Told to us from the perspective of the beautiful and unique goddess Aphrodite, the book opens with (but of course) men who sacrilegiously allow themselves into her temple as she bathes. So begins the story about true feministic beauty, power, boldness, courage, and strength.

Elektra seeks protection from her cousin Penelope, the queen of Ithaca as her brother Orestes loses his sanity and is therefore in danger of losing his throne to his uncle Menelaus, King of Sparta. Though Penelope agrees to give them shelter, she is barely hanging onto her own power over the kingdom, and will not allow war to come to her home and take her people. Helen of Sparta is shown to be a much more complex figure than history portrayed her as, becoming an ally to Penelope, with all three women (Penelope, Helen and Elektra) outwitting the men who have reigned supreme in the OG versions. Even the hand and temple maidens are shown to be clever and strategic. We strategize with these women as Penelope fights to keep her kingdom out of the hands of two mad kings.

Aphrodite was a pleasant surprise and a breath of fresh air as a narrator, she is unbiased to everyone as she watches over them, witty in her ability to make Zeus a little fearful of her (LOVE that she has ideas to use her powers to cause him misery should he step out of line! 😂) and she is able to keep topics a little lighthearted but which is also refreshing and keeps the story moving at a steady pace.

Already to date many retellings have come to light about our heroines. So I found it at times difficult to keep my perspective unbiased from all of the others out there. IE: Clytemnestra via Elektra; but Clytemnestra also via Clytemnestra. (Who can really blame her for seeking vengeance on the man who sacrificed her daughter?) Odysseus via Circe, via Penelope, via Athene.

Despite all of the retellings out there, The House of Odysseus did not disenchant me as we were transported through time and myth by the impeccable storytelling of Claire North.

We are permitted to see Orestes having gone mad by the whim of the Furies who are said to be in Greek mythology as givers of Justice for one’s sins, Orestes having the blood of his mother, Clytemnestra on his hands was a worthy symbol for this storyline.

For my love of Greek mythology and retellings, I absolutely love reading the perspectives of each character regardless of their fates, their sins, triumphs and their motivations or mistakes.

With all of this being said: I do believe that those seeking this piece of literature should have some knowledge of Greek myths. I don’t believe you need to be an expert but I think in order to understand the characters portrayed in this book that one should possess a little sense of each of their histories.

Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books and Claire North. It was truthfully an honor and privilege to be given an advanced readers copy of this gem in exchange for an honest review.

All you have to tell me to get me interested in a book is that the story is about/based on/involving mythology.

Having read and enjoyed Claire North’s first book, as soon as I saw House of Odysseus, I had to request it. It’s always interesting to read these retellings and this one was fun.

What was really interesting off the bat was the perspective of the narrator of the story. It’s very interesting to see a story told by the ever seeing eyes of a goddess, Aphrodite. It gave a different angle due to her personal interests as well as a little cheek from her as a narrator.

We may have heard of the women in this story, but it gives different views and potential storylines due to a majority of focus in the past being from their male counterparts. There is such nuance in speech and tone in the story that it makes you better understand and appreciate each character for how they represent and hold themselves.

While reading, I found myself taken to another realm where I could picture the lay of the lands, could hear the waves by the boats and see the garments adorning the characters.

I cannot wait to know what Claire North comes out with next!

Thank you so much to the author, Claire North, Redhook Books, Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC of House of Odysseus in exchange for my review!

This is an excellent read for anyone who wants to get on the "female protagonist Greek mythology retelling" train. Like Jennifer Saint and Madeleine Miller, Claire North writes about the female perspective to classic Greek myths that we all know so well. Her writing style, while somewhat choppy, goes back and forth from the main characters to an overall narrator (usually one of the Greek goddesses). While I personally didn't like her writing style in general, I did really like the way she characterizes the perspectives and crafts the overall story.

Fans of Circe, Ariadne, etc., would love this! Her first book in the series is Ithaca. This is her second.

