This novel is actually the third in a trilogy, sharing the story of Penelope of Ithaca. I wish I had caught that prior to reading (I prefer to read series in order).

That said, the novel is narrated by Athena, telling the story of Penelope and the return of Odysseus to her. For those with the familiarity to the original story, it is a good retelling. Fans of this genre (think Madeline Miller's Circe and The Song of Achilles) should enjoy this foray into other parts of Greek Mythology. That same familiarity made me wonder how we got to this point in the story, but once again, reading all three books of the trilogy in order would make much more sense.

This trilogy is a 3 star series for me. I liked it but didn;t love it. It's a good trilogy and well written; I just have a problem connecting and caring about the characters. I liked the idea of having different goddesses telling the story, this one is Athena, and I felt each book had its own voice. This book goes back to the original myth, when Odysseus finally comes back and decides to test Penelope. I felt a tllitle let down that the love between them wasn't as in the original myth.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Very solid ending to the trilogy. I always enjoy Claire North's writing and she did a great job of weaving together everything.

Solid ending to the trilogy. I do like action and battle scenes so I enjoyed the fighting and cleverness.

The Last Song of Penelope is an interesting take on the story of Odysseus, told from the perspective of the goddess Athena. While glorifying and amplifying women's work to keep Ithaca alive, this take sheds light on a different perspective of the great Greek epic.

"The Song of Odysseus" is the thrilling and heart-wrenching conclusion to Claire North’s "Songs of Penelope" Trilogy, a series that has reimagined the ancient Greek myth through the voices of its women. Following "The Penelopeian Call" and "The Queen’s Oath", North takes readers on an emotional, gut-wrenching journey as the epic story of Penelope, Odysseus, and their island of Ithaca nears its end. It is a tale of power, betrayal, loyalty, and the complex legacies of war, all told from the perspective of the women who have long been sidelined in Homer’s epic.

For twenty years, Penelope has guarded Ithaca against suitors, managing the kingdom in the absence of her husband, Odysseus, who sailed off to war and never returned. In his place, she has maintained a delicate balance of power, wielding quiet strength in the face of rivals and suitors. But when a beggar washes up on the shore—a man who, to the suitors, is nothing more than a pitiful wreck—Penelope immediately recognizes something terrible in him: her husband, returned at last.

But this Odysseus is no hero. He has come back disguised, not only to exact his revenge on the suitors who have occupied his palace, but also to test Penelope's loyalty. Has she, after all these years, remained faithful? And how far is he willing to go to ensure she has not betrayed him?

In "The Song of Odysseus", North breathes life into the ancient myth, turning the focus away from the male heroes and instead placing it squarely on Penelope. This is not the passive, patient wife of the original tale but a fierce, intelligent woman who has fought her own battles for two decades. Penelope’s cunning and ability to play the long game are on full display as she faces the return of her husband, who, in his quest for vengeance, threatens not only her life but the future of Ithaca itself.

North’s writing is rich and evocative, capturing both the psychological depth of the characters and the raw, unrelenting tension that builds as Odysseus's return destabilizes everything Penelope has worked for. The stakes are high—Penelope must navigate her own emotions, her relationship with Odysseus, and the fate of her family while trying to outsmart the forces closing in on her. The book builds to a climax that is both tragic and triumphant, as Penelope must make decisions that will change the course of her life and the island’s future forever.

What makes *The Song of Odysseus* so compelling is how North subverts the traditional narrative. Odysseus, who has long been portrayed as the clever hero of the Iliad and Odyssey, is presented here in a more morally ambiguous light. His desire for revenge and his increasing ruthlessness challenge Penelope’s loyalty, forcing her to reckon with the darker side of the man she has waited for. The novel explores the complexities of love, loyalty, and the consequences of war, all through the lens of a woman who has never been allowed to tell her story.

