Book Review: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

“This is the story of how a young woman became a monster. And how she was never really a monster at all.”

Published in 2022, Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes tells the story of Medusa, the only mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her sisters, she quickly realizes that she is the only one who gets older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.

When desire pushes a God to commit the unforgivable, Medusa’s mortal life is changed forever. Her punishment is to be turned into a Gorgon: sharp teeth, snakes for hair, and a gaze that will turn any living creature to stone. Appalled by her own reflection, Medusa can no longer look upon anything she loves without destroying it. She condemns herself to a life of solitude in the shadows to limit her murderous range.

That is, until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon…

My Top Reads Of 2022 (Previous Releases)

Following my post from yesterday listing my favourite 2022 releases, here are my top reads of 2022 which were released in previous years (in no particular order):

Book Review: A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

“This is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s. They have waited long enough for their turn…”

Published in 2019, A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes tells the story of the women, girls and goddesses at the centre of the Western world’s great tale ever told, from the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.