A special thanks to #NetGalley and Orbit publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

Ithaca continues to wait for its king Odysseus to return. In his wake, his wife Penelope strives to keep control of a kingdom threatening to fall to chaos. Her cousin Clytemnestra is dead, killed by her own son Orestes. Clytemnestra’s daughter Elektra brings Orestes to Ithaca to wait out the fall out from his crime, but he has brought his furies and madness to the small kingdom. Meanwhile, in Mycenae, Menelaus prepares to seize the throne of his absent brother. In the fight to protect her own kingdom, Penelope’s allies are Elektra and Helen. The Goddess Aphrodite looks on with interest.
I absolutely loved Claire North’s Ithaca and its sequel House of Odysseus does not disappoint.

As a huge fan of mythology, I'm excited to be living in the same era where Greek mythology retellings THRIVE. Claire North's ability to give the often overlooked women of Greek mythology a background and a voice in "House of Odysseus" is fantastic.

Feminist retellings of myths are becoming more popular, but so few books justify that category; Claire North deserves a top spot in it. The plot was refreshing and much needed, as the main story (The Trojan War) has been told a thousand times over. While this book can be slow, everything has a necessary place for the pacing. I found myself wanting to speed-read to know what happens, but also slow down so I wouldn't finish the book that fast; it was hard.

Although we saw the badass "wife of Odysseus" *ahem* queen in "Ithaca" from Hera's POV, we learn about Penelope, the badass female (among other badass females), from Aphrodite's POV in this book, which is fitting. I loved having her POV be the narrator for this second book. In the beautifully written narrative, Penelope showcases she can be just as, if not more, clever, witty, and just better than her husband, who is often praised for his intelligence. Actually, Penelope is smarter than he is, period. I enjoyed meeting the new characters in this book. I truly enjoyed North's ability to create distinguishable voices, backstories, and the personal development of each one. Previously, everyone glossed over the females and what their crucial roles were, but I enjoyed getting the chance to stop and listen to what they had to say, what their tragedies were, and how they overcame them.

4.5 star read - my highest NetGalley book yet! I laughed, I teared up, and now I can't wait for the final part of this trilogy to come out. Thank you to NetGalley, RedHook Books, and Claire North for the amazing opportunity to review this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing was really well done. It made you want to keep reading.

There are books I devour quickly and books I read slowly to savor every delicious phrase— this book is one of the latter.

The story imagines and expounds upon the vacuum of power left behind for Penelope, when Odysseus is absent from Ithaca following the Trojan War. Although it is the second in the series, following “Ithaca,” it can also be read as a standalone, particularly if you are already familiar with the general plot of the Odyssey. It is written through the voice of Aphrodite as she and her sisters watch what unfolds on the island following the killing of Clytemnestra.

The characters are complex and striking from beginning to end. It is clear in the first chapter that everyone who has descended upon Ithaca to pursue Odysseus’s crown underestimates Penelope, who has been deftly running the Western Isles since Odysseus departed. This idea is a thread that runs through the book, and it surfaces when describing Penelope, her group of female soldiers, Ourania, and of course Helen herself.

The dialogue is so well executed as to both feel befitting of the setting and incredibly modern and relatable. I genuinely felt giddy during the denouement — imagining Laertes proudly stand back to watch Penelope eviscerate Menelaus felt so deeply satisfying.

A word about content warnings: if you’re a fan of this genre you’ll know that women are not often treated well in the traditional tellings. While North doesn’t shy away from the reality that women in that time period were mistreated in myriad ways, the violence that exists is far less graphic than in the originals.

If you liked the political maneuvering in the Game of Thrones series; if you chafe at the way that Greek mythology couldn’t pass even a modified a Bechdel test; if the inner lives of women are interesting to you; if you love a “good for her” story with an denoument that feels absolutely earned and yet somehow still in some ways surprising; I recommend this book whole heartedly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook books for an advanced copy of this fantastic book. Genuinely waiting with bated breath for the third installment in this series.

Gosh, I wanted to love this. But I was just so bored! North has a good opportunity to create her own story but this became a bunch of political grappling and nothing thing more. I understand why there aren’t myths about Ithaca during Odysseus’ absence because nothing really happens. With that said, North is such an exquisite writer and her prose is always so beautiful.

