Clytemnestra: The spellbinding retelling of Greek mythology’s greatest heroine

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Rivals House of the Dragon in conspiracies and feminine brutality. An electrifying read' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE

Everything you could want from a mythology-based fantasy. In the vein of both Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes, fans will absolutely love this one too. I would venture to say that her name will soon be added to theirs when people are comparing books within this sub-genre of mythological/historical fantasy. Although there were moments when I felt that the novel could have been shortened, there were just as many where I wished it wouldn’t end. The writing was beautiful and stayed true to the lyrical format/prose of old mythology, while managing to modernize some of the language. The characters were complex and complicated and, although the minor characters were numerous, even they were well-developed and purposefully written. For this genre, this novel really stood out to me in how thoughtful Costanza was in making tangible the relationships between the players and their complex feelings, which I experienced as I read. Again, I appreciated the attention that was given to characters other than Clytemnestra in this regard. It brought the book to life. I really love having a woman’s point of view because most mythology retellings are from a man’s stand point and you don’t get to see the woman’s side or perspective. I hadn’t known much about Clytemnestra because she hasn’t been a main character in any of the stories I’ve read or research I’ve done. She’s very interesting that’s for sure. I’m not sure I’d compare her to Cersi though. I hated Cersi; I didn’t hate Clytemnestra. Thank you to Net Galley, Costanza Casati, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to leave a positive review, but my enthusiasm is because it is a great book!A heroine of fierce spirit. With the fire and spark of Madeline Miller and the depths of Mary Renault' MANDA SCOTT

I thought Clytemnestra was an odd choice as heroine, even within the recent trend of novels centering women in Greek mythology - but I read this book because I was excited to see how it would be done.

Children’s book of the week

In general, and related with the previous point, the story is so well built, that you get to know everything in the queen's life, starting from her youth. I love how Helen is portrayed here, and I love their relationship as sisters and friends for life. Getting to know Clytemnestra from such a young age and grow up with her, it makes you feel more aware of what she feels and what she will do. I haven't read many books where her youth is a topic, so that was a good start with this book. And how it ends for me seals the deal, like, we all know what's gonna happen, but for a moment, she can have peace. Clytemnestra was the daughter of Tyndareus and Leda, the King and Queen of Sparta, making her a Spartan Princess. According to the myth, Zeus appeared to Leda in the form of a swan, seducing and impregnating her. Leda produced four offspring from two eggs: Castor and Clytemnestra from one egg, and Helen and Polydeuces (Pollux) from the other. Therefore, Castor and Clytemnestra were fathered by Tyndareus, whereas Helen and Polydeuces were fathered by Zeus. Her other sisters were Philonoe, Phoebe and Timandra. Spartan women were raised to be warriors and to fight. Clytemnestra was one of the strongest and thus, Agamemnon was determined to have her. He enlists her father’s help to kill her first husband and baby son. From then on, she lives for revenge. This is a woman who was prepared to wait to get even; she could have created the phrase that revenge is a dish best served cold. Agamemnon continues to give her reasons to hate him. Casati did such an excellent job making Clytemnestra come across as a living, breathing woman, I wanted revenge for her as much as she did. The myths about Clytemnestra speak of what she does. This book provides the reasoning for her actions. While she is despised in the myths, here she is a sympathetic character (at least to me). Let me begin by saying this is one of the best books I’ve read in a loooooooong time. And as an avid complainer/whiner, I do not say that lightly.

Perhaps my favorite trend in recent years is the growing need for authors to give voice to the silenced women of Greek mythology. There are quite a lot of them, from mortals like Helen and Briseis to the monstrous Circe and Medusa. Costanza Casati contributes a mesmerizing addition to this trend in her debut novel, Clytemnestra( Sourcebooks), which recounts a breathtaking story of love and vengeance through the eyes of ancient Greece’s most notorious heroine. Strong-Willed Princess That is all that I will disclose, but this is so filled with a beautifully written story of a fearless, yet compassionate coming of age story that encompasses Clytemnestra's young life as a warrior who could fight successfully. It includes her family of origin and her reign as Queen at a time when most men didn't respect women. She successfully rules as she is left for nine years while Agamemnon is off fighting Troy. This war begins because Paris, Prince of Troy, entices Queen Helen to leave her husband, King Menelaus and her young daughter in Sparta. I never knew that Penelope who marries Odysseus of Ithaca, was Clytemnestra's and Helen's cousin.Reading an entire book that focuses on Clytemnestra’s life is something I so desperately needed after reading Elektra, and I cannot tell you how pleased I was to find this on my local library’s shelf.