Of all the books in this trilogy, I think this book was the best. The main plot follows Odysseus's return to Ithaca, where he is disguised as a beggar. Angry that his home has been taken over by suitors looking to take his place as king of Ithaca, Odysseus is also watching Penelope to test her faithfulness to him over his 20-year voyage.
I was worried that Odysseus was going to be a villainous character like Menelaus, and was pleasantly surprised with his character arc throughout the book. While the series mainly tells the story of Penelope, I liked to see Odysseus's humility as he regrets his misdeeds and recognizes Penelope's strength. Odysseus's love and respect for Penelope really shines through in the second half of the book.
I didn't think I would like Athena's character much as the narrator, but I also thought the same about Hera and Aphrodite in the previous books. However, Athena's choice to fight for the women of Ithaca and step out of the shadows of men solidified her status as my favorite narrator of the three.
The Last Song of Penelope was a beautiful conclusion to a fascinating series, and one that you do not want to miss.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for the digital ARC!

I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me preface this by saying I have not read the previous two books in this series, but from what I read, it does well as a standalone so I decided to try it.

I enjoyed this, but perhaps not as much as I would have had I read the other books. There’s background I sense I missed, characters I would’ve appreciated more, and plot lines I would’ve understood a bit more in depth. For that reason, I do recommend reading the others first, but it truly isn’t necessary for the story.

The plot line is… well… I mean this is a retelling so it’s pretty true to Odysseus’s life as written in the epics. It was well done and lyrical, told from Athena’s POV. I personally thought the beginning was a bit slow for my liking (again, the issue of not reading the other two first), but the second half was interesting and had me wanting to continue. It took me over a week to read the first half, but two days for the second. The characters are interesting and cunning, but with the omniscient Athena, little is hidden from the reader. Men are generally trash in this book, but it is set in Ancient Greece so that is unsurprising. The writing is lyrical and poetic, but is part of the reason the book drug so much for me. I normally don’t mind writing like this, but for whatever reason, it didn’t do it for me like it usually does. I can appreciate a slow build, but I definitely struggled with this one.

All in all, I’ll give this a 3.25⭐️ with the allowance I likely would’ve enjoyed this much more after reading the series. If I do read the other two books, I may revisit and update my rating, but as a standalone, it wasn’t what I hoped it would be.

What a stunning conclusion to probably the best Greek mythology retelling I've ever read. I already know this series will be a perpetual re-read for me, and I simply cannot wait.

Our third and final entry into Penelope's story is narrated by Athena; an inspired choice! Odysseus is back and as egotistical as ever. This man really thinks he's gonna storm into the castle cosplaying as a sailor (with a terrible attempt at the accent) and kill 100 young men who haven't been stranded at sea for the last 10 years. Then, now, always, I repeat my refrain: the audacity of men!! Penelope is onto him - her first priority is getting her would-be boo Kenamon (#justiceforKenamonandPenelope) back to Egypt ASAP so he doesn't die like the rest of her suitors. After that, havoc ensues. Innocent maids are killed, dads are mad, and the whole thing turns into an epic battle.

I love a Greek retelling because the stories are so ripe for constant adaptation, but a FEMINIST Greek retelling?? I'll be first in line. This entire series has been fire, but this final entry is impeccable. Penelope gets to be the BAMF we know and love, Odysseus finally learns to apologize, and the women win the day. I am being a little glib in this review, but the truth is - I cried when we got to the end. There are brutal losses, and heartbreaking moments where the truth of the time wins out - Penelope will never be a real Queen, despite the fact that she was doing the damn thing for twenty years!

When this book is out, I'll flood this review with the dozens of quotes that struck me right in the heart, like an arrow from Odysseus's bow. But for now, I will simply say: you must read this. 5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This series has been a fantastic, mythological read from start to finish. I love getting a peek inside the gods’ heads (Athena’s narration is philosophical and humorous in turn), and I particularly love the focus on the women during a time of war and “heroism.” Being the daughter of a soldier–and having watched my own mother tend the home fires in my father’s absence–I know what it is to long for what is gone but also to make do and yes even thrive in the empty halls. Men may be actual warriors (or just projections of pontificating poets), but woman are heroes too; and Claire North’s trilogy about the strengths and travails of women was enjoyable to read the last couple of years.

