Frequent readers of my blog know that I've been interested and a huge fan of Greek Mythology. When I came across Kerry Greenwood's Delphic Women which retold the myths of Jason and the Gold Fleece, the Trojan War and its aftermath from the point of view of the important female characters, I knew I had to read them. Greenwood makes the myths come alive and provides a different spin on characters who were once thought to be weak and one dimensional.

Description: In the third and final volume of the Delphic Women series, Hector is dead, Troy has fallen in ruins; and unknown to the Argives, refugees from the sack are rebuilding their civilization in New Troy. Agamemnon King of Men returns in triumph to Mycenae, bringing Princess Cassandra among his captives. Diomenes called Chryse and a Trojan sailor pursue her by sea, hoping against hope to rescue her. Their resourcefulness will be strained to its limits by war, pillage and social breakdown. For all is not well in the House of the Axe. In the king’s absence, Clytemnestra the Queen has taken a lover Aegisthus and has mixed feelings about her husband’s return. And the King’s golden-eyed daughter Electra hides a secret of her own which will bring a terrible vengeance. Meanwhile Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, has troubles of his own. He wishes only to return home to Ithaca, but the gods have other ideas.

Review: Greenwood's Electra is a very ambitious novel that mostly succeeds in retelling the myths of Electra/Orestes meanwhile continuing Cassandra's story along with a side note of Odysseus plight to go back home to Ithaca. Out of the three books in the Delphic Women series, I found Electra to be the weakest. The pacing of the book was uneven for me as we quickly go through the action and suspense right away with the Electra/Orestes myth but then really drags as the characters go on separate journeys. I would have liked to get to know Electra before all the action started and I didn't really get a sense of what kind of person she is other than cunning and observant. I didn't find Electra likable, but I can hardly fault her for her actions given the history of her family and the actions of her parents. 
  Like her other novels, Greenwood takes liberty with the Greek myths. For example, contrary to the common story of Cassandra who is tragically killed in her well known myth, Greenwood keeps her alive and she still remains a strong character. I really liked the juxtaposition between her point of view and that of Electra on the society's culture and role of women. The Greek gods still play an important role though they are mostly passive observers who play with the lives of all of mortal characters, although Zeus periodically asks them to stop. Periodically, the gods look into the Pool of Mortal Lives and comment on the action, argue, and decide the next step in these peoples' fates. We do find out the outcome of the gods' wager: the stronger of the two--love or death. I wasn't too thrilled with how everything tied up too neatly in a tight bow at the end of the book. Overall, I would recommend picking this book up if you are really interested in reading about Greek Mythology, particularly from the viewpoint of women. 

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence including rape and sexual situations throughout the book as well as language. Recommended for mature teens and adults who enjoy and are serious about Greek Mythology.

If you like this book try: Age of Bronze graphic novel series by Eric Shanower, Women of Troy by Euripides, Antigone by Sophocles

 I've been interested in Greek Mythology for as long as I could remember. When I came across Kerry Greenwood's Delphic Women which retold the myths of Jason and the Gold Fleece, the Trojan War and its aftermath from the point of view of the important female characters, I knew I had to read them. Greenwood makes the myths come alive and provides a different spin on characters who were once thought to be weak and one dimensional.

Description: From Mount Olympus, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, yawned. Even perfection can be tedious. "My Lord," she called to Apollo, "Sun God and brother. Let us play a game with mortals—my power against yours."
And so Cassandra, the golden haired princess cursed with the gift of prophecy, and Diomenes, the Achaean with the healing hands, become puppets of the gods. Their passions are thwarted, their loves betrayed, their gifts rendered useless for the sake of a wager between the immortals.
Doomed, magnificent Troy is the stage, and Cassandra and Diomenes the leading players in this compelling story of the city's fall. Both have found love before, and lost it.
Will they find each other in the light of the burning city? And, if they do, can their love survive the machinations of malicious gods and men?