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

I was certainly not expecting to read the story of Penelope when Odysseus was not in Ithaca from Aphrodite's perspective, but it certainly felt like it was from the eyes of the goddess of love. I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology and found North's style to work well with the material as it tended to veer more poetic and omnipresent.

It's nice to see the women of Ithaca and the goddesses of Olympus being centered as the focus with war stories in Greek mythology is usually on the men. Penelope. Elektra, and Helen all felt like they had a history, as did Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, and Hera, and it made for a richer narrative as it explored female relationships and how women view other women as well as male-female relationships.

My main critique is that, occasionally, Aphrodite's POV felt a bit jarring when compared to what was going on in the scene, but that could also be that, as a goddess born of Ouranus, she just was more separated from the affairs of mortals than I might have personally liked for her. I did really appreciate the subtle suggestions around Athena not quite viewing herself and Aphrodite in a similar light regarding gender as that is a discussion I've heard in many Greek mythology circles.

I would recommend this to fans of the Odyssey who want a more female-leaning POV

The prose in this book was stunning. North writes with a gorgeous flow and each word enriches the descriptive environment she has created. The world, plot, and characters are richly developed and the narrative voice is strictly unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. The characters are all multi-dimensional and all are unique in clever ways that play on the mythological nature of the story. North takes a classic tale that everyone knows and shows a side of it that too often is forgotten in history books, myths, and legends. This tale speaks of the power of women when united and even isolated and their ability to overcome, adapt, survive, and thrive. I found the narrative a bit too otherworldly and felt taken out of the story by how it was written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the advanced copy of this book!

House of Odysseus is the second book in The Songs of Penelope series, but because this is a mythology retelling, I feel like you can read them out of order if you are familiar with Greek mythology. The book picks up many years after the Trojan War and centers on Penelope's struggles to maintain control of Ithaca while Odysseus is on his very long adventures. I loved this book a lot more than the first one mainly because it gave us interactions that we seldom see in mythology. My favorite aspect of the book it's told through Aphrodite perspective. The goddess of love has taken to watching over the people in the story, along with Athena and Artemis. Aphrodite also adds humor to this otherwise tragic tale.

I look forward to reading the next installment, which I assume will focus on Odysseus returning home (finally).

House of Odysseus is the brilliant continuation of the story of Penelope that began with the first novel, Ithaca.

It’s been almost 20 years since Odysseus left Ithaca to fight in the Trojan War. Odysseus’ wife Penelope is left holding back suitors encamped at the palace wishing to marry her and take over Odysseus’ throne.

Now Penelope faces a new threat. After providing a place of refuge for Elektra and her brother, Orestes, both children of the now dead Agamemnon killed by his wife Clytemnestra, Menelaus, Agamemnon’s brother, catches wind that his niece and nephew may be hiding out in Ithaca.

Haunted by the Furies, Orestes seems to be going mad, giving Menelaus an easy excuse for dethroning him and taking over as king of kings. Penelope must find a way to keep Orestes and Menelaus apart to avoid a war and also keep Ithaca safe at the same time.

I love how each book is narrated from the perspective of a different goddess. Ithaca, told from Hera’s perspective, focused on Penelope as a mother and a queen. In House of Odysseus, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, lets us see Penelope as a woman, someone with passions and desires.

There’s a tone and flavor to the writing style that is so smart and clever and witty. It both left me laughing out loud and also slowing down to reread passages that were emotionally beautiful.

I loved the whole book, but the last third kept me flipping the pages it was that suspenseful! Even though I’m very familiar with Greek mythology, I was so connected to Penelope and her maids and the goddess that it was easy to feel their fear and dread and danger.

I enjoyed The House of Odysseus even more than Ithaca, so of course I’m eagerly anticipating the final book in this amazing trilogy.

*Thanks so much to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

I always love a good retelling and this one was so good. Such a strong book for celebrating women and of course the Greek mythology can only be loved.

Yet another wonderfully dark retelling from Claire North! I can't help but to be absolutely captivated by her writing, it just sucks you right into the story and you stay there until the very end! Definitely check this out if you enjoy Greek mythology.