As the final book in The Songs of Penelope* trilogy, "The Song of Odysseus" brings the myth of Ithaca and its legendary characters to a powerful and emotional conclusion. Claire North delivers a story that is both fresh and unflinching, a reminder that even in the shadows of the great male heroes, the women’s stories are worth telling. Fans of Greek mythology, as well as those who appreciate complex, character-driven narratives, will find this novel to be a captivating and thought-provoking read.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The final book in Claire North’s Songs of Penelope trilogy. A series of books where you get to experience everything from the perspective of the gods. There’s a heavy focus on the women during a time of war and "heroism." You can actually read these books as standalones if you’re familiar enough with greek mythology which is nice but yeah all 3 books are out now so definitely add these to your tbr if you love reading about a different side of the greek goddess.

This is the part of the story I’ve been waiting for. Odysseus’ return home, the slaughter of the suitors and all of that fun stuff. How would North reconcile the traditional story with her story? The story needs to be focused on Penelope, but the base of the story needs to be maintained.

With the third installment in the series we have our third narrator, as expected, Athena. North gives us some insight into Athena, what makes her tick; she answers some questions as to why Athena is so closely associated with heroes. Immortality is important to the gods as well. North really got into character again and there is a heavier atmosphere to this one than book two.

North gives us a very different view of Odysseus than the traditional story, he does not live up to his reputation: rash decisions, short-sightedness, for the first time he becomes the man without a plan – but no need to worry, behind every great man, is an even greater woman. Penelope remains the true great hero of this story. A weaver of shrouds and schemes.

All great stories must come to an end, I found the trilogy to fit this story perfectly. North was able to convey all that needed to be said, the story wasn’t rushed and kept my interest one hundred percent. I’m looking forward to more tales from this great bard.

*4.5 Stars

I gave this book a solid try on multiple occasions, but it just didn't work for me. While I heard that it reads well as a standalone, I truly believe the previous books needed to be read first. Overall, I personally found the writing style to be a little too dense for me and I wasn't able to get through it. I will not be reviewing this book on other platforms.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this one!

Claire North can do no wrong when it comes to her Greek myth retellings highlighting the often overlooked women of the myths. This book was no exception, extremely compelling and well researched,.

Perfection. But I didn’t expect anything less. This was my favorite of the trilogy by far. It made me laugh, cry, and curse out loud. But it gave a developed ending to a story that always seems to end so abruptly in other sources. I love everything that was done with Odysseus as a character in showing us how he wants to respond/ how he chooses to and finally seeing Penelope be known for her strength. LOVE LOVE

Wow, wow, WOW! As I've said in previous review(s), I'm also a Greek Mythology author, so I'm very picky about books in my genre. This one, however, BLEW ME AWAY! It was exactly what I wanted when I asked for a book about the Odyssey.

Amongst the slew of modern myth retellings the last few years (so many the NY Times just wrote an article on the number “flooding bookstores), one of the strongest has been THE SONGS OF PENELOPE by Claire North. The first two, Ithaca and House of Odysseus, were excellent, and North maintains that high standard with the just-released The Last Song of Penelope, which brings the story to a powerfully tense and moving conclusion.

As one might expect from both the series and novel titles, the trilogy focuses on Penelope, the wife of Odysseus and symbol of womanly patience and loyalty, sitting in the palace on Ithaca for 20 years and cleverly holding off the suitors until her famous husband’s return. Or that’s how the male poets would have it. North, though, offers up the “truth” of the matter, giving us a Penelope who takes on the responsibility of leading/protecting her people while heroic Odysseus is off learning new sexual positions from the nymph Calypso. In the first two novels, Penelope uses her wits and a small militia of deadly women to fend off not just the suitors, but also pirates and the greedy eyes of Menelaus who would love to add Ithaca to his collection of Greek isles. She also had to deal with the politics of an absent king, suitors from powerful kingdoms, the mess that was the House of Atreus, and problematic visits from the other two great queens of Greece: Clytemnestra and Electra. The House of Odysseus (spoiler alert for the millennia-old tale) closes with Odysseus himself arriving on shore, raising both the specter of his soon-to-be-had vengeance on the suitors (which those aware of the tale know will be bloody and not particularly selective) and also the question of how Penelope’s position will change.

