A beautifully written novel about how Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, rules over the island in Odysseus' absence. Throughout this book (which is narrated by the goddess, Hera), North does a wonderful job of showing off Penelope's intelligence as well as her Spartan strength: We see her not only having to manage the servants and workers of the palace, but also learning how to handle the unwelcome suitors. In The Odyssey, readers (or listeners*) don't really get to see an exploration of Penelope's character, given that the story isn't really about her. I thoroughly enjoyed giving her the spotlight and seeing lots of famous scenes come to life, much like when Penelope weaves Laertes' shroud for a good 3 years.

The inclusion of characters such as Clytemnestra, Electra, and Orestes was a great addition to the narrative. Seeing Electra in all her emotional-stunted glory, bossing around Orestes offered the much needed break from the suitors' storyline. Clytemnestra was a personal highlight for me because she was so menacing and dangerously calculating that I simply couldn't draw my eyes away from the page when she was featured. Her dynamic with Penelope (they are, after all, cousins) was terrifyingly brilliant - so basically, I just loved how true this version of Clytemnestra was to the original mythology.

The only reason I did not give this book five stars was that I felt, at times, the narrative was a little slow. There was a lot more planning for action rather than action itself which meant certain parts of the book dragged on for a little too long. However, I gather that that is entirely a me thing since I love books that are fast-paced and action-packed, so do take that with a grain of salt.

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