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The Shadow of Perseus: A Novel

Author:
Claire Heywood
Read by:
Olivia Darnley
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Unabridged Audiobook

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Ratings
Book
1
Narrator
1
Release Date
February 21, 2023
Duration
10 hours 54 minutes
Summary
Nationally bestselling author of Daughters of Sparta Claire Heywood returns with an imaginative and female-centered reinterpretation of the myth of the great hero Perseus, told through the voices of three women who are sidelined in the traditional version—his mother, Danae; his trophy, Medusa; and his wife, Andromeda—but whose viewpoints reveal a man who is not, in fact, a hero at all.

Danae: Banished from her homeland thanks to a prophecy foretelling that her unborn child will one day cause the death of her father, the king of Argos, Danae finds herself stranded, pregnant, and alone in a remote fishing village. It’s a harsh new world for a young woman who grew up as a coddled princess, and forging a new life for herself and for her young son Perseus will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Medusa: As a member of a reclusive band of women who live deep in the woods, known as the Gorgons, Medusa has eschewed all contact with the outside world. That is, until the day she finds an injured boy named Perseus in the forest.

Andromeda: When a harsh sandstorm threatens to destroy her nomadic desert tribe’s way of life, Andromeda knows that a sacrifice will be required to appease the gods and end the storm. But when a forceful young Perseus interferes, Andromeda’s life is set on an entirely new path.
 
As Perseus becomes increasingly obsessed with the promise of his own destiny, his heroic journey casts a shadow of violence and destruction across all three women’s lives. But even as he tries to silence them, the women may find that reclaiming their voices is their only hope for lifting themselves into a better future.
Reviews
Profile Avatar BriCheese Mar 2026

The story of Perseus, but coming from the perspective of the three women, was so powerful. It is all about perspective. Who lives? Who dies? Who tells your story? It is all of utmost importance in mythology. The perspective of of the three women (Medusa, Danaƫ, and Andromeda) highlight the monsterous ways of a man thought to be a Great Greek Hero.With what little power the women had, they used it against Perseus, to save themselves, and others. THEY created their own story.I was so immersed in how Heywood wrote from such a meaningful and realistic point of view, and I was able to out myself in the mindset of the protagonists without getting too sidetracked with the roots of the mythology this story derives from.5/5 (P.S. The voice actor has such a soothing voice, and the accents she uses when portraying other characters are so subtle but so effective)

The Shadow of Perseus: A Novel

The Shadow of Perseus: A Novel

Author: Claire Heywood
Read by: Olivia Darnley
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