This is the second book in The Songs of Penelope series, and while I didn't love the first book (ok I thought it was actually really boring), I gave this a shot because I'll read any retelling of Greek mythology. And I actually ended up liking this one so much more! 
*
This tells a story that I was not familiar with, about Elektra's plight to protect her brother Orestes, who appears to have gone mad after killing his mother Clytemnestra. And I think the fact that I didn't know this story already helped a lot in my enjoyment, I had no idea what was coming so was interested to see how it unfolded. 
*
I also just found the characters so much more engaging. I loved the dialogue, and the subtle sarcasm of Penelope and the misleading submissiveness of Helen, and the reflections of Aphrodite as the narrator. I liked the theme of these women and how powerful they truly were, because they had to protect themselves but do it in a way that men couldn't pick up on what they were doing. 
*
I'm really glad I gave this series a second chance, and look forward to what comes next!

I struggled to finish this book. While I was excited to read a story about Penelope, a character I have long admired as a fan of Greek mythologies, I found "House of Odysseus" to be slow and not able to hold my attention. I found the narrative voice of Aphrodite to be extremely grating. One moment she would be speaking in a manner similar to other characters and of the time, at others she was speaking in a very modern way. When this would happen, I would have to reread the sections as they were so jarring. This book had a lot of promise and it is too bad that it was unable to hit its mark.

House of Odysseus is the second book in Claire North’s The Songs of Penelope trilogy. It continues to follow Penelope’s struggles with managing Ithaca in Odysseus’ absence, and without stepping over the line of what society views her place as a woman and queen should be. Told from Aphrodite’s point of view, the book kicks off with Elektra returning to Ithaca with a seemingly insane Orestes. When King Menelaus tracks his nephew to the island under the guise of concern, Penelope’s role becomes much more complicated.

If you love mythology that gives a glimpse into what the women went through and showcases their strength and intelligence, this trilogy is perfect. Each character is so distinct. Penelope is perfectly written, walking the fine line between meek and mastermind; Menelaus is repulsive and boorish; Laertes is witty and entertaining; and the misogyny that oozes out of the male characters is perfectly counteracted by the sly and strategic females they continually underestimate.

Though I typical do not like modern language in my historical fiction, in this series I found it amusing without detracting from the story, if anything it adds just the right amount of zest! I also loved watching Penelope blossom into her queenliness and just being an overall bad a**.

As with the first book, it took a little bit for me to get into. However, unlike the first book, there was a lot more action and plotting that drew me into the story sooner. I do think I preferred Hera’s narration over Aphrodite’s (I found it more humourous, as well sometimes finding Aphrodite’s sexual descriptions a bit to explicit for my taste), but each of them offer different perspectives and it is such a creative way to write a story! I am not sure if the change to the story of Paris and the goddesses was intentional and a nod towards the differing versions of Greek mythology or if it was a missed error, so that was a bit confusing to me.

Overall, this is a great book for anyone who is enjoying the resurge of mythology retellings, especially ones from a female voice.

*thank you Redhook Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I’m giving this 3 stars. I enjoyed this second book and the feminist perspective. I also really enjoyed Penelope as a character. It was a bit slow for me, which is why it’s only 3 stars. I overall enjoyed this books.

3.5 stars
The second entry in the Songs of Penelope series picks up pretty much where the previous novel ended. Orestes and Elektra are still on Ithaca, Penelope is still waiting for Odysseus and the suitors are still annoying. This book however, is much more exciting.

Narrated by Aphrodite (as Hera interfered too much and has been recalled to Olympus to act as Zeus's wife) this book moves as a faster pace and with more action and intrigue. Elektra and Orestes are in hiding after killing their murderous mother Clytemnestra. Orestes has gone mad or has maybe been poisoned and while he is supposed to be king of Mycenae he is unable to rule in his current state. Adding to all the stress is Menelaus (their uncle) has gotten word that Orestes is mad and unfit to rule and he wants to swoop in and take Mycenae for his own. However, Penelope is still just as cunning and has assembled a team of maids and Ithacan women to act as warriors and spies to keep the island safe. Penelope, her servants, Laertes and the suitors play a cat and mouse game with Menelaus with a fitting conclusion. Aphrodite's narration adds levity to the situation and the Egyptian Kenamon is a potential romantic interest for Penelope is Odysseus never returns.

