5.0 out of 5 stars An exploration of Greek Myth with a modern eye.
By Robert on January 28, 2016
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Mythology looks very different to the modern eye, even in the fantasy genre where magic, gods, and heroes are accepted parts of fictional worlds.
In classical myth, Medousa is the story of a monster, a priestess raped by one god, punished with the loss of her humanity by another, and finally slain by the half-divine son of a third.

Michael Butchin turns the myth on its head by looking at the story from the point of view of a young girl taken as a slave, grown into a young woman punished for refusing to suicide after her rape. This becomes a powerful story of love, grief, and redemption in the face of tragedy.

Other mythic and historical figures make appearances, again as viewed through modern eyes, offering opportunities for comedy, tragedy, and philosophy, which resonates well within the cultural context Butchin is exploring.

Medousa is appropriate for young adult audiences, but does contain (unavoidably) both sexual themes and violence. The book also explores gender roles and GLBTQ themes, again within the context of Greek myth and culture.

Highly recommended.


Claire Holland rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Trust me... this is the best novel I have read on Medusa. I thoroughly enjoyed the poor girls story of slave to demigod. I laughed, I cried, and have a whole new perspective on Medusa, This book I rate five stars for all round it fitted, it was fresh and New and if you're a fan of Greek history this tome packs a punch to satisfy your desires.

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I enjoyed falling into a world of myth and legend with the heart of a young girl at stake, I cried, I laughed, got extremely angry and died a little alongside this heroine. An addictive read so beware!! Definitely deserves the five star rating

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Revisioning of a Classical Monster
By E.P. Clark on March 23, 2016
Format: Paperback
4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5.

I was immediately intrigued when I came across this book. I have to admit I'm a sucker for those stories where we get to hear the side of the "bad guys," and it certainly seems like classical Greek mythology is in desperate need of a retelling from the point of view of the other side, especially when that other side is female. So I absolutely loved the concept right off the bat.

The book is very detailed and well-researched, and for those of us with an amateur love of Greek mythology, it's a lot of fun to encounter Ajax, Heracles, Helen, and so on and so forth from a different perspective (Ajax is a bashful suitor, Heracles is a drunken screw-up who takes credit for others' deeds, and Helen is one of Medousa's friends and protectors). The author freely admits in the afterword that all these characters are thrown together with no particular attention paid to their "actual" chronology, if such a thing can be said about mythological figures, but the effect is (for me at least) a series of delightful cameos by famous heroes. Medousa herself is a very sympathetic character, and her rehabilitation is welcome and overdue...overall "Medousa" is an excellent revision of a number of classical Greek myths and well worth the read for those that enjoy myth-based fantasy. Furthermore, the fact that most of the main characters are female warriors of one sort or another as another very refreshing aspect of the book: instead of having a token warrior princess, practically the entire cast is made up of Spartan battle-trained women, Amazons, goddesses, Gorgons, etc. etc...we're not used to having that many women in our books, and it was yet another good reason to enjoy "Medousa."

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.