Athena’s Child by Hannah Lynn (The Grecian Women Series)

Synopsis
Daughter. Sister. Priestess. Protector.

Son. Brother. Demi-God. Hero.

Monsters.

Gifted and burdened with beauty far beyond that of mere mortals, Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when the lustful gaze of mighty Poseidon falls upon her, even the Temple of Athena cannot protect her.

Young Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest. Equipped with only bravado and determination, his only chance of success lays in the hands of his immortal siblings.

Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena’s wrath Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is?

History tells of conquering heroes. Tales distorted by time. Medusa’s truth has long been lost. Until now. Now it is time to hear her truth.

Review
When I think of Medusa I think of the monster with serpents for hair from greek mythology and from the film Clash of the Titans (which terrified me as I have a huge phobia of snakes) But who was Medusa, what is her back story and what did she do to anger the gods to be turned in to such a monsterous creature? Athena’s Child is the story of Medusa the young woman and the monster, and of Perseus, a hero, brother to the gods, and how both become pawns on the chess board of the Gods. Hannah Lynn gives a different perspective on this story, Medusa’s truth in this addictive read.

I remember first coming across Medusa as a child in a book on Greek Mythology when I was about ten, and always saw her as this hideous monster who turned people to stone if they looked at her. It is only recently whilst reading other novels based on characters from Greek Mythology that I have wondered who was Medusa really, and what was her story. Hannah Lynn’s Medusa is far from a monster and someone I really sympathised with and liked, which surprised me. We first meet Medusa when she is about thirteen, as a daughter and sister. She is known for her beauty and has many suitors, non if whom her father trusted to treat her well, so he takes her to be a priestess in the Temple of Athena. As a daughter, sister and priestess she is compassionate, dutiful, loving. Athena gives her the role of meeting the citizens, helping to sort out disputes and helping those in need, she is respected and personable. It is interesting that even after being turned into the monster she became she kept these qualities, still trying to protect her sisters and not wanting to kill those who set eyes on her. Tied in with Medusa’s story is that of Perseus, son of Zeus, brother of Athena. His story starts millenia after Medusa was punished, when he is sent on a journey to find Medusa, a task tried by others but they never returned. Pereus in legend is the all conquering hero, brave, handsome, and slayer of monsters, but in this book Hannah Lynn gives a different a perspective, a young man who isn’t confident in his quest, who is still learning who is and a young man for whom family came first.

Hannah Lynn’s writing makes this such a joy to read, telling the story of Medusa in an engaging and personable way whilst keeping true to mythology. Her characters felt real, people who you liked, and became invested in, even in the worst circumstances of their lives. It is interesting in the times we are living in now that this story shows how women are mde to pay for the desires and actions of men. Medusa blamed for her beauty attracting Poseidon and punished by being made in to the monster we know. There is also Perseus mother Danae, locked in a tower to stop her coming into contact with men as a prophecy predicted her son would kill Danae’s father the King of Argos. Also addressed is the idea of promoting the idea of heroes in history at the expence of the women in the stories.

I found myself unable to put Athena’s Child down and actually read it in a day. I have always loved the stories from Greek Mythology with the heroes killing monsters and saving maidens in distress, and the strong women of the period, the queens and warriors who held their own; they are some of the best stories ever told. Hannah Lynn brings Medusa to life and I will now always see her and her meeting with Perseus in a different light. Beautifully written, this retelling of the story of Medusa is a stunning and fascinating read, that pays homage to the origional myth. There are two more books in Hannah Lynn’s Grecian Women series and I can’t wait to read the next book.