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Mythologay #1
Meduso
Venomous snakes for hair.
A glare that will cast people to stone.
Beheaded by the tragic Greek hero, Perseus.
It’s a safe assumption that we all know the basic facts about one of Greek Mythology’s most famous monsters, Medusa; the beautiful maiden cursed and turned into a Gorgon. Her tragic story and death at the hands of the hero, Perseus, has been told countless times for thousands of years.
But the thing with Greek Mythology is just that. They are myths. Narrated, fictional legends as old as time that have been passed down from generation to generation. Time has a way of changing the original tale. So, how can we be sure that the myths we think we know are the real story?
What if important aspects of these myths have been altered? What if the monster wasn’t really a monster at all? What if Medusa wasn’t actually Medusa? What if her name was Meduso? And what if she wasn’t a her, but a him? This is the tale of Meduso and his death at the hands of the hero Perseus’ sword. It is a tale of innocence, love, betrayal, and tragedy.
A glare that will cast people to stone.
Beheaded by the tragic Greek hero, Perseus.
It’s a safe assumption that we all know the basic facts about one of Greek Mythology’s most famous monsters, Medusa; the beautiful maiden cursed and turned into a Gorgon. Her tragic story and death at the hands of the hero, Perseus, has been told countless times for thousands of years.
But the thing with Greek Mythology is just that. They are myths. Narrated, fictional legends as old as time that have been passed down from generation to generation. Time has a way of changing the original tale. So, how can we be sure that the myths we think we know are the real story?
What if important aspects of these myths have been altered? What if the monster wasn’t really a monster at all? What if Medusa wasn’t actually Medusa? What if her name was Meduso? And what if she wasn’t a her, but a him? This is the tale of Meduso and his death at the hands of the hero Perseus’ sword. It is a tale of innocence, love, betrayal, and tragedy.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2022
51 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 6, 2022
It was an interesting book until half, when meduso is cursed and will live on the island, the book enters a somewhat boring phase and without great surprises in history. Meduso was not innocent, he was dumb! I think living your life being governed by visions and not being able to change them is frustrating.
I didn't like the ending, I could have created an unheard-of character to have a romance with the protagonist. It was all too obvious, his romance with Perseu no changed in any way the story, the protagonist sacrifices himself in the end and the straight couple who have a happy end afff
In the song of Achilles, patroclus and Achilles had their souls united after death (this is a memorable ending)
I didn't like the ending, I could have created an unheard-of character to have a romance with the protagonist. It was all too obvious, his romance with Perseu no changed in any way the story, the protagonist sacrifices himself in the end and the straight couple who have a happy end afff
In the song of Achilles, patroclus and Achilles had their souls united after death (this is a memorable ending)
March 3, 2022
I was totally sold on the premise of a reworked Greek myth, especially involving Meduso and Perseus…as a child, Clash Of The Titans was one of my favourite movies, even before I learned the Classics at school.
The story of Meduso's early life, transformation into a Gorgon and what happens after is really good. I found him to be a completely engaging character and I genuinely felt for him. Knowing the legends around the whims of the gods and the mortals who served them, the actions of the other characters were on point. The thing is, the writing style just didn't work for me. There was definitely a regency kind of feel from much of the sentence structure, but the language seemed to be a mix of classic, regency period and contemporary that didn't fit well together for me.
So, Meduso is a fantastic concept, but the execution didn't work for me. This is, of course, personal preference so I'm sure other readers will get more enjoyment out of the book. It's 2.75* rounded up from me, though.
An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
The story of Meduso's early life, transformation into a Gorgon and what happens after is really good. I found him to be a completely engaging character and I genuinely felt for him. Knowing the legends around the whims of the gods and the mortals who served them, the actions of the other characters were on point. The thing is, the writing style just didn't work for me. There was definitely a regency kind of feel from much of the sentence structure, but the language seemed to be a mix of classic, regency period and contemporary that didn't fit well together for me.
So, Meduso is a fantastic concept, but the execution didn't work for me. This is, of course, personal preference so I'm sure other readers will get more enjoyment out of the book. It's 2.75* rounded up from me, though.
An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
March 4, 2022
⁸A heart breaking version of medusa.
Meduso was completely and wholely innocent. As a mortal raised by the immortal, they sought to protect him. He was given no real understanding of how gods and people would use him. In fact it was his parents that let him down to begin with. They subscribed to the be seen not heard aspect of child rearing.
Only one person truely loved him, Perseus, and even he let Meduso down. He told him he would look for him. Yet he lets eight years go by and even knowing where he was to be, he left him there. It takes someone to goad him, to make him consider that Meduso is the possible gorgon.
Meduso only ever wanted love.....
I gave this story 3 stars, as I almost gave up on this book a few times. It felt clunky in it writing and very YA.
Meduso was completely and wholely innocent. As a mortal raised by the immortal, they sought to protect him. He was given no real understanding of how gods and people would use him. In fact it was his parents that let him down to begin with. They subscribed to the be seen not heard aspect of child rearing.
Only one person truely loved him, Perseus, and even he let Meduso down. He told him he would look for him. Yet he lets eight years go by and even knowing where he was to be, he left him there. It takes someone to goad him, to make him consider that Meduso is the possible gorgon.
Meduso only ever wanted love.....
I gave this story 3 stars, as I almost gave up on this book a few times. It felt clunky in it writing and very YA.
December 16, 2022
I received an ARC from BookSirens and this is my honest review
The retelling of Medusa, wherein it’s instead Meduso, and he’s the sweetest of boys.
Meduso sets out into the world for the first time a year before he is supposed to work in servitude to Athena. Before this, Meduso spent all of his time in the sea living with his family. So when he ventures into the world he is young, innocent and naive. He’s lucky that his first person he runs into is Perseus, a demi-god with a heart of gold. Perseus and Meduso spend the next year falling in love and spending every day together.
When the time comes for Meduso to serve Athena, he leaves, and he serves for the next few years in a funk. Meduso is tired of the same thing every day and he grows bored and wishing he could get away. In his state of vulnerability, a powerful God shows up and takes advantage of him. After much time of this God manipulating Meduso and using his body selfishly, Meduso is then punished for his actions by Athena.
