this was such a good retelling of the story !! very interesting characters but the pace was slow at times.

Another book to fuel a Greek mythology obsession.

Claire North reimagines the story of the women of Ithaca, the homeland of Odysseus who sets sail for Troy seventeen years ago with all the men of Ithaca. He leaves his wife Penelope behind, still a child, for ten years for the battle of Troy and another seven years unaccounted for. Men of neighbouring islands grow restless that he has still not returned and many are looking at Penelope and the island of Ithaca as fair game.

It’s a careful balancing act in which Penelope tries her hardest not to allow
Ithaca to fall into a civil war. The gods continue to meddle in their lives, particularly the goddess Hera, she also provides excellent and hilarious narration during the book.

I really enjoyed it, I thought the author brought a fresh and powerful look at the events following the fall of Troy and delved deeper into the strength of the women behind all “the great men” in Greek mythology.

Thank you @netgallery and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for this advanced copy of Ithaca in exchange for an honest review

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel once I'd got into it, which admittedly took a few chapters.

The story of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, is told in this instance by the queen of the twelve Olympians and wife of Zeus. As we are dealing with myths I suppose its acceptable to write anything but Claire North sticks to the basic "facts" from other written works so nothing totally fabulous thankfully.

Instead what we get is a believable rendering of what happened to the women of Ithaca once the Trojan wars were done and Odysseus has decided to go on an extended ramble around the med courtesy of upsetting quite a few gods in the past.

However whilst he's having a fine time with Calypso, his wife is having to run an island with no money, no men of working age (because the Trojan wars pretty much finished them all off), no true allies and all whilst she has to fend off the myriad suitors who would wed her to get their hands on the kingdom, the crown and the supposed riches that Penelope has salted away.

Claire North weaves (unlike Penelope) a very tight tale about how Penelope managed the suitors, the economy and the raiders who have chosen this time to launch murderous attacks on her lands. Of course with Hera telling the tale we are shown the whole story, including the various scraps with other goddesses. We are therefore given a tale from the point of view of the women who are left after their men went to war and didn't come home by a champion of women.

I dislike the tag that this is a feminist story. It is simply a story told truthfully, in that when men go to war to prove themselves the women are usually left behind and invariably make an extremely good job of making their country work and defending their land.

Penelope comes across as a steadfast, faithful wife who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. The women around her are not all her allies but she uses them to her best advantage. She is a clever and interesting character.

I believe this is one of a short series of books about Penelope. I will definitely keep my eyes open for the next one.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys the retelling of Greek myths, women's fiction or, in fact, anyone who enjoys a jolly good tale which never shies away from the seedier aspects of life a few thousand years ago.
Edit Review

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Ithaca' by Claire North. As requested, I have waited to put out my full review on here closer to the release date.

I love Greek mythology retellings and this book was not an exception. It was spectacular. Ithaca, the place where the hero Odysseus called "home" is at the front of this Greek Retelling. What I loved most about this retelling was that it focused quite a large sum on his wife - Penelope. I absolutely love Penelope in the original myths and when I encountered this book, I was excited to see how North would write her. She did Penelope justice.

This is only the first one by North and I am intrigued to see where she goes from here.

Being a fan of Claire North's works and having read a few modern retellings of Greek myths, I thought I'd give "Ithaca" a go. I have to say that it's not my favourite Claire North book nor my favourite modern Greek myth but maybe this is because I am all Greek-mythed out and no reflection on the storytelling. You have to admire Penelope: she married Odysseus at a young age and then he swanned off for many years leaving her to hold the fort (literally). Her tactic to postpone remarrying by weaving the funeral shroud for Laertes is genius. Other parts of the story didn't interest me as much but I do appreciate the modern language to help bring the story to life.

As an avid Claire North/Kate Griffin/Catherine Webb fan, I could with confidence tell you that I'd read pretty much anything she chooses to write about - even if I have hesitation over the choice of the subject matter. In this instance — I have always loved Greek mythology, but not so much their modern retellings: they are more miss than hit for me. (While I enjoyed Percy Jackson back in the day, I bounced off Madeline Miller so hard I nearly gave myself a concussion, for example.)

But it's Claire North, so it was bound to be different - and it is, in the sense that it's as realistic and gritty as a myth reimagining can be. Just like the blurb suggests, it focuses on Penelope, the women around her and connected to her, and in addition we get Hera as our narrator. Hera's voice took me by surprise: it’s the vodka aunt of Olympus, bitter and disillusioned and so, so done with patriarchy and golden heroic narratives. This is a story of solidarity among women in a men's world, which is both great as a concept and maddening to read about - not because it doesn't work, but because the reasons why the women are struggling is infuriatingly relatable: they are suffering simply for being women. Depending on how you relate to this, the story could read anywhere from uplifting to depressing. I enjoyed the narrative and the style — my gripes, if any, are with the slow pacing; but perhaps unavoidable, when you are talking about what is essentially a hostage situation. A word of warning if you are easily triggered: though there is nothing too explicit in the text, there are mentions of physical and emotional abuse about it.

