House of Odysseus

Claire North

Aug 2023 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Catrin Walker-Booth

About this audiobook

This "powerful, fresh, and unflinching" reimagining from the award-winning author of the Penelope trilogy breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men (Jennifer Saint).

On the isle of Ithaca, queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband Odysseus sailed to war with Troy and never came home. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace—a peace that is shattered by the return of Orestes, King of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra.

Orestes' hands are stained with his mother's blood. Not so long ago, the son of Agamemnon took Queen Clytemnestra's life on Ithaca's sands. Now, wracked with guilt, he is slowly losing his mind. But a king cannot be seen to be weak, and Elektra has brought him to Ithaca to keep him safe from the ambitious men of Mycenae.

Penelope knows destruction will follow in his wake as surely as the furies circle him. His uncle Menelaus, the battle-hungry king of Sparta, longs for Orestes' throne—and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims.

Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope fights to keep her home from being crushed by a war that stretches from Mycenae and Sparta to the summit of Mount Olympus itself. Her only allies are Elektra, desperate to protect her brother, and Helen of Troy, Menelaus' wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own.

Each woman has a secret. And their secrets will shape the world.

Ratings and reviews

House of Odysseus by Claire North is a fantasy with historical fiction elements, and the second book in The Songs of Penelope series. The audiobook is narrated wonderfully by Catrin Walker-Booth. Orestes and his sister Elektra return to the isle of Ithaca, hoping Penelope can house and hide them for a time. And then his uncle Menelaus, the war-tough king of Sparta, also arrives, salivating at the thought to steal Orestes' throne. To save her island, and to protect it for a husband who may never come home, Penelope rallies her allies (all but one of which are women). I liked the first book in this series, Ithaca, but I LOVED this one. I read through it in just two sittings; the plot had me on the edge of my seat for most of the novel. The first book was more character-driven, but this one had a larger overarching plot. I'm always a fan of feminist mythology retellings, especially because I minored in Classical Mythology in college. The first book in this series was narrated by Hera, queen of the gods and wife of Zeus. This installment is narrated by Aphrodite, the goddess of love. We still see other meddling goddesses, like Athena and Artemis. I also need to take a moment to mention how great the audiobook narrator is here. I'm super excited for the final book of this trilogy. If you were a fan of Elektra by Jennifer Saint or The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec, you should definitely check out this series! CW: mentions and descriptions of sexual assault, murder, death, violence, gaslighting, domestic abuse I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

About the author

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, who wrote several novels in various genres before publishing her first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and becoming a word of mouth bestseller. She has since published several hugely popular and critically acclaimed novels, won the World Fantasy Award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. She lives in London.