Musings of the Muses is an absolute dreamscape for anyone who’s ever wanted to hear the untold stories of the women in Greek myth. Raw, raging, resilient, and real. This anthology serves goddess energy on every page, and I was obsessed from the first line.

It’s 65 (!!) stories and poems that take all those ancient tales we kinda grew up knowing, like Pandora, Medusa, Persephone, and Leto, and flips the script. No more background roles. No more tragic footnotes. These women own their narratives now. Some pieces were soft and aching, others were savage and sharp, and a few made me clutch my chest like, “Oh okay… pain.” But all of them are powerful.

There’s a divine mix of horror, vengeance, magic, and love in here. Every story feels like a prayer and a battle cry. It gave me Circe meets Ariadne vibes but edgier, moodier, and way more varied. Whether you like lyrical prose, short snappy fables, or straight-up poetic fury, there’s something in here that will hit you right in the gut (and then kiss your forehead after).

I read it slowly, like sipping something sacred. And I’ll probably reread it whenever I need to remember that feminine rage and resilience are sacred too.

An unusual and engaging anthology of works about characters from Greek mythology, always a topic of interest. Poetry, stories and retellings of familiar myths, all given a modern twist.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

What a unique and engaging anthology that dives into well-known and lesser known Greek myths! I am a huge fan of Greek mythology, so this was a treat to read several poems and short stories about various female characters who are found throughout Greek mythology. I thought this anthology was insightful since it allowed me to read various points of view of these unspoken or unsung female characters, and opened up a lens into their story that seemed fresh and unique.

At no point did I ever feel like any poem or story was too long--more often than not I wanted to know and read more. I feel like the stories are poignant for today's world in that they force the reader to question why these women were never allowed to tell their side of the story. Despite loving Greek mythology and the various gods and goddesses, while reading this anthology there were so many moments where I had to stop and think and question what I knew to be true about a character or a myth--the insight and focus on the minor characters, or the voiceless "monsters" left me questioning who really should be defined as the monster.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for a digital copy of this book, and the chance to read and review it! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s pretty difficult to rate an anthology because of how vastly different each piece of writing is. Some of these pieces I found really lovely and beautifully written, others I found incredibly juvenile and they felt like a bunch of Pinterest quotes mashed together in hopes they would sound edgy and intellectual.

So, ultimately I’m settling on three stars.

Musings of the Muses by Heather Vassalo; S.D. Vassalo is such a good book. I couldn't stop reading this book for a bit. It was such a good experience!!!!