Needless to say, Claire North is a master when it comes to turns of phrase or making her writing flow in a seemingly effortless way, enjoyable even when the subject matter provoked a range of emotions, including some pretty depressing ones. Hera is just such a perfect vehicle for some well-earned vitriol!

I’ve received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to the fantasy and mythology genre, but, I am widening my perspectives and so dar loving it. The author has done this brilliantly. The story is beautifully written, the characters come alive on the page, the settings pop and all characters have a believable voice. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

What a fascinating book. I love retellings of Greek myths but sometimes it can be a let-down but this was lovely. With the goddess Hera as the narrator, it tells the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and her life while he is away for years. She has to keep suitors at bay, try to guide her son, and stop Ithaca from being invaded. The focus is on the women of the kingdom and though the plot is slow, it's very character-driven so the time is spent getting to know everyone (and there are many characters), including Hera. Having the goddess as the narrator does keep the reader at a distance from Penelope and feels like we are watching the goings-on at Ithaca from above. I would have loved to hear what Penelope is thinking but it did not stop my enjoyment of the book. I have read and enjoyed the author's sci-fi work and she does a great switch to historical fiction, it's a must-read for fans of Greek myths.

Thank you so much Net Galley and Little Brown Book group for allowing me to read this book. Whilst it took a while to get into, I am so glad I stuck with it as I really enjoyed it. I love how the story of Penelope is narrated by Hera (Queen of the Gods) and how other Greek goddesses have a key role in the island of Ithaca. I have always been a massive fan of mythology, so this book very much did it for me.

Greek mythology is very much ‘male-dominant’ and women’s role, according to the original Greek beliefs, was to produce children and just be a wife. This feminist retelling of the story of Penelope (the unfortunate wife of Odysseus) and how she got the island to respect her when their ‘King’ was away. This story emphasises the importance and strength of the Greek Queens and how they became dominant.

The book was beautifully written and also had that witty humour that many enjoy. This is definitely for fans of Madeleine Miller and Natalie Haynes, such as myself. I would also recommend this book to people who have not read any books from these authors. I would happily read Ithaca again and can’t wait to see what books Claire North comes out with next.

An enjoyable read with likeable characters that should make its way into your beach bag this summer, definitely an author to watch out for

When you read as many mythology retellings as I do, it is a rare feat when a book can make you completely reevaluate a well-known and oft-depicted goddess from the pantheon and see her in an entirely new light, but this novel did just that. North's decision to have Hera narrate this retelling of Penelope's time in Ithaca as her husband Odysseus travels home was an absolute masterstroke. The way she uses Hera's vantage point to add commentary and bite to the story was incredible and nuanced, never losing that omniscient and immortal feeling. At first, Hera may seem like an odd choice. She is not usually connected thematically to the Odyssey as she is with other stories, and she has no particular connection to Odysseus but as I said, North used Hera in a way that has completely made me reevaluate my understanding of what Hera can be. North uses her role as the goddess of wives and marriage and what that would actually mean in these ancient stories in a way that I've not seen used before and I can't believe I never considered, to the point that it seems natural that she would belong there. This does not mean she creates a Hera that is fluffy and kind or inconsistent with her usual depictions, her Hera is arrogant and powerful and frustrated and difficult all at once, and her relationship with her queens in Greece is similarly complicated. She has her favourites, and she can be as cruel and narrowminded as the rest of the gods. Through her voice, North explores not only Penelope but Clytemnestra and Helen along with other female characters both from the Odyssey and not. North creates a tapestry of women, fleshing out Ithaca, this kingdom without a king, a land where a generation of men have not returned from Troy, where the only ones that remain are the old men, the boys and the women, and engages with the political and social ramifications. Her depictions of the gods other than Hera were also interesting. While they aren't given as much time narratively and they are shown through Hera's (fairly critical) eyes, there were some really fascinating characterisations, and Hera's conflict with Athena is something I hope gets explored further. I really enjoyed this book. While it is not an Odyssey retelling per se, it is a brilliant read, and I can't wait to read the next one.

Another Greek myth re-telling and I loved it. this is the first book in a trilogy about Penelope, the wife of Odysseus who has been waiting twenty years for him to return from the Trojan War. With the War ended years ago, everyone seems to think that Odysseus is dead and so the palace at Ithaca is full of suitors, all wanting Penelope's hand and the opportunity to rule.

This is a tried and trusted tale that we all know but the author gives it a new lease of life. The narrator is Hera, the wife of Zeus and while, from some of the reviews that I read, there seems to be those that do not like this, I did. I really enjoyed seeing things from the goddess' perspective - and she is very blunt at times - and I also like the interactions with the other goddesses. She might be a goddess, but we can see that her power is limited - she cannot throw thunderbolts. She whispers into ears, she holds a hand, soothes a brow. The power lies with her husband.