Those first two books were narrated by Hera and Aphrodite respectfully, while this most recent one shifts to Athena’s point of view. The choice makes sense in that in the original story, Athena is Odysseus’ most prominent protector/advocate, but it also makes sense in that she is the goddess of both war and wisdom, the first of which will embroil Ithaca in violence while the second is the only way to contain and then halt the violence. North also uses Athena to add a meta element to the novel, as the goddess is consciously crafting a story here, one with purpose driven by necessity. For she foresees:

a time when the names of the gods … are diminished, turned from thunder-breakers, ocean-ragers, into little more than jokes and children’s rhymes … I see us withering, falling away … Thus do gods perish … I will not have it … when all else fails I still have one more string to my bow — I will have a story. A good story can outlast almost anything. And for that I need Odysseus.

Athena, therefore, is a writer, attuned to all those elements writers must be aware of, such as the “important emotional part of the overall structure of thing.” What is not included in that list of elements is the truth: “The poets will not sing the truth of Odysseus … The truth does not serve me, it is not wise that it be known.” Here though, in this singular story, Athena will share the truth of Penelope and Odysseus’ story, “the only time I will tell it … the story of what actually happened when Odysseus returned to Ithaca.”

Athena’s narrative voice is closer to Hera’s in book one than Aphrodite’s in book two, sharp in its social critiques of patriarchy, slavery, class; fierce in its feminist stance as she discusses for instance the different portrayal of tears when they fall from the eyes of women versus men or bemoans the loss of an earlier time “when men cowered before the name of Hera, mother-goddess.” She has seen how her fellow female goddesses have been debased by not just mortals but the male Olympians as well, giving us a lengthy run-down of all the ways the several once-powerful women of Olympus were brought low:

Hera, who was once mother-earth, mother-fire. Her brother Zeus raped her, after he had grown bored of all her sisters, and made her his wife … the gods had begun to shape the world to say the woman who is violated may not seek punishment against her attacker but should herself seek to be redeemed … Thus did Hera’s power wane … Endure, endure, endure became the mantra … We cannot punish our men, so we must take our punishment where we can. We punish the whores they fucked, the children they made, the daughters they raped. Cling to what few shreds of power you have… and endure. What else is there to do? Thus fell the first of us.
As for Aphrodite, “if they desired her that meant she had power over them. To diminish her strength, they belittled her, mocked her greatness, called her whore, slut, tits-and-no-brain.” None of the female gods are immune from this treatment, as Athena further details the degradation of Demeter, Métis, and Artemis.
Nor does she avoid turning her gaze inward. She has no illusions regardnig her own put-upon-constraints, the ways she too was warped and diminished. Zeus she says was:

fond of me. Fondness was tool by which he could seek to control me while also asserting his dominion over me … ‘I’m fond of the little darling, isn’t she adorable?’ … I was his baby girl — anything except the lady of war, lady of wisdom, the only other divinity to wield the thunder and lightning.”
When he began to see her as a sexual being, she:
swore myself a virgin … renounced all signs of desire … shuttered my body and my soul … punished women for things men did to them … laughed at the deaths of nameless thousands … In short, I made myself like a man of Olympus.
Like the female Greek gods, Penelope too is threatened by diminishment. After gathering to herself the reins of power and wielding them deftly and effectively for twenty years, Odysseus is back, and her worth and power is immediately negated by his utterly stupid decision to take on the 100 suitors with just his son Telemachus and a half-dozen others, wiping them out in an orgy of murderous violence that undoes all Penelope’s diplomatic work and sparks an all-out attack by the aggrieved fathers of the murders suitors. Worse, he kills several of the maids as well (several only because he is stopped by Penelope’s intervention), thinking them “traitors” for how they moved amongst the suitors. This atrocity is even worse than it seems on the surface, since it was only via the maids’ hidden help — drugging the suitors via the food and locking the doors so they couldn’t escape — that Odysseus was even able to prevail. Basically, the maids saved him from his own stupidity and then were killed for it (The poets, Athena dryly notes, will of course, “speak of a roaring battle … and the rallying of warrior men … a worthy slaughter by Odysseus and his son … This is what I will have said about Odysseus. Perhaps if it is sung enough, one day even I will believe it.)

