The Last Song of Penelope

Many years ago, Odysseus sailed to war and never returned. For twenty years his wife Penelope and the women of Ithaca have guarded the isle against suitors and rival kings. But peace cannot be kept forever, and the balance of power is about to break . . .

A beggar has arrived at the Palace. Salt-crusted and ocean-battered, he is scorned by the suitors - but Penelope recognises in him something terrible: her husband, Odysseus, returned at last. Yet this Odysseus is no hero. By returning to the island in disguise, he is not merely plotting his revenge against the suitors - vengeance that will spark a civil war - but he's testing the loyalty of his queen. Has she been faithful to him all these years? And how much blood is Odysseus willing to shed to be sure?

The song of Penelope is ending, and the song of Odysseus must ring through Ithaca's halls. But first, Penelope must use all her cunning to win a war for the fate of the island and keep her family alive, whatever the cost . . .

***

'Darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking' – Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

'Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history' – Booklist

'Everything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece' – Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin

'Penelope is proving to be an outstanding epic hero in her own right. The world building is sensational' – Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den

'Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies' – The Times

'Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime' – Hannah Lynn, author of Athena's Child