House of Odysseus has absolutely blown me away. I read Ithaca last year and thoroughly enjoyed it but I felt like it suffered from two things: slow pacing and a disconnect from the main characters of the story. House of Odysseus is the follow up to award-winning author Claire North's Ithaca "a powerful, fresh, and unflinching" reimagining (Jennifer Saint) that breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. The protagonist of the story is a compelling and complex character, offering a fresh perspective on the well-known figure of Penelope. Her personal journey is filled with obstacles, self-discovery, and moments of profound introspection, allowing readers to connect with her on a deep emotional level. The supporting cast is equally well-crafted, each adding their own layers of depth and intrigue to the narrative. Elektra and Helen of Troy are given voices in this narrative as well; they are not just seen as vapid, beautiful (but tragic) figures in the story. They plot. They aid. They use their wits to ensure Penelope is helped to preserve the peace on the island. I appreciate that this retelling focused on the women and their alliance and how they helped one another and showed strength, not in the physical sense, but the emotional. They were so intelligent and ruthless, it was refreshing to read about. I fell in love with North’s depiction of Hera and Penelope as they navigate Ithacan politics in Ithaca. And while I was rather sad Hera departed as a narrator, Aphrodite was such an incredible successor. Her perspective not only brought a deliciously scandalous perspective to Penelope’s love life, but it just felt right to have the goddess of love narrate the faithful queen’s next political adventure. 🕊️ Penelope is proving to be an outstanding epic hero in her own right. A sensational retelling' Elodie Harper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf Den

This time I find the characters most developed and fascinating, truth to be told, CN' Helen is the one that for so long I was looking forward to finding her in a retelling, Helen I always imagined in my mind, well down!

I know, I know, I also was among others who didn't enjoy the first book, as much as it deserved, but House of Odysseus filled all the previous weak points, I really liked this one! I’m incredibly sadden that I have to wait yet another year for the next book and conclusion of the series, but I’m putting money down right now to say that North is going to use Athena as a narrator and I’M SO READY FOR AN ATHENA POV!! 🦉 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.

Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, has been waiting for her husband's return for over twenty years. But what she gets instead is a tense family standoff on the isle of Ithaca, it will be up to Penelope, Elektra, and Helen to use all that they have to outwit the ruthless men around them. House of Odysseus is a feminist retelling of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, who was left to run Ithaca for twenty years whilst Odysseus sailed to the Battle of Troy. This story explores female desire, has exceptional political court intrigue, and is a lesson in underestimating women. Everything I’ve wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice – this is an absolute masterpiece’ Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin I have a smile on my face after reading this brilliant book. Claire North made me laugh my head off at this excellent re-telling of the Penelopiad.Aphrodite is generally portrayed as conniving and cruel, wielding love as a weapon. In House of Odysseus, she knows that she is viewed as such, but within her mind we see that she does truly find something to love about everyone. It’s sweet and lovely and more than a little sad, as she holds so much love inside herself so as not to make others feel more uncomfortable around her than they are already. I’ve never been a fan of Aphrodite, but this book softened my heart toward her in exactly the same way Ithaca softened me toward Hera. North has a gift here, of bringing dimension and sympathy to classical characters. 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 liked the narrator being Aphrodite considerably less than Hera in book one. I thought more could have been done about the parallels between her feigning just being the dumb goddess of love and lust and Helen being her most favored mortal. Overall just not as poignant a storyteller and perspective to share for me as Hera, but to each their own. I can see that (if Athena is indeed the narrator of the third book) what North is aiming for in the trilogy as whole, highlighted by one of Aphrodite's lines alluding to Clytemnestra being Hera's, Helen being hers and Penelope being Athena's by way of Athena's love for Odysseus. And she did have some interesting bits (insight into /all/ forms of love) and it was nice that all the other divinities didn't stall conversation/information delivery etc. because of their contempt for her (as they did with Hera). The constant fawning was something I started to glaze over but I realize that it's very in character and on brand, though I still would have preferred less of it. I really can't praise this book enough. Its an absolute joy to read. Claire North has outdone herself. If only all retellings could be this good (she said wistfully). This will give you a completely different outlook on various goddesses, Spartans in general and Helen in particular. Highly recommended.

Men give women power, and women sacrifice the women around them to appease men. Not Clytemnestra..." What sets House of Odysseus apart is North's skillful blending of the ancient and the contemporary. She effortlessly juxtaposes the mythical elements of the story with the realities of modern life, creating a thought-provoking exploration of themes such as feminism, identity, power, family ties, and the enduring power of myth. The seamless integration of these elements is a testament to North's storytelling prowess. 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. Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies' The TimesThis story breathes to life an ancient myth and gives a proper voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by cruel, ruthless men. I was a huge fan of Claire North’s first book in the The Songs of Penelope Series. This is my bag, retelling of the ancient Greek epics. North is keeping this to a trilogy, which I think is perfect, long enough to really dig into the details, yet not so long and dragged out that the reader will lose interest.