Clytemnestra, Costanza Casati

About the Book

As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best…

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.

But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.

Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods’ hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did.

If power isn’t given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

Book Links
Releases March 7th

Goodreads
Amazon
Bookshop
B&N

My Thoughts

Okay, wow. After sitting on this review overnight, I’m afraid I don’t have the words for this incredible debut novel from author Casati.

“Sometimes I fear I am becoming the person I am pretending to be.”

Beautifully written, this book will capture the reader from the very start, sitting them down in ancient Sparta. When people discuss mythology, you often hear more of her sister Helen than of Clytemnestra. In the grand scheme, she and her sisters were lucky to grow up in Sparta, as her father was one of the few who believed in training women to fight.

With every wrong done to her, Clytemnestra dug in, found her strength, and carried on. It made her a hard person to love, but pain makes us build near impregnable walls. She is the epitome of strength and resilience because it is through our hardships that we find our strength. This is definitely a favorite for this year and will be a difficult one to beat. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy.

---

Read this review on Goodreads and Bookbub.