Hello everyone! I’m still here. I’ve been reading a fair amount, but my desire to do any writing whatsoever has really taken a dive these past couple of months. I’ve officially moved to working from home on a mostly permanent basis (as opposed to doing so out of necessity), and it’s been more of an adjustment that I thought it would be, despite the fact that I’ve been working from home for over a year now. Coupled with the surge in Covid cases and the subsequent restrictions on a lot of activities (it’s 2020 all over again!), I’ve been feeling kind of bummed and not up for a lot of things I normally do. I know I’m not alone in this. I’m trying to focus on the things that bring me joy – it’s still safe to see family and friends in small groups, for instance, since we’re all vaccinated. And today I feel a bit more like writing.

I’ve noticed that my reading lately has been clustering around a few common topics, so over the next few weeks I’ll focus on each of them in turn. Up first this week is Greek Mythology-Inspired Fiction.

 

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

One of two audiobooks on this list, Haynes reads her own story about the Trojan war told from the women’s perspectives. There are a bunch of characters here (I’m only halfway through but there are chapters from at least a dozen different women’s POVs so far), and while Haynes is an able reader, imbuing her characters with emotion and gravitas, she doesn’t differentiate the voicing at all. If I set the audiobook down partway through a chapter, it is sometimes difficult to remember which character’s story she is currently telling.

This is a fairly straightforward retelling of the Iliad/Trojan War that I hesitate to call it a retelling at all, though it’s well-written and certainly gives the women much more humanity and depth than the original did. But the events happen in the same way, just as you likely learned about them in high school, so don’t pick up this book looking for a twist on the original tale. Think of it more like a book that fills in all the missing parts of the original – and does it exceptionally well.

 

Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews

This YA book is a loose retelling of the story of Daphne and Apollo, told from Daphne’s point of view. Unlike A Thousand Ships, though, Andrews changes quite a bit of the commonly-known myth, leaving only a few bits and pieces that readers might recognize if they’re familiar with the tale. In Andrews’ version, Daphne is called upon by Artemis to recover things that have been stolen from Olympus – things that lend the Olympians their power. Without these things, the Olympians not only lose their special powers but also become mortal. Artemis sends her brother Apollo to “help” Daphne in her quest – first to determine what exactly has been taken, then to take them back. A romance ensues, but it’s not quite as you’d expect if you’re familiar with either the original myth (which is not a romance at all) or a lot of YA fantasy romance.

The romance isn’t actually front and center in the book; instead, this book is mainly a grand adventure, with Daphne, Apollo, and a few other companions they pick up along the way traveling across Greece and meeting gods, demigods, and humans with secrets. It’s reminiscent of the Percy Jackson books, perhaps not as funny, but fun and a page-turner. I found the writing a bit clunky, and it was frustrating how all the characters jumped around Daphne’s true identity, ostensibly leaving it as a surprise for future installments (which anyone who is familiar with the myth will already know), but overall, this is a solid read for fans of Greek mythology. Andrews’ twist on the original myth is a creative one.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

This one is less directly related to Greek mythology than the other two. It’s a classic thriller with a hell of a series of twists at the end – just the kind of thriller that I love. Group therapist Mariana is visiting her niece Zoe at Cambridge to comfort her after a friend of Zoe’s was found murdered. When yet another girl dies, Mariana becomes determined the culprit is suave professor Edward Fosca, who teaches Greek tragedy and seems to always be followed by a coterie of young female students he calls “The Maidens.” Not so coincidentally, Mariana thinks, the murder victims were both members of this group of Maidens. As Mariana digs deeper, she becomes more and more obsessed with the myth of Persephone (the maiden in Greek mythology), as it seems to pop up everywhere in relation to the murdered girls.

Michaelides is good at ratcheting up the tension. Mariana does make some almost too stupid to be believed decisions in order to further the plot (such as choosing to meet up with Fosca alone in his room while she actively suspects him of being a serial killer), but it’s a fun ride nonetheless. When the biggest twist arrives (and there are several smaller ones preceding it), I thought back on some small events and was pleased to realize that Michaelides did indeed lay the groundwork for it earlier in the book. Yet this groundwork, at least for me, was not so obvious that it gave everything away. While I always try to guess the twist, I like it best when I’m completely surprised. The last bit of the book does go a bit off the rails, and it left me feeling pretty despondent about all characters involved, but it’s the kind of wild ride that’s fun to the very end.

Louise Brealey narrates the bulk of the audiobook, and she does a fantastic job; I was completely lost in the story and didn’t want to stop listening.