Ithaca was a strange one for me. On one hand, Ithaca was one of my most anticipated reads this year, but on the other, it felt like a chore to get through. I so desperately wanted to like it, but it felt a little bit too heavy on the description which I understand world-building is essential, especially for greek mythology re-tellings but also for trilogies which I believe Ithaca is the start of. But already for me, it put me off the rest of the series; I got to about chapter nine when I realised that I probably wasn't going to like this, leaving me with two options: DNF or finish the book only to resent myself for it. 

The book itself is structured odd in that it's third-person in chapter one, then first-person in chapter three which makes sense when you realise that Hera is the narrator, not Penelope but it is Penelope's story, so I felt as though I really wasn't a part of it; just an observer through Hera, who doesn't like mankind (understandable tbf). I think I would've preferred to be first-person through Penelope and really see and feel what she was going through.

Overall, I think it's a good read for someone who likes reading a book through the eyes of the narrator instead of the main character; the writing is at times beautiful and makes the entire book feel like a dream. It just wasn't for me.

Book #190 of 2022.

Thanks to Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and Claire North as I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ithaca is released on September 8, 2022.