Meduso is forced to run for his life with his two sisters. The three of them are gorgons that have found an isolated island to live on, and due to the ‘crime’ Meduso committed they are forced to fight for survival on a daily basis. Until one day, a person from Meduso’s past shows up and promises to help. Things are peaceful until they’re not, and Meduso meets his already fated tragic end.
I liked the beginning of this book. I enjoyed Meduso and Perseus’ time together. That was easy to read.
I was invested in Meduso’s time working for Athena, because Poseidon was a piece of 💩and I was waiting for the inevitable betrayal. I kept yelling at Meduso that he was being dumb as heck, but knew I needed to be patient with him because he was truly manipulated until he could only see someone was at least giving him attention.
I kind of lost interest though once Meduso and his sisters made it to the island. It seemed Meduso went from an innocent, I love people, I did this for love type of character to I’ll have sex with any man that walks on this island and doesn’t want to kill me 🙄🙄🙄 Okay.
When his past lover showed up I already was kind of done at that point, so I couldn’t even be happy for him.
I actually realized I didn’t have any emotional connection to any of the characters. I thought the long awaited death would make me feel something, but nothing. I felt like everything read as kind of detached and stilted. It made it hard for me to care what was happening.
Although this was an okay read, I don’t think I’ll be giving the next book a try.
The retelling of Medusa, wherein it’s instead Meduso, and he’s the sweetest of boys.
Meduso sets out into the world for the first time a year before he is supposed to work in servitude to Athena. Before this, Meduso spent all of his time in the sea living with his family. So when he ventures into the world he is young, innocent and naive. He’s lucky that his first person he runs into is Perseus, a demi-god with a heart of gold. Perseus and Meduso spend the next year falling in love and spending every day together.
When the time comes for Meduso to serve Athena, he leaves, and he serves for the next few years in a funk. Meduso is tired of the same thing every day and he grows bored and wishing he could get away. In his state of vulnerability, a powerful God shows up and takes advantage of him. After much time of this God manipulating Meduso and using his body selfishly, Meduso is then punished for his actions by Athena.
Meduso is forced to run for his life with his two sisters. The three of them are gorgons that have found an isolated island to live on, and due to the ‘crime’ Meduso committed they are forced to fight for survival on a daily basis. Until one day, a person from Meduso’s past shows up and promises to help. Things are peaceful until they’re not, and Meduso meets his already fated tragic end.
I liked the beginning of this book. I enjoyed Meduso and Perseus’ time together. That was easy to read.
I was invested in Meduso’s time working for Athena, because Poseidon was a piece of 💩and I was waiting for the inevitable betrayal. I kept yelling at Meduso that he was being dumb as heck, but knew I needed to be patient with him because he was truly manipulated until he could only see someone was at least giving him attention.
I kind of lost interest though once Meduso and his sisters made it to the island. It seemed Meduso went from an innocent, I love people, I did this for love type of character to I’ll have sex with any man that walks on this island and doesn’t want to kill me 🙄🙄🙄 Okay.
When his past lover showed up I already was kind of done at that point, so I couldn’t even be happy for him.
I actually realized I didn’t have any emotional connection to any of the characters. I thought the long awaited death would make me feel something, but nothing. I felt like everything read as kind of detached and stilted. It made it hard for me to care what was happening.
Although this was an okay read, I don’t think I’ll be giving the next book a try.
March 6, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This retelling of the Medusa story caught my attention very quickly, and although it took me a while to finish I enjoyed reading this emotional whirlwind epic tragedy.
It was interesting to see how the author rewrote this ancient tale, bringing new perspectives and insights into what happened and how the resulting story that is widely known was created. Best of all it was gay!
I would say this story's tragedy and the characters' lives border that of a Shakespearian play. As a big fan of Shakespeare, I mean that as a compliment!
I'm looking forward to seeing how the author rewrites the next story in this Mythologay series.
This retelling of the Medusa story caught my attention very quickly, and although it took me a while to finish I enjoyed reading this emotional whirlwind epic tragedy.
It was interesting to see how the author rewrote this ancient tale, bringing new perspectives and insights into what happened and how the resulting story that is widely known was created. Best of all it was gay!
I would say this story's tragedy and the characters' lives border that of a Shakespearian play. As a big fan of Shakespeare, I mean that as a compliment!
I'm looking forward to seeing how the author rewrites the next story in this Mythologay series.
March 24, 2023
A very interesting concept which worked well. The writing style itself was a bit disappointing in some parts. Meduso was really limited by his naivete which was ultimately the reason that he was punished in true mythology style. The epilogue was bitter-sweet but really worthwhile.
February 23, 2022
I love greek mythology, so I was all about this retelling of the Medusa myth. And was super excited that I got to read and ARC. This book is packed with lots of greek mythology and references, so that part was great. Even the story of the gorgons and everything was good. But the writing... I just couldn't get over it. This was painful to read through. I kept wanting it to get better, but it just dragged on and on. There was so much promise here and the opportunity to be SO good. All the great parts of greek tragedies; love, action, betrayal, corrupted innocence, tragedy. But I couldn't get over how dry and bland the writing was, so total turn off for me.
March 8, 2022
I love Greek mythology and I love MM romance, so I thought combining the two would work really well for me. And in some parts, this book did. I loved the retelling of Medusa. I loved how BJ Irons reimagined both Medusa (making him Muduso) and Perseus, but something wasn't quite working for me with the book in general.
The language choices were inconsistant and the pacing of the book left something to be desired. I picked it up and put it down several times over the course of a few days instead of wanting to dive through and reading every spare moment that I got.
I genuinely wished that I liked this book better and may revisit it again later when I'm in the mood for something a bit slower and a bit less contemporary.
** DISCLAIMER: I was given an advance copy by GRR and this is my honest review. **
The language choices were inconsistant and the pacing of the book left something to be desired. I picked it up and put it down several times over the course of a few days instead of wanting to dive through and reading every spare moment that I got.
I genuinely wished that I liked this book better and may revisit it again later when I'm in the mood for something a bit slower and a bit less contemporary.
