I was excited to read the conclusion of the Claire North trilogy, telling the tale of Penelope, wife of Odysseus. Readers of this trilogy know she is more than that, much more. She is a queen, ruling Ithica in her husbands absence after the battle of Troy. She shrewdly plays political chess with the many suitors that have long haunted her halls, hoping to marry her and become Ithicas ruler. Maintaining the peace, balanced on a knife’s edge, with very few realising she’s doing so. Penelope may outwardly appear the demure, loyal wife, hoping for the return of her lost husband, but in the shadows she has a loyal band of women and is outmanoeuvring anyone that threatens Ithica’s security. That is, until Odysseus returns and, acting rather rashly, causes uproar…….

A dishevelled beggar turn up, unrecognisable to all, except Penelope, who recognises her husband, despite the long years since he sailed for Troy. Odysseus, the years driving him to be less than the cunning strategist he is famed to be, is hell bent on being master of his house. His revenge on the suitors causes civil war in Ithica and it becomes a fight for survival.

This tale, told by Athena, sees the House of Odysseus pitted against fathers of some of the suitors. As the tale progresses Odysseus learns just how blinkered he’s been to exactly who he is married to and the loyalty she herself commands from the women of Ithica.

Claire North is one of my absolute favourite authors for Greek myth retellings - she brings each character she writes to life so vividly. This is helped by telling each books tale from the perspective of a different goddess, allowing insight into thoughts, feelings and motivations without the narrative jumping all over. She also brings vulnerability to Athena, through her pride. This is actually one of the biggest strengths of Claire Norths writing - she rounds out goddesses/gods into complex characters, capable of more than just vengeance and hubris. Her non-deity characters enjoy similar treatment but it always seems harder for authors to do with deities.

There is laughter, sadness, fear, anger and disbelief to be found in The Last Song of Penelope. I enjoyed the interactions between the goddesses/gods (special mention to Artemis, the no nonsense goddess who’s dialogue I particularly enjoy), Odysseus/Penelopes in their changing relationship, Priene and I always enjoy the humour of Laertes.

The women of Ithica are strong, capable and loyal to each other. You feel the hurt when one of them hurts. They are bonded in deep ways that the vainglorious heroes of Greek mythology are not. They do not fight over glory or need to brag of their deeds or be known as heroes. They simply are the unsung heroes, protectors of each other, and of Ithica. It is a tale of sisterhood, loyalty and blinkered perceptions (as well as navigating misogynistic attitudes. Telemachus is especially blinkered to what’s been going on under his nose due to all the tales of male heroes and what they ‘should be’. This is something also touched on by the book with Odysseus taking in the man his son is growing to be, full of distain for his mother and the rest of the women).

I really enjoyed this whole trilogy and hope Claire North is planning on more Greek Myth retellings in future. I can’t recommend them enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the ebook to read and review. I am grateful for the opportunity.

Clair north has done it again

She goes into incredible details about Ithaca and how the place runs .

Her feelings are so deep and felt within the words of these pages . Yet she waits for him , goes through so many trials , she ages , and isn’t the true ruler of this small kingdom.

I love reading classics especially Greek legends . You don’t often see a book describing how the women would have been treated and how strong they actually would have been to survive when you are literally someone to be sold and used. No matter which class you are born into pretty , plain, smart or ordinary they really didn’t have must power .

The final chapter of the Penelopiad and its been just as excellent as the first two. Claire North has managed a feminist retelling that has really told the possible story of the women in the Odysseus myth.

Penelope has been Queen of Ithaca for 20 years without her husband, Odysseus. She has managed the finances, outsmarted the suitors who told her that Odysseus was dead, she has (with her band of warrior women) beaten back raiders and those who would take her land. She is, in fact, more of a ruler than Odysseus had ever been (or had time to be what with the wars and the manliness etc).

And who comes here, into her Palace but a bedraggled beggar just wanting a crust from the table. Penelope is thankfully no fool and sees the badly disguised Odysseus for who he is immediately. However she also knows the situation needs handling with kid gloves. The suitors have been around for ten long years and their fathers are expecting one of them will be King of Ithaca at some point. They need appeasing. Telemachus, Odysseus' son) who came back from his travels with no news of his father needs his manhood protected and Odysseus needs to feel like the conquering hero. Penelope begins her softly softly approach to all these puzzles.

However Odysseus, being the conquering hero, decides on swift justice - the suitors are slaughtered, the faithless maids put to death and ... and then. Well then the trouble really begins.

The Last Song of Penelope is everything it's predecessors were. It is smart, funny, sympathetic and one of the best retellings I've read. Claire North has imbued Penelope with the perfect traits for any wife who has ruled without her husband for decades. And how else would you survive but on your wits and with your sisters to help.

I loved it. I loved the first two - Ithaca and House of Odysseus. I'd urge anyone even vaguely interested in Greek myth or just enjoys a really well written novel to read them. They are all extremely entertaining.

Thankyou so much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.

“From the forest, the women of Ithaca come.”

Following the mythology of Penelope and Odysseus, The Last Song of Penelope is the final book in a fantastic trilogy. I have read many variations of this tale and particularly enjoy when there is a focus on the women within the story. I thought I understood Penelope before but developed a deeper appreciation of her strength of character and the community these women were able to create.

In this version, each book in the trilogy is narrated by a different goddess which allowed for multiple perspectives to be woven throughout without feeling disjointed. I also felt the included narrative from Athena added another layer with a level of introspection that isn’t often depicted.

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Greek mythology.

