perfectly encapsulated her as a sister and mother, not just a queen
4.5
"You never change. You've just arrived and are already planning to fix everything."
"If I don’t, who else will?"
I love a good retelling, but was wary of this one. Daughters of Sparta and Elektra both focused on Clytemnestra, and I wasn't sure if this version would offer me anything worthwhile reading about her that those two books hadn't already covered. Plus, branding her as Cersei Lannister seemed like it could be smart or go very, very, wrong.
However, I was found myself 100% engaged in this story, and definitely prefer how her story is told by Casati than prior retellings. Clytemnestra is first introduced and expanded upon as an older sister (even though they're all technically two sets of twins, but I think it's fair to say that she's basically the eldest daughter). The focus on her earlier marriage is something I haven't seen, and I think that really helps add to the justification of her vengeful side, whereas other books it's just focused on Iphigenia (which is valid, but Tantalus added another layer). I love how she was written as a strong sister, one who leaned on and protected her siblings, and how that then translated into her being the queen she was. She was powerful, and wasn't afraid to show it, which was written here without making her seem insufferable. Cersei Lannister really is a good comparison for Clytemnestra (even though Clytemnestra is arguably a better person overall than Cersei)-- they both value power, but take heed not to sacrifice their loved ones to reach it. I think this is a great book for those who love these Greek mythology retellings, eldest daughters, or most of my friends here on Goodreads who are both.
"You never change. You've just arrived and are already planning to fix everything."
"If I don’t, who else will?"
I love a good retelling, but was wary of this one. Daughters of Sparta and Elektra both focused on Clytemnestra, and I wasn't sure if this version would offer me anything worthwhile reading about her that those two books hadn't already covered. Plus, branding her as Cersei Lannister seemed like it could be smart or go very, very, wrong.
However, I was found myself 100% engaged in this story, and definitely prefer how her story is told by Casati than prior retellings. Clytemnestra is first introduced and expanded upon as an older sister (even though they're all technically two sets of twins, but I think it's fair to say that she's basically the eldest daughter). The focus on her earlier marriage is something I haven't seen, and I think that really helps add to the justification of her vengeful side, whereas other books it's just focused on Iphigenia (which is valid, but Tantalus added another layer). I love how she was written as a strong sister, one who leaned on and protected her siblings, and how that then translated into her being the queen she was. She was powerful, and wasn't afraid to show it, which was written here without making her seem insufferable. Cersei Lannister really is a good comparison for Clytemnestra (even though Clytemnestra is arguably a better person overall than Cersei)-- they both value power, but take heed not to sacrifice their loved ones to reach it. I think this is a great book for those who love these Greek mythology retellings, eldest daughters, or most of my friends here on Goodreads who are both.