** DISCLAIMER: I was given an advance copy by GRR and this is my honest review. **
March 2, 2022
I love the idea of reworking familiar mythology, and this story, which gives us Meduso: noble, sweet, brave and beautiful, and his romance with Perseus, is a great play on the classic Medusa story. It’s easy to want the best for a character against whom all odds are so clearly stacked, and I was absolutely invested in him. An excellent premise and interesting characters are, I think, this story’s major strengths. The pacing of the plot doesn’t always do them justice, however– there are moments that seem to drag and others that go by super quickly. Occasionally, the prose, especially dialog, can feel a bit clunky. Overall, however, I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable read.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 21, 2022
What if Medusa was male and named Meduso? This is a remix on the myth of Medusa with a gender bend and gay romance.
I love the myth of Medusa, so I was excited for this book. The romance in the book was the kind you love to root for. It just felt like a natural and realistic and it didn’t feel like it went too quick. The book itself was slow and hard to read most of the time. It had an interesting idea, but it was not as well done as it could have been. Half the characters were interesting, but the other half were boring. Overall, this is a book for fans of LGBTA remixes on myths.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love the myth of Medusa, so I was excited for this book. The romance in the book was the kind you love to root for. It just felt like a natural and realistic and it didn’t feel like it went too quick. The book itself was slow and hard to read most of the time. It had an interesting idea, but it was not as well done as it could have been. Half the characters were interesting, but the other half were boring. Overall, this is a book for fans of LGBTA remixes on myths.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 12, 2022
Things are never what they appear. What is often accepted as fact may simply be the spin put on the story by the true villain of the piece. It happens all the time. Bad people justify their acts by spinning a tenuous tale in which they were the victims—accompanied by crocodile tears and everything. Poor Eve! What makes this turnabout even more detestable is the bombastic screeching of their prominent supporters, whose moral compass and relationship with facts long ago ceased to exist. This is the case with most mythology. A narrative is constructed to justify a belief structure and repeated with enough conviction that truth is beaten into submission until it can be molded into something entirely new.
This is the power and the inherent danger of myth. What if the monster of legend was simply a misunderstood soul, seeking acceptance in a cruel world? What if a creature so ugly her visage turned people to stone was actually a handsome young man? Deconstructing that myth gets you closer to the story. At the very least, it allows you to transition into something far more interesting. In Meduso: A Greek Mythology Gay Retelling, B.J. Irons smashes genres and bends genders to re-frame the tale of the Gorgon Medusa. In Irons’ narrative, Medusa becomes Meduso—a handsome demi-god living a peaceful yet somewhat unfulfilled life among the coral.
The story of Meduso unfolds among creatures of myth and legend but has a very real feel to it—well, as real as a narrative of about demi-gods and magical beasts can feel. It is a fantasy tale, but it is also a very human story. It has heart and emotion. This is a primary literary strength of the author. He sees into the soul of his character and paints and very real picture. Meduso’s emotions jump off the page and strike the reader full on. Its heartfelt and, at times, heart-wrenching.
There is considerable time dedicated to creating the realm that the protagonist lives in, but here context is indeed king. The author’s attention to detail gives greater depth to the story. In Meduso, Irons offers a unique look at a familiar tale. The time dedicated to world-building and character exposition contributes to the narrative’s overall appeal. The ups and downs of Meduso’s quest for love and his relationship with Perseus are both tragic and captivating. I read… and wept… yet kept reading. It is a great book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the power and the inherent danger of myth. What if the monster of legend was simply a misunderstood soul, seeking acceptance in a cruel world? What if a creature so ugly her visage turned people to stone was actually a handsome young man? Deconstructing that myth gets you closer to the story. At the very least, it allows you to transition into something far more interesting. In Meduso: A Greek Mythology Gay Retelling, B.J. Irons smashes genres and bends genders to re-frame the tale of the Gorgon Medusa. In Irons’ narrative, Medusa becomes Meduso—a handsome demi-god living a peaceful yet somewhat unfulfilled life among the coral.
The story of Meduso unfolds among creatures of myth and legend but has a very real feel to it—well, as real as a narrative of about demi-gods and magical beasts can feel. It is a fantasy tale, but it is also a very human story. It has heart and emotion. This is a primary literary strength of the author. He sees into the soul of his character and paints and very real picture. Meduso’s emotions jump off the page and strike the reader full on. Its heartfelt and, at times, heart-wrenching.
There is considerable time dedicated to creating the realm that the protagonist lives in, but here context is indeed king. The author’s attention to detail gives greater depth to the story. In Meduso, Irons offers a unique look at a familiar tale. The time dedicated to world-building and character exposition contributes to the narrative’s overall appeal. The ups and downs of Meduso’s quest for love and his relationship with Perseus are both tragic and captivating. I read… and wept… yet kept reading. It is a great book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 26, 2022
DNF at 56%
The plot premise sounded cool, however execution felt poor. Meduso felt like he never asked any questions until the day the book started, filled with a naivety that could be explained by his upbringing but it was physically painful to read. All the characters felt singularly dimensional, like they were just there to progress the plot, not even Meduso was interesting. The writing felt stiff, especially the interactions, it just hurt to read.
I recommend if the plot sounds cool to try read it and if you like it that’s great, just take this points into consideration if you’re a kind of reader who loves beautifully written works.
The plot premise sounded cool, however execution felt poor. Meduso felt like he never asked any questions until the day the book started, filled with a naivety that could be explained by his upbringing but it was physically painful to read. All the characters felt singularly dimensional, like they were just there to progress the plot, not even Meduso was interesting. The writing felt stiff, especially the interactions, it just hurt to read.
I recommend if the plot sounds cool to try read it and if you like it that’s great, just take this points into consideration if you’re a kind of reader who loves beautifully written works.
October 19, 2022
This was definitely an interesting one! Meduso is a reimagining of the Greek myth of Medusa and Perseus, but Meduso is a genderbent version, and there are a few major changes from the original myth. We start the story from Meduso's earlier life, where he learns of his role to serve Athena in her temple, but first he has a year on the surface out of his undersea castle to explore the world and learn about it and other mortals like him.
From pretty early on, I read into the original tale and learnt not only of Medusa's demise but of Perseus' life. With all of this information in mind, I actually became rather concerned with how B. J. Irons was going to reimagine the story. We met Perseus as Meduso made it to the surface, and moved rather quickly through that whole year. I was kind of expecting a somewhat smutty story, which it wasn't in the end, but that wasn't a problem. I enjoyed the time between the two, even if it felt a little rushed at first.