At first, Odysseus doesn’t even recognize the idiocy of his actions. Just as he cannot at first fathom that his wife did anything of note or acted out of any agency in his absence: “Everyone told him his wife was sitting in her room weeping for him these past twenty years, it was her sole occupation — and though it seemed absurd, in time he’d almost started to believe the tale.” Only when Penelope calls him out on the indefensible position he’s put them in (literally so, as they have to flee the palace and decamp to his father’s house which is more defendable by a small number), and calls him out on the horrific error with the maids, does Odysseus begin to see that perhaps things are not as he thought: politically, in the palace, with his wife, in his views of women, in his concept of manhood. Perhaps, “wise Odysseus” is not as wise as he thinks he is.

North does an absolutely stellar job with all of this. With Penelope standing firm but also recognizing the reality of her situation and Odysseus slowly seeing his own blindness. This doesn’t happen right away. Odysseus is torn between the man he was and the man he could be, something we see in several scenes. And North doesn’t shy away from the violence that first man would employ. Multiple times Odysseus thinks of beating and/or killing Penelope. In one of my favorite such scenes, North brilliantly subverts what we all know about Penelope: her self-effacing patience.

Odysseus thinks of striking her.
Thinks of falling at her feet.
Thinks perhaps that if he stands here long enough, in silence, she will forgive him.
She does not.
Penelope waits.
She is very good at waiting.
So it is Odysseus who turns, walks away.


It is a slow process, as it should be. Nor does it come easily. And it comes not necessarily because he is “wise,” but because he doesn’t like to consider himself “ordinary.” And so, as Athena puts it:
if he is to do these extraordinary things … he may have to make some extraordinary decisions, embrace ideas that no other man would. Ideas that any king or warrior … would dismiss out offhand. Notions such as humility, supplication, maybe even admitting to that most unkingly of attributes: having made a mistake.
To further the idea that this is a cultural issue, a long-standing way of thinking and behaving Odysseus must break through, North gives us a viewpoint from the prior generation as Odysseus’ father Laertes, sent out to parley with the fathers of the slain suitors, realizes he has little he can say to them:

Laertes half closes his eyes … to hear again the crying of young Odysseus, the wailing of the infant Telemachus. As if he could perhaps roll back the years … and whisper, ‘My beautiful ones, you are safe, you are safe. Let me teach you how to be strong when you are weak, brave when you are afraid.’
Instead he handed the child over to nursemaids … doting “who’s brilliant yes you’re brilliant, a little hero you are’ … Nor was it a father’s place … to show anything other than those qualities of manhood … dignity, composure, strength, honor. The endurance of pain without complaint. Swift violence when slighted. Anger when otherwise tears might flow. These were the qualities passed down father to son, father to son, and now here they stand …

In the end, he simply tells them he will pray for all their sons, as Athena whispers, “let this world burn … Let it be remade.”

Before the close, Odysseus is able to adapt, but it is no happy ending. His awakening will come at great cost to himself:

Odysseus has done terrible things.
He didn’t think they were terrible at the time.
He thought they were what men did.
The things that needed to be done.
He is beginning now to understand.
He fears understanding … the kind of curiosity that might reveal himself to be something he does not want to find himself to be … if the mere whiff of this imagining threatens to break him in two, then just how cruel is the mark his life has left on those who crossed his path?

