blamed for men's actions is central to this one (as it is in most Greek mythology) and Haynes does an excellent job of showcasing how few choices the women had. The ending is perfection but I was so sad it was over. Haynes' narrations was amazing. I just ordered all of Haynes' others books because I now can't get enough.

I received this as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for giving me access.

Upon reading the synopsis and looking at the cover, one may think that this is 100% Medusa’s story and in a way it is. While Haynes doesn’t focus on Medusa’s POV the whole time, there are other characters that are just as important to this gorgon’s story and creation…but more Medusa would have been nice.

Overall, Haynes created an enjoyable story that shares the heartbreaking history of Medusa. I would recommend this to those that love Madeline Miller’s Circe.

* While it may not be 100% accurate, we as readers need to remember that this is a retelling and not a history paper.

Oh I love re-tellings of the Greek myths! And Natalie Haynes does such a SPECTACULAR job with Medusa's story. You know the one; Perseus, son of Zeus (and therefore a demigod) must bring the head of a gorgon to the bitter old king that's trying to marry his mother, Danae. Thankfully, we get to hear from Medusa about all this. And there are other myths as well, the birth of Athene, how Atlas came to hold up the world, how Athens became Athene's patron city.
Told in Haynes's hilarious and classist voice, Stone Blind will not disappoint.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-version.*

📣 This book is being released in the U.S. tomorrow and I am shouting from the top of Mount Olympus: Do yourself a huge favor and read it!!!!!

🎧 If you can get your hands on the audio performance by none other than the author herself: DO! This has now become my absolute favorite audio performance of all time. I loved it so much, that as soon as it ended, I immediately went back to the beginning and began listening a second time. I am currently 60% through my reread.

🕸 The story is complex, with many tales of Greek mythology so perfectly woven together that even Athene (or Athena if you prefer) would be envious!

🏺 It is told from several POV and each voice is better than the last. They tell the story with such delicious vehemence and humor, that you can’t help but continue reading. It’s honestly difficult to pick a favorite, though I think I have settled on one: Gorgoneion. If you aren’t familiar (and I don’t think I’ll be spoiling anything by telling you Medusa’s head is still severed from her body by the end), Gorgoneion is Medusa’s head once Perseus decapitates the Gorgon. Gorgoneion breaks the fourth in a most humorous way, repeatedly berating the reader for feeling sympathy for Perseus, the “hero”.

🧟‍♀️ The best part about this story is how it shines a new light on Medusa and the other women of Greek Mythology. It shows how the person telling the tale can influence the listener causing them to view someone as a monster, who perhaps was actually just an innocent victim. It also follows the trend I’ve been enjoying so much lately, of showing how women have influenced events in ways unknown because the stories often tend to be passed on from a male POV. It. Is. BRILLIANT.

The story of Medusa mesmerizes me. There has always been an enigma associated with this character. Naturally, I was excited to dive into the narrative and this book did not disappoint! Multiple POVs added unique perspectives of different mythical creatures, Greek gods and mortals. Each character was so vibrant! It definitely helped the mythology retelling newbie like me appreciate and learn more about each one of them.

Medusa's story is heartbreaking and portraits the character not as a villain but rather a mild-tempered half-human, half-gorgon, who is abandoned, assaulted and punished throughout her life for having done nothing wrong. Perseus, who embarks on a journey to bring a head of a Gorgon back to the king, according to the legend, is a brave hero, but in the novel we see a completely different side of him. The main takeaway of the story is that mortals often painted those different from them into monsters, and that not all heros are what they seem.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mythology and those who are new to the genre of ancient history fiction. I'm excited to read A Thousand Ships and Pandora's Jar by the same author, as I thoroughly enjoyed her writing and the way she brings to life the voices of women in ancient mythology. I doubled up on the audiobook, and it was wonderfully narrated by the author herself.

Anytime the author narrates their own book, it's a win. This was great.

Truly enjoyed this retelling. Will be starting all of Natalie Haynes other books. Wonderful way of retelling a seemingly known story.

I really enjoyed this book! At first I was confused as to why it kept jumping around to the stories of other gods and goddesses when it was supposed to be about Medusa, but when I saw how it all came together I was amazed! Natalie Haynes has such a knack for humanizing these Greek gods and goddesses and making their stories seem a lot more mundane and everyday, and I love that! I love that Medusa wasn't the villain of this story. It was so empathetic and so feminist and so fantastically well written.

This book, and the audiobook specifically, were exceptional. The character building, the narration, the way the story is weaved together through different perspectives -- I loved it from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook ARC.

As a Greek mythology lover, I loved this book from the very beginning. We get to see the events of the myth of Perseus and Medusa from the POV of every being involved, from the parentage of Medusa to the birth of Athene. The stories are raw, and yet not gratuitous. Even though the sexual assaults are off-screen we still feel the devastation without having the gory details. The scene where Perseus finally reaches Medusa left me in shambles. And the ending was bittersweet. I loved this book immensely and recommend it to any other Greek mythology fiends.