I am so curious for the next book in the series and what will happen when/if Odysseus returns. I am especially concerned for Penelope's maids as we all know what happens to them in the original text.

This was an excellent entry in feminist re-tellings-of-Greek-Myths genre and while readers may have issues with the sometimes modern language I enjoyed the writing style a lot. I would definitely recommend.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

One of my favorite books last year was Claire North’s Ithaca. As soon as I finished it, I went online to see if it was a one-off or if there would be a sequel and was thrilled to learn it was just the first in a trio of novels focused on Penelope and her time waiting for Odysseus to return home to her. With that in mind, I’ve kept my eyes peeled and at last saw that the next novel in the series, House of Odysseus had a release date and preview copies available for request. Delving further into the consequences of the death of Clytemnestra and of Agamemnon before her, House of Odysseus shows once again that the women of Ithaca are ready to do what’s necessary to protect their homes and their livelihoods. For Penelope, that means testing her political acumen and her nerves against Menelaus and his machinations.

With Telemachus gone in search of his father, Penelope continues to wait and hold her suitors at bay as she focuses on the safety and prosperity of her island. But there’s a new disturbance when Orestes and Elektra arrive with the former in rough shape. Ill and apparently raving mad, there’s a chance he’s actually being poisoned, though who could be behind it is a mystery… and it might just be the guilt getting to him. He did kill his own mother as vengeance for the murder of Agamemnon. Not wanting to give their uncle Menelaus an opportunity to seize Orestes’ throne under the pretense of helping, they seek refuge and assistance from Penelope. It isn’t long after her agreement that Menelaus himself arrives on the island with several ships’ worth of Spartan soldiers to ‘visit’ his cousin-in-law and to explain his concern for Orestes and Elektra, his desire to help them as a good uncle should. With her options limited if and when Menelaus locates Orestes, Penelope struggles through the tangle of plots schemes, personal vendettas, and dangerous traps that could lead the queen and her people to subjugation at the hands of a tyrant.

As with the previous novel, House of Odysseus is narrated by a goddess, though not Hera this time – and not one I would have expected: Aphrodite. Getting to see the goddess of love’s perspective on Penelope, Elektra, Athena, Artemis, Helen and the women of Ithaca was an unexpected delight. Though she doesn’t hesitate to share her thoughts about the lustful sides to these women and goddesses, it is through her emphasis on non-romantic and non-physical expressions of love that her effectiveness as a narrator and her passion for the humans of the story shine. In each of these novels so far, North has done a wonderful and engaging job of demonstrating the depth and cunning of female characters that have long been portrayed in flat, stereotypical ways.

Where Ithaca dealt so heavily with appearance versus reality, House of Odysseus and Orestes’ plight shifts a lot of the thematic focus (especially towards the end of the novel) to the concepts of forgiveness, guilt, and vengeance. The Furies haunt the pages of the book as they torment Orestes directly and impact those around him. Seeing the way that the relationship between Clytemnestra and her children deteriorated and ended, Penelope can’t help but think of the strain between herself and Telemachus, wondering about the mistakes she has made as a mother and the responsibility she feels. Of course, with betrayals and the deceptions of politicking throughout the novel, these concepts mingle comfortably from the first through to the last pages.

If I had been eager to get my hands on a copy of House of Odysseus, I’m even more excited by the prospect of the final book in North’s Songs of Penelope series. Though Ithaca could have been a sturdy standalone novel, House of Odysseus ends with an obvious nod to what conflict lies ahead in the series’ final installment. So, I will spend the coming months looking for news of the final title along with its release date, and while I wait I will speculate on which of the goddesses will take their turn as narrator (there are two obvious candidates and I can’t decide which I’d prefer).

House of Odysseus is available on August 22, 2023.