I'm going to say this first because I feel the need to defend Haynes: If you're expecting the standard 'feminist' retelling of a Greek myth, this isn't it. This book doesn't just follow Medusa through her story it follows everyone through every corner of this myth. With Haynes you're not just getting one woman's story: you're getting them all.

I love that about Haynes's work. It was fundamental to the thesis statement of A Thousand Ships. It works here, too, because there are so many moving parts to this myth, and it isn't only Medusa's story; it's Andromedas, Danaes, and Athenes. I think it also works because Medusa's story alone isn't long enough to fill a whole novel. Showing the audience her as a defenceless baby dropped at the cave entrance of her sisters is a wonderful way to introduce us to a character usually represented as a monster. Sthenno and Euryale are also shown as much more human than monster, seeing them learn to love Medusa, mortal and constantly changing though she is and then changing themselves to care for her is beautiful. They are the most human characters in the cast.

I do think we see little of Medusa's character in this but the few scenes she has really steal the show, she is compassionate and cares so deeply. For her sisters who she refuses to let test her gaze and even for mortal girls she has not met. She also has an undeniable wit. I love how Haynes didn't turn her into a hero or a martyr. It's easy to go too far in the other direction when recharacterising someone from a monster but Haynes does it just the right amount. Her Medusa is incredible. She's weak, weaker than her sisters, but also strong-willed and caring. She doesn't go down fighting but she also isn't defenceless. The only reason Perseus kills her so easily is because she could kill him with a glance. But she refuses to, which makes Perseus- who kills indiscriminately because of his cowardly nature- an interesting foil for her. Both are young, weaker than their peers and protected by others. But while Medusa is caring and protects others Perseus is petulant and harms others to feel strong.

Athene is also characterised amazingly. She is childish and wields her powers pettily (like most gods) but there's a sadness below the surface. She wants to be recognised and connected with her fellow gods and seeing her struggle to do so even with her power is weirdly relatable. Her last chapter us how much bigger the gods are than the human characters, a century goes by without her noticing and that scale reminds you what insane creatures gods are. But still, in the end, all she wants is to go home.