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Daughter. Sister. Priestess. Protector. Son. Brother. Demi-God. Hero. Monsters. Gifted and burdened with beauty far beyond that of mere mortals, Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when the lustful gaze of mighty Poseidon falls upon her, even the Temple of Athena cannot protect her. Young Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest. Equipped with only bravado and determination, his only chance of success lays in the hands of his immortal siblings. Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena's wrath Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is? History tells of conquering heroes. Tales distorted by time. Medusa's truth has long been lost. Until now. Now it is time to hear her truth. Revel in this powerful retelling of one of mythologies greatest tales today.… (more)
User reviews
My limited knowledge of Medusa, I have to admit, came from The Clash of the Titans, with Ray Harryhausen's stop motion monster, which always felt very one dimensional, so I was keen to read a less misogynistic take on the myth where 'Medusa grew from monsters, but she was not born of them'. Instead of being punished by Athena for falling in love with Poseidon, Medusa is raped and stripped of her looks in retribution - like blaming modern-day victims of rape for 'attracting' unwanted attention by how they dress, rather than condemning the rapists.
'The gods, like the rich of the world, push their agendas onto those whose voices are not loud enough to speak for themselves. The women. The weak, The unwanted. And no one shouts for those who need it the most. Why would they? To shout for another is to risk losing something yourself. And man cannot see beyond the depth of his own reflection.'
As well as the sympathetic portrayal of Medusa, I also appreciated the depiction of Perseus, who is tricked into killing the Gorgon in a bid to save his mother, and the final confrontation between the two. The Graeae were hilarious too, reminding me of Harry Enfield's saucy old ladies ('Young man!')
Definitely recommended for any readers not steeped in mythology, or who have had enough of the gods' sexist shit. I might even read more by Hannah Lynn!