Medusa, Nataly Gruender
Medusa, Nataly Gruender
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Medusa

Author: Nataly Gruender

Narrator: Helen Laser

Unabridged: 11 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/13/2024


Synopsis

In this "imaginative and thought-provoking" retelling of the Medusa myth, readers  get an intimate look into the life of a legendary mythical villain who has so often been stripped of her voice and humanity—perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint (Laura Shepperson, author of Phaedra).

You know how Medusa’s story ends, but you’ve never heard her tell her own story… until now.
 
The only mortal daughter of two sea gods, and a priestess of Athena, Medusa was a woman who thought she had found her place in the world. But when Medusa suffers a horrific violation at the hands of Poseidon, Athena is outraged over the desecration of her name and sends a message by transforming Medusa into the snake-haired monster of legend. With one look, any who meet her gaze is turned to stone. Word of her monstrosity travels fast, igniting a king’s fear so greatly that he commands the boy-hero Perseus to bring him her head. With a power that will spare no one, Medusa begins to wonder if this is a blessing or a curse. Medusa only knows that she must leave the city she has come to call home before she harms another soul. 

Searching for a haven free from mortals, anger buoying her every step, Medusa journeys across ancient Greece. Her eyes are hidden beneath a blindfold, with nothing but the snakes for company. Through her travels, Medusa discovers solace and understanding in the mythical figures she stumbles upon: A debaucherous wine god, an alluring nymph, and a three-headed dog. But one cannot escape fate forever. As Perseus closes in, Medusa faces a choice: become the monster everyone expects her to be, or cling to the last piece of her humanity.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Riley on March 02, 2022

This was the story that Medusa deserves. So stunning!......more

Goodreads review by ✨ Helena ✨ on January 05, 2022

I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. I’d been looking forward to this retelling of Medusa’s tale since it was announced and thankfully, Jessie Burton didn’t let me down. I’d never read any of her previous books before, and I’m so very glad that I fin......more

Goodreads review by Katie on August 25, 2022

Stunning. The vivid illustrations were very moving. It's a ⭐️3.5 for me only because it was short and didn't leave me with enough of a story. But what it did give me was breath taking. Let me just share some of my favorite quotes to show you it's beauty... "I woke to the dying sound of her laugh..." "I......more

Goodreads review by Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) on December 15, 2021

Really enjoyed Jessie Burton’s take on this myth, especially the sisterly bond. It has the overhanging sense of dread throughout when you know it’s not going to go as hoped, the foreboding really shone through. But piecing Medusa’s story together through the course of this book, a story fractured by......more

Goodreads review by persephone ☾ on May 07, 2022

"Is love just easier when one of you no longer exists ?" somebody sedate me i'm in pain......more


Quotes

Medusa by Nataly Gruender is an imaginative and thought-provoking retelling of the myth of Medusa. Gruender is not afraid to tackle the more challenging aspects of Greek mythology, resulting in a novel that is completely relevant to modern readers.”—Laura Shepperson, author of Phaedra

"This vivid debut flips the script by transforming Medusa's curse into a source of power so she can meet fate on her own terms. A perfect read for mythology fans.”—A.D. Rhine, author of Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze

"Neil Gaiman meets Madeline Miller in this complex and nuanced portrayal of the legendary Medusa. Nataly Gruender’s subject in Medusa is not just the gorgon herself, but the social milieu of the gods, the relationship between mortal and immortal, and that eternal hobgoblin of the Greeks: fate. You might think you already know Medusa’s story, and how it ends, but en route to its destination, Medusa tackles timely subject matter: sisterhood, men in positions of power abusing their privilege, and what it means to be beautiful or ugly in the gaze of others. Gruender accomplishes all of this with gripping sentences that will stop you in your tracks, or turn you to stone."—Phong Nguyen, author of Bronze Drum

"In MEDUSA, Nataly Gruender offers an evocative and sympathetic voice to one of history's most maligned and misunderstood mythic figures, the feared Gorgon, Medusa. Often dismissed as a vindictive and vengeful monster, in Gruender's hands, Medusa's story is fully told, one of a beautiful mortal woman that became a monstrous immortal legend; born of and victimized by gods, stigmatized by mortals and destined to fulfill a prophecy that is both her curse and her gift; a power that will sustain her rise in the wake of those who seek her fall. With profound dignity, grace and wit, Gruender's MEDUSA is a delightful addition to the pantheon mythic Greek retellings."—Aimee Gibbs, author of The Carnivale of Curiosities