My concerns grew a lot with the introduction of Poseidon, and the whole second half of the first part of the story. I really did not like what was happening and where I thought it was going, and I procrastinated from reading it for a while. As expected, Poseidon didn't stand up for Meduso, all three siblings were punished and banished, and thus the second part of the story began.
From here, things got more interesting. It seemed Meduso did the growing up he needed to, and the siblings' time on the island was interesting to read about. I was not expecting to see Perseus so early on in this section, and my concerns regarding him were alleviated. From this point, it became clear that B. J. Irons had rather cleverly thought through how all of the mythos around this story could fit in to his version and be different for the motives and circumstances whilst fulfilling all of what actually happened. I became quite interested in the story again, and hearing about Perseus' adventures to find Meduso. The story was coming up to a close soon though, and I was concerned about how the 'Perseus killing Meduso' part was going to fit in. That was answered pretty quickly through two more visions that Meduso received, and again at first, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about it. The speed at which this came to pass was also really fast, and I think the pacing could have been handled a little better in this area.
The third part is from Perseus' POV, which I wasn't exactly expecting but also didn't mind. We got a rather fast version of the rest of the tale of his life, but fitting into the story that B. J. Irons was telling. I liked that every major event was the same, but we got to see them all in a different light. The epilogue I was expecting to be something in the afterlife, but I was once again surprised it was from the POV of Andromeda. I think this part in particular did a really good job of tying up the story and also explaining away the differences between his story and the tale we know today. It was told in such a way that made it seem like his story was actually the truth and the real tale was almost a cover-up of their relationship to keep Perseus' legacy, but also a series of changes in details over hundreds of years of retellings. I found the way this was handled was really impressive, and it gave me a great impression of his skill to retell stories in a new light as if that was what actually happened and he made it believable. Apart from a few pacing issues and personal things I wasn't a fan of, this was a great retelling that I ended up enjoying a lot.
From pretty early on, I read into the original tale and learnt not only of Medusa's demise but of Perseus' life. With all of this information in mind, I actually became rather concerned with how B. J. Irons was going to reimagine the story. We met Perseus as Meduso made it to the surface, and moved rather quickly through that whole year. I was kind of expecting a somewhat smutty story, which it wasn't in the end, but that wasn't a problem. I enjoyed the time between the two, even if it felt a little rushed at first.
My concerns grew a lot with the introduction of Poseidon, and the whole second half of the first part of the story. I really did not like what was happening and where I thought it was going, and I procrastinated from reading it for a while. As expected, Poseidon didn't stand up for Meduso, all three siblings were punished and banished, and thus the second part of the story began.
From here, things got more interesting. It seemed Meduso did the growing up he needed to, and the siblings' time on the island was interesting to read about. I was not expecting to see Perseus so early on in this section, and my concerns regarding him were alleviated. From this point, it became clear that B. J. Irons had rather cleverly thought through how all of the mythos around this story could fit in to his version and be different for the motives and circumstances whilst fulfilling all of what actually happened. I became quite interested in the story again, and hearing about Perseus' adventures to find Meduso. The story was coming up to a close soon though, and I was concerned about how the 'Perseus killing Meduso' part was going to fit in. That was answered pretty quickly through two more visions that Meduso received, and again at first, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about it. The speed at which this came to pass was also really fast, and I think the pacing could have been handled a little better in this area.
The third part is from Perseus' POV, which I wasn't exactly expecting but also didn't mind. We got a rather fast version of the rest of the tale of his life, but fitting into the story that B. J. Irons was telling. I liked that every major event was the same, but we got to see them all in a different light. The epilogue I was expecting to be something in the afterlife, but I was once again surprised it was from the POV of Andromeda. I think this part in particular did a really good job of tying up the story and also explaining away the differences between his story and the tale we know today. It was told in such a way that made it seem like his story was actually the truth and the real tale was almost a cover-up of their relationship to keep Perseus' legacy, but also a series of changes in details over hundreds of years of retellings. I found the way this was handled was really impressive, and it gave me a great impression of his skill to retell stories in a new light as if that was what actually happened and he made it believable. Apart from a few pacing issues and personal things I wasn't a fan of, this was a great retelling that I ended up enjoying a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2023
Thank you to BookSirens for a digital copy of Meduso. All opinions remain my own.
I love Greek mythology and have been wanting to read more retellings and queer fiction, so this seemed like a great place to start; Meduso is the first in a series of gay retellings (titled aptly, Mythologay) of Greek Mythology.
When I say I enjoyed this far greater than I expected, trust that I don't mean this as a back handed compliment. I went into this thinking it would heavily focus on the romance that Meduso has in this version of Medusa, but it was much deeper than that. Irons adapted on the original mythos, but created this beautiful story of boyhood, coming of age and gay awakening for this well known character.
I loved that he was given a chance to not just be the villan in this story, but a whole person, with dreams and hopes and desires, yet this novella didn't take liberties in warping the legend much, beyond one main change...
Obviously the main noticeable difference is that Medusa is depicted as male, which I felt a bit iffy by, initally. It felt like an erasure of a woman's story and although I appreciate the authors desire to feel more seen in a narrative, I wasn't so convinced that this was the way to go. I did have thoughts that it would have been a much smoother dynamic, had Irons had Medusa as part of the bi or lesbian community, for example, but still presenting as female. Yet, in saying that, once I got into the story and fell for the character of Meduso, I quickly began to appreciate the existence of him and enjoy this different take. I'm am still in two minds about it though.
I loved how endearing Meduso was, despite getting a bit frustrated over his naivety. The Acts this was split into had the perfect names for the time they focused on each part of Meduso's life.
I enjoyed seeing him grow and get out there in the world and explore all the senses before having to serve Athena for what would probably be the rest of his mortal life. It was rewarding to see him grow in confidence, despite the repercussions that returned.
The romances in this was heartbreaking and full of satisfying lust and ... this is unheard of for me because I don't read a lot of spice, but I think more could have been described!