I enjoy Claire North's writing style and anxiously awaited this installment of the trilogy. I have a great fondness for Athena Penelope and Odysseus. This book was well written but it seemed to take me a very long time to get through it, as opposed to the other two books in the series. That's not to say I didn't like it, I think, perhaps, it is the best of the three. The characters were believable and exciting.
I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great finale to a trilogy. This was very well written and wrapped up the series in a wonderful way.

The Last Song of Penelope is the final installment in Claire North's The Songs Of Penelope trilogy. It tells the story of Odysseus' return to Ithaca and how he, disguised as an old begger, spies upon Penelope and the suitors to uncover any wrong doings of his wife's in his absence.
Full of anger and without the full story, Odysseus lashes out at the suitors, and Penelope's maids, insighting a revenge-fueled war. Odysseus has survived twenty years of war, tragedy, and the wrath of the gods, but can he survive the vengeance sought by the family of those he killed?

Thank you #NetGalley, Redhook Books, and the Author Claire North for an advanced readers copy of The Last Song of Penelope in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED the first two books, so i might have screamed a little in excitement when I got approved! If you love mythology retellings and a feminist perspective, then this is the book for you! Put its release date of June 4th, 2024, on your calendars!

This entire trilogy has been excellent, and this conclusion was brutal and so sad I cried multiple times.

This trilogy is about Penelope and the women of Ithaca trying to prevent calamity in Odysseus' absence. The first book was narrated by Hera, the second by Aphrodite, and this one by Odysseus' protector goddess, Athena. Each goddess' narration is so different and for that reason each book feels so unique. With this third book, Odysseus has returned to Ithaca in the disguise of a beggar. Penelope has to contend with the return of the king of Ithaca, her husband, and who is seeking vengeance and violence against the men who sought Penelope's hand and his throne for those long years when he was gone. A final battle for Ithaca takes place, and whose story gets told, what the poets will say is all at stake. I loved this entire trilogy. It is just so beautifully written and the story is so interesting. The women of the tale, ignored or belittled by mythology, get what they deserve in this trilogy.

THE LAST SONG OF PENELOPE (THE SONGS OF PENELOPE #3)
BY: CLAIRE NORTH

This was my first reading experience with Claire North, as an author and I have mixed feelings about this last installment. I read this a couple weeks ago and it's the longest time that I have let a novel simmer in my mind after reading it and writing my review. I always write my review while a book is fresh in my mind with this being the exception. Anyone that takes the time to read my reviews, I'm pretty sure knows that I love Greek Mythology feminist re-told tales. My favorite are the two by Madeline Miller which the clear winner is Circe, followed by her former which served as an introduction to her gorgeous prose many years earlier called, The Song of Achilles. I didn't in all honesty find The Last Song of Penelope, which is the final installment in Claire North's trilogy as beautifully written as Madeline Miller's two of the novels which Circe being the clear favorite. If you are familiar with Greek Mythology this can be read as a standalone. I did find Athena's voice and guidance in the narration to be the most compelling written aspects of the novel which Claire North executed brilliantly.


The first book in this trilogy is called, Ithaca, which is narrated from the Greek goddess, Hera's perspective who was Zeus's wife. The second in this trilogy is called, House of Odysseus, which is narrated by the Greek goddess named, Aphrodite with some of the Greek goddess Artemis, as well. This one being reviewed is called, The Last Song of Penelope, which as I said is narrated by the Greek goddess, Athena. Athena is known in Greek Mythology as the goddess who represents: war, wisdom and military victory, but also includes a representation of the arts. The second half of this novel was my least favorite part of the book since it is when Penelope realizes that the shabby looking man who had disguised himself as a beggar is her husband, Odysseus. The reason I didn't feel as engaged in the writing was because it featured battles where they took place at Odysseus's father's farm where Odysseus has followed Penelope's ideas, which didn't feel organic. Because I've studied this subject matter on a scholarly level extensively, I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I should have.

In this re-telling in the feminist representation starts out with descriptions of Ithaca being an Island that was thought inferior since the land is scraggy, scrub brush and rocky, who most of the other kingdoms of Greece felt it less desirable to inhabit. Penelope has reigned by her strategic fashion of not alienating the vast amount of suitors who wish to marry her. One Egyptian King is given more focus in the narrative which was instrumental in his involvement with Penelope and Odysseus's son Telemachus learning to fight. Odysseus has been absent for nearly twenty years which if you are familiar with Homer's "Odyssey", and, "The Iliad," in short where he spent ten years fighting in the Trojan War to simplify it. It actually contains much, much more. For the sake of this novel and review I have omitted a wealth of information. Odysseus took with him all the strong men of fighting age off with him to fight with the other kings and mortals. This left Penelope in a vulnerable position to deal with the suitors who think that she is a widow because of Odysseus's long absence. She has had to deal with an enormous burden being young when he left. There are other men who were also hoping to replace Odysseus as king which Penelope had to outwit such as pirates and King Menelaus, Helen's husband.