It’s a powerful moment in a novel and a series full of powerful moments. I’ve honestly barely touched upon all that is so good here. The strength of the main characters: Penelope and Odysseus, yes, but also Laertes; Telemachus; Priene, captain of Penelope’s soldier women; Kenamon, the suitor from Egypt with whom Penelope just might have found a shared happiness with; Polybus, the grieving father of a slain suitor. All drawn vividly, all given their own moving moments. The compelling nature of the plot: first the dread of what we all know must come — the slaying of the suitors and the maids, then the speculative dread of what will happen with Penelope, and then the more pragmatic suspense of a siege at Laertes. It’s a long siege in terms of how much of the book it takes up, but it isn’t not simply a series of skirmishes but a means to develop character and relationships.

In my review of the first two novels, I said that while they hadn’t risen to the incredibly high level of my favorite retellings, such as Madeline Miller’s Circe or Pat Barker’s Silence of the Girls, they were in my second tier, one just below (excellent versus great). But with The Last Song of Penelope, I’m happy to say North has elevated the entire series to that first tier. I can’t recommend the trilogy enough as far as I’m concerned.

In this third book of Claire North's Songs of Penelope series - she renders a very interesting take on the story of Odysseus in the narrative voices of female Goddesses of Greek myth lore: in the first book Ithaca it was Hera a reader heard from. In the second book House of Odysseus it was narrated by Aphrodite, and in The Last Song of Penelope we hang with Athena who directs a reader's gaze to the physical world and persons of interest, while filling their ears or eyes (depending on reading format) with the inner "view" only she would have.

This continues to be my favorite part of these books. To be given a Goddess's Eye view of a classic work. . .and in this particular work the author has brilliantly NOT chosen the main protagonist of the classic work to feature, but rather one that is overlooked, Penelope, Odysseus' wife and queen. An intriguing choice because she is a woman, a lesser-than person in the time of the classic work's writing. Disturbing to admit that in our present time things haven't changed enough in those role assignments and assumptions. To have differing Goddesses providing insights to the reader, and the long tale split three ways, gives three thought-provoking reads.

For me, Athena is a welcome choice as narrator. Penelope needs to deal with a murderous son, and the return of Odysseus, his beggar masquerade, and the massacres his presence brings about. This is my least favorite part of the classic, and North stays true to this stupidity (imho). Yet he is Athena's favorite and she stays on his side of all his questionable choices. As does Penelope, but. . and here is the big but I like in this retelling. . .she's not doing it for him or her. . .she's all about their people and community. It's a sacrifice I can barely stand but as the curtains close, I appreciate the author's El Fin.

Of the three, this was my favorite, hence the extra star.

*A sincere thank you to Claire North, Redhook Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

this was a beautiful ending to this trilogy. I LOVED book one, book two was okay, but this third and final book delivered. Penelope's storyline has been one of strength and heartbreak. I have always loved Clytemnestra's story, and now I find Claire North's Penelope to be one that I will never forget. A Queen who has taken care of Ithaca for the past 20 years while her husband, Odysseus, goes off to fight in the Trojan War and travel back home. Ithaca has been overseen by Penelope in the name of Odysseus, and shows how women are capable of ruling in a time when that was unknown. Penelope is strategic in her actions, and does so in a way that is graceful and politically correct. I found her to be fascinating!!! And for Ithaca to stay standing on the backs of her and her maidens. Amazing. I did find the story to still be as interesting as Odysseus comes back. The turn of events and the acceptance of the strength of the women they all doubted. It was so good. And Athena's POV made it sooo much better. I loved seeing how the Gods tactfully interacted with these characters throughout the trilogy. This is definitely a trilogy I will recommend to my fellow Greek mythology lovers.