I really enjoyed this reimaging of one of my favourite classics and a well known piece of Greek Mythology and will look forward to reading more in this authors' series of retellings.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
I love Greek mythology and have been wanting to read more retellings and queer fiction, so this seemed like a great place to start; Meduso is the first in a series of gay retellings (titled aptly, Mythologay) of Greek Mythology.
When I say I enjoyed this far greater than I expected, trust that I don't mean this as a back handed compliment. I went into this thinking it would heavily focus on the romance that Meduso has in this version of Medusa, but it was much deeper than that. Irons adapted on the original mythos, but created this beautiful story of boyhood, coming of age and gay awakening for this well known character.
I loved that he was given a chance to not just be the villan in this story, but a whole person, with dreams and hopes and desires, yet this novella didn't take liberties in warping the legend much, beyond one main change...
Obviously the main noticeable difference is that Medusa is depicted as male, which I felt a bit iffy by, initally. It felt like an erasure of a woman's story and although I appreciate the authors desire to feel more seen in a narrative, I wasn't so convinced that this was the way to go. I did have thoughts that it would have been a much smoother dynamic, had Irons had Medusa as part of the bi or lesbian community, for example, but still presenting as female. Yet, in saying that, once I got into the story and fell for the character of Meduso, I quickly began to appreciate the existence of him and enjoy this different take. I'm am still in two minds about it though.
I loved how endearing Meduso was, despite getting a bit frustrated over his naivety. The Acts this was split into had the perfect names for the time they focused on each part of Meduso's life.
I enjoyed seeing him grow and get out there in the world and explore all the senses before having to serve Athena for what would probably be the rest of his mortal life. It was rewarding to see him grow in confidence, despite the repercussions that returned.
The romances in this was heartbreaking and full of satisfying lust and ... this is unheard of for me because I don't read a lot of spice, but I think more could have been described!
I really enjoyed this reimaging of one of my favourite classics and a well known piece of Greek Mythology and will look forward to reading more in this authors' series of retellings.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
March 18, 2022
Until now, I’ve resisted the temptation to read any Gay, M/M novels set in ancient Greece. My resistance is nothing to do with disliking those historical settings, as the opposite is true. Mostly it’s because I discovered a love for this ancient time through a particular writer. I adored her work as a youth. She wrote her novels during a cruel time when men didn’t come out or bravely admit to being queer. To be that courageous would inevitably ruin their lives.
For any of you unfamiliar with the author I’m referring to, her name was Mary Renault. She set many of her beautiful novels in ancient Greece, and more importantly, her stories contained gay men who broke the gay stereotype of the day.
When I saw the book, Meduso by B J Irons, it took me several viewings of the synopsis to overcome my initial reluctance to read the novel. Helping it was that the book’s author had previously published work I enjoyed.
The writer has taken the Medusa, also known as the Gorgon, and given her a sex change. Rather than having the hideous monster of the ancient legend, we have a beautiful young man called Meduso. Perseus, the tragic Greek hero who legend claims, beheaded the Gorgon, in this account falls in love with Meduso.
There can be no happy ending because Meduso is as much a Greek tragedy as it is mythology. Are you confused? Don’t be.
I enjoyed reading about Meduso and Perseus, and if dry ancient accounts needed a bit of tweaking so that the pair could live and love, I’d not get too precious about it. I’ll admit that, in my opinion, the author pays lip service to Greek mythology, but so what? Also, there were times when the dialogue felt a bit too contemporary for the book’s setting. At the end of the day though, his storytelling ability is what counts.
I’ve given it four stars. It doesn’t pretend to be a genuine account of ancient Greek myths, heroes, and monsters. He’s promised the reader a reworking of the legend of Perseus and the Gorgon, and I found it to be an entertaining read that I’m happy to recommend.
For any of you unfamiliar with the author I’m referring to, her name was Mary Renault. She set many of her beautiful novels in ancient Greece, and more importantly, her stories contained gay men who broke the gay stereotype of the day.
When I saw the book, Meduso by B J Irons, it took me several viewings of the synopsis to overcome my initial reluctance to read the novel. Helping it was that the book’s author had previously published work I enjoyed.
The writer has taken the Medusa, also known as the Gorgon, and given her a sex change. Rather than having the hideous monster of the ancient legend, we have a beautiful young man called Meduso. Perseus, the tragic Greek hero who legend claims, beheaded the Gorgon, in this account falls in love with Meduso.
There can be no happy ending because Meduso is as much a Greek tragedy as it is mythology. Are you confused? Don’t be.
I enjoyed reading about Meduso and Perseus, and if dry ancient accounts needed a bit of tweaking so that the pair could live and love, I’d not get too precious about it. I’ll admit that, in my opinion, the author pays lip service to Greek mythology, but so what? Also, there were times when the dialogue felt a bit too contemporary for the book’s setting. At the end of the day though, his storytelling ability is what counts.
I’ve given it four stars. It doesn’t pretend to be a genuine account of ancient Greek myths, heroes, and monsters. He’s promised the reader a reworking of the legend of Perseus and the Gorgon, and I found it to be an entertaining read that I’m happy to recommend.
February 28, 2022
🏛Original take on a well-known Greek myth🙈
3.5-4🌟 stars
I liked the original, gender-bending, sweet gay romance take on the legend of Medusa and her destruction. That and the last fourth of the book were the best parts for me. In general, I do love to read about mythology and, mixed with romance, it could have been a real winner.
Meduso came across as a beautiful, sheltered young man, surrounded by immortals and demi-gods, who, unfortunately, had a target on his back from the get-go. His attempt to break away from monotonous, duty-filled days and find love and happiness had some highs that were quickly overshadowed time and again by the destiny revealed to him in his occasional visions.
Two things bothered me, though, and affected my read and rating of the story. First, the story started out and remained slow paced for quite a while. There are a few too many hum drum, daily life scenes and trips to the beach. That's why when the more drama-filled and poignant end came along it seemed so much better in contrast.
Second, I thought the writing had some hitches in grammar mistakes (the bugaboo incorrect use of the verb to lie the most noticeable) and some awkward phrasing in the advance copy I read. Hopefully they were not an issue in the released final version. And no, there were no potatoes in Europe during this era before discovery of the Americas so they should not have appeared on the menu.
I think the author could have a winning idea for this series. With tighter writing and a faster pace, I could see myself coming back for more stories in this B.J. Irons series. I think if it makes it to the Trojan War, I definitely will!