What is the difference between, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey"? They are both epic poems written by Homer, with the scholarly texts that I studied and both contain more than twenty volumes each. I'm going to give a quick and short explanation. "The Iliad," should be read first since they are sequential. The Iliad is the epic poem about the Trojan War which Odysseus was fighting among the other kings of Greece which accounts for ten years of his time away from Ithaca. While the epic poem of "The Odyssey," is the story about the survivor of the war and his attempts to return home. For purposes of this trilogy, and "The Odyssey," it is Odysseus who takes from seven to ten years finding his way back to Ithaca. In this novel, and trilogy, this leaves Penelope utilizing all of her wits to keep other men from and kings from conquering Ithaca with the help of her trusted maidens and women. She has kept her suitors at bay and her son Telemachus who is now a grown man has just returned from searching for his father by which he doesn't have any news of whether Odysseus is alive or dead because he was unable to locate him. We the reader know, that Odysseus is safe and hiding on Ithaca disguised as the beggar, who is watching Penelope in trying to ascertain if she is/has been faithful to him.

The first half was more engaging for me than the second half by which I have already said was largely about battles of which there is retribution from some of the fathers of the suitors fighting Odysseus for something that he did. Actually, there were two things that he did in Claire North's version that has enraged Penelope and were the catalysts for her going to find safety to shelter with her father-in law, who is at Odysseus's father's farm. Before Odysseus makes his presence known Penelope is feeling guilty towards herself, in her view she feels responsible for Telemachus's indifference and hostility to her. She blames herself since she reasons within that she was neglectful of Telemachus's upbringing since she was always preoccupied with saving the kingdom of Ithaca. She is angry at Odysseus for reasons I won't say because they would be major spoilers. It has more to do with acts he did after he revealed who he was, making his presence known upon his return, than the twenty years he spent away.

In the parts of fighting that I found tedious and slow, but then again someone else who reads this may love it for its action driven plot. Odysseus and Telemachus who follow Penelope to the farm, with a small number of men will find themselves fighting for their lives. It is here that I noticed Claire North's writing infused in the empathetic voice of Athena's narration to be stunning. Athena who is created by North to employ her voice of reason, and fighting for just causes. as the goddess of war and wisdom. Athena is seen as a civilizing influence with her wisdom of war, in sharp contrast to Ares who is seen as representing the distasteful aspects of brutal warfare and slaughter. I did like this part when I felt the author's love of her central characters. One part of this is going to appeal to women as Penelope's is seen as the feminist icon who saves the the main characters by having her maidens and more warriors arrive within Elektra's army fight in an important battle. By bringing in women reinforcements where Odysseus, his father and Telemachus are outnumbered with each battle fought. As the battles proceed, and both sides rest and bury the dead. Next they regroup, and strategic decisions are made when their size of men left are greatly outnumbered by the opposition. As a feminist retelling having Odysseus portrayed as deferring to Penelope's decisions it works for this novel, but I found it unrealistic and that could've influenced my enjoyment of the first half to be more connected to the storytelling, characters and narrative to a greater degree.

In the final saga of Penelope, the song of Penelope is ending and the song of Odysseus's return to take his place as King of Ithaca again will happen if everybody is to be up to the task of cooperation. First it's up to Penelope to dig deep within her and with Athena's gentle guidance and voice it will test Penelope again to gather her wits and use her cunning to win a war for the fate of Ithaca. No matter what, or how grand the challenge, the lengths she will go to save her island and family, in ways that are unconventional and seldom done will surprise you.

Publication Date: June 4, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Claire North and Redhook Books, Redhook for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheLastSongofPenelope #ClaireNorth #RedhookBooksRedhook #NetGalley

Utterly, utterly amazing! I didn’t want it to stop! A perfect ending to a book no one will want to put down. I want more!

Claire North is a brilliant writer who enthralls every reader who glances at a single page. This whole series is one of my top favorites of all time.

Claire North turns Myth into beautiful prose as always. Helps you see another side to a familiar story that makes you think in a way you never expected too.

She's a bit now author for me due to being such a mythology buff and will continue to sing her praises. She pulls you into an imperfect world that's not always magical and kind.