It's easy to forget about Clytemnestra, sister of Helen, Queen and wife of King Agamemnon, mother of Iphigenia, Electra, and Orestes, and the woman who coldly murdered her husband on his triumphant return from Troy, ships full of wealth and a new wife, Cassandra.

Author Hannah M. Lynn’s story follows the myth as it is typically known, but she fleshes out Clytemnestra to help us sympathize with this tough Spartan, by giving her a horrifying past, as well as putting us in her head from just before Agamemnon leaves for Troy to after her death, followed by Orestes' overwhelming guilt for murdering her.

As Queen of Mycenae, she enjoys wealth and comfort, but has been humiliated and beaten by her brute husband for years, unbeknownst to the Court and her children. After Agamemnon, to pay for angering Artemis, kills their daughter Iphigenia in exchange for favourable winds for his ships, Clytemnestra decides he can no longer be trusted with his own children.

From this decision, Clytemnestra makes a series of decisions to overprotect her children and to train her body to regain her former martial abilities. She becomes a even-headed and fair ruler while Agamemnon is at war, and begins a romantic relationship with Aegisthus, Agamemnon’s brother. When news arrives that Agamemnon is soon to return, she understandably decides that she will never allow Agamemnon to hurt her again, though deciding to kill the man is not great but understandable considering her many years of abuse at her husband's hands.

Interestingly, this family is suffering such violence and tragedy thanks to a curse incurred by Tantalus, who killed and ate his own children. Each successive generation of the House of Atreus is destined to suffer and kill their own, usually children. Clytemnestra gets pulled into the cursed family because of Agamemnon’s actions, and her heart is only hardened further by his abuse and murder of their eldest child. It doesn’t help that daughter Electra is a toxic dumpster fire of massive internalized misogyny, further helping perpetuate the suffering in the family prior to and after Agamemnon’s death.

This interpretation of Clytemnestra doesn't radically restate the myth, instead choosing to skillfully make Clytemnestra into a more credible and sympathetic character in a story of murder and revenge.

Thank you to Netgalley and to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Growing up in the Mediterranean, Greek and Roman mythology has always fascinated me. In this realm of captivating tales, there's one figure often overshadowed by Helen and Achilles: Clytemnestra. She's notorious for cold-bloodedly killing her husband Agamemnon—a story that's gripped audiences for ages.

I enjoyed this book book as it dives deep into Clytemnestra's character, exploring her motives and the pressures she faced. It was a captivating read, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who shares my love for Greek mythology.

Thank you for this ARC!

A complicated and beautiful story of revenge was presented here. I love Greek retelling and this is no exception.

A Spartan's Sorrow tells the heart-wrenching tale of Clytemnestra. Our heroine is full of grief and rage. I loved her! Hannah Lynn did an amazing job shows Clytemnestra's struggles and emotions. She really came alive to me as a reader. I struggled with the ending. I'm not sure how true it is to Greek mythology, but even then, the author could have made up one better suited to poor Clytemnestra. Still, overall a beautifully written, tragic tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

I was sent this title with out requesting it after reading and reviewing this Authors other book. I have read a lot of Clytemnestra retellings and I am fairly burnt out on this particular myth. But I will be reading Queens of Themiscyra!

I don't really know what to say other than that it was just fine. I didn't find anything particularly enthralling about this mythological retelling, and I'm honestly not sure if that reflects more on the author's writing / subject of choice or on me just being "over" this genre. I do think that this book in particular wasn't that interesting to me -- a lot of the characters felt flat and predictable (more so even than the standard predictability of mythological figures in that I kind of already know bits and pieces of the story). Some themes also felt a bit heavy-handed. Maybe I'm also just "over" revenge-based plots.

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

A Spartan's Sorrow is a gripping and emotionally charged tale that delves deep into the world of ancient Sparta. The author’s meticulous attention to historical detail and vivid descriptions bring the harsh realities of Spartan life to life, immersing readers in the period. The protagonist's journey through grief, resilience, and honor is compelling, making it easy to empathize with his struggles and triumphs. The narrative is well-paced, balancing intense action scenes with poignant, reflective moments. While a few secondary characters could have been more fleshed out, the strong central storyline and evocative writing make A Spartan's Sorrow a memorable and thought-provoking read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read.

Honestly anything that has to do with Greek mythology I’ll pick up and read. So this was an auto grab for me. This is definitely a fantastic book for people wanting to get into Greek mythology and a nice refresher for someone who is into it.

