Ithaca is a great addition to the Greek myth retelling canon. North’s typical excellent use of tone and narrative voice sets this apart from the weaker novels in this genre. It gives strong characterisation to Penelope, not the voiceless grieving abandoned wife of Odysseus within the timing of the Trojan War, casting her as a wise and smart woman. The plot is slow with the omniscient narrator of the goddess Hera but this adds gravitas rather than feeling sluggish, allowing for more examination of the characters. Would recommend alongside Circe and the other critically renowned novels within this genre

A complete change in style and genre from the usual dystopian fiction for the marvellous Claire North, however Ithaca still boasts her exquisite quality of writing and wicked sense of humour.
Ithaca is narrated by Hera who has based herself on Ithaca in order to watch over Penelope, one of her three beloved Greek Queens. I love the depiction of the various characters especially the other female gods and the way they interact with the more human cast list in order to influence events.
Claire North never fails to impress and I’m pleased to announce that this incredible novel has turned me onto the current popular genre of mythology – yep I know I’m soooo late to the party.

Great read, so interesting, I love this type of historical fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Ithaca by Claire North is the latest of many Greek mythology retellings based on the events surrounding the Trojan War. What makes this one different from the others I’ve read is that it focuses on the story of Penelope as seen through the eyes of the goddess Hera.

It has been seventeen years since Penelope’s husband Odysseus, King of Ithaca, sailed away to war with Troy and although the war is now over, she and her son, Telemachus, are still awaiting his return. Penelope is kept busy running the kingdom with the help of her women, while also trying to defend the island of Ithaca from raiders and fend off the attentions of the crowd of suitors who have descended upon her home in the hope of marrying her if Odysseus never comes back. Meanwhile, Penelope’s cousin Clytemnestra has fled to Ithaca looking for somewhere to hide after murdering her husband, Agamemnon.

Ithaca is quite a long novel and moves at a slow pace; it’s the first in a planned trilogy and Claire North takes her time setting the scene and introducing the characters. I liked the choice of Hera as narrator; she provides a different perspective on a well-known story and I enjoyed her observations of the mortal world and her interactions with other goddesses such as Athena. However, it does mean we are kept at a distance from Penelope herself, which could explain why I found it difficult to form any kind of connection with her – or with any of the other characters. For that reason, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the second book. Claire North writes beautifully but I needed more than that to sustain my interest in the story.

This book was beautifully written but sadly I struggled to connect with any of the characters and it just didn’t hold my interest at times. I think because there are some amazing books set in this era which I’ve loved, this one just feel a little short in comparison for me personally.

This is a nice addition to the new genre of Greek myth retellings but I did find it to be a little over long with foreshadowing that wasn't always resolved in this book. I think I'll read any sequels but the pacing did put me off a little

Penelope is, without a doubt, one of the best human characters from Greek mythology. She is held up by later eras as the epitome of womanly virtue, waiting for her husband to return, refusing to take another man despite how likely it is that Odysseus is just not coming home. But she isn't just passively waiting for his return - she has her own kingdom left to run, but has to meet the balance between expectations of her role, and expectations of men. And she has also been retold - we have The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood - oddly not one of my favourites, but it's still Penelope's side.

This book tries to do something slightly different - instead of just being Penelope's point of view, this tale is told by Hera, goddess of women, mothers, queens. Penelope is one of the last remaining queens in Greece and it is this that causes Hera to take an interest in her, showing respect for her quiet tweaking of threads in the background (very reminiscent of images of Penelope from Madeleine Miller's Circe), to planning schemes with her loyal maids.

Hera too knows the constraints of men, bound to her brother-husband Zeus, she appears to see something of herself in these mortal women that are forced to operate around the requirements of men. And it appears that mortals are not the only ones to suffer the tempers and patronising attitude of men.

I found this a little hard-going to begin with and it took me a while to settle into the story. In part, that was me waiting to find out what was new, what fresh titbit would I be able to gather about these characters, and that doesn't start until a little later one when you begin to grasp the scope of Penelope's ingenuity.