Penelope is one of my favourite characters in Greek mythology & it’s wonderful that Claire North has shone a spotlight on her. Everyone talks about the ‘heroes’ and how brave they were, how much blood they spilt etc, etc whilst overlooking the fact that the real heroes were the women who stayed behind, keeping up with the day to day organisation & politics in a man’s world. Penelope plays the part beautifully & her fury towards Odysseus when he sneaks back & ruins all of her hard work is beautifully written. The author has a wonderful way of writing characters & inferring just ‘why’ they behave the way that they do, even when it seems indefensible.

I really enjoyed this book & if you have any interest in Greek mythology, you will too. Highly recommended.

What an absolute joy this book was. I loved the first two books of the trilogy - such a clever idea to focus on the lives of Penelope and the women of Ithaca, during the 20 years of Odysseus' absence. This final book deals with the return of Odysseus and the aftermath of that. Claire North writes Greek women superbly, and I hope she continues to look at other neglected female figures from Greek mythology. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

Anyone who is into feminist greek mythology retellings will love this book!
I enjoyed reading this one quite a lot, even though I struggled with the pacing every now and then and thought the story could continue a bit faster. Since I feel like I heard about the story a lot already I guess that's the reason why but for newbies it's great because you won't miss the details. Overall the author put a great teak on Penelope's story and I'd grab one of her books again!
The one thing I really liked is that it didn't feel like reading a wikipedia article, which I experienced with some other books, so that was great.

Title: "The Last Song of Penelope" by Claire North: A Captivating Retelling

In "The Last Song of Penelope," Claire North masterfully reimagines the classic tale of Penelope and Odysseus, delivering a fresh and enchanting narrative. Penelope emerges as a resilient and independent heroine, driving the story forward with her determination and agency. North's lyrical prose and vivid descriptions bring the ancient world to life, while her well-developed characters add depth and nuance to the familiar story. With its blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure, "The Last Song of Penelope" is a mesmerizing read that will delight fans of Greek mythology and newcomers alike.

I just eat up anything by Claire North! I don't think she is capable of writing a story that I don't immediately fall in love with.

That being said, the first half of this novel was more engaging for me than the second, where I felt myself drifting and wandering and looking forward to the end. I found the fighting tedious and slow in parts, and I just wanted to get back to the relationships and the descriptions that litter the rest of the narrative, though I can see the reader who would absolutely love these parts of the story. The feminist ideology throughout the text is wonderfully done, overt but not heavy handed. It's a case study in how to write excellent feminist fiction!

Claire North has once again masterfully reimagined the story of Penelope's prolonged vigil for her husband Odysseus's return from the Trojan Wars.

North has adeptly presented the sovereign of Ithaca as deeply human, imperfect yet extraordinary, despite her seemingly mundane exterior. She has further illustrated the sources of Penelope's resilience: her allies and the women of Ithaca, who stood with her against all intruders.

In the concluding segment, however, Penelope's resolve wanes as she identifies her long-absent husband in the disheveled stranger who has turned up at her palace. Yet, her saga with Odysseus is not finished...

This novel is a compelling read and will resonate with those who appreciate feminist reinterpretations of Greek mythology.

Claire North has done a wonderful job of retelling the tale of Penelope's long wait for her husband Odysseus to return from the Trojan Wars.

In the earlier parts of the story, told in her previous two books, North describes Penelope's native intelligence and strategic wisdom - essential for fending off the many suitors who badgered the Queen for her hand in marriage, since it appeared that Odysseus was forever lost to her. Not to mention the need to navigate the complex politics, kinships and kingships of ancient Greece.

North has successfully portrayed the ruler of Ithaca as very human, flawed but remarkable despite her apparently ordinary appearance. She has also shown where and from whom Penelope drew much of her strength: Her comrades and companions, the women of Ithaca, who helped her keep all the predators at bay.

In this final chapter however, Penelope begins to despair of her fate when she recognises her long-lost husband in the scruffy wanderer who has recently shown up in her palace. But her story with Odysseus is far from over...

This is a novel worth reading and will be enjoyed by those who have found the feminist retellings of Greek myths both interesting and enjoyable.

Real rating: 3.5 stars

I was very excited about this book, having just finished House of Odysseus a day before. (Very thankful for the timing of getting this arc). I loved the last book, and I was expecting to love this one as well. That didn't quite turn out to be the case.

This felt remarkably different than the previous two books which I believe was entirely due to the narrator. Following the trend of the earlier books, The Last Song of Penelope is narrated by a goddess. Whereas previously the books were narrated by Hera and Aphrodite respectively, goddesses who have a more female-centric worship base and focus, Athena is a goddess of war and wisdom which in this book at least seems to care more about the men, particularly the kind of men poets write stories about. (Hence, Odysseus, and this very much focused on him as well. I thought it was an interesting depiction.) Athena spends a good part of the book repeating the same notions: that she is cold and rational, has removed all tenderness and love from her heart to protect herself, and essentially aspires to be one of the boys among Olympus and for the men to respect her. But nothing she ever does gets them to respect her so she somewhat regrets doing that to herself....The point is that I understand the purpose of Athena's role in this book, but I just didn't like Athena at all, which affected my enjoyment of this book.

Despite all that, I did enjoy most of this book, just not nearly as much as I expected (or as much as the previous book). I liked how neither Penelope nor Odysseus knew quite what to do with the other half the time, or react the way they thought they would after twenty years. I'd forgotten some things regarding the story/myth aspect of Odysseus's return so I was quite surprised and even shocked a few times.

Overall, I really liked this series and this is a nice conclusion to the exciting and compelling journey Claire North has written. I strongly recommend this to anyone who appreciates Greek mythology and especially retellings of these myths with a focus on the female characters.