It’s lovely having a female writer in the Greek myth world where it’s mostly written by men. Hannah Lynn continues to do a great job with Greek stories.

I received a free digital copy of this book through Net Galley to read and review.
The Greek mythical tales of Menelaus, his wife, Clymenstra and their children Iphigenia, Electra and Orestes are well known and often retold. Hannah Lynn’s novelization is an absorbing tale. Her characters, especially of Clytemnestra, married to Menelaus in a dynastic , loveless and often cruel marriage to a man who treated her as a brood mare points, the way to the tragedy that follows, Orestes, the reader sees as a gentle chile who grows into a very un Spartan like young man, more interested in learning about flowered and frogs and beetles than the manly arts of battle and how to rule a kingdom. Then there is Electra, who should have been born a male. She would rather learn to fight than weave , a girl who grew to be a woman of as strong a Will as her mother, whom she came to hate. One does not have to know much of the classical literature of this family to know that blood will flow.
The book flows well, with vivid descriptions of long ago fabled kingdoms and gods. As usual, those gods and goddesses become involved in the lives of humans in various ways. The description of the vicious, hissing , snake-like harpies is especially vivid.
I have only one quibble: the climatic chapter where Orestes is tried before Athena and Apollo and the vicious harpies was a bit off mark from the realism of the preceding pages. Just my opinion. Read
“ A Spartan’s Sorrow” for yourself for the pure enjoyment of a fine novel.

This book was really good. I really enjoyed it. It's also greek mythology. There's a lot of backstory in this book. The character and world building is amazing.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Hannah Lynn for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the story of a mother's love, and what lengths a mother will go to protect her children.

Clytemnestra loses one of her daughters to her husband's selfishness. He willingly sacrifices their eldest daughter to appease the gods and regain the wind to sail.

There are bitter betrayals, loss, heartbreak, and love. There are vengeful gods and family rivalries. There are also decisions that have to be made, no matter how hard those decisions may be.

This was a heartbreaking and vengeful retelling of the mythology of Greece's most formidable queen.

This is the second book in the Grecian Women Trilogy series. However, you do not have to read these books in order. Each book is a different mythological retelling from the women's perspectives.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading mythology and retellings.

"The goddesses, the mothers, they are the ones we turn to. And yet it is a god’s word that we have to obey, one that tells us that a man must be avenged, but not a woman.”“One is not worth more than the other. Men are not more worthy. Fathers are not more worthy. Do you think a god would be here defending a girl who had killed her father? Of course not. She would be hanged, or worse."

I have been a big fan of Greek mythology and I have read many books but not a single book gave more than few lines for Clytemnestra. When o googled about her this is what came up —
Clytemnestra is known for her role in Greek mythology. She is often seen as the epitome of a vengeful, scheming plotter. She was the wife of Agamemnon, who defeated the Trojans during the Trojan War. On his return from war, Clytemnestra murdered her husband as revenge.

Yeah coz that's what women do in Greek mythology, either they are too stupid or they are scheming. Like men ain't. Or whatever happened with Agamemnon, he didn't deserve.

A Spartan's sorrow by Hannah Lynn is one of those reads that will make Clytemnestra shine in totally different light. She is epitome of motherhood and strength. Throughout the book she had my heart and my soul. Being a smart woman that she is portrayed, she tried to survive and save her children from a very cruel man who was indeed their own father.


What broke me was even after her constant worry about her kids, what she had in the store was far worse than she deserved and how Orestes was just a pawn in blind and pathetic patriarchal society governed by Gods who cared for nothing but their own pride. Orestes' dilemma and then trial was very well written perhaps the whole book was written smartly. When you can't believe that you can actually understand another side, when you are standing on opposite, Hannah did real good job there so my morals kept jumping from one side to the other.


I will definitely and highly recommend it to all Greek mythology fans out there and those who Will like to read Clytemnestra's side of the story.

Thank you Netgalley and sourcebooks landmark for the amazing ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The depth of emotion in this book was stunning. The writing was a bit slow at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Clytemnestra.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Greek retellings are one of my favorite genres! Thank you, Source Books Landmark and Netgalley, for this read!!

"A Spartan's Sorrow" truly captured a 'Greek Tragedy.' All the sorrow, revenge, betrayal, love, and hate between all the characters. A truly well written novel. I was completely invested in all of the characters' live from beginning to end.