In all, a solid retelling to add to the collection. But I'm ready to move away from characters that are linked to Odysseus now ...

This book was very slow to start. I thought because I had previously enjoyed books with the same viewpoint on silenced Greek women who were outshined by their more famous male counterparts (husbands, sons etc), I'd also enjoy this book. However, I was wrong to a certain degree. I thoroughly enjoyed the feminine gaze to the story and having Hera (queen of the Greek Gods) partially narrate the story really put an emphasis how ancient Greece was a patriarchal society. The downside was because the story took so long to get anywhere, I'd lost interest. The politics aspect was so embroiled but it was not for me; I could see why others would not be put off by this though.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a finished copy in exchange for an honest review.

Initially, I found this book a little difficult to get into which I think was because I was getting confused by the POV (goddess Hera), but once I had gotten over this I did start to really enjoy it. I loved the character Penelope and her gentle but strong will to protect Ithaca. I loved the feminist empowerment represented in the book. I think there was a few too many characters that made connecting with them slightly difficult, particularly as I’m quite new to Greek mythology. However, if you know quite a lot about Greek mythology then it will be an easy read. There was a lot of beautiful description and I loved the dry humour in the book at times. Overall, a great read for Greek mythology lovers!

“I, Hera, mother of Olympus, … Forget the songs of Apollo, or the proud declarations of haughty Athena. Their poems only glorify themselves. ..only I will tell you the truth. I, who part the veil of time, will tell those stories that only the women tell. So follow me to the western isles, to the halls of Odysseus, and listen.”

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group U.K. Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Ithaca’ by Claire North.

This is the first in North’s ‘The Songs of Penelope’ duology that retells the story of Penelope of Ithaca, wife of Odysseus. Seventeen years have passed since Odysseus and the fighting men of Ithaca sailed to join the war against Troy. Yet while the war is long over, Odysseus has not returned leaving the throne of Ithaca empty. In his absence, Penelope is besieged by suitors and has to find creative ways to distract them while running the kingdom.

I am always drawn to retellings of Greek myths, especially those that focus on the often overlooked stories of women. In recent years there has been a number of these that have proved popular with readers and also drawn critical acclaim.

In ‘Ithaca’ the Goddess Hera serves as narrator, providing an overview of events. A fitting choice given that she is the patron goddess of wives and mothers and Penelope epitomises the role of the faithful wife.

Claire North effortlessly passed my ‘gods’ test in that she doesn’t rationalise the existence of gods and goddesses and they emerged as characters in their own right. It was also refreshing to have Hera portrayed in a more positive light.

Overall, I was impressed throughout with the quality of North’s writing and her storytelling skills. ‘Ithaca’ proved an immersive read and certainly is one that I will be recommending enthusiastically to friends who appreciate literary mythological retellings.

The novel ends on an ominous note that promises more riches to come in ‘House of Odysseus’ due to be published next August.

I did like sections of this but i really struggled to get through this book. I don't know why but i just didn't vibe with it fully. The writing and characters were fine but there was just something missing from this overall. I don't know if i'd read the follow up but i liked the premise for this and thought it could've been explored in a way that i found more interesting.

I love anything Greek mythology related, and also Claire North, so this was a must read!

It does not disappoint! I didn't know very much about Penelope, so found this story interesting and was also prompted to look for further information elsewhere whilst reading. Strong female characters drive this story, with the main narrative coming from Hera.

Very much looking forward to the follow up title....

Thank you for letting me read this! This book was interesting and I learned some new aspects of the myths that I didn't know. I really enjoyed having Hera as an (unreliable) narrator, I liked her bitter, funny narrations. I have to say though, while I respect and appreciate Penelope as a character, I've never been as interested in her and Odysseus as I have others. That being said, this is very well written and captivating, weaving in a number of well known and lesser known characters from Greek myth.