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
3.5-4🌟 stars
I liked the original, gender-bending, sweet gay romance take on the legend of Medusa and her destruction. That and the last fourth of the book were the best parts for me. In general, I do love to read about mythology and, mixed with romance, it could have been a real winner.
Meduso came across as a beautiful, sheltered young man, surrounded by immortals and demi-gods, who, unfortunately, had a target on his back from the get-go. His attempt to break away from monotonous, duty-filled days and find love and happiness had some highs that were quickly overshadowed time and again by the destiny revealed to him in his occasional visions.
Two things bothered me, though, and affected my read and rating of the story. First, the story started out and remained slow paced for quite a while. There are a few too many hum drum, daily life scenes and trips to the beach. That's why when the more drama-filled and poignant end came along it seemed so much better in contrast.
Second, I thought the writing had some hitches in grammar mistakes (the bugaboo incorrect use of the verb to lie the most noticeable) and some awkward phrasing in the advance copy I read. Hopefully they were not an issue in the released final version. And no, there were no potatoes in Europe during this era before discovery of the Americas so they should not have appeared on the menu.
I think the author could have a winning idea for this series. With tighter writing and a faster pace, I could see myself coming back for more stories in this B.J. Irons series. I think if it makes it to the Trojan War, I definitely will!
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
May 10, 2022
A retelling of Medusa, but in this story Medusa is male and named Meduso. Overall I found this a wonderful story to read.
Starting the story early in Meduso's life, he is naive and innocent. He is born of the old gods and is forced to live in hiding, Athena has shown kindness to Meduso's family in planning to accept Meduso and his sisters as temple servants, on the condition that they remain "pure". Much like the character the story starts of light and innocent, but that evolves throughout the book.
Events unfold in the book and Meduso and his sisters find themselves cursed with serpentine bodies and also a cursed gaze turning any mortal to stone. After these events Meduso does some maturing and starts to accept his serpentine body, he also starts to view carnal desires separately from the previous lovers he has had. Assessing what he feels was and was not "pure" in his opinion.
The romantic scenes are written very poetically and with lots of flowery language. I felt that the mythology was well researched and presented very well. There are some concepts that brought levels of depth to the retelling. The author touches on topics of purity, love, and carnal desire. They explore how all of these specifically apply to romance between two men. Much like the real world some characters treat the male lovers no differently, whereas others do treat their love as impure.
Sadly Meduso falls into the trope of a character with little to no agency in his own story, a trope I do not personally enjoy. If you are familiar with the mythology you will also dislike the ending, as I did.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Starting the story early in Meduso's life, he is naive and innocent. He is born of the old gods and is forced to live in hiding, Athena has shown kindness to Meduso's family in planning to accept Meduso and his sisters as temple servants, on the condition that they remain "pure". Much like the character the story starts of light and innocent, but that evolves throughout the book.
Events unfold in the book and Meduso and his sisters find themselves cursed with serpentine bodies and also a cursed gaze turning any mortal to stone. After these events Meduso does some maturing and starts to accept his serpentine body, he also starts to view carnal desires separately from the previous lovers he has had. Assessing what he feels was and was not "pure" in his opinion.
The romantic scenes are written very poetically and with lots of flowery language. I felt that the mythology was well researched and presented very well. There are some concepts that brought levels of depth to the retelling. The author touches on topics of purity, love, and carnal desire. They explore how all of these specifically apply to romance between two men. Much like the real world some characters treat the male lovers no differently, whereas others do treat their love as impure.
Sadly Meduso falls into the trope of a character with little to no agency in his own story, a trope I do not personally enjoy. If you are familiar with the mythology you will also dislike the ending, as I did.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 6, 2022
I’ve always loved history and how the myths tie into true history. Switching the gender of a majorly tragic story is brilliant. I look forward to reading more of this series!!!
Meduso was marked from the beginning to become an innocent pawn of his parents and the Olympic Gods. Sheltered and naïve, he was taken advantage of over and over. He and his sisters paid for his parents to live a protected life; indentured servitude in the form of serving Athena in her temple. Poseidon used him for revenge; and may have cared for him as a possession or prize but ultimately cast him off when he found true happiness.
A young man who only wanted love and to see the world he was sheltered from was guided by visions the fates sent him. Knowing them to be his destiny he had no choice but to act upon them. He loved Perseus so deeply he made the ultimate sacrifice so the Demi-God could become a hero and have the favor of the Gods.
I became so enraptured with this tragic tale I wept for hours and my heart ached for the beautiful Gorgon’s tragedy. I wept for his sisters who did not ever get to understand it was not betrayal by their brother’s lover but a destined sacrifice. I wept for Perseus, having to live with the memory of Meduso, his true love; and his last moments on earth for the rest of his life. I wept for what could have been.
This is one book has changed how I look at life, destiny, love and how I view the Greek Gods representations in history.
The pacing was too slow in places and too fast in others but this did not detract from the plot and storylines.
Meduso was marked from the beginning to become an innocent pawn of his parents and the Olympic Gods. Sheltered and naïve, he was taken advantage of over and over. He and his sisters paid for his parents to live a protected life; indentured servitude in the form of serving Athena in her temple. Poseidon used him for revenge; and may have cared for him as a possession or prize but ultimately cast him off when he found true happiness.
A young man who only wanted love and to see the world he was sheltered from was guided by visions the fates sent him. Knowing them to be his destiny he had no choice but to act upon them. He loved Perseus so deeply he made the ultimate sacrifice so the Demi-God could become a hero and have the favor of the Gods.
I became so enraptured with this tragic tale I wept for hours and my heart ached for the beautiful Gorgon’s tragedy. I wept for his sisters who did not ever get to understand it was not betrayal by their brother’s lover but a destined sacrifice. I wept for Perseus, having to live with the memory of Meduso, his true love; and his last moments on earth for the rest of his life. I wept for what could have been.
This is one book has changed how I look at life, destiny, love and how I view the Greek Gods representations in history.
The pacing was too slow in places and too fast in others but this did not detract from the plot and storylines.
December 25, 2022
What a unique retelling!
I have to say I wasn’t sure how this myth would be retold so that it would be believable in a mythological way. I think the author did a fantastic job with the way he presented the story of Meduso and Perseus. From their first meeting as youths just discovering themselves, to their final moments, and all of the events in between.
What I had the biggest problem with and what led me to my rating of 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ has to do with how the story is told. Certain word choices don’t make sense even if the meaning of said word is correct for the sentence. There is also a feel that the author is trying to make the narration more “formal”, thus using words and language that don’t flow well when blended with the dialogue.
Another oddity of this story is that the author seems to be trying to write in first person omniscient, which isn’t actually a writing style. For example, there is a scene where some girls are tittering and giggling which leads Meduso to conclude they’re laughing at him and blatantly stating that he would never know what they were actually going on about. Yet in the very next paragraph we get told exactly what the girls were talking about.
So while the story itself is very good, the execution isn’t what I had hoped for. I will most definitely be reading the next book of the series however, because I want to see how these myths are transformed.
If you enjoy retellings, I would say this one is worth the read.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have to say I wasn’t sure how this myth would be retold so that it would be believable in a mythological way. I think the author did a fantastic job with the way he presented the story of Meduso and Perseus. From their first meeting as youths just discovering themselves, to their final moments, and all of the events in between.
What I had the biggest problem with and what led me to my rating of 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ has to do with how the story is told. Certain word choices don’t make sense even if the meaning of said word is correct for the sentence. There is also a feel that the author is trying to make the narration more “formal”, thus using words and language that don’t flow well when blended with the dialogue.
Another oddity of this story is that the author seems to be trying to write in first person omniscient, which isn’t actually a writing style. For example, there is a scene where some girls are tittering and giggling which leads Meduso to conclude they’re laughing at him and blatantly stating that he would never know what they were actually going on about. Yet in the very next paragraph we get told exactly what the girls were talking about.
So while the story itself is very good, the execution isn’t what I had hoped for. I will most definitely be reading the next book of the series however, because I want to see how these myths are transformed.
If you enjoy retellings, I would say this one is worth the read.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 4, 2022
J Irons has very quickly become one of my most favorite authors to read. I am always on the edge of my seat reading BJ’s books. Once I pick one up I am completely entranced. Reading Meduso was no different. This book was absolutely amazing! I am just at a loss for words because of the love I have for this book. Reworking a classic mythology is truly an incredible thing. I love a spin on the classics. In this book we have Meduso, who is noble, sweet, brave and absolutely beautiful. His romance with Perseus is very similar to the original Medusa story. I was absolutely invested in this couple from the very start. They had the odds stacked against them and that made me root for them even more. I adore this couple and I am so excited I got to read this book!
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
POV: 1st Person Dual POV
Standalone or series: Book 1 in the Mythologay Series
Would I recommend it: 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ highly recommend!! 🤩
Would I read it again: Most definitely!
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
POV: 1st Person Dual POV
Standalone or series: Book 1 in the Mythologay Series
Would I recommend it: 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ highly recommend!! 🤩
Would I read it again: Most definitely!
February 26, 2022
A really interesting rewrite of the tale of Medusa and Perseus.
What if the frightening mythical gorgon Medusa…was actually Meduso? What if Meduso wasn’t a villain in the story, but a hero? In this retelling, Meduso is the son of sea gods who has lived a sheltered life in his family palace. When he is given the chance to go to the mortal world for one year before becoming a servant of Athena, Meduso doesn’t know what to expect, but it certainly isn’t love. Until he meets Perseus, a handsome demi-god fisherman on a quiet island. After their year of bonding and falling in love ends, these two must separate so Meduso can fulfill his duty. His life takes a very strange turn when he is tempted, tested, and cursed by the gods. But his heart always lies with Perseus, though will the fates allow them to live and die happily together? A story of vengeful gods and mortal pawns.
Very accurate to the mythology, with a beautiful twist of two men falling in love.
What if the frightening mythical gorgon Medusa…was actually Meduso? What if Meduso wasn’t a villain in the story, but a hero? In this retelling, Meduso is the son of sea gods who has lived a sheltered life in his family palace. When he is given the chance to go to the mortal world for one year before becoming a servant of Athena, Meduso doesn’t know what to expect, but it certainly isn’t love. Until he meets Perseus, a handsome demi-god fisherman on a quiet island. After their year of bonding and falling in love ends, these two must separate so Meduso can fulfill his duty. His life takes a very strange turn when he is tempted, tested, and cursed by the gods. But his heart always lies with Perseus, though will the fates allow them to live and die happily together? A story of vengeful gods and mortal pawns.
Very accurate to the mythology, with a beautiful twist of two men falling in love.
March 7, 2022
3.5-4 stars
I am usually up for a reworking of greek mythology, it's just exactly my thing. The story of the gorgon is tragic though and I know that so I went in eyes open.
The characters and the setting of the story are great, I could almost see the scenes the author described and almost imagine I was there. I liked Meduso's backstory with his family too, it's something that's usually not mentioned a lot in the myth of the gorgon.
For some reason I struggled a little with this one, I kept picking up and putting it down but I think that's more on me than any fault with the book or the story. It's a little slow in parts too and I got lost in the dialogue a couple of times - again maybe that's me and not the book.
I liked this take on the myth though, the twist of Meduso being male was great but still makes the story no less tragic. The Greek Gods are dicks. That's all.
I received an ARC from GRR and this is my honest review.
I am usually up for a reworking of greek mythology, it's just exactly my thing. The story of the gorgon is tragic though and I know that so I went in eyes open.
The characters and the setting of the story are great, I could almost see the scenes the author described and almost imagine I was there. I liked Meduso's backstory with his family too, it's something that's usually not mentioned a lot in the myth of the gorgon.
For some reason I struggled a little with this one, I kept picking up and putting it down but I think that's more on me than any fault with the book or the story. It's a little slow in parts too and I got lost in the dialogue a couple of times - again maybe that's me and not the book.
I liked this take on the myth though, the twist of Meduso being male was great but still makes the story no less tragic. The Greek Gods are dicks. That's all.
I received an ARC from GRR and this is my honest review.
April 2, 2022
Having studied Classics at school, I was more than ready to dive into Meduso, especially with its gender-swapping premise. It plays fast and loose with the “facts” but that’s only to be expected with its mission to depart from the source material enough to make the story work for a contemporary reader.