4 stars

I've read a few Clytemnestra retellings, I am wholeheartedly on Clytmenestra's side ALWAYS! Whenever I read her story, I always wish for a different outcome. Lynn mostly focused on two points of view: Clytemnestra and Orestes, and added the story of "The Orestia" into the mix. Although I am a fan of Clytemnestra, I have never read the Orestia, but after reading this book I am compelled to do so.

Lynn's retelling of this story adds new ideas to my perspective from previous retellings. I have always considered Iphegenia's life ending due to Agamemnon's greed for war. This story goes along with this idea we all know to be, but there's also the question of loyalty. And I think when it all comes down to it, loyalty is what is put to the test for all the characters.

I've had the pleasure of reading another book of Lynn's in this series, and currently reading an ARC for another, and I see in all of them, the humanity that is imbued in each one. Lynn truly brings such humanity and tangible feelings to these characters. I seriously recommend "Daughters of Olympus", if you're looking for that.

Clytemnestra has always been a complex character, and again I loved seeing how Lynn perceived Clytmenstra. The way she wrote about her, and her life before Agamemnon. Although I'm always suspicious of Aegisthus, the relationship between Clytmenestra and Aegisthus felt like a relief to me, for Clytmnestra. He wasn't a consort that Clytmenstra kept to herself, Aegisthus became something for her children, especially Orestes.

I loved the fact that Orestes wasn't immediately spiteful of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, like Electra. Rather, Orestes understood from both sides of the story. As for Electra in this retelling, I came to hate her A LOT. There was a lot of tension between mother and daughter, and even in death that tension never really resolved itself. I didn't really like Pylades, like Aegisthus I became wary of him. At the height of the story, I felt as if Pylades shouldn't have been trusted. He sides with Orestes and puts his best interests at heart, but I feel as if he took advantage of that, so these intentions come to fruition.


When it came to the end *trying to avoid spoilers* Lynn made it instant. I found this to be effective, for the most part many know the story, and so with that quickness of the scene Lynn shifts the focus to other characters. With this shift, it became clear, that this wasn't just a quest ending on the person, and how detrimental it was for Orestes and others who witnessed the scene. Part three with the trial was very interesting and I loved that this was added to the story. But alas, I couldn't agree with the verdict of course. Still -- I liked the way Lynn approached this scene and how two certain people fit in the scene. Although I like them best concealed, their time in part three proved to be useful.


Overall, this was a great retelling of the others we have in the world. Lynn's prose and detail are impeccable, that's another notable thing about her and her writing. She brought her understanding of humanity in Clytmenestra, in this story, and it is worthwhile to read.

I got to 28% and I’m really not feeling this book. I’ve been enjoying mythology retellings, and thought this would be right up my alley, but I’ve gotten bored already…

I’m a total sucker for Greek mythology and this was just what I wanted. The family drama, the murder to get people out of you way, and the deep undying love. At its heart this story for me was a mothers love and the way children interpret their mothers actions.
Full of drama and danger! I had a great time reading this one!

Thank you to Source Books and Netgalley for my gifted copy!

Wow, what a tale of bravery, hope, and ultimately betrayal. I was briefly aware of the story of Clytemnestra, but I hadn't read about it in this way, and from her point of view yet. The absolute horror that she lived with the cruelty of her husband, the murder of her daughter, and the betrayal from her only son. Grecian stories are often met with tragedy, almost always at the expense of a woman it seems.

While I really loved the overall story I did feel like it dragged on a bit towards the end. I found myself wanting to skim a little bit, but forced myself to really read this all the way through. There were a couple of areas I might have removed a little bit from, but overall I thought it was a good story from beginning to end.

Now I'll be on to read the next in this series by Lynn and I'm looking forward to it.

I was completely unfamiliar with the story of Clymenestra prior to this and it was enthralling! The writing was a bit slow at times, but I felt despair and anger and frustration and that makes it a win for me!

Your basic story about both Clytemnestra and her son, Orestes. I didn’t feel like there was anything to make this particular retelling stand out more than any other. It did continue into the story of Orestes, which not all retellings do if they are focusing on Clytemnestra… so that’s a plus. If you’re new to mythology and don’t know their stories, then this is the perfect book to get to know them, what they went through, and the choices they made. If you know their stories and are looking for a retelling that takes that extra spin you weren’t expecting, this isn’t the book for you.