Penelope has been waiting for over 17 years for the return of her husband Odysseus, the king of Ithaca. Her son Telemachus is already grown into a young man eager to be as famous as his father. When pirates attack one of the coastal cities in search of gold, Penelope must try to defend herself with the few men who did not leave for Troy. Meanwhile, those same men expect her to choose a new husband. And then there are rumours that her cousin Clythemnestra is hiding in Ithaca, after the murder of her husband Agamemnon.

Jes, another Greek myth retelling. By an author unknown to me, who normally writes science fiction. 'Ithaca' is the first book of a planned trilogy and tells the story of Penelope, Odysseus' wife from the perspective of the goddess Hera. This unique point of view is an original choice and makes for an entertaining book. Hera is critical for her fellow Gods and the human race, but also a loving mother to the three Greek queens (Helen, Clythemnestra and Penelope).

However, the pace of the story is ridiculously slow and very little happens, especially in the middle of the book. The book is very character-driven, but I don't think Penelope and Telemachus really come off as interesting. I felt they were overshadowed by Clythemnestra and Ellektra who also pop up in the story. There are so many suitors involved and I couldn't keep up with who was who. And then you also have Penelope's women who are preparing for war and who feel interchangeable. I didn't build a relationship with any of the characters.

North writes beautiful sentences with an overtly feminist slant. But she couldn't always hold my attention. So I don't know yet if I want to read the next part. This book reminded me of 'Argo' by Mark Knowles. Trying to turn a myth into a series involves a lot of detail and then the story loses some of its value.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca's shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women - and their goddesses - that will change the course of the world.

'The greatest power we women can own is that which we take in secret.'

Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and held my attention. I will be reading more from this author :)

I was very excited to read this this book but unfortunately I found it very disappointing. I loved the voice of Hera as the narration of the book, and I found the epithets used throughout the book as Homer did very smart. However that's as far as my enjoyment went. I found it difficult to read, I just couldn't get engaged. It felt like the author was adding as many characters as she could to prove she knew about the subject when in fact the book didn't need that at all. I found it difficult to digest, and couldn't really see the plot even though I know the plot inside out (I would like to add I have a degree in Classics and a Masters in Ancient History and to have difficulties engaging in this was surprising, believe me!)
The book finished partway through the story of Penelope and her wait for Odysseus, so it's very likely there will be a second installment... that I definitely won't be reading.

I really enjoyed Ithaca! Through all these Greek Mythology retellings I sure am learning lots about it. This one by Claire North had quite a lot of characters but centred on Penelope. It really hammered home on women being treated like shit and mother/children relationships.

Highly recommend if you like Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes.

I’ve never read a retelling of Greek mythology and I think that’s why I wasn’t very fond of this one either.
I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Publishing for sending me an arc to this book. And now, we Shall get into my review. It’s my honest and complete opinion.

I think if I would have read something like this before or if I had a bit more knowledge of Greek mythology this would’ve been one of the greatest books I’ve read this year. But obviously, I had not and I did not really enjoy reading it. I didn’t like the writing style at all, I am not native so I had a very hard time reading it and understanding, I feel like the author tried to make it more of a classic in that sense but I honestly think it was just very pretentious and unnecessary to use bug words. At times I got really confused about the characters, I didn't know who was who. It was just too much for me.

On the other hand, I do wish to give another chance to this book because I feel like it wasn't really anything wrong with this book but it was me the one who didn't understand too much due to a lack of knowledge of Greek mythology. I will come back after I read some more retellings and maybe who knows, maybe I will find it more interesting then.

A great addition to the trend for retelling Greek myths with a modern and feminist slant, this explores the lives of the women of Ithaca as they wait for Odysseus to return from his long voyage. It's narrated by Hera, which I thought was a brilliant idea, as she is so often dismissed, and focuses on Penelope and her efforts to rule and protect Ithaca in her husband's absence. It's quite a slow burn but it's razor sharp and witty, with some really stunning descriptions. You can sense the author had fun with the voices of Hera and the other goddesses, and it all ties together really well. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Saint and Madeline Miller.