Thank you Redhook Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I am a fan of Greek/Roman mythology and the renaissance of retellings with a focus on the women has been a boon for me. I was honestly worried what was going to happen with Odysseus coming back to Ithaca and how this would change Penelope and all of the work she has done for 20 years to keep the island kingdom thriving. I genuinely did not know where it was going to go and was impressed with how everything happened and wrapped up in the end. Having Athena be our narrator and explain her reasonings for choices and how the story proceeds in reality and then would be retold over the centuries was absolutely fascinating. This trilogy of novels should be heralded along with Madeline Miller's Circe as how you can expand upon the original mythology to tell a compelling story. 4.5 stars.

Thank for you this ARC!

I enjoyed the story but only wish I had reread the first book again to get a better understanding of the timeline.

The Last Song of Penelope is the conclusion to Claire North’s Songs of Penelope Trilogy chronicling the life of Queen Penelope during the 20-year absence of her infamous husband, Odysseus. Each book is told from the perspective of a goddess and this time it’s Athena’s turn. Long a patron of her husband, Athena’s perspective is particularly fascinating when turned toward his queen. The story begins with Odysseus’s return and follows the ensuing chaos and havoc his long-awaited arrival wreaks upon both Ithaca and Penelope. North manages to bring depth to all her characters including our narrator Athena. Like all books in the trilogy, this story is a languid, beautifully written saga filled with the complicated and brutal reality of what Penelope's life might have been. There are rarely any true villains or heroes in North's stories, just fully fleshed-out characters navigating their circumstances in the best way they know how.

The author has triumphantly concluded her trilogy in a satisfying way befitting the tragedy of all great Greek myths. North is at the top of my author list for best mythology retellings following other favorites like Madeline Miller and Constanza Casati.

The Last Song of Penelope released June 4th, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the advanced review copy.

When a ragged beggar shows up on the island of Ithaca, Penelope immediately recognizes him as her plotting husband who has been missing the last 20 years. As Odysseus is busy making his plans against the suitors in his palace, he is also trying to decide whether his queen has been faithful. How far does he want to take his revenge? Penelope tries to stay a few steps ahead and help Odysseus carry out his plan without him realizing just how strategic his wife has become.

Most of us are very familiar with the heroic tales of Odysseus, but less is written about his queen who is left to fend for herself amongst the suitors with a dwindling treasury. In the world of Greek Mythology women are usually at the mercy of men, afraid of rape or even to just exist too loudly amongst them. What I love about this trilogy is the quiet strength the women possess. Penelope knows just how to lead while pretending that she isn't in control at all (because we must not bruise the delicate male egos of Ancient Greece). As the island doesn't contain many men of fighting age, it's up to the women to keep everything running and to defend Ithaca from outside forces. This last book in the Songs of Penelope Trilogy gives us the return of the mighty Odysseus - and yet he's really not so heroic. It still comes down to the women to save Ithaca from some rash actions. Each book is written from the viewpoint of a Goddess, and this installment is by Athena who is the perfect final narrator.

The characters are very complex and well written. Penelope and Odysseus especially have so much depth - they're so different than the wife pining for her wise and heroic husband to return. Instead we have a capable queen who has ruled Ithaca longer than the king has, and he comes in without a well thought out plan and destroys her carefully crafted peace. I love the various feminist voices, the Egyptian suitor, and scraggly, old Laertes. Telemachus is definitely the most annoying character here, and I know he is written that way on purpose, but there's lots of cringeworthy moments. There is a bit of humor amongst the bloodshed and scheming. I love the fact that Penelope refuses to acknowledge Odysseus as her actual husband for a majority of the book, as this allows her to verbally criticize him, repeatedly, without retribution. All in all this was a great ending in the tale.

I recommend this book to all who love Greek Mythology and female-driven narratives. There are battles and death and mentions of rape. Although I highly recommend starting with the first book in the trilogy, I also think you could jump right in, especially if you're familiar with The Iliad and The Odyssey. I look forward to reading more from Claire North! I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and Redhook books for my opinions.

4.5 Rounded up