Review: What is stronger: love or death? Cassandra is the second book in the Delphic Women series featuring a new reimaging of popular female figures in Greek Mythology. As the title suggests, Cassandra is the focus of this novel as we watch the horrifying fall of Troy. Like Medea, Greenwood uses popular myths and new additions to the story along with well researched time period to recreate the Cassandra myth. Cassandra and her twin brother, Eleni, the children of King Priam and Queen Hecube of Troy, are a priestess and priest of Apollo the sun god. When a bored Aphrodite makes a wager with Apollo for a golden apple, the lives of Cassandra and Achaean healer Diomenes, called Chryse, are forever changed as they become pawns of the gods.
 Cassandra, as some of you know, is cursed with the gift of prophecy after rejecting to sleep with Apollo. While she can clearly see what will happen to her beloved city Troy, she cannot tell others what she knows. While Cassandra is growing and learning in Troy, we see Chryse becoming a gifted healer whose life is forever changed when he is called upon to treat his first love, Elene (aka Helen) of Sparta, the most beautiful woman in the world. Though she's married to Menelaus, Elene is nevertheless sought by many powerful men, and a war will soon be fought over her. When Elene runs off to Egypt with Cassandra's arrogant brother Pariki (Paris), the Achaeans have the perfect excuse to declare war on Troy even though they know that the Trojans would gladly have given her up had she not remained in Egypt. The story then follows the major events of the Trojan War.
  I was completely sucked in to this new story of Cassandra. Normally, Cassandra is depicted as the frail girl who harbors a horrible curse and eventually gets kidnapped, raped, and killed, however, she is a completely different person in Greenwood's version. In this book, Cassandra is a strong female character even in the worst circumstances. She never backs down and continues to fight against the gods. Chryse is an equally fascinating character who meets famous mythical figures and is passionate about medicine. Though their story lines are told in alternating chapters they eventually intersect in an interesting fashion. The ending of Cassandra's story was a nice surprise and I'm very curious to see how it pans out in the next Delphic Women book, Electra.
  The destruction of Troy is vividly illustrated and the settings come to life as their own characters in this book. I thought it was very interesting how Greenwood approaches romantic love as their are several relationships throughout the book. It was not uncommon for the people of this time to have more than one romantic partners. If you are a serious fan of Greek Mythology I would definitely recommend picking up the Delphic Women series by Kerry Greenwood. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence including rape and sexual situations throughout the book as well as language. Recommended for mature teens and adults who enjoy and are serious about Greek Mythology.

If you like this book try: The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

 I've been interested in Greek Mythology for as long as I could remember. When I came across Kerry Greenwood's Delphic Women which retold the myths of Jason and the Gold Fleece, the Trojan War and its aftermath from the point of view of the important female characters, I knew I had to read them. Greenwood makes the myths come alive and provides a different spin on characters who were once thought to be weak and one dimensional.

Description: Medea, Princess of Colchis, is a priestess of Hecate, Three Named, Lady of Phantoms. She is the custodian of the wood in which the Golden Fleece is hung. She alone can tame the giant serpent which guards the grove. And then Jason and his Argonauts come along, and she falls catastrophically in love. She helps him steal the Golden Fleece ans sails with him to claim his throne. And that's when things go wrong... and she must attempt to reclaim her humanity through abandonment, murder, grief and heavy seas.

Review: The story of Medea is not a feel good bedtime story. It is a story of a woman's rage that is so strong, she even killed her own children to make a point. Needless to say, Medea isn't a heroine girls aspire to be, but Greenwood transforms this notorious female character into someone we can sympathize and root for. Medea is a feminist retelling of the Medea and Jason and the Argonauts myths. In many renditions of these stories, Medea doesn't have a voice to share her feelings and point of view. In Greenwood's version of the tale, Medea has a strong voice that can not be ignored and it is contrasted with a fictional member of Jason's Argonauts named Naupolis.
 Greenwood's Medea is a priestess of Hecate and a princess of Colchis, in what will become the modern-day Republic of Georgia. She has learned well the teachings of her tutor, the sour Trioda, and is used to a good deal of freedom as she roams the area, always accompanied by her two black hounds. Greenwood spends a lot of time discussing Medea's upbringing which I found fascinating as Medea struggles to learn what it means to become a woman and the double standards of gender. From Argonaut Nauplios' narration, we learn of the difficulties faced by the heroes who accompany Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece, his ticket to reclaim his rightful inheritance. After harrowing adventures, the Argonauts arrive in Colchis, where Medea's father, Aetes, sets Jason impossible tasks to acquire the fleece. It is through Nauplios' character that we see what makes a man of honor even though he may appear as a mere mortal man.
  To my surprise and disappointment, the Golden Fleece myth is only a few pages and goes by quickly. Jason as you can imagine is not seen in a good light. He is a person who has no backbone and can not make a decision to save his life. One is left to wonder why he was even picked for this dangerous quest and made a demigod. Greenwood follows the overall Golden Fleece myth with Medea instantly falls in love with the charismatic Jason and secretly helps him when he promises to marry her and be forever faithful. The best and biggest surprise is how Greenwood handles the end of her story. Though it is a drastic change in what we know of the 'original' myth, it works really well and emphasizes on all themes Greenwood touches upon in her story.
  It is clear that Greenwood has done her research thoroughly in every aspect of life in Ancient Greece. The setting and lifestyle isn't glorified but rough, messy, and full of injustices. The pacing of the book is a bit uneven and the prose is a bit clunky at times, however, I found myself really enjoying the Medea-centric parts of the story. I would recommend this book to readers who are serious about Greek Mythology and are interested in learning to read these myths from a feminist angle.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence and sexual situations throughout the book as well as language. Recommended for mature teens and adults who enjoy and are serious about Greek Mythology.

If you like this book try: Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin