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House of Odysseus

Hardcover / ISBN-13: 9780356516073

Price: £18.99

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‘CLAIRE NORTH BRINGS A POWERFUL, FRESH AND UNFLINCHING VOICE TO ANCIENT MYTH’ Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller Ariadne

Following the critically acclaimed Ithaca comes House of Odysseus, the second novel in Claire North’s Songs of Penelope trilogy – an exquisite, gripping tale that breathes life into ancient myth. This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before.

On the island of Ithaca, queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband Odysseus sailed to war with Troy and never returned. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace – but this is shattered with the arrival of Orestes, King of Mycenae.

Orestes, son of Agamemnon, is mad. Wracked with guilt for putting his own mother to death, he grows ever more unhinged. But a king cannot be seen to be weak. To keep him safe from the ambitious men of Mycenae, his sister Elektra brings him to Ithaca to recover under the protection of Penelope. But no sooner has Orestes arrived then his uncle Menelaus, the blood-soaked king of Sparta, comes looking for him. Menelaus hungers for Orestes’ throne – and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims.

Caught between Sparta and Mycenae, Penelope must protect Ithaca from two mad kings on the edge of war. Her only allies are Elektra, desperate to protect her brother, and Helen of Troy, Menelaus’ wife. Each woman has a secret, and their secrets will shape the world . . .

Praise for the Songs of Penelope series:

‘Darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking’ Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller Ariadne

‘Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history’ Booklist

‘Everything I’ve wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice – this is an absolute masterpiece’ Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin

‘Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destiniesThe Times

‘Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime’ Hannah Lynn, author of Athena’s Child

The Songs of Penelope series:
Ithaca
House of Odysseus

What's Inside

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Reviews

An original and even dazzling writer
KIRKUS
North's talent shines out
SUNDAY TIMES
Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history
BOOKLIST on ITHACA
Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime
Hannah Lynn, author of ATHENA'S CHILD on ITHACA
Like Penelope at her loom North both weaves and unweaves, teasing out the threads of Homeric myth to recombine them into something unique, wonderful and urgently contemporary
M. R. Carey, author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS
Everything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece
Sarah Bonner, author of HER PERFECT TWIN on ITHACA
Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies
THE TIMES on ITHACA
Claire North brings a powerful, fresh and unflinching voice to ancient myth - darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking
Jennifer Saint, author of SUNDAY TIMES bestseller ARIADNE
Claire North brings a powerful, fresh and unflinching voice to ancient myth - darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking'
Jennifer Saint, author of SUNDAY TIMES bestseller ARIADNE
North goes from strength to strength
GUARDIAN

The Songs of Penelope