This is a character driven novel and Penelope is resourceful, crafty, and strong - except when dealing with her son, Telemachus. Then we see the woman, not the queen. The women around her, her loyal slaves, we also come to know and knowing how the story ends for the women upon Odysseus' return, i am expecting that the third book will be quite traumatic. In this first novel we also meet Clytemnestra who is on the run after killing her husband, Agamemnon - her children Orestes and Elektra arrive on Ithaca looking for their mother so that they can avenge their father. Clytemnestra is Hera's favourite Greek queen and again, we see how powerless she is. This may be a novel full of strong women but the men still have the upper hand. That said, these men in the story - there is nothing heroic or noble about them. It is the women who have those qualities.

Throw in raids upon Ithaca by pirates and we have a book that has so much going on. An really good re-telling that pretty much sticks to the stories that we have all grown up with. Roll on Book 2.

Hooray! Another feminist greek re-telling that is fab. It took me probably 50 pages to really get into this book but once I did, I was hooked. I loved Penelope's story line and even more I loved Elektra's story line. Finally she was represented as the strong, manipulative character that she is. 4.5 but rounded up to 5. I can't wait to read the next one.

Thanks to the author and Little Brown Book Group (Orbit Books) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. The story is narrated by Hera (goddess of women and wives, and Zeus’ queen). This served to broaden the plot and show us scenes from a variety of characters. I know some people had issues with this as they expected to get a more personal perspective from Penelope herself, but I actually really enjoyed seeing Penelope from Hera’s perspective and in the context of the wider Aegean milieu. The writing style is very relaxed; like streams of thought, and therefore sometimes it can be a bit confusing and jarring but I quickly got used to it. Having Hera as the narrator was also a great technique to discuss more feminist interpretations of Greek literature – this is becoming a common trend in recent mythology retellings, but I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of it!

I also loved that pretty much the entire book is set on Ithaca (hence the title) – Ithaca is a tiny, tiny Island and aside from being named as the homeland of Odysseus (and his father Laertes from the Argonautica), we don’t usually see many stories covering the details of life on the Western isles, how their society and economy runs, and how the citizens function on a day-to-day basis. I really enjoyed this aspect.

Finally, I appreciated the portrayal of a complex mother-son relationship - it was really heart-wrenching at times.

I had a great time reading this, it is quite long but its packed with characters that will keep you on your toes – I was very emotionally invested by the end!

Hera fills in the gaps left by those bad poets who decided how to tell this particular story in the past. So she tells us the part played by the women. Yes those who roll up there sleeves and just get on with what needs to be done, without the fanfare and bolstering so much a part of this man centric world of ours.

I enjoyed her bird's eye view, I enjoyed the women because I recognise them. What it lacked for me was a more intimate connection which I think could have been had by a more focused closer approach.

An ode to strong women in history is just so my thing. Forever history has been written by men and the place and contribution of women had been ignored or downgraded. This retelling of the myth could not be further from those histories, narrated by a woman (goddess) telling the tale of the strong women of Ithaca. Loved it !

Wow. Just wow. As a huge fan of Claire North's writing, I had no doubt that I would enjoy Ithaca. But the sheer brilliance of this retelling exceeded my wildest dreams. The story is intimate, emotional, and full of drama.

Fans of fast-paced, action-packed stories won't like it, though, so keep that in mind.

Ithaca is the first book in a trilogy telling the story of Penelope of Ithaca. When Odysseus went to war, he left Penelope to rule the western isles. He was supposed to return after Troy's fall, but he didn't. This left Penelope with a big problem. How could she protect her island and her people when not only did she have no army, but the idea of women being in charge was seen as ridiculous?

Additionally, Ithaca was valuable enough to be worth conquering. Powerful suitors wanted to marry Penelope, and she couldn't say yes or no to any of them. Personal preferences aside, there was politics involved. If she married one of the suitors, she risked the others becoming enraged and attacking her isles. And with no men of fighting age to defend it, Ithaca would be doomed. Unfortunately, some of the suitors were tired of waiting and decided to break all the rules to get what they wanted before someone else does.

The story is narrated by Hera, queen of the gods. She has a biting tongue but she's a gifted storyteller. Her narration resembles omniscient narration but at times she starts to rage about her position among gods, her conflict with Athena, or pathetic men. Because she's a goddess, she's able to comment on Penelope's thoughts and actions, as well as those around her. She even mentions what is going on with Odysseus and some of the other famous faces of Troy. It's all fun and full of ATTITUDE. And delightfully feminist.

Ithaca is a fantastic opening to the series. Ancient geopolitics, espionage, treachery, and games of power make it thrilling, and deeply personal stakes make it intimate and focused. I loved it.

DNF

I’m not rating this because there wasn’t anything wrong with the book, it just wasn’t my thing. The blurb sounded so intriguing but the book didn’t meet those expectations. The writing style was very much observatory and meandering, which is fine but not for me, and also told from Hera’s perspective which while interesting, isn’t what I thought we would be getting based on the blurb’s premise.

When it comes to Greek mythology, i devour books that focuses on retelling of such Greek myths. The retelling of the great myth of Penelope and Odysseus, I was excited to read this book. The narration felt a bit flat to me and the pace was very slow. I was kind of losing focus in the middle but nonetheless enjoyed certain portions of the book.

this book is so good, from the plot to the characters, this story holds a strong host for everything! the world building is incredible and the story is such an empowering retelling. get on this while you can!!!