On the whole, I think it’s a solid reworking, but I thought it was marred by a few issues with grammar, tense, and the penchant for exclamation marks. I don’t know if BJ used an editor or beta readers. If he didn’t, I hope he will in the future, because it’s clear he’s got the chops to tell a great story.
With a few tweaks to pacing, dialogue, and writing mechanics, this would have pushed all my buttons for mythology and romance combined.
If you’re a forgiving reader, I’d definitely recommend this book. It has lots and lots of heart.
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
On the whole, I think it’s a solid reworking, but I thought it was marred by a few issues with grammar, tense, and the penchant for exclamation marks. I don’t know if BJ used an editor or beta readers. If he didn’t, I hope he will in the future, because it’s clear he’s got the chops to tell a great story.
With a few tweaks to pacing, dialogue, and writing mechanics, this would have pushed all my buttons for mythology and romance combined.
If you’re a forgiving reader, I’d definitely recommend this book. It has lots and lots of heart.
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 2, 2022
REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meduso by B J Irons is the captivating and imaginative gender reversed retelling of the story of Medusa, Greek Mythology’s most famous monster, and Perseus, the heroic demi-god. Irons has masterfully and painstakingly recreated the world of Ancient Greece and crafted a tale in which Meduso becomes the hero rather than the villain. While a few liberties are taken with historical accuracy, the story reverberates with all the power and scope of anything by Edith Hamilton. Present are the powerful, vain and vengeful gods of Olympus and the mortals who serve as their playthings, but from among these blooms a story of love and romance reminiscent of The Song of Achilles. As an admirer of the work of B J Irons, I am excited and intrigued by this new Mythologay Series which will include creative retellings of other classics of Greek Mythology. His range as a writer is broad and this is just another avenue for him to exhibit his creative talent. ⠀
March 11, 2022
I'm a sucker for any retelling of myths but Greek myths in particular are special to me. I really enjoyed this retelling of Medusa as I haven't heard of a story quite like this before. In a similar vein of The Song of Achilles we get a well known myth from a new perspective. This is from Meduso's POV and we get to really understand his thoughts and feelings as he comes into his own and the curse that's placed on him. While there are some liberties taken, the flow of the story is well done and I liked how the flaws of the Gods/Goddesses were shown. I did take off one star because a couple of the scenes did seem to drag just a bit (such as some of the earlier times with his sisters) but overall I was really happy with this story and I'm intrigued to see what's next in this series!
November 27, 2022
I received this book as an ARC, and was very excited about the idea.
I love mythology and the story of Medusa and her sisters in general, and this book definitely gave me the mythology I was craving. The author did their research and that shows.
Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy this book. It's written decently well, but the beginning especially felt a lot like a mythological lore dump. When Meduso met Perseus their interactions together felt very robotic and unnatural. It didn't feel as if there were any chemistry, but Meduso kept telling the reader that there definitely was.
I really wanted to enjoy it, and I'm sure other's will, but it's unfortunately not for me.
I love mythology and the story of Medusa and her sisters in general, and this book definitely gave me the mythology I was craving. The author did their research and that shows.
Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy this book. It's written decently well, but the beginning especially felt a lot like a mythological lore dump. When Meduso met Perseus their interactions together felt very robotic and unnatural. It didn't feel as if there were any chemistry, but Meduso kept telling the reader that there definitely was.
I really wanted to enjoy it, and I'm sure other's will, but it's unfortunately not for me.
May 29, 2023
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily).
I love Greek Mythology, I've been obsessed since I was a child, so when I saw this book I was immediately interested. I've also always loved Medusa's myth so yeah, this looked promising.
And it was! I really enjoyed the book, the story was obviously based on a very popular myth but it still had it's own unique touch and twists.
I didn't enjoy that much the writing style (but that's just a personal preference).
Betrayal is a huge part of the book, and I really enjoyed how the author wrote that into the story.
I really liked this book and I am really looking forward to read more from this author!
I love Greek Mythology, I've been obsessed since I was a child, so when I saw this book I was immediately interested. I've also always loved Medusa's myth so yeah, this looked promising.
And it was! I really enjoyed the book, the story was obviously based on a very popular myth but it still had it's own unique touch and twists.
I didn't enjoy that much the writing style (but that's just a personal preference).
Betrayal is a huge part of the book, and I really enjoyed how the author wrote that into the story.
I really liked this book and I am really looking forward to read more from this author!
March 10, 2022
As someone who had a horrible experience with the teaching of mythology in high school, it has taken ages for me to realize the power of the Greek myths and to enjoy reading them as told by various authors. This reimagining of the story of Meduso and Perseus took me into the worlds of ancient Greece and Olympus and then made me care about these characters and their story with all its pain and glory. It also sent me back to my bookshelf to read about the original story. I adore a book that sends me to look up things in other books and I cannot wsit for more in this series.
December 12, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. I love Greek myth retellings and Medusa is one of my favourite characters.
Meduso in this story is incredibly naive, and the writing reflects that. It might reflect it it a bit too well. The writing , at times, came across quite stiff and monotone to the point where I didn’t believe Meduso’s love for Perseus or any of the other characters. None of the characters felt real. There didn’t seem to be a lot of feeling in the story.
I gave up at around 60% and ended up reading the epilogue. It sounded like a good story, just not executed very well.
Meduso in this story is incredibly naive, and the writing reflects that. It might reflect it it a bit too well. The writing , at times, came across quite stiff and monotone to the point where I didn’t believe Meduso’s love for Perseus or any of the other characters. None of the characters felt real. There didn’t seem to be a lot of feeling in the story.
I gave up at around 60% and ended up reading the epilogue. It sounded like a good story, just not executed very well.
October 1, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I'm a fan of Greek Mythology and this is a really great gay retelling of Medusa. Much detail is put into the story of Meduso mortal life and the demi-god Pegasus's love story. Meduso's immortal sisters' sacrifice and devotion to him even when his choices harm them all. Meduso's betrayal by Pesidion. Athena's impossible purity oath and demand for undying devotion. Finally, Meduso's ultimate sacrifice spares Pegasus' life